Writing to you from Cordova, Illinois

In this world that can sometimes seem stale or bland there are jobs hidden in the cracks that supply far more than money. Lifelong friends, invaluable experience, incredible stories, real adventure, and sometimes extremely good pay — all of that exists for you to have if you know where to look. Much of the bedrock of The Preparation is composed of unique jobs because of just how much they can offer.

Those who delve into these jobs will benefit far more than they can imagine. Only courage is required for the undertaking.

Gunner (a new Prepper undertaking his own version of The Preparation) is definitely beginning to reap the rewards. Last I heard, he’s working on a fire crew in Southern Utah, doing a welding project on the side, and undertaking a lot of reading for the program.

Let me tell you, the work isn’t easy on a fire.

On fires you’re facing the elements all day every day. On top of that he’s digging fire breaks, hiking all day, and launching prescribed fire missions where he uses a drip torch to burn specified areas. If you’ve every seen it in action you know how impressive it can be.

To be blunt, Gunner is making some of the best progress right out of the gate that I’ve seen from almost everyone who’s entered the program. He’s working a unique job, working out frequently, reading a ton, writing and reflecting on what he’s doing often, and doing projects on the side. The combination of real world work and academic study is great, but the real key to success in The Preparation (and in life) is rapid action, quick decision making, and the will to put yourself in a position to learn and improve…no matter how uncomfortable it may be.

From my thousand-mile view point Gunner seems to be doing just that.

Now, I’ve already been following Gunner on Substack for a few weeks and I urge you to do the same so that we can continue to encourage him to make fantastic progress. There’ll surely be many more interesting weekly updates from him in the near future:

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

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Writing to you from Osaka, Japan

What if you could make it to the top 0.3% of people in the entire world in just 2.5 years?

No, I’m not talking about making an income of $150k+/year which, when compared to the other 8+ billion people in the world would put you around the top 0.3%. Being able to earn an amount of money that will allow you to be reasonably prosperous is a good thing, but earning money is much more easily done when you amass a series of skills, accomplishments, and experiences that, when combined, put you in the top 0.3-0.1% of people worldwide.

Many reasonably ambitious and competent men can stick to a career long enough to see $150k/year numbers, but the men who willingly wade the waters of uncertainty in order to pick up a vast array of skills and experiences will have more freedom, more opportunities, and likely have more money when all is said and done.

Those men might also go on to become some of the most interesting men in the world…

But, What’s the Blueprint for This Path?

Well, I am biased, but I have 2.5 years of proof and progress to back me up…

The path to getting into the top 0.1-0.3% of people in the world is best done by going through a 4-year alternative to college called The Preparation. The program has 16 cycles (semesters) with each cycle being 3 months long. Each cycle is centered around learning one major skill (i.e. house building, piloting, EMT, welding, entrepreneurship) but also comes with a variety of “secondary pursuits” like learning chess, how to play guitar, or scuba diving.

Each cycle builds upon the last. Skills stack. Experiences and abilities intertwine and connect in unexpected ways.

As I said, I’m now 2.5 years through this program. The other day it occurred to me that it would be interesting to input a list of all my accomplishments into ChatGPT in order to get an idea of how many people have skills/experiences similar to mine at 20 years old.

The results speak for themselves.

You can get the full in-depth breakdown by clicking HERE, but here’s the basic synopsis:

• EMT +wildland fire work - 0.01%

• Making $600/day doing risky work - 0.1%

• Building a business (the drone business I started in Uruguay) - 0.5-1%

• Published author - 0.1%

• International immersion - 0.3%

• Physical capability stack - 0.1%

• Serious writing - 0.2-0.3%

• Aviation training - 0.05%

• Agricultural/animal husbandry skills - 3-5%

But the combination of all of those skills brings things to a completely different level. ChatGPT estimated that 0.1-0.3% of 18-22 year old men worldwide have similar skills and experiences.

Now, I’m not using myself as an example to toot my own horn…far from it. I’m doing it to show you what’s possible if you have the courage to make the leap — to venture down your own wildly uncertain, frequently difficult, and incredibly fulfilling path. Not only that, but you have to know this: you can accomplish much more than I have in the last two in a half years with The Preparation.

It wasn’t until just last year that I had the same blueprint of this program available to me.

So, imagine how easily you could become a competent, confident, and dangerous man — making it into the top 0.1% of people with your skillset and experiences globally — in 2-3 years.

Those Making the Leap

There’s nothing wrong with being the reasonably ambitious and competent man that spends his life pursuing a career, nothing wrong with that at all. Though, you can’t help but give honor and deep respect to the “man in the arena” that Roosevelt spoke about in his famous speech — the man who goes beyond the perceived confines of “normal life” to accomplish great things, to dare greatly.

Anyone who makes the leap to tread their own path is worthy of respect.

That is why I want to introduce you to 3 more Preppers who have just started their own Preparation. One of them is currently working on welding, another is planning to start the Builder Cycle of The Preparation, one is training Muay Thai, and the last one is doing a combination of entrepreneurship and work within the program. I wouldn’t be surprised if several of the Preppers joining the program find themselves in the top 0.1% of skilled/experienced people worldwide in the coming years.

I highly recommend you check out their Substack pages and follow along with their progress just as I will be.

• Emmett’s Preparation

• Daniel’s Preparation

• Dyson’s Preparation

• Noah Gibbs

Reminder to all starting The Preparation:

Once you make the decision to start down your path set up a Substack account to post weekly updates on your progress throughout The Preparation.

Not only will you be holding yourself accountable, but you will have unique opportunities come your way over time, your writing will improve, and we will push more people to your page — supporters that will wish to see you succeed.

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

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The Preparation in the media:

Writing to you from Chiang Mai, Thailand

I shouldn’t have let so much time go by without posting another update here to tell you about the new people starting The Preparation…but while time slipped away from me in Japan we had 4 more important emails show up in our inboxes.

, , , and — all young people who certainly seem like they’re going places — sent us emails to let us know that they had started The Preparation.

From what we’ve seen they all have specific plans for what their first Cycle (3-month dedicated learning timeframe) will consist of.

I’m impressed.

Cody is undertaking the Medic Cycle which consists of going through EMT school, completing all the requirements, and passing the national exam to become a certified EMT. He’s two weeks into it and seems to be doing great.

You can (and should) follow his Substack page here:

Cody's Preperation

My account of my journey through The Preperation.

(As a side note, we cannot emphasize the value of EMT skills enough and that’s why we recommend that everyone does the Medic Cycle as their first Cycle within the program. The sheer amount of life-saving treatments you can preform after EMT school make you amazingly more competent and confident after just a couple months of schooling.)

Sophia is taking her own unique route with the program, which we encourage!

She’s going to complete a 180-hour online Texas Real Estate school for her Anchor Course. In addition to that she’ll be doing the required reading, academic courses, reflection/accountability, and working a job as an office assistant for a home inspection company.

I have a feeling she’ll be further proof that it’s entirely reasonable to take on a ton of study AND work while completing each Cycle of the program.

You can follow Sophia here:

Sophia's Substack

My personal Substack

By Sophia's Preparation

Let’s move on to Mack…

Read through 2 paragraphs of his latest update and you’ll get a pretty good sense of the kind of guy he is — hard working, already capable in a number of fields, and self-directed.

He’s already got a great resume. It’s cool to imagine what it might look like in 4 years…

Currently he is saving up to complete the Anchor Course for the Builder Cycle, Pilot Cycle, and Cowboy Cycle later in the year. All the while he’s getting a good amount of stuff done.

You can check out his page here:

Mack's Preparation

Documenting my learning and growth towards my goals.

Last, but definitely not least, we have Abbott.

Currently, Abbott is going through Cycle #2: The Pilot Cycle. Until the Cycle is over he’ll be learning how to aviate, navigate, and communicate effectively in the old (but reliable) Cessna 172. By the end of it he will have gained a great skill. I’m looking forward to seeing his progress with it.

Abbott is also working on the side, completing academics, reading, and holding himself accountable by (obviously) posting these weekly updates.

Please follow and support Abbott at his Substack page below:

Abbott's Preparation

I like creative writing, painting miniatures and playing strategy tabletop games. I have an interest in science fiction and fantasy, and enjoy listening to music while writing. I am starting my Preparation, to become the man I would like to be.

If you’re reading this while currently in The Preparation remember to start holding yourself accountable by posting weekly updates on your own Substack page. Trust me, it makes a huge difference in your overall performance and progress.

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

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The Preparation in the media:

Article from Tom Woods on The Preparation: HERE

Podcast with Doug Casey and Tom Woods: HERE

Writing to you from Uruguay

There are a world of opportunities out there at your disposal. Some take intentional effort to seek them out. Others, unbeknownst to you, have been staring you in the face all along…waiting for you to take advantage of them. All that was required was a simple shift in perspective.

The realization of opportunities requires an open mind — someone who lengthens their life’s timeframe in their mind, has a keen understanding of the passage of time, sincerely wants to improve, and is willing to take on the burden of radical personal responsibility.

I’d say that cutting off some societal expectations and not falling to peer pressure is part of the equation as well…

Isaiah Bull is no doubt seeing this now. After recently joining The Preparation, he is diving into it fast and expanding his already impressive skillset. Here’s what he had to say about The Preparation in a recent post:

“One thing I really like about The Preparation is that it’s made me realize the opportunities that are already right in front of me.

For example, with the Sailor Cycle, my wife’s uncle works on sailboats in Sicily and is involved in a business that teaches sailing. They are usually hiring people to work with the big machinery in the port, and he said I’d most likely be able to find employment using the skills I learned after completing the Heavy Equipment Operator cycle if I wanted to.

Another example is that my mother-in-law, a chef in Italy, is always baking and making chocolates when we visit. I could learn from her for the Chef cycle.

With the Cowboy Cycle, my parents live out in the country in Texas, and their next-door neighbor/friend teaches people how to become cowboys for a living.

One of my high school friends, who I still stay in touch with, practices regenerative farming and has always been passionate about it. He could probably help out with the Farmer Cycle.”

-Isaiah Bull

Chances are you already have a few of opportunities in your life — maybe a highly skilled relative you can learn from, or a family friend who runs a unique operation halfway around the world.

Whatever it may be…those opportunities are here already. What you need to do is shift your perspective and take advantage of those opportunities ASAP.

It is awesome to see that Isaiah is already picking up on this. Increasing your opportunities through an ever more robust skillset is the path to success and, no doubt, a fulfilling life. Every skill you learn comes with a range of hidden possibilities.

Quantifying the lifetime value of a single skill is nearly impossible, but skills build on one another in unexpected ways and amplify one another’s value.

If you add 16 valuable skills to your skillset within a 4-year timeframe, the breadth and depth of your life and its opportunities will be immeasurable. This is the name of the game. This is what your after.

Back to Isaiah…

He’s a US Navy vet, a PADI certified scuba diver, a father, and a man with a lot of other skills which you can check out here: Skills Acquired

I will be following along closely with his path and I urge you to join me in doing so. Just click the link to his page HERE, subscribe to him, and tune in to his updates. It’ll be interesting to see where he goes from here.

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

Buy The Preparation

The Preparation in the Media:

Go to 2:03:30 to hear about The Preparation:

I was wondering if I’d just be telling you about The Preparation media appearances this week but, I’m happy to say, we had another new Prepper send us an email with their Substack page attached.

Some people I’ve spoken to seem unsure about starting a Substack page for one reason or another. It seems to me like the reluctance stems from either a misunderstanding of the benefits or a fear of potential criticism.

In the wise words of Aristotle: “To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing.”

You’ve gotta put that fear to rest.

But, in terms of the benefits…let me rattle off a few: you develop the highly valuable skill of writing, you connect with interesting people, you can potentially make money…but the most important benefit of all is that if you’re consistently making good progress, and you post about it, opportunities will come your way.

Beau took the first step in potentially reaping some of these rewards. I recommend you join him.

Here’s Beau’s Substack page: Beau

I’ll be supporting him and following along with his progress and I want you to join me in doing so.

Reminder to all starting The Preparation:

Once you make the decision to start down your path set up a Substack account to post weekly updates on your progress throughout The Preparation.

Not only will you be holding yourself accountable, but you will have unique opportunities come your way over time, your writing will improve, and we will push more people to your page — supporters that will wish to see you succeed.

Current Preppers:

JD Breen, Nathan Ockrim , Victor Jones, leviticus, Erik Morgan, James Harrison, Zach, Kevin Oneill, Senna’s Preparation, Nicolle, Theodore Victor, Tyler

Buy The Preparation

The Preparation in the media

• The Schilling Show (radio show is Charlottesville, NC) had Matthew Smith on to talk about The Preparation

• InternationalMan.com: Here’s Why Smart Parents Are Skipping College and Choosing This Instead

At this point it seems like not a week goes by without a new Prepper sending us an email with a link to their Substack page. It’s enjoyable — and I mean it — to see another “Help hold me accountable” email show up in our inbox. Mostly because it’s an indication of a few things like:

• We’ve probably done a good job with the book

• We did a fairly decent job of convincing people to hold themselves accountable on Substack

• There will be an ever-increasing range of unique opportunities in the future

• We’ll probably begin seeing interesting personal progress on the part of the new Prepper

This is the long way of saying that this excites us…

Anyway, I’d like to introduce you to a new Prepper: Tyler

He’ll be documenting his progress along the way and I want you to join me in following along and supporting him.

Check out his first post:

Reminder to all starting The Preparation:

Once you make the decision to start down your path set up a Substack account to post weekly updates on your progress throughout The Preparation.

Not only will you be holding yourself accountable, but you will have unique opportunities come your way over time, your writing will improve, and we will push more people to your page — supporters that will wish to see you succeed.

Buy The Preparation

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

Whether you’re 13 years old or 70, retired or still working, a new father or a grandfather of 7…like I said, it applies to everyone. Honestly, I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had people tell us, “Hey, I’m not an 18 year old guy, but The Preparation definitely applies to me…I’m starting it now!”

We’ve been blown away by it.

Anyway…

I want to introduce you to . He’s a new father — no doubt he feels a heavy burden of responsibility — but he’s obviously aiming to take on multiple worthwhile tasks going into a new era of his life.

One of those worthwhile tasks is to begin his own Preparation.

He’ll be documenting his progress along the way and I want you to join me in following along and supporting him.

Check out his first post:

Atlas Foundry

The Preparation Begins- Chapter One

Doug Casey, Matt Smith, and Maxim Smith wrote The Preparation as a guide for building freedom through skill and self-reliance. It’s a challenge to reject the narrow paths we’re handed and create our own foundation for the future…

Read more

6 months ago · 3 likes · Theodore Victor

Reminder to all starting The Preparation:

Once you make the decision to start down your path set up a Substack account to post weekly updates on your progress throughout The Preparation.

Not only will you be holding yourself accountable, but you will have unique opportunities come your way over time, your writing will improve, and we will push more people to your page — supporters that will wish to see you succeed.

Current Preppers:

, , , , , , , , ,

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-Maxim Benjamin Smith

Writing to you from Uruguay

25 years from now you’re sitting down with your kids at the dinner table. Growing up, you had told them of some of the wild things you did, lessons you learned, and skills you acquired. Each new story would bring a smile to their face along with a, “That’s so cool!” Or, sometimes, they’d listen quietly and intently to what you had to say –completely immersed in the story.

But now…they’re looking at you from across the table wanting to hear more stories.

Well, after all that you had already done up to that point in your life…everything is kind of a blur. The good thing is, years ago you started documenting what you were learning and doing, week by week.

You remember that, and tell the kids to come back in an hour – you were going to go back and read the weekly updates…

The hour passes fast – you couldn’t believe all that you had forgotten while reading your own updates from years ago. The memories come flooding back. Things you had forgotten so long ago are now clear in your mind.

The kids come back…”Well? What were you doing?”

Across the table you smile, “You guys ready for a few more stories?”

The more you speak, the more you remember, and you can’t help but thank your much younger self for documenting your life. The kids are getting hours of more stories out of you and are so fixed on your every word that they don’t notice the look of great reflection in your eyes.

It’s a win-win.

Your kids get great stories and a better image of the younger version of the person they look up to. And you, well you get to recount the stories, reflect on how far you’ve come, and realize how much farther you can go.

That’s the long way of saying you should be documenting your progress just as these two new Preppers are within their own versions of The Preparation. There’s no doubt in my mind that they will look back on this decision to start documenting their progress and be very thankful for it.

Let me introduce:

Kevin and JD

Kevin Oneill

The Preparation Journal: September Reflections on Growth, Nature, and Self-Development

I'm on the bus to Montpellier now — a new town, new people, and a fresh routine. Looking back on this month, I have accomplished what I set out to do: recenter myself, get back in touch with nature, get my pod business up and running, read some books, and spend time building a relationship with Jesus Christ…

Read more

6 months ago · 2 likes · Kevin Oneill

Pretium Insights

"The Reparation"

Atlanta, GA…

Read more

6 months ago · 8 likes · 2 comments · JD Breen

I will be following along with their weekly updates to see what they manage to accomplish on their own paths…and I’d like you to join me in doing so!

Reminder to all starting The Preparation:

Once you make the decision to start down your path set up a Substack account to post weekly updates on your progress throughout The Preparation.

Not only will you be holding yourself accountable, but you will have unique opportunities come your way over time, your writing will improve, and we will push more people to your page — supporters that will wish to see you succeed.

Buy The Preparation

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

The list is building and, better yet, it consists of people both young and old who are starting (or continuing) down their own path in life and using The Preparation to do it. I want you to know about every last one of them because I think they will be huge positive, generative forces going into the future.

In my weekly update that I just posted I spoke about how so many people have little faith in others nowadays. But, the fact is there are plenty of people who want to become more capable and virtuous while walking down their own path.

Those are people worth having faith in.

So, without further ado…let me introduce you to Victor, Zach, James, Leviticus, and Nicolle.

You can find all of their Substack pages posted below:

leviticus

The Preparation

October 13-19…

Read more

6 months ago · 4 likes · leviticus

James' Preparation

Week #1 - Welcome to My Preparation

I often find myself asking, “What kind of man do I want to be?” and I always knew a very vague answer: “a good, honest, strong man,” but I never knew what this specifically means. How do I become this person? I’m still unsure of the complete answer to this question, and I’m sure my answer will change slightly over the course of my life, but one thing ha…

Read more

7 months ago · 7 likes · 3 comments · James Harrison

Victor's Substack

My personal Substack

By Victor Jones

Preparation for Mid-Life

a living chronicle of designing & implementing my own experimental mid-life rite of passage

By Zach

Reminder to all starting The Preparation:

Once you make the decision to start down your path set up a Substack account to post weekly updates on your progress throughout The Preparation.

Not only will you be holding yourself accountable, but you will have unique opportunities come your way over time, your writing will improve, and we will push more people to your page — supporters that will wish to see you succeed.

Buy The Preparation

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

Obviously, he was a man who was wildly impressive, but had (like we all do) a number of vices, particularly in his early years. Lust, pride, procrastination, overspending, and his argumentativeness plagued him. But, when he was 20 years old and making a voyage across the ocean, something changed. He asked himself, “What would I have to do to become morally perfect?”

He began drafting a plan: each week, for 13 weeks, he’d focus on a single virtue to pursue. After those 13 weeks he would start over—running through the cycle 4 times by the end of the year.

Did he reach moral perfection?

Certainly not, but it made him a far better man, and no doubt changed the course of his life. You see, when it comes to making (or instigating) change it comes down to asking the right questions—questions that’ll shift or reorient the frame of thought.

For as long as anyone can remember, we’ve been asked this question— the wrong question: “What do you want to do when you grow up?” Which actually means, “Who do you want to work for when you grow up?” The frame of thought that put you in is dull, lifeless, artificial. That question is reinforced by a system that, to be frank, doesn’t desire critical thinkers or truly impressive individuals…but that’s a topic for another day.

The right question, particularly for young men, is this: “What kind of man do you want to be?”

When I heard that question two years ago it was like a spark was lit inside me. The universe, all of the possibilities, and all of my uncertainties about the future…it all fell into line. My priorities became clear. The question cuts through to the truth. It’s the RIGHT question.

But, don’t listen to me. This is what a friend of one of our long-time friends (Craig Ballantyne) had to say about it:

For context, she’s referencing a podcast that Craig and my dad (Matt Smith) did together, which you can watch by clicking HERE.

There are many questions young men need to be asked that they aren’t hearing in today’s world. But, this is primary among them since it can be the origin of a life lived on the individuals’ terms…a life well lived.

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

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The Preparation in the media:

• Matt & Maxim Smith: Raising Renaissance Men in an Age of Weakness

• Fed’s quiet war against the middle class – LewRockwell.com

• Doug Casey on the fed’s quiet war against the middle class – The Burning Platform

• DEI View: “Wrong…Absolutely Disgusting!” – Daily Reckoning

• The Greater Depression is here – Doug Casey and Robert Kiyosaki

Our dream has been to garner a vast number of young and ambitious people who start their own Preparation. Not only to get a lot of people headed down their own interesting (and highly impressive) paths, but also to create a network of these people.

The goal, as we talk about throughout the book, is threefold: push more opportunities to the “Preppers” who start their own Preparation, create a network that holds one another accountable, and (in the future) host events — put on by us — for “Preppers” to learn new skills and meet one another.

Well, for it all to come true we need to get enough courageous individuals to start down their own path (and give weekly updates on their progress on Substack!)

Erick Morgan started his Substack to hold himself accountable a couple days ago and so did Nathan Ockrim.

Nathan picked up The Preparation book a few weeks ago, started reading through, then found himself unable to stop reading. It struck a cord…now he’s moving full steam ahead down his own path.

Before starting this, Nathan was already in flight school to get his Private Pilot’s License and will be taking his check ride in the coming weeks. He’s got a head start in learning valuable skills and is now considering to start with either the Builder Cycle or the Medic Cycle.

Here’s Nathan’s most recent Substack post:

Nathan Ockrim

Nathan Ockrim’s Preparation

Reset button: Wolf Lake at sunset after a full day on the trails…

Read more

7 months ago · 3 likes · Nathan Ockrim

I’m sure he’ll be making the decision to start one cycle or the other ASAP. And, of course, I think you’ll be hearing from Nathan much more in the future…

We look forward to seeing where he will go and what he will manage to accomplish.

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

Reminder to all starting The Preparation:

Once you make the decision to start down your path set up a Substack account to post weekly updates on your progress throughout The Preparation.

Not only will you be holding yourself accountable, but you will have unique opportunities come your way over time, your writing will improve, and we will push more people to your page — supporters that will wish to see you succeed.

Buy The Preparation

The goal, as we talk about throughout the book, is threefold: push more opportunities their way, create a network that holds one another accountable, and (later on down the line) host events — put on by us — for “Preppers” to learn new skills and meet one another.

Well, for the more grand aspects of our dream to come true we need to have enough people make the necessary decision to head down their own path…and document it.

I couldn’t be more happy to say this…it’s starting. Today I was tagged in a post by Erik Morgan . He heard about The Preparation on The Art of Manliness Podcast, decided to start his Preparation, and (per our instructions in chapter 15 of the book—Unlocking New Possibilities By Holding Yourself Accountable) created a Substack page to track his progress and hold himself accountable.

Erik is starting the Builder Cycle first. Where he goes from there…I don’t know, but I’m excited to see.

I’ll be watching intently and I hope you will too.

Check out Erik’s page here, but don’t just glance at it—follow him along his Preparation:

Preparing Erik

A week-by-week account of The Preparation. Learning, lifting heavy, and wandering.

By Erik Morgan

Remember, if you start The Preparation you should create a Substack page. Not only will your writing improve (a useful skill to have) but you will be held accountable for your progress (or lack of it). And, random opportunities will—no doubt—come your way throughout this.

Not only that, but we will promote your page to help more people find you who want to support you and give you those occasional wild opportunities similar to those that I (Maxim Smith) have gotten over the past two years—working on wildfires, hiking through the hot desert of Nevada for a geophysics crew, and learning the foundations of mule packing in the Rockies to name a few things...

We want to see more impressive people in the world. Help us help you become one.

-Maxim Benjamin Smith

Buy The Preparation

Buy The Preparation Here

The problem with the old path

“For generations, the path to adulthood was straightforward. Go to college, get a job, build a life. But many young men are beginning to question the college component of that path. Tuition keeps rising. AI has made the professional landscape more uncertain, and there’s just a sense that after four years at college, guys graduate feeling like they haven’t been very challenged, haven’t much changed, and haven’t gained a lot of real confidence.” —Brett McKay

What The Preparation offers

“My guest today, Matt Smith, has created an alternative to college—a four-year, 16-cycle curriculum designed to shape participants into Renaissance men, skilled, self-reliant, and grounded in character.” —Brett McKay

Building real confidence

“After I read that section, I thought: I’m gonna have my son—he needs to get EMT certified. I want to get EMT certified after reading about it.” —Brett McKay

Raising the bar

“If you did just the Medic, Cowboy, Builder, and Fighter cycles, a young man would be head and shoulders above his peers. He’d have real aura.” —Brett McKay

Why it matters now

“I really love this Renaissance-man model—someone who not only knows a lot, but can do a lot, and is actively engaged in shaping the world around him.” —Brett McKay

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Brett also has a great substack worth checking out:

DYING BREED

Cut from a stained glass mountain

By Brett McKay

It’s worth mentioning that Craig is a father and (unsurprising to us at this point) he said that the book even applies to him — someone who’s already successful, past college age, and a family man.

The philosophical frameworks apply to him, of course, but also the Cycles. As a father of several young children he is interested in pursuing the Medic Cycle so that he can be an even greater asset to his family — healing, protecting, and providing care to those he loves if need be.

The clear fact is: The Preparation is for everyone.

Check out the podcast with Matt and Craig below:

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The Preparation in the media:

Collapse Life

College is broken — here’s what to do instead

The rules of life have changed. We used to tell young people to get a job, pay the bills, save for retirement, and trust the system to provide for them later in life. But those promises of a bygone are now long gone…

Listen now

8 months ago · 8 likes · 2 comments · Collapse Life

Watchman Privacy: Substack Edition

The Preparation: University-Replacement for Men

Episode 200 of The Watchman Privacy Podcast – The Preparation: University-Replacement for Men…

Listen now

8 months ago · 9 likes · Gabriel Custodiet, Matt Smith @ Crisis Investing, and Maxim Benjamin Smith

Watchman Privacy: Substack Edition

Doug Casey: Renaissance Man

Episode 199 of The Watchman Privacy Podcast – Doug Casey: Renaissance Man…

Listen now

8 months ago · 14 likes · Gabriel Custodiet, Doug Casey, and Matt Smith @ Crisis Investing

(Start watching at 17:22)

That’s what Jeff was told. Everyone around him echoed the same thing — friends, family, and society as a whole — all singing the praises of college from the rooftops.

He took the path. But, after coming out the other side with a mountain of debt and few real-world skills, he found himself in a financial hole…and things didn’t look so bright. No doubt he was feeling cheated.

Now, Jeff is setting his two sons up for REAL success on a very different path.

No debt. High-value skills. Adventure. Opportunity.

Hear it from the man himself:

Skip the debt. Build the man.

I bought this book for my 22-year-old son and my 15-year-old son because I believe The Preparation is one of the most important books a young man can read today.

I’m 56 years old. I was told my whole life that I’d be nothing without a college degree. So I followed the script: took on major debt, sat through years of institutional education, and came out with very little real-world value, except the painful lesson of how hard I’d have to work just to dig myself out of the financial hole I’d willingly stepped into.

I wish this book had existed back then. It would have saved me time, money, and years of frustration. The Preparation gives young men the roadmap I never had, how to think independently, live with purpose, and reject the lies society pushes about debt, status, and self-worth.

I saw one reviewer say they skimmed it and threw it away. Honestly? That says more about them than the book. Some people are so trapped in the system they can’t recognize truth even when it’s right in front of them.

This book is bold, clear, and essential. If you’re a father, mentor, or young man trying to find your path, buy it. Read it. Pass it on.

-Jeff Staron (5-star reviewer on Amazon)

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The Preparation in the media:

• https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/doug-casey-why-college-fails-young-men-and-blueprint-they-actually-need

• Bonner Private Research

  The Preparation: How to become Confident, Competent, and Dangerous

  Monday, September 1st, 2025…

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  8 months ago · 53 likes · Tom Dyson and Matt Smith @ Crisis Investing

• (Start watching at 22:10)

• (Start watching at 19:22)

• (Start watching at 43:46)

“There are times in my life where I knew, in the moment, that the arc of my story was being redirected. Something, someone, or some event so obviously important that it cuts through the noise and distractions of life and forced me to immediately recognize its significance.

The decision on a fall day in 1998 in Kingston, Ontario to turn my university studies around, agreeing to an apprenticeship in Beijing in 2002, a job interview in London in 2003, meeting my wife in Dallas in 2004, when each of my kids were born, etc. Reading this book is another one of those moments.

I could not be happier to have crossed with this book. My children are too young to start the program, but I have already bought hardcover copies for each of them and will be reading and re-reading it with them until they are at an age where they can start some of the anchor activities.

In the meantime, I plan on starting Medic cycle and have not been this excited to get back into learning since I finished graduate studies over 20 years ago.

This book is geared towards young men but can be relevant to almost anyone. Matt has hinted at developing a version for young women; I can only hope for my daughter's sake that he does.

If you are a parent who is worried about your children's future and what experiences and education best prepares them for a world of continued technological disruption and geopolitical change, you should read this book.

If you are middle school or high school student and trying to figure out what your interests are and how to parlay that into post-secondary education, you should read this book.

If you are middle age and disenchanted with your work but uncertain how to make a change, you should read this book.

If you enjoy learning and are interested in leveling up life skills or trying something new, you should read book.

Anyone will benefit from reading this book.

Thank you, Doug, Max, and Matt, for the time and effort you put into this. It will change lives.”

- 5-star reviewer on Amazon

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The Preparation in the media:

How to Become a Renaissance Man in a World of Drones | Tom Woods Show #2685

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The Preparation is not just a book—it’s a blueprint for young men to escape the conveyor belt of conventional life and forge their own path. In a world where college often leaves graduates in debt, unskilled, and uninspired, The Preparation offers a radically different route: four years of deliberate, skill-stacking adventure that builds competence, confidence, and character.

Five Key Points from the Book:

1. Reject the Default Path – College is no longer a guaranteed ticket to success. The Preparation dismantles the myths around higher education and shows you how to create a life of opportunity without drowning in debt.
   

2. Become Competent, Confident, and Dangerous – This is more than self-defense; it’s about becoming a person who can think independently, act decisively, and adapt to any challenge.
   

3. The 16 Cycle System – Sixteen three-month programs—ranging from EMT training to sailing near Cape Horn—each designed to deliver immersive, hands-on skills while building a portfolio of achievements that compound over time. 16 “anchor” courses combined with academic courses taught by some of the best professors in the world will leave any young man miles ahead of his peers.
   

4. Important Lessons and Real-World Economics – Learn what actually matters: sound money, entrepreneurship, history, and the ability to recognize and seize opportunities—taught by men who have lived it.
   

5. Adventure and a Global Network – Instead of four years in a lecture hall, you’ll spend them in the mountains, on ranches, in the cockpit of a plane, on the deck of a ship—meeting exceptional people and stacking valuable experiences.

Going to college isn’t nearly what it used to be and young men are more unsure than ever of what to do with their lives. This book is for those young men who are uncertain of what to do and for the parents and grandparents who love them.

The Preparation is Available Now. Buy the book here.

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