Start The World
by Jack Donovan
Conversations, essays and more about masculine philosophy, men's spirituality, becoming the best version of yourself as a man, and staying solar. Hosted by Jack Donovan, author of the bestselling underground bible of masculinity, The Way of Men -- which has been translated into 5 languages and been read by well over 100,000 men all around the world. To learn more, visit my web site https://www.jack-donovan.com/sowilo/ and follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/starttheworld/.
Episodes
-
How the Tiger Opened His Third Eye
"Violence is not a god to be worshipped but a fundamental reality of the universe, a constant that one must recognize and respect if one is to achieve true enlightenment." People who don't understand the primacy of violence in human interactions are, collectively, some of the most dangerous…
more -
I Am A Spear - The Caskey Interview
Caskey is hip-hop artist whose recent album "This Isn't Even My Final Form" topped the iTunes hip-hop charts. Caskey has been a successful artist for 10 years, but recently made some positive life changes. Today, he aims to be a productive and inspiring influence on his fans, on other artists…
more -
Ian Smith - “The Bully’s Going to Keep Coming Back...Until You Do Something About It”
Ian Smith is the co-owner of Atilis Gym in New Jersey, which has openly and publicly defied the state's draconian lockdown orders. He and his business partner have been arrested, had their business license pulled, and have been fined over a million dollars. (They’re still being fined over $15,000…
more -
John Sonmez - Becoming a Finisher
John Sonmez is the man behind @Bulldog Mindset -- a large and growing community of men working to better themselves physically, socially, and financially. John started out as a nerdy software guy, then worked to become a millionaire, retire at 33, and transform himself mentally and physically.…
more -
Alexander Cortes - "Train Solar"
Trainer and speaker Alexander Cortes had a wild 2020. He was on vacation in Egypt as the lockdowns started. He ended up flying to Thailand and decided to live there for the rest of the year, where he trained Muay Thai under Sagat. We also talk about Ancient Greek training, training outdoors, and...
-
Darkness - by Lord Byron
Warming up to start recording the audiobook for Fire in the Dark by reading this grim but perhaps uncomfortably relevant poem by Lord Byron. Darkness by Lord Byron I had a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars Did wander darkling in the eternal space,...
-
Elliot Hulse - Making Men Strong Again
I met Elliot Hulse last year at the 21 Convention and was psyched to have him on the show to talk about why he wants to make men strong again. We discussed the importance of strong father figures, myth, and the concept of chaos vs. order in life and in society -- especially relevant now that…
more -
Andy Lewis from Norse Fitness - Adapt or Die
Andy Lewis the self-made man behind Norse Fitness and his own gym -- the Norse Compound. We talked about entrepreneurship, the fantasy and reality of the lifestyle brand game, and most importantly about the concept of adapting to an ever changing landscape. Adapt...or fail. It's a law of nature…
more -
President Dream
Anthony Dream Johnson is the founder of @21 Studios and host of the 21 Convention — a men’s event that I’ve spoken at several times over the last few years. I invited him on the show to talk about his personal motivations, his philosophy of life and business, some of the challenges that come with...
-
Dr. Mathias Nordvig on Old Norse Lore and Masculinity
Dr. Mathias Nordvig is an Old Norse scholar and author and you can follow his work on YouTube @Mathias Nordvig . I invited him on Start The World to talk about masculinity, heroism and leadership in the Old Norse lore, and he shared a few of his favorite examples from the Hávamál, but we ended…
more -
Killian on Powerlifting and Being Present
Now is the time for men to build local networks. Recently, I reached out to Killian, a powerlifter in my small town, to grab lunch and talk about doing a podcast. It turned out to be a great and inspiring conversation. Killian grew up around drugs, and spent years struggling with addiction....
-
Richard Grannon on The Single Life (and Conspiracies)
Richard Grannon has been on the show before, but I invited him back to talk about growing older without a wife or children as a single man. Some men are on a family track, and that’s great, but there is inevitably going to be an increasingly large percentage of men who — for whatever reason…
more -
Michael Kurcina - "We Fight Monsters"
Michael Kurcina is "the dude" behind Spotterup.com, a comprehensive gear review and training site with a philosophical angle. He recently released a book of aphorisms and short essays about being a man and a warrior, titled "We Fight Monsters," so I invited him on the show to talk more about it.…
more -
Babytalk
People who demand the absolute "end" of things that have been around for all of recorded human history are not serious adults, and shouldn't be taken seriously.
-
It Would Be Cooler If We All Stood Together Against Tyranny
A short essay on the riots.
-
The Script
The next few episodes of Start The World will be audio essays, commenting on the events of the last few months.
-
Paul Carter - Trainer and Writer
Paul Carter is a pro trainer who writes regularly for T-Nation, and he's always giving great advice on his Instagram @liftrunbang. Paul has coached me on diet in the past, and I think he's one of the most legit, no-nonsense authorities on lifting and body composition out there. We opened with…
more -
The Joy of Thor
For the podcast this week, I did a live Q & A on YouTube, so I'm re-releasing two of my most popular essays on training so they are easier for you to access. Check out my YouTube channel for the video Q & As. https://youtu.be/b98YJevNf_A
-
All Training is Sacrifice
For the podcast this week, I did a live Q & A on YouTube, so I'm re-releasing two of my most popular essays on training so they are easier for you to access. Check out my YouTube channel for the video Q & As. https://youtu.be/b98YJevNf_A
-
Nick Mattos, Meditation Teacher
Nick is a professional writer, meditation teacher and practitioner with decades of experience and a familiarity with many styles of meditation. We talked about some of his opinions on the practice of meditations and how it can change you. Nick sometimes refers to the practice of mediation as...
-
Tony Blauer - "Turning Fear into Courage"
Tony Blauer is known worldwide for his SPEAR system that weaponizes the flinch response. As a self-defense trainer, he's spent a lifetime thinking about FEAR. We talked about his KNOW FEAR NOW project, and the idea of recognizing fear and turning it into courage. As he says, "You Can’t Be Brave…
more -
Brute Norse - "Walking Backwards into the Future"
Eirik Storesund is an Old Norse philologist, writer, and artist from Southwest Norway who has created an artful and intellectually rewarding podcast called @Brute Norse . He calls what he does "Scandifuturism," in which he brings old myths to life in a new, engaging and mischievous (he might say...
-
Greg Hamilton - "Improve Your Position"
Greg Hamilton is a pig farmer. He's also a former Ranger and Green Beret, and he's run InSights Training for self-defense in the Seattle area for many years. Greg's a good friend of mine, and I may have him on the show as a semi-regular guest. In this episode, we talked about some of the things...
-
Ryan Michler - Protect, Provide, Preside
Ryan Michler is one of the best known and most respected advocates of masculinity today. He’s the host of the podcast "The Order of Man," he's the leader of a men’s group called the Iron Council and the author of “Sovereignty: The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Men.” I talked with Ryan about...
-
Johnny Mannaz - The King's Curriculum
Johnny Mannaz is the author of a new book titled "The King's Curriculum - Self-Initiation for Self-Rulers." I've met Johnny and got a chance to preview a draft of the book and I found it interesting, well thought out, and personally helpful for identifying a sense of purpose and steps you can…
more -
Jon Fitch - Mixed Martial Artist (Bellator, UFC, PFL)
Jon Fitch is a world renown mixed martial artist, who has fought for Bellator, the UFC and is a former PFL Welterweight Champion. He also hosts his own podcast, "Jon Fitch Knows Nothing" and appears regularly on several collaborative podcasts. I got to meet Jon at the 21 Convention last year…
more -
Piero San Giorgio - On Surviving the Coronavirus
Piero is the top author of books on survivalism in EUROPE, including “SURVIVE The Economic Collapse,” “Women on the Verge of a Societal Breakdown,” and his latest and extremely relevant book: “CBRN - Surviving Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear Events (including the Coronavirus).” We...
-
Pat Stedman - Dating and Relationship Coach
Pat Stedman is a dating and relationship coach in New York who helps a lot of men find and maintain healthy long-term relationships. We talked about that, but also about a post he wrote that interested me -- not because of who it was about, but because of what it was about. There are a lot of...
-
Brandon Lilly - "Remember what's important."
Brandon Lilly is one of the strongest powerlifters of all time. After a devastating accident on the platform, he decided to re-evaluate his path and has become known in the strength world and many other circle as an all around thoughtful guy who talks about motivation and philosophy. He also…
more -
Bradley Taylor-Hicks, Pagan Craftsman - AlbionGrove.com
Now for something different — Bradley Taylor-Hicks is one of my “wizard” friends, and in this podcast we talk about his background as a pagan, his business as a craftsman making ritual items and jewelry. We discussed runes, the making of bind runes, his book recommendations for those interested…
more -
Richard Grannon - spartanlifecoach.com
I met Richard Grannon in Poland, and he's a sharp guy with a lot of interesting (and helpful) things to say. He's an NLP Master Practitioner with a psychology background who worked for a few years as a bouncer. He has a large YouTube following, where he helps people deal with a wide range of...
-
Essay - "Stay Solar"
Jack Donovan reads a short essay about the slogan "staying solar."
-
"Chad Jesus" AJA Cortes - Twitter
"Be Chad or Go Extinct" -- Jack Donovan interviews trainer, speaker, online personality and former ballet dancer Alexander JA Cortes aka "Chad Jesus." In addition to offering popular training programs and giving straightforward, non-"brotarded" fitness advice, Cortes has made the news and the...
-
Josh Tyler - SavageGentleman.com
Josh Tyler is a professional MMA fighter who runs Savage-Gentleman.com, a business that encourages a balance between the virtues of the civilized man and the savage. His company recently opened up a store in Salt Lake City selling leather goods and more. We talked about dealing with the online...
-
Tanner Guzy - Masculine Style
Tanner is a good friend of mine, so I asked him to be the first guest on my podcast. (This was recorded a few weeks ago). Tanner is the author of "The Appearance of Power: How Masculinity is Expressed Through Aesthetics." He helps a lot of men look more professional or appropriate through...
-
Ken Curry LMFT - Solidman.com
Jack Donovan interviews author and marriage and family therapist Ken Curry, who has been helping men get their heads together for decades. You can find out more about his work at Solidman.com. We talked about some of the problems that men come to him with, from porn addiction to anxiety to…
more -
Ian Strimbeck - Runenationllc
Ian runs Runenation LLC, and his slogan is “Problem Solving and Confidence Building Through Education” He teaches handgun, Carbine, Unarmed Combat, Edged Weapons and mindset. In this episode, we focused on mindset and talked about getting your head right, putting external evaluations and...
About this show
Conversations, essays and more about masculine philosophy, men's spirituality, becoming the best version of yourself as a man, and staying solar. Hosted by Jack Donovan, author of the bestselling underground bible of masculinity, The Way of Men -- which has been translated into 5 languages and been read by well over 100,000 men all around the world. To learn more, visit my web site https://www.jack-donovan.com/sowilo/ and follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/starttheworld/.
Hosted by
Jack Donovan