Wolf & Iron | Virtues, Skills, Manliness!

Testosterone. Every man needs it and the average man is short on supply. How do we increase it and what about Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)? In this episode I share some of my journey with increasing my testosterone naturally and also why I decided to go on a TRT program. Note: I'm not a doctor and this is not medical advice. I'm just a man sharing his experience.

I've been fairly absent from the scene since the last podcast drop in July of 2023. In this episode, I catch you guys up to what's been going on in my world and some thoughts on the future of Wolf & Iron.

There are a lot of books on entrepreneurship, marriage, and raising kids. In fact, you're likely to gain some needed wisdom on any of these subjects just by being with and observing people who are in that season of life. However, when it comes to the second half of life, let's say 40 onward, it can feel pretty lonely.   My guest today is Chris Bruno and he's the author of Sage: A Man's Guide into His Second Passage. Chris brings focus into the oftentimes nebulous second stage of a man's life. In our conversation we talk about mid-life crises, reconnecting with our boyhood as we grow older, and avoiding the pitfalls so many men fall into as they begin to realize their youth is a thing of the past.

In this episode I share my experience of one year as a student of Krav Maga, the Israeli Self-Defense system taught all over the world to Special Forces, military, and individuals like myself. I'll go through why I chose Krav and how it's increased my situational awareness and confidence. Every man needs to be training to defend his life or the lives of those he could protect. This includes weapons training -- firearms in particular -- but also hand-to-hand, multiple attackers, car jackings, active shooters, and so on. Be ready, not just willing. Krav Maga can get you there.

There are two complimentary natures in manhood; the warrior and the poet. Today, the man who can simultaneously appreciate the finer arts and yet stand strong in adversity seems to be a rare breed. My guest on this episode, John Lovell, calls men to this noble undertaking and shares his guiding principles in his book The Warrior Poet Way. This is the book I wish i had when I was in my early 30s and starting my journey of manhood in earnest. The Warrior Poet Way keeps the reader engaged while also imparting much needed wisdom in a man-to-man, relatable. Listen to the episode, then get a copy of the book. You'll be a better man for it.

Vivek Ramaswamy is a presidential candidate worth listening to. He has the right ideas for America and is pushing for a dismantling of many agencies, including the FBI and CIA, and believes that America needs a common identity. I agree. We do. But, he is Hindu. While he has been open about being raised Hindu and still considers himself and his family Hindus, he was also raised with a good deal of knowledge and influence from Christianity. The questions I pose in this episode are these: If an American President is 99% of what you want -- Conservative, Independent, beholden to the people, etc. -- does it matter if he is a Christian or not? What are the implications for a non-Christian President? Does the American identity need to be explicitly Christian or can it be more of a set of ideals and principles apart from a specific religion? I give my answers at the end of the podcast, but these are great questions and ones we need to answer. Vivek isn't the first and he certainly won't be the last.

Eugen Sandow is a name most men ought to know. He also had a physique people believed could only be achieved in the imagination or sculpted in marble. He's known as the father of bodybuilding, but in this episode I don't want to focus on how jacked he was. Rather, I use his story to drive home a deeper point. One that we've been missing for most of our lives.

It's far too easy to get caught up in the latest scandal, political issue, hot topic, etc. It's also easy to go down the rabbit hole of self-improvement, learning more than we are actually doing. We can begin to feel that the path to success is too difficult because of all the nuances we've put into our heads instead of focusing on the practical...the basics.

As our other business, Rustic and Main, can attest people are still getting married. Nearly 2 million weddings happen in the US every year. However, the median age for marriage is now 30 and the divorce rate is still very high at nearly 40%. What people want from marriage and what they bring to a marriage have changed dramatically in the last 25+ years.

AI is here and to be honest, I'm both amazed and a bit terrified. It's astonishingly brilliant and at the same time deeply concerning. It's key that we, as men, don't bury our head in the sand on this and just assume the worse will happen. This is rapidly changing our world and we need to be up to speed on this and involved in the development. Currently, the AI that we have access to doesn't have the reasoning capabilities that AI of the sci-fi movies displays. It mimics reason but it doesn't understand truth in the same way that we do. As AI moves in this direction, though, it will need some basis of truth -- how the world actually works -- and with truth comes the need for a necessary bias.

It's important for parents to realize two things: 1. Our kids are experiencing a different world and a higher degree of temptation than we did. 2. They think that it's normal. Our job, as people who grew up in a different time, is to remind them of how things used to be and to let them know that the world they have been born into misses out on some very human experiences.

Although I still have a lot to learn, I've picked up a few helpful tips in writing and publishing 2 books. If you're getting started on your own book or you're just interested in the topic, you'll love this episode. Plus, I have a special thank you for all of you who have purchased from the Wolf & Iron store AND something special to be watching for! Check out both books here:  Tending the Fire: Ignite Your Heart and Live Life as a Man The Guy's Guide to Pocket Knives    

When you look around do you see the need for more rule followers or independent, free-thinking men and women with an ingrained rebellious nature? I think we know the answer to that! Rebels are needed. They've always been needed but without training -- either by consequences or by parents -- they'll set fire to anything that burns. It's our job as fathers, uncles, etc. to help them to see the good in their fiery spirit and to use it to pursue justice.

Unless you've been under a rock you've probably heard about something called ChatGPT. And if you have heard of it, some of you would like to go back under the rock rather than see what the world is becoming. AI is here and it's going to change things. ChatGPT just happens to be the eye-opening tool that makes this undeniable. In truth, it's pretty incredible...and it's only getting started. As the world progresses with technology we have seen so many of the blessings of living in a modern age. But we've also seen the pull towards laziness and ease. Men have a quiet desire to live their lives more fully and yet give in to the world of entertainment and abdication of responsibility so readily. AI will definitely present new challenges for men, but also incredible opportunities for those of us who can wield it.

Growing up both poor and middle class, I gained a mindset that actually limited me in many ways. I didn't realize how deeply inset certain thoughts patterns were and how they impacted so many areas of my life. In this episode, I talk about the ingrained beliefs we carry with us when we come from limited means.

There's a common quote which has the best of intentions, but also has a serious error. Some men believe they can be good in their heart and yet never display the actions to back up their belief. Belief is always backed by action. Speaking of action: https://wolfandiron.com/foundry

While our native tongue should always be Peace, a man needs to be a capable and willing defender of life. In this episode I share some insights from my first 6 months in Krav Maga and the first 2 weeks of concealed carry. If you're thinking about getting started in self-defense and/or firearms training then be sure to subscribe to the podcast and check out the Wolf & Iron YouTube channel. I'll be posting more content out there shortly.

Regardless of how crazy the world seems at times, we truly live in a remarkable time. The world is filled with possibilities and many of them are within reach. But, with all of the paths available to us, we can still only select one or two. The potential we see can often stall us in our takeoff. In this episode I talk about why purpose should be our focus and how as Christians we can trust in God's plan for our lives. p.s. I mention my book, Tending the Fire, in this episode. You can get a signed copy here.

I've noticed something: women have more natural markers for time and the seasons of life. They are the ones who typically bring out the different dishes or clothes, or get together to celebrate a new life entering the world. Men...not so much. But we need to. We need markers on our timeline of life. In this episode I talk about how, as men, we need to take the time to celebrate the seasons of life instead of just letting them all rush by.

There is a real power in your willingness to acknowledge the decisions that you made when you were not aware you were making them. Perhaps it's because you were a kid at the time, or maybe you went through a traumatic experience that shaped who you are. In this episode, I share some personal details from my own life that has helped me grow as a man and I hope can help you as well.