PODCAST · religion
Built Not Wished
by Dave McKee
Built Not Wished – The Podcast for Men Who Refuse to Stay Weak This is not self-help. This is a call to arms. Built Not Wished is for men who are done drifting… done making excuses… done living soft in a world that demands strength. This podcast is about forging men into husbands who lead, fathers who protect, and men who carry weight without breaking. You’ll find no fluff here. No empty motivation. Only truth, discipline, and the kind of fire that reshapes a man from the inside out. Inspired by the unwavering conviction of warrior orders—like the Knights Templar—and the disciplined mastery of Shaolin monks, this show is about becoming something rare in today’s world: A Warrior Monk. A man who is: · Dangerous, but controlled · Disciplined, not distracted · Grounded in purpose, not emotion ·
Episodes
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Built Not Wished Special Announcement Episode
Built Not Wished Is Becoming Part of Crusade with Me! For the past several months, we've been building something together. Built Not Wished was created around a simple idea: that nothing meaningful in life appears by accident. Strength isn't wished into existence. Discipline isn't wished into...
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Spirit: The Quiet Voice Beneath the Noise
Your deepest wisdom rarely shouts. It whispers! LISTEN Is your spirit aligned? Do you understand your: Purpose, Meaning, Calling? Modern life creates constant noise. Listen to this episode to learn how to hear the whisper.
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The Divided Mind is a Dangerous Place
Most people aren't losing the battle because they are weak. They're losing because they're fighting themselves. Stop Fighting You! Internal conflicts drain energy Indecision is exhausting Overthinking is often disguised for fear You cannot move forward while arguing with yourself. Everyday your...
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Spirit: Purpose Requires Sacrifice
Most people want purpose… But very few people want the sacrifice required to find it. In Episode 49 of Built Not Wished, we confront one of the hardest truths about growth, discipline, success, and transformation: If it costs nothing… it means nothing. This episode dives deep into the spiritual...
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Body: Strength is a Responsibility
Most people are exhausted, distracted, soft, and slowly becoming weaker… while calling it normal. But weakness has a cost — and eventually, life gets heavy for people who refuse to become strong. In Episode 48 of Built Not Wished, we tackle a hard truth modern culture avoids: Strength is a...
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Mind: Identity Drives Behavior
You don’t rise to your goals. You fall to your identity. Most people never change because they keep thinking like the person they’re trying to escape. In Episode 47 of BUILT NOT WISHED, we dive deep into one of the most powerful truths about personal growth: your identity drives your behavior. If...
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Built Through Sacrifice
“This weekend, millions of people will fire up grills, head to lakes, and enjoy a long weekend… But Memorial Day was never supposed to just be about comfort. It was built on sacrifice.” Talk about how generations before us gave: time comfort youth blood futures …for something greater than...
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Spirit: The Energy Within
Episode 45 of Built Not Wished is an honest and deeply personal conversation about spirit, stillness, internal energy, and the modern loss of peace. In “Spirit: The Energy Within,” I open up about my own journey as a Christian, a Lutheran who deeply admires Orthodox Christianity, while also...
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Body Fuel or Poison
Episode 44 of Built Not Wished focuses on one uncomfortable truth: your body keeps score. Every meal, every drink, every habit either builds strength… or slowly creates exhaustion, inflammation, brain fog, and decline. In “Body: Fuel or Poison?” we break down clean eating in a simple, realistic…
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Train Your Mind to Crave Growth
Episode 43 of Built Not Wished challenges the modern addiction to distraction, scrolling, and passive entertainment. In “Train Your Mind to Crave Growth,” we explore how constant stimulation is weakening focus, discipline, and mental strength — while builders are quietly developing skills…
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BNW Card System
Most people are not losing because they lack talent. They are losing because they lack structure. In this episode of Built Not Wished, we introduce the BNW Card System — a simple but powerful daily tool designed to help you stop drifting and start executing. No complicated apps. No endless...
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Anchor the Spirit
And today… we talk about the part of you people can’t measure. Not your body. Not your bank account. Not your status. Your spirit. Across every civilization in human history… people have looked upward. Beyond themselves. Beyond survival. Ancient tribes. Warriors. Farmers. Kings. Monks.…
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Work that Body
This body is the only one you have until you die! Body and exercise are non-negotiable. That is the standard! Don't leave it to your mind to get you to exercise, listen to episode 39 to understand why. Move every day, pickup heavy things, it will only move you to better health.
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Mind Can You Trust It
“Most men lose the battle before they even get out of bed.” “Before their feet hit the floor… their mind has already convinced them to quit.” The mind is constantly talking. The question is: Is it telling the truth? Or is it protecting comfort? “Your brain will talk you out of becoming who you...
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Run the Day or The Day will Run Over You
If you don’t take control of your day, your day will absolutely take control of you — and it will run you straight into the ground. That’s the gut‑check Episode 38 delivers from the first sentence. This episode of Built Not Wished is a full‑scale wake‑up call for men who feel stuck, overwhelmed…
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Reset the Standard
You don’t lose yourself in a weekend… but you can drift far enough to forget who you are. That’s the punch in the mouth this episode delivers from the very first breath. Episode 37 of Built Not Wished hits a different gear—because it’s not about hype, and it’s not about motivation. It’s about the...
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Bonus Episode: T-23 Productions Tyler Schilling Founder/Owner
What creative success looks like from a 32-year-old photographer/videographer. This episode is an example of a young man living his best life. Is it perfect? No. No life is. The mindset that helps build a life worth living. Deep conversation, with real stories and real truth.
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“REWIRE OR REMAIN: WHY YOU KEEP STARTING OVER”
Most men live in cycles. You get fired up. You decide to change. You go hard for a few days… maybe a few weeks. Then life hits. Stress hits. Fatigue hits. And you fall right back into the same patterns. Why? Because under pressure… You don’t rise to your goals. You fall to your wiring. And your...
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INDECISION IS MAKING YOU WEAK
Indecision is killing your leadership. Not failure. Not mistakes. Indecision. Your family doesn’t need perfect decisions. They need clear ones. A weak man: Waits too long Overthinks Avoids responsibility A built man: Gathers what he needs Makes a call Adjusts if necessary That’s it. You’re not...
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STOP TALKING START DOING
Most men talk too much. Plans. Ideas. Promises. Talking feels like progress. It’s not. Talking is often hiding. You’ve seen this guy: Always starting something Always explaining something Always planning something But never finishing. That’s not leadership. That’s noise. Your family doesn’t need...
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IF YOU CAN’T LEAD AT HOME, YOUR NOT A LEADER
If you can’t lead your home… You’re not a leader. I don’t care about your job title. I don’t care how many people report to you. If your house is out of order… You are out of order. Leadership starts where no one is watching.
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YOUR FAMILY Knows Your Weak, even if you hide it.
Let me tell you something most men don’t want to hear… You don’t have to say a word… Your family already knows who you are. They feel it. They feel your discipline… or your lack of it. They feel your confidence… or your hesitation. They feel your leadership… or your absence. You might think…
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STACK THE STEPS: BECOMING UNSTOPPABLE
You’ve taken the first step. You’ve started clearing the noise. You’ve chosen a direction. Now comes the part that separates men who change… From men who go right back to where they were. Consistency. Because starting is powerful… But continuing?
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CHOOSE YOUR DIRECTION: THE POWER OF INTENT
You’ve taken a step. You’ve started to clear the noise. Now comes the question that most men avoid… Where are you actually going? Not what do you want… Not what sounds good… Not what other people expect… But where are you going? Because movement without direction… Is just drifting. And most men...
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SILENCE THE NOISE: RECLAIMING YOUR MIND
When was the last time your mind was… quiet? No noise. No scrolling. No opinions. No distractions. Just you. Most men can’t even remember. Because the moment there’s silence… We reach for something. Phone. TV. Music. Anything to fill the space. But here’s the truth… A noisy mind cannot build a...
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JUST START: BREAKING INERTIA
Here’s the truth… You don’t have a motivation problem. You don’t have a knowledge problem. You have an inertia problem. You’re stuck. Not because you can’t move… But because you haven’t moved yet.
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“The Field Manual: Stop Listening. Start Living.”
And at some point… You have to ask yourself: Am I here to listen? Or am I here to change? Because the truth is— Listening doesn’t build anything. Execution does. Over the last three episodes… We didn’t talk about theory. We built a system. Episode 24… We built you. Episode 25… We built your...
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“Ready for the Storm: Build the Man Who Doesn’t Break”
The storm is coming. Not maybe. Not someday. It’s coming. It might be: A health scare. A financial hit. A moment where your family needs you to be strong… and you don’t feel ready. And when that moment hits… You won’t magically become disciplined. You won’t suddenly become strong. You won’t rise…
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Control Your Environment: Build a Life That Forces You to Win”
Last episode… We built discipline. Today? We make sure that discipline actually has a chance to survive. Because here’s the truth: You don’t rise to your goals… You fall to your environment.
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“Discipline: The Daily Build Protocol” From Thinking About It… to Becoming It
Last week, we talked about discipline… The line between who you are… and who you could be. Today? We cross that line. This is not theory. This is not motivation. This is your daily build protocol.
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“Ready for the Storm: Why Weak Men Don’t Survive Hard Times”
We grow up hearing the same thing over and over: “Be nice.” “Be fair.” “Do the right thing, and things will work out.” But the truth is… Life is not fair. It never has been. It never will be. Fairness is a word we created… to try to make sense of a world that never agreed to it. Storms don’t…
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Control Your Environment… or It Will Control You
You were disciplined… for a day. Maybe two. You got up early. You moved your body. You did the work. And then… you slipped. You told yourself: “I’ll get back on it tomorrow.” But tomorrow didn’t come. What happened? Did you suddenly become weak? Did your motivation disappear? Or… were you…
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Discipline: The Line between who you are, and who you could be.
You said you wanted to change. You said you were ready. You said this time would be different. So let me ask you something— What did you do this morning? Not what you planned. Not what you meant to do. What did you actually do? Because that right there… that gap… between what you say and what you...
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This Is Not the Same Podcast!
Because knowledge doesn’t make you steady. Knowing something and doing something are two very different things. Belief doesn’t make you disciplined. You can believe what you want, but if those beliefs don’t create action, then why have them? And good intentions don’t make you ready. You know the...
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“The Standard: Why Most Men Stay Average (And How to Break It)”
Most men don’t fail because they’re lazy. They fail because their standard is too low. Not their goals. Not their dreams. Not their intentions. Their standard. Because you don’t rise to your goals… You fall to your standards. And most men? They’ve never actually set one. So today… We draw a line....
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“Identity First: Becoming the Person Who Wins”
In 1519, a man named Hernán Cortés landed on the shores of Mexico. Behind him? His ships. His only way home. And what did he do? He burned them. Not as a stunt. Not for drama. But to send a message to every man with him: There is no going back. Now let me ask you something… What if the reason…
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You’re Wasting Your Life (But Not How You Think)
You are wasting your life. Not someday. Not if things don’t change. Right now. And it’s probably not because you’re lazy. It’s because you’re doing everything right… Just not for the right identity. And today… we’re going to rip that apart.
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The Builder Before Me: Remembering the Woman Who Built My Life.
Happy St. Paddy's Day! Eight years ago, today my mother died. Today we step away from systems, productivity, Kaizen, and optimization. Instead, we talk about the people who make those things possible. You can't build a meaningful life without building meaningful connections with people. Life is...
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Standard Work – Designing Your Day Like a Builder
So today we’re talking about the next principle that follows 5S in the world of Kaizen and Lean systems. It’s called Standard Work. Now that phrase sounds technical. It sounds like something meant only for factories. But the truth is… Standard Work might be one of the most powerful life…
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Build Order – The 5S Principles for Organizing Your Life
There’s a phrase you’ll hear a lot in the world of manufacturing and high-performance organizations. “Everything has a place. And everything is in its place.” It sounds simple. But the truth is… most people’s lives look nothing like that. Cars full of clutter. Garages packed with things they...
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After twenty years David switched careers and hasn't looked back
What stands out about Dave isn’t flash. It isn’t ego. It isn’t chasing status. It’s steadiness. In a world addicted to quick wins and viral moments, Dave reminds us that the real victories are built in quiet rooms, early mornings, long weeks, and hard decisions. Nobody sees the thousands of...
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Starting Strong: Soft Skills, Hard Truths, and Building a Career That Lasts
Today’s episode is for anyone just starting out in a new career. Maybe you're 22 and fresh out of school. Maybe you're 32 and starting over. Maybe you're 52 and pivoting after a layoff. Doesn’t matter. Starting is starting. And here’s what I want to talk about today: Not your technical skills.…
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Jeff has worked for over 30 years as a spy
Today on Built Not Wished, I sit down with a man who has spent more than three decades in the intelligence world — first in the field, then shaping and training the next generation. Jeff Elkins isn’t the Hollywood version of a spy. There are no car chases or exploding buildings here. What you’ll...
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Waiting in a World That Never Pauses – Raising Builders in the Age of Instant Everything
I’m your host Dave, and today we’re tackling something that’s reshaping attention spans, discipline, health, learning, and even relationships — often without us realizing it. Instant gratification. This episode isn’t about blaming technology. It’s not about shaming parents. And it’s not about...
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Audit Your Life: The Brutal Honesty Episode
If someone audited your life right now — not your intentions… not your potential… not your plans… …but your actual habits… Would you pass? If I pulled your bank statement… your screen-time report… your calendar… your step count… your last 90 days of decisions… Would it reflect the person you say...
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Hard Things Win
What is the one goal you’ve quietly given up on? Not the one you talk about. Not the one you post about. The one you used to believe was possible. The weight you were going to lose. The business you were going to start. The discipline you were going to build. The version of yourself you were…
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Recap of Interview with John Elkins Retiring School Teacher
One of the themes that kept surfacing in John’s interview was reality—honest evaluations based on current conditions. Not wishful thinking. Not nostalgia. Just the truth of where you are and what’s in front of you. That idea connects directly to the previous episode with Paul, the VP of…
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Recap of Interview with VP of Operations Paul Elia
That conversation with a Vice President of Operations wasn’t just about where he ended up—it was about how he got there. And today, we’re going to slow that down. In this episode, I’m replaying some of the highlights from that interview—moments worth sitting with a little longer. Moments that…
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Football History and Don't Smile Till Christmas
Every once in a while, you meet someone whose work quietly shapes a community for decades. Someone who doesn’t chase the spotlight, but whose impact is felt in the lives of hundreds — maybe thousands — of young people. Today, we get to sit down with one of those people. My guest is John Elkins, a...
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Back Kitchen to Vice President of Operations
“Most people see success from the outside. They see the title. The office. The authority. What they don’t see is the work.” Welcome to Built Not Wished. This podcast is about how real lives are constructed— not imagined, not manifested, not wished into existence— but built through effort,...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Built Not Wished – The Podcast for Men Who Refuse to Stay Weak
This is not self-help.
This is a call to arms.
Built Not Wished is for men who are done drifting… done making excuses… done living soft in a world that demands strength.
This podcast is about forging men into husbands who lead, fathers who protect, and men who carry weight without breaking.
You’ll find no fluff here. No empty motivation. Only truth, discipline, and the kind of fire that reshapes a man from the inside out.
Inspired by the unwavering conviction of warrior orders—like the Knights Templar—and the disciplined mastery of Shaolin monks, this show is about becoming something rare in today’s world:
A Warrior Monk.
A man who is:
· Dangerous, but controlled
· Disciplined, not distracted
· Grounded in purpose, not emotion
·
HOSTED BY
Dave McKee
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Built Not Wished have?
Built Not Wished currently has 53 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Built Not Wished about?
Built Not Wished – The Podcast for Men Who Refuse to Stay Weak This is not self-help. This is a call to arms. Built Not Wished is for men who are done drifting… done making excuses… done living soft in a world that demands strength. This podcast is about forging men into husbands who lead, fathers...
How often does Built Not Wished release new episodes?
Built Not Wished has 53 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Built Not Wished?
You can listen to Built Not Wished on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Built Not Wished?
Built Not Wished is created and hosted by Dave McKee.
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