Start The World (Jack Donovan)

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, and on the broader hip-hop community.

Caskey and I connected recently through social media, and I managed to book an interview with him and then go meet him and see one of his shows (he's currently on tour). We talked about fitness, art, poetry, spirituality, and staying focus.

Caskey's energy is infectious, and in a world where everyone seems to want to become a motivational speaker -- right now, the man just can't help it. By the time I was done talking to him, I wanted to go out and take over the world.

To paraphrase "Thus Spake Zarathustra," Caskey went to the mountain with ashes, and now he's coming down into the valley and he’s bringing fire.

Caskey

https://bakingwithcaskey.com

https://www.instagram.com/caskey/

Books Mentioned

Fire in the Dark by Jack Donovan

Thus Spake Zarathustra by Nietzsche

Odin and the Mead of Poetry -- told well originally in the Prose Edda, but told recently and well in Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology

Follow Jack Donovan on

Twitter

https://twitter.com/ph2t3r

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/starttheworld/

Rumble

https://rumble.com/c/starttheworld

Support my work on Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/starttheworld

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 advocating masculinity, and what’s in store for the next 21 Convention this fall in Orlando.

I won’t be speaking this year but I plan to be there. To find out more about this year’s event, follow this link:

https://bit.ly/398U0OK

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 works for Sorinex, one of the leading high end strength equipment manufacturers. Brandon and I met briefly last year at SHOT show, and I was glad to finally get him on Start the World to tell his story.

Follow him on his new path on Instagram @brandonlilly3.

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 expectations in perspective, thoughts on stoicism, breathing, meditation and more.

Mentioned : https://www.brianmackenzie.com

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, 

Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth 

Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air; 

Morn came and went—and came, and brought no day, 

And men forgot their passions in the dread 

Of this their desolation; and all hearts 

Were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light: 

And they did live by watchfires—and the thrones, 

The palaces of crowned kings—the huts, 

The habitations of all things which dwell, 

Were burnt for beacons; cities were consum'd, 

And men were gather'd round their blazing homes 

To look once more into each other's face; 

Happy were those who dwelt within the eye 

Of the volcanos, and their mountain-torch: 

A fearful hope was all the world contain'd; 

Forests were set on fire—but hour by hour 

They fell and faded—and the crackling trunks 

Extinguish'd with a crash—and all was black. 

The brows of men by the despairing light 

Wore an unearthly aspect, as by fits 

The flashes fell upon them; some lay down 

And hid their eyes and wept; and some did rest 

Their chins upon their clenched hands, and smil'd; 

And others hurried to and fro, and fed 

Their funeral piles with fuel, and look'd up 

With mad disquietude on the dull sky, 

The pall of a past world; and then again 

With curses cast them down upon the dust, 

And gnash'd their teeth and howl'd: the wild birds shriek'd 

And, terrified, did flutter on the ground, 

And flap their useless wings; the wildest brutes 

Came tame and tremulous; and vipers crawl'd 

And twin'd themselves among the multitude, 

Hissing, but stingless—they were slain for food. 

And War, which for a moment was no more, 

Did glut himself again: a meal was bought 

With blood, and each sate sullenly apart 

Gorging himself in gloom: no love was left; 

All earth was but one thought—and that was death 

Immediate and inglorious; and the pang 

Of famine fed upon all entrails—men 

Died, and their bones were tombless as their flesh; 

The meagre by the meagre were devour'd, 

Even dogs assail'd their masters, all save one, 

And he was faithful to a corse, and kept 

The birds and beasts and famish'd men at bay, 

Till hunger clung them, or the dropping dead 

Lur'd their lank jaws; himself sought out no food, 

But with a piteous and perpetual moan, 

And a quick desolate cry, licking the hand 

Which answer'd not with a caress—he died. 

The crowd was famish'd by degrees; but two 

Of an enormous city did survive, 

And they were enemies: they met beside 

The dying embers of an altar-place 

Where had been heap'd a mass of holy things 

For an unholy usage; they rak'd up, 

And shivering scrap'd with their cold skeleton hands 

The feeble ashes, and their feeble breath 

Blew for a little life, and made a flame 

Which was a mockery; then they lifted up 

Their eyes as it grew lighter, and beheld 

Each other's aspects—saw, and shriek'd, and died— 

Even of their mutual hideousness they died, 

Unknowing who he was upon whose...

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 in runes, rune galdr, the practice of ritual and more. 

Website:

Albiongrove.com

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/albiongrove/

BOOKS MENTIONED

TYR: Myth Culture Tradition, Volume 5

https://amzn.to/32hIEog

The Rune Workbook - Leon D. Wild

https://amzn.to/2SLZDeY

Rudiments of Runelore - Steven Pollington

https://amzn.to/2T8FiiW

Runelore - Edred Thorsson

https://amzn.to/32hnoyP

"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 people alive -- because their delusion causes them to make foolish choices that put others in danger.

I explored the reality of violence in my most widely-read essay, "Violence is Golden."

https://www.jack-donovan.com/sowilo/2...

This year, I wanted to present those ideas in a new way, so I wrote this fable about a tiger seeking true enlightenment.

You can find the full text of the fable on my web site.

https://www.jack-donovan.com/sowilo/2...

If you enjoyed this fable, please like and share and let me know in the comments.

There are also Third Eye of the Tiger rash guards and t-shirts at the Brutal Company Store

https://starttheworld.com/collections...

Stay Solar. ऋत

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 talked about the history of viruses and plagues, his take on the potential economic and social repercussions of the coronavirus quarantines, and his projections and recommendations on and regarding the future.

CBRN - Surviving Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear Events (including the Coronavirus)

https://amzn.to/2Wv8ZhB

Piero on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/user/1pierosangiorgio

Official Site

https://www.piero.com/en/

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 take to become what you are. We talked about his background and many of the concepts in the book.

Johnny Mannaz on Instagram

@the_kings_curriculum

Buy the book on Amazon:

https://amzn.to/2QUYfWj

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. Now he spends a lot of his time coaching other men. I met John recently when he spoke at the  @21 Studios  convention in Orlando, and he's the real deal. We talked for an hour about philosophy and some of the problems men face today, but one part of the conversation that stood out was his story about "becoming a finisher." A lot of guys have great ideas, but end up leaving a trail of unfinished projects behind them.

Mentioned : Seneca's letters to Lucilius

https://bulldogmindset.com

 @Bulldog Mindset 

Instagram @ bulldogmindset

Sign up for my mailing list for exclusive essays, news, special offers, and more.

https://bit.ly/2Y69xdt

Support this podcast, the growing mailing list, and get early access to new content and offers via Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/starttheworld

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 "trollish") way. I let this podcast run longer than normal because I was having a really good time talking with him about myth and paganism and art and ritual and the relationship between man and his environment.

It was a great conversation, and if you're interested in these subjects at all or want to hear an amusing essay followed by a scholarly and no BS presentation about Valhalla, check out his episode "Fight For Your Right To Party" on Soundcloud.

https://soundcloud.com/brutenorse

You can find more of his work at

https://www.brutenorse.com

And follow him on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/brutenorse/

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 a day). He made a decision to take a public stand — because someone had to do it. He’s doing what millions of men are afraid to do, and I think he deserves to be recognized and applauded for it. 

We had a really animated conversation about bullies and freedom and masculinity. 

Follow Ian on Instagram @iansmithfitness and consider contributing to his legal defense fund. 

https://atilisfundraiser.com/

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 upo having a long and wide-ranging discussion about the character of Odin, the nature of Thor, the questionable place of the Vanir in the lore, and how there is no racism or race preservation implied or suggested in the lore, or in heathenry itself.

Web site: https://nordicmythologychannel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mathiasnordvig/

A short essay on the riots.

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 and business, and Andy shares some great examples of the way he's turned challenges into opportunities or managed to stay in the game. He also recommended a few of his favorite books on business (see notes below).

https://norsefitness.co

https://www.instagram.com/andyredbeard/

https://www.instagram.com/norse_fitness/

https://www.instagram.com/norsecompound/

Mentioned:

https://frankkern.com

Ian Andrew Stanley

Confessions of a Persuasion Hitman: The Unusual Rules I Learned From Selling Over $100,000,000 of Products and Services

https://amzn.to/31dH8TR

"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 NYPost for dropping outrageous truth bombs. (He suggested that women are more attractive to most men if they are thin, feminine and can cook. He's also said that men are generally more attractive to most women if they are tall...) Cortes is a regular speaker at the 21 Convention and will be speaking at the controversial 22 Convention this spring -- where he'll be sharing some of his positive ideas about how the sexes can enjoy harmony together.

This podcast is a fun back and forth about what it means to be "Chad", the "Tao of Bro," fitness, the 21/22 Convention, and much more.

Twitter: @AJA_cortes

Instagram: @aja_cortes

Website: https://cortes.site

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 much more.

To purchase AJAC's research into Ancient Athletics, follow this link:

https://gumroad.com/l/UKOld

Sign up for my mailing list for exclusive essays, news, special offers, and more.

https://bit.ly/2Y69xdt

Support this podcast, the growing mailing list, and get early access to new content and offers via Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/starttheworld

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

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 issues. One of his specialties is helping people recognize narcissistic personality disorder, and we joked about that for a bit. He's also into a bit of ritual magic, and that was how we really connected over dinner (at a Soviet-themed restaurant in Warsaw). Richard and I have a lot in common and a lot to talk about, and I'm looking forward to having him back on the show soon.

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 If You’re Not Afraid." While an assault situation is always possible, what is also important is creating a mental process in which you identify small fears and challenge yourself to overcome them.

www.knowfearnow.com

KNOW FEAR online seminar

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/knowfear

Link to KNOW FEAR podcast

https://knowfear.libsyn.com/

Tony Blair's Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/tonyblauer/

Tony Blair's Training Page

https://www.instagram.com/spear.system/

Website

https://blauerspear.com/

Training Calendar

https://blauerspear.com/spear-training-calendar

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 some talk on recent changes in the fitness industry and some questions on training (specifically band training). Then we expanded to talk about life, relationships, living in your truth, and more. We always have a fun conversation, and this one went on for almost 2 hours.

He just released a new book on carb cycling, and I'm probably going to try it out because the dude knows what he is talking about. Buy the book here:

XLR8 - Carb Cycling for Fat Loss

http://www.lift-run-bang.com/p/super-soldier-protocol.html

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. Eventually, as he puts it, he just "got tired of being tired," kicked meth and traveled India with his father. After his first child was born, he started getting serious about powerlifting, and eventually began competing. I found his story really compelling, and am glad I took the time to meet him. He's an example of a man who came from a rough background and turned his life around. There are decent men chasing excellence, with interesting stories, wherever you are. Find them.

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 chaos seems to be running wild in cities across the nation. We also got to talk about current events, and I highly recommend his video "The American Mind Virus" to get an introduction to where his head is at these days.

The American Mind Virus

https://youtu.be/6oUYP6uj3EQ

https://elliotthulse.com

https://www.youtube.com/user/elliottsaidwhat

Instagram: @elliotthulse

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 depressed men or directionless men who are looking for leaders, and sometimes those leaders are good at making them angry. Anger can be empowering, but ultimately being angry isn't a positive long-term strategy for living well. It's "low energy," and at some point you have to transcend that.

The current world situation is going to create a lot of confused and angry men, so I think this an important topic to think about.

You can find out more about Pat at https://patstedman.com.

The post that interested me was:

https://patstedman.com/2019/08/08/defense-of-rollo-tomassi/

(For the record, I know there is a lot of controversy about Rollo, and I've tried to stay out of that. I've only met Rollo twice and I'm not familiar with his work or his audience enough to comment directly on it -- and I don't really like to do that anyway. I was interested in the "big picture" of this post.)

The book mentioned was:

"Levels of Energy" by Frederick E. Dodson

https://amzn.to/2w9LVtS

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, where he showed up to see what men were talking about. We discussed masculinity, the idea of heroes, how discipline has helped him in his career and life, and much more.

Official Site

https://www.jonfitch.net

Instagram

@jonfitchsmash

To support this podcast and my work, I have a Patreon where I try to interact more with subscribers and host occasional AMAs, post exclusive content, and so forth.

https://www.patreon.com/starttheworld

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, aren’t going to end up getting married or having children. Having kids creates some structure and responsibility in youth and (theoretically) a sense of meaning and a support system as a man ages. Without that piece of the puzzle, what does finding meaning and fulfillment in life look like as we get older. How do we avoid the common pitfalls that lead to self-destruction?

We talked about it a bit, but soon veered off into discussing current events and various conspiracy theories.

Richard Grannon is a Master NLP Practitioner and life coach. You can find out more about his work on YouTube  @RICHARD GRANNON  and at https://spartanlifecoach.com.

The next few episodes of Start The World will be audio essays, commenting on the events of the last few months.

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. I found myself agreeing with many of the things he wrote in We Fight Monsters, and the title perfectly and simply encapsulates the eternal role of the mythic hero.

You can buy the book on Amazon here https://amzn.to/2B8w8Oc

and find out more about Spotterup at https://spotterup.com.

Kurcina's Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/spotterupdude/

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 "building an arena" for confrontations with yourself. He led me through a short breath meditation that anyone can do (36:00). We also discussed my meditation practice and the idea of adding a mythic frame to meditation. At (49:00) we explored the concept of the void. Toward the end of the podcast (53:00), Nick asked me to elaborate on some of the ideas I am developing for my next book.

You can sign up for Nick's mailing list at nickmattos.com

If you enjoy my work, please consider supporting this podcast and other projects on Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/starttheworld

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

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 you'd do in a military situation to establish a camp and set up a perimeter...and then "improve your position." Our discussion quickly moved into building networks and community and developing the social skills necessary to do that effectively.

http://www.insightstraining.com

Support the Podcast on Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/starttheworld

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 world, his stint as a reality TV survivalist, savage gentlemen, and staying solar.

https://savagegentleman.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshtylermma/

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 his background, his book, and his call to action for men: Protect, Provide, Preside. It was a great conversation with someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about the same ideas I have -- and we talked about how the right ideas about being men seem to line up over and over again.

You can find out more about Ryan's work (including his excellent podcast) here:

https://www.orderofman.com

https://www.instagram.com/ryanmichler/

Get his book, "Sovereignty" on Amazon:

https://amzn.to/2Xd4pF3

Other books discussed on the show:

Manhood in the Making

https://amzn.to/39RdINr

Xenophon - Conversations of Socrates

https://amzn.to/2yyWgjT

*****

Help support my podcast and work on Patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/starttheworld

*****

STAY SOLAR

Jack Donovan reads a short essay about the slogan "staying solar."

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 consulting and coaching. Tanner and I always start out talking about style and aesthetics and end up talking about beauty, ritual and symbolism -- and this conversation was no exception. 

Masculine Style

https://masculine-style.com

The Appearance of Power: How Masculinity is Expressed Through Aesthetics 

https://amzn.to/2O18lDj

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.

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 problems with relationships, and some of the strategies he advises for developing a complete and confident identity...and becoming a more solid man.

Links: https://solidman.com

Support the podcast : https://www.subscribestar.com/jackdonovan