Order of Man

Most men don't need more information - they need fewer lies. The most common lie? "I'm fine." In this Friday Field Notes episode, Ryan breaks down why "fine" is how men drift, how standards quietly erode, and why most men wait until catastrophe forces them to take their life seriously. This isn't an emotional exercise. It's a logical, factual audit of your body, relationships, finances, mission, and integrity - with no stories, no excuses, and no rationalizations. Ryan challenges you to stop protecting your weak spots, identify where you're cutting corners, and draw one non-negotiable line in the sand that you enforce daily. You don't rise to your potential. You fall to what you tolerate. This episode will push you to: Take an honest inventory of your life Cut distractions, excuses, and self-deception Set one standard that changes everything Stop waiting for pain to force change Start today - not January 1st SHOW HIGHLIGHTS: 00:00 - The Lie of "I'm Fine" 01:55 - How Men Drift Without Realizing It 03:02 - Why You Must Audit Your Life 05:21 - Body, Marriage, Finances, Mission 07:01 - Where You're Lying to Yourself 09:02 - You Fall to What You Tolerate 10:41 - What Weakens You Is a Liability 11:23 - One Non-Negotiable Standard 12:13 - Discipline Doesn't Wait 13:14 - Stop Waiting for Catastrophe 15:23 - Audit Your Life Before It's Too Late 17:47 - Iron Council & Final Charge Battle Planners: Pick yours up today! Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto. For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood. Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

In this Ask Me Anything episode, Ryan Michler and Kipp Sorensen tackle the number one issue facing men today: money. From scarcity mindset and debt to retirement planning, investing, and raising financially responsible kids, the conversation blends practical financial wisdom with deeper insights on discipline, self-belief, and values.  Ryan breaks down Dave Ramsey's baby steps, explains Roth vs. traditional IRAs, challenges popular budgeting rules, and shares how to instill abundance thinking in your family. A must-listen for men looking to build wealth without losing perspective. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 Financial stress and the current economy 03:46 Physical baseline and discipline 08:59 Scarcity vs. abundance mindset 19:23 Dave Ramsey's seven baby steps 26:01 Roth IRA vs. traditional IRA 34:45 The 50-30-20 budgeting rule 37:29 Building wealth in an underpaid career 45:08 Teaching kids financial discipline 56:18 Iron Council and end-of-year call to action Battle Planners: Pick yours up today! Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto. For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood. Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

Too many men today aren't struggling because they lack information. They're struggling because they're drowning in noise. And, I think it's time we start unpacking why the "modern masculinity" space has become obsessed with hot takes, call-outs, online outrage, and performative "accountability" - and why none of it builds strong men, meaningful connection, or lasting improvement. Today I'm joined by my friend, Jack Donovan, to talk about why gossip masquerades as moral authority, how "calling men out" often replaces real accountability, the difference between integrity, honor, and reputation, why social media rewards division, not leadership, the dangers of pedestalizing others—and why men need a code to live by. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Studio Setup & Creative Work 02:24 - Why the Right Needs to Create Culture 04:22 - The Problem With Hot Takes 06:06 - Engagement vs. Building a Movement 08:17 - Writing as Intellectual Discipline 10:16 - AI Art, Aesthetics, and Snobbery 12:01 - Giving People the Benefit of the Doubt 14:11 - Funding Art and Leaving a Legacy 17:07 - Storytelling as Masculine Power 19:33 - Integrity as Aesthetic Congruence 21:09 - Integrity vs. Disintegration 23:14 - Faith, Ritual, and Mental Wholeness 25:16 - Philosophy as a Code of Conduct 26:50 - Honor as Reputation 30:13 - Tribalism and Dehumanization 33:18 - Why Men Gossip 36:49 - Malicious Gossip vs. Accountability 41:14 - Reality TV Culture and Privacy 44:43 - Judging Without Context 46:22 - The Danger of Moral Pedestals 49:32 - Hubris and Public Failure 52:31 - The Trust Recession 55:29 - Projection and False Narratives 58:51 - Redemption and Change Battle Planners: Pick yours up today! Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto. For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood. Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready  

Most men obsess over goals - the outcomes, the achievements, the shiny targets. But goals don't build men. Standards do. In today's Field Notes, Ryan breaks down why standards define your identity, how they outperform goals in every way, and why your life only changes when you elevate the rules you live by. He shares powerful examples, including recovering from a major injury, why men fail when they rely on motivation, and how to build standards that make you unshakable. Ryan also outlines a four-step framework to reset your identity, eliminate weak standards, and cement the behaviors that transform your life. If you want 2026 to be different, this episode explains exactly where to start. Key Takeaways Goals are emotionally dependent, standards are identity-based. Standards keep you anchored in the present - goals keep you trapped in the future. Goals collapse under adversity; standards strengthen you because they're non-negotiable. A man becomes powerful when he lives by a code with zero negotiation. Your life changes when your identity upgrades, not when your goals get bigger. Four-step framework to build standards that stick: -Identify the man you refuse to be. -Build non-negotiables in all four quadrants (Calibration, Connection, Condition, Contribution). -Build accountability. -Enforce consequences when you violate your own standards. 00:00 - Introduction   00:09 - Why Most Men Get Goals Backwards   01:20 - Goals Don't Build Men — Standards Do   02:33 - Examples of Weak vs. Strong Standards   04:34 - Ryan's Pec Tear: Standards in Adversity   06:24 - A Man Rises or Falls to His Standards   07:50 - Why Goals Fail Men   09:33 - How Goals Delay Action and Keep Men Stuck   11:23 - Goals Collapse Under Stress   12:57 - Standards Create Structure and Strength   14:38 - How Standards Transform a Man   16:10 - Standards Prevent Moral Drift   17:32 - Building Trust Through Consistency   18:57 - Standards Make Men Anti-Fragile   21:03 - Stop Waiting for "All Green Lights"   22:43 - Identity Before Action   23:28 - Fast Progress Comes From Identity Shifts   24:26 - The "Light Yourself on Fire" Lesson   25:14 - Reverse Engineering Goals Into Standards   25:57 - Step 1: Identify the Man You Refuse to Be   27:38 - Making Weak Behaviors Repulsive   29:31 - Step 2: Non-Negotiables in the Four Quadrants   31:32 - Step 3: Accountability   33:00 - Step 4: Enforce Consequences   33:42 - Final Challenge: Raise Your Standards   35:45 - Iron Council Promotion   36:33 - Preview Call Details   Battle Planners: Pick yours up today! Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto. For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood. Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

In this week's Ask Me Anything, Ryan and Kipp dive into discipline, motivation, and the realities of staying committed when life gets heavy. They discuss sustaining purpose in long-term work, navigating burnout, and understanding the difference between quitting and evolving.  The conversation takes a powerful turn as Ryan opens up about the passing of his father and what it truly means to forgive and move forward. They also address why men seek validation, how to handle relationship breakdowns, and what books shaped them this year. Practical, grounded, and deeply human - this episode hits every level. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00  Opening & Morning Discipline 01:56  What Keeps You Driven? 11:26  Quitting vs. Evolving 20:02  Burnout and Battle Plans 26:05  Losing a Father & Processing Grief 34:56  Why Men Seek Validation 49:43  Most Impactful Books of the Year 56:12  Iron Council Preview Promotion 58:49  Closing Remarks   Battle Planners: Pick yours up today! Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto. For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood. Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready