Order of Man

It seems anymore that people are operating increasingly out of extremes without any context, nuance, or understanding. I get it – outrage sells. And, to some degree, I've been guilty of it myself. But I've found myself as I get older – wanting to go find a piece of land and work on my canoe – rather than engage in what social media has diminished us too. My guest today, Brady Pesola, would agree and, he's made a life out of studying ancient philosophy combined with practical, nuanced modern insight. Today, we talk about social independence, the "Golden Mean," what he calls "The Stop Light" theory, meta-cognition, and the concept of the Grayman and how it can help you operate as a man. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Welcome Back & Reconnecting 01:03 - The Breakdown of Modern Communication 04:52 - Hive Mind, Social Media & Framing Bias 06:53 - Marketing Yourself vs Manipulating Emotion 09:17 - Finding the Right Tribe 12:27 - Value, Reciprocity & Relationships 14:48 - Technical Interruption & Reset 16:46 - The Golden Mean vs Extreme Success 20:35 - Sacrifices, Success & Contentment 24:55 - Adversity, Resilience & Upbringing 27:11 - Red Light vs Green Light Theory 29:59 - Perspective on Inconvenience & Gratitude 33:18 - When Red Lights Save You 36:47 - Grace for Yourself & Others 38:24 - "I've Never Done This Before" Mindset 41:37 - Road Rage, Ego & Consequences 47:00 - Measuring Self-Awareness 48:20 - Metacognition & Emotional Control 52:49 - The Gray Man Concept 55:42 - Mental Discipline Over Appearance 58:02 - Ego, Posturing & Survival 01:00:13 - Where to Find Brady 01:03:33 - Outro & Recording Wrap 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 Friday Field Notes episode, Ryan Michler delivers a direct and uncompromising message: success never happens by accident. He challenges listeners to confront the ways they may be drifting through life, reacting to circumstances rather than intentionally leading themselves. Ryan explores how comfort, avoidance, and distraction quietly compound into years of lost potential, and contrasts that with the strength and freedom created through discipline, structure, and brotherhood. This episode calls men to choose hardship on purpose, define their standards, and begin taking directional action immediately instead of waiting for motivation to arrive. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 Introduction to the Drift 02:29 Weakness as the Default Setting 04:56 The Deceitful Nature of Drift 07:19 Mistaking Activity for Productivity 09:43 Structure, Discipline, and Freedom 13:26 Chaos Versus Ownership 15:03 Drift Creates Weak Default Patterns 16:22 Blindness to the Cliff 18:15 Choosing Your Struggle 19:42 Direction Before Motivation 20:23 Standards and Daily Requirements 21:30 Brotherhood as an Antidote 24:34 Identifying Where You Are Drifting 26:58 Final 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  

In this Ask Me Anything episode, Ryan and Kipp kick things off with a lighthearted but revealing conversation before diving into listener questions on purpose, vision, balance, and meaning. They explore why men struggle to articulate what they want, how early conditioning shapes silence, and what happens when men open up and feel shut down. The discussion also tackles work-life balance, daily meaning versus long-term purpose, and why purpose is built through action, not found through thinking alone. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 Christmas Check-In and Opening Banter 01:12 Viral Knife Story and Public Reactions 09:42 AMA Begins: Getting the Most from the Iron Council 16:57 Vision vs Character Traits 19:34 Why Men Are Conditioned Not to Want 20:17 What Happens When Men Open Up 30:53 Work, Home, and Community Balance 39:20 Finding Meaning in the Mundane 47:29 Purpose Is Built Through Action 50:16 Christmas Reflections and 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

You know about breath work. You know about cold exposure. It's a thing all the major "influencers" tell you to do. I had some skepticism myself and that's why I wanted to have this man, the original cold exposure and breath work guy on himself, Wim Hof! He is a man who has redefined the limits of the human mind and body. Known globally as The Iceman, Wim Hof has shown millions of people how to take control of their physiology through breath, cold exposure, and mindset. From climbing mountains in nothing but shorts to teaching everyday men how to regulate stress, build resilience, and reconnect with their primal strength, Wim's work challenges everything we think we know about comfort, health, and human potential. Today, we're talking about cold, breath, discipline, and what it really means to return to our factory settings as men. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 Introduction and Creative Rituals 01:30 Daily Cold and Breathwork Ritual 03:02 Shutting Off the Thinking Brain 05:07 Stress, Cortisol, and Modern Life 07:24 Cold Exposure Myths and Shortcuts 10:05 Minimum Effective Dose of Cold 12:34 Enduring Extreme Cold 14:28 Cold Exposure and Better Sleep 17:09 Breathing, Detox, and Biochemistry 21:35 Carbon Dioxide vs Oxygen 23:45 Ancient Practices, Modern Brains 27:50 Purpose, Presence, and Feeling Alive 30:11 Fulfillment Beyond Words 36:50 Getting High on Your Own Supply 38:11 Faith, Soul, and Inner Purpose 43:26 Motivation, Discipline, and Cold 46:50 Intuition and Better Decisions 50:00 Dopamine, Depression, and Energy 51:02 Final Thoughts and Where to Learn More 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 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