Every man will eventually find himself in water over his head. A business that’s sinking, a marriage that’s struggling, a season of life where you can’t see the shore. Most men panic. They thrash around, burn through their energy, and make emotional decisions they regret for years. The men who make it through aren’t stronger or more talented. They stay calm, focus on what they can control, and take the next breath.
My guest today, former Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf, knows this better than anyone. We talk about the drownproofing evolution at BUD/S and what it really teaches, why you should have emotional responses but never make emotional decisions, and the “chunking” approach he says is the most useful tool he’s ever had. We also get into why most guys who quit regret it for decades, the difference between being a quiet professional and a silent one, why telling the truth is always enough, and what real wealth looks like once you stop chasing more.
Andy Stumpf is a retired Navy SEAL who made it through BUD/S on his first attempt and returned a decade later as an instructor, where he spent time with students right after they rang the bell. Those conversations, and the regret he heard in nearly every one of them, shaped how he thinks about time, discipline, and perseverance. After being medically retired, he built a career that includes years with CrossFit and work as a corporate and charter pilot, flying jets across the U.S. and internationally.
Andy is the author of Drownproof with a foreword by Jocko Willink, and hosts two podcasts, Cleared Hot and Change Agents. He’s been training Brazilian jiu-jitsu for nearly eight years, spends his fall chasing big game in the backcountry of the Northwest.
Andy said something in this conversation that stuck with me. Most of us are our own worst enemy when it comes to asking for help. Nobody’s making you feel foolish for not having it all figured out. You’re doing that to yourself. And while you stay quiet, your health, your marriage, your business, and your relationship with your kids stay exactly where they are.
That’s why I built the Iron Council. It’s a brotherhood of men who are doing more than talking about being better men. They’re doing the work. You’ll get a 12-week Battle Plan and the app to track it, a Battle Team of men who’ll hold you to it, weekly sessions with me and expert guests, monthly assignments, weekly challenges, and years of resources to draw from. No contracts. You can leave anytime. But the men who stay and put in the work are building lives they didn’t think were possible. If you’re ready to stop going it alone, join us at www.orderofman.com/ironcouncil.
Free tools, tactics and techniques to help you be the man you were meant to be.
