Into The Fire

Forge & Freedom

INTO THE FIRE PODCAST 1. The Problem Men aren’t breaking because they’re weak. They’re breaking because they’re alone. No brotherhood. No real outlet. No honest spaces where men can speak without being dismissed or shamed. The world tells men to “open up,” but never gives them the environments where opening up actually works. 2. What We Know Men don’t heal in silent, fluorescent rooms. They heal in movement. They heal through challenge, sweat, nature, and firelight. Purpose quiets the noise. Discipline steadies the mind. Brotherhood rebuilds the man. 3. What This Show Is Into the Fire is where men come to remember who they are. Not therapy. Not alpha theatrics. Not soft self-help. Just real men, having real conversations about struggle, growth, fatherhood and becoming the kind of man you’d trust in any storm. Every episode: Cuts through the noiseHonors the struggleHighlights the climbExtracts the truthLeaves the listener stronger 4. Who It’s For Men who carry weight. Men who lead. Men who work hard, love deeply, and still feel something missing. Men who want strength, not bravado. Presence, not perfection. Grounding, not numbness. 5. What Makes It Different Most men’s podcasts fall into clichés. This one doesn’t. Into the Fire is: Masculine without being toxicHonest without being softGritty without being recklessPractical without being predictableRooted in nature, discipline, family, and purpose This is how men actually talk  straight, simple, real. 6. The Movement This podcast is the spark. Forge & Freedom is the fire. We’re building the quiet movement nobody sees coming: Men healing through connection, challenge, nature, and brotherhood. Hikes. Fires. Retreats. Community. Not someday, now. 7. The Promise Every episode leaves you stronger, clearer, and more grounded than you were 30 minutes ago. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t air. Check out our website and join the Forge & Freedom Brotherhood   at www.forgenfreedom.com  Like & Subscribe to get updates, new episodes posted weekly!

Episodes

  1. When the FBI Knocked Next Door: Guest Cory Williams on Ironman Grit & Real-Life | Episode 9

    11/11/2025

    When the FBI Knocked Next Door: Guest Cory Williams on Ironman Grit & Real-Life | Episode 9

    Send us a text 🔥 Episode 9: When the FBI Knocked Next Door: Cory Williams on Ironman Grit & Real-Life  🎙 Into the Fire Podcast | Hosted by Zach Monroe Guest: Cory Williams, Ironman Athlete, Father, Husband and Owner of Railroad Productions In this episode of Into the Fire, Zach sits down with Cory Williams, an Ironman athlete, business owner, and family man who’s mastered the art of balance between grit, fatherhood, and creative passion. Cory opens up about what it takes to train for one of the most demanding endurance events on earth, while running a thriving video production company, Railroad Productions and raising a family. He shares how discipline, movement, and mindset help him reset and refocus when life gets chaotic. But this episode isn’t all training schedules and Ironman talk. Cory also tells the unbelievable true story of what happened when the FBI and U.S. Marshals raided his neighbor’s house, a man later revealed to be on Oklahoma’s 10 Most Wanted List, who had faked his own death and evaded capture for almost 13 years. Cory watched it unfold right next door  and had no idea who he was really living beside. In this episode, we talk about: - What it takes to compete as an Ironman athlete - The discipline and mindset that translate from sport to life - Balancing entrepreneurship, creativity, and fatherhood - Finding clarity and purpose through physical challenge - The shocking story of living next to a fugitive for four years - How hobbies and passion can reset the mind and sharpen focus This conversation blends adventure, reflection, and real-world grit,  a reminder that discipline isn’t built in the easy moments, and that balance comes from facing life’s chaos head-on. Whether you’re chasing goals, balancing family and work, or just need a story that proves truth is stranger than fiction, this episode will light a fire under you. 🎧 Listen or watch Episode 9: “When the FBI Knocked Next Door: Guest Cory Williams on Ironman Grit & Real-Life ” now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. 👉 Subscribe, leave a comment, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. 💬 Drop your thoughts below, what’s the wildest thing that’s ever happened in your neighborhood? Support the show https://forgenfreedom.com

    33 min
  2. Facing The Monsters: Fear, Failure and The Fire Within | Episode 8

    10/31/2025

    Facing The Monsters: Fear, Failure and The Fire Within | Episode 8

    Send us a text Episode 8: Facing The Monsters: Fear, Failure and The Fire Within Into the Fire Podcast | Hosted by Zach Monroe It’s Halloween season, the time of year when fear is in the air. Ghost stories, haunted houses, and the things that go bump in the night. But this episode isn’t about the kind of fear that hides in the shadows… it’s about the kind that hides inside of us. The fear that keeps us from chasing what we want, speaking our truth, and becoming the men we’re meant to be. In this solo episode, Zach steps into the fire to talk about the real fears men face, not the monsters outside, but the ones within. The fear of failing. The fear of not being enough. The fear of being seen, vulnerable, or lost in a world that expects strength but rarely teaches us how to find it. Zach explores how fear can both destroy and define us, how it can paralyze us when left unchecked, but also become the forge that tempers us into something stronger. Through personal reflection, hard lessons, and real talk, he unpacks what it means to confront your own darkness head-on. He talks about the moments when fear shows up quietly, in the hesitation before taking a leap, in the doubt that creeps in when you’re chasing something meaningful, or in the guilt of not being able to carry every burden that life piles on your shoulders. This episode isn’t about conquering fear, it’s about understanding it. About recognizing that the same fire that burns can also light the way forward. Zach dives into how embracing discomfort and leaning into the unknown can reveal what’s truly possible when you stop running from what scares you. You’ll hear thoughts on: 🔥 The hidden fears most men carry but rarely talk about 🔥 Why failure isn’t the opposite of success, it’s part of the process 🔥 The danger of living life on autopilot and avoiding risk 🔥 How fear can become your greatest teacher when you learn to face it 🔥 Why growth requires walking straight into the fire, even when it hurts And because it’s spooky season, Zach also weaves in a few eerie reflections, the haunting idea that the scariest ghost most of us live with is the version of ourselves we never let out. Whether you’re sitting around a campfire, driving home from work, or lying awake at night thinking about the things you wish you’d done differently, this episode will remind you that fear doesn’t have to be the end of your story. It can be the spark that starts a new one. Because in the end, courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s walking into the flames anyway. So grab a coffee, light the fire, and settle in for a raw and honest conversation about what it really means to face the fears that forge us. Support the show https://forgenfreedom.com

    13 min
  3. Ancient Skills, Modern Wisdom: Len Mackey’s Journey | Episode 3

    09/30/2025

    Ancient Skills, Modern Wisdom: Len Mackey’s Journey | Episode 3

    Send us a text In this episode of Forge & Freedom: Into The Fire, I sit down with Len Mackey of Ancient Earth Skills. Len shares his journey into the ancient ways, how survival skills, storytelling, and living closer to the earth have shaped him into the man he is today. We talk about the wisdom that comes from working with your hands, listening to the land, and carrying forward traditions that connect us to something bigger. And joining us for this fireside chat is a very special guest “Bebe,” the tanned hide of the whitetail deer Len harvested and turned into a teaching companion. It’s a conversation about resilience, simplicity, and finding freedom in the skills that have carried humanity for centuries. About Len Mackey Len’s journey with the outdoors started almost as soon as he could walk, following his father through the woods of northern New York hunting, fishing, trapping, and tracking game. By the age of seven, he had already skinned his first deer and was running his own muskrat trap line. Over the years, Len’s path expanded beyond the wilderness. He studied yoga, sweat lodge traditions, African drumming, and Reiki, and even traveled to Guinea, West Africa to document music and culture through photography. Eventually, his passion led him deep into the world of survival and ancestral skills studying at Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracker School in New Jersey, Caribbean Earth Skills in St. Croix, Roots School in Vermont, and the jungles of Belize. Today, as the founder of Ancient Earth Skills, Len brings all of these experiences together to teach, share, and inspire. He’s also been recognized with multiple grants from the NYS Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Grateful to his teachers, human, plant, and animal alike.  Len sums it up best: “All I am, and all I have, is made of her.” Support the show https://forgenfreedom.com

    1h 31m

About

INTO THE FIRE PODCAST 1. The Problem Men aren’t breaking because they’re weak. They’re breaking because they’re alone. No brotherhood. No real outlet. No honest spaces where men can speak without being dismissed or shamed. The world tells men to “open up,” but never gives them the environments where opening up actually works. 2. What We Know Men don’t heal in silent, fluorescent rooms. They heal in movement. They heal through challenge, sweat, nature, and firelight. Purpose quiets the noise. Discipline steadies the mind. Brotherhood rebuilds the man. 3. What This Show Is Into the Fire is where men come to remember who they are. Not therapy. Not alpha theatrics. Not soft self-help. Just real men, having real conversations about struggle, growth, fatherhood and becoming the kind of man you’d trust in any storm. Every episode: Cuts through the noiseHonors the struggleHighlights the climbExtracts the truthLeaves the listener stronger 4. Who It’s For Men who carry weight. Men who lead. Men who work hard, love deeply, and still feel something missing. Men who want strength, not bravado. Presence, not perfection. Grounding, not numbness. 5. What Makes It Different Most men’s podcasts fall into clichés. This one doesn’t. Into the Fire is: Masculine without being toxicHonest without being softGritty without being recklessPractical without being predictableRooted in nature, discipline, family, and purpose This is how men actually talk  straight, simple, real. 6. The Movement This podcast is the spark. Forge & Freedom is the fire. We’re building the quiet movement nobody sees coming: Men healing through connection, challenge, nature, and brotherhood. Hikes. Fires. Retreats. Community. Not someday, now. 7. The Promise Every episode leaves you stronger, clearer, and more grounded than you were 30 minutes ago. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t air. Check out our website and join the Forge & Freedom Brotherhood   at www.forgenfreedom.com  Like & Subscribe to get updates, new episodes posted weekly!