[music] This is Undaunted [music] Life, a man's podcast. I'm your host, Kyle Thompson. Let's get into it. All right, guys. You've been hearing a lot about this over the last couple of weeks, but we are in Dominion season because we have our application portal open for guys that want to apply to be a part of our intensive disciplehip program. It's a serious program. I mean, looking back on where we started to where we are now. It's just absolutely insane. We're seeing a lot of growth with men all over the country. And so, I wanted to bring to you another guy from one of our teams. This is Micah Grall. Micah, welcome to the show. >> Nice to be here, Kyle. I will say everybody that's done this is like this has not been their thing. You know, everyone's a little bit uncomfortable. But hey, I'm all about pushing guys outside their comfort zone because some of you aren't comfortable right now. You you haven't even applied for this yet. Undant.life/dominion. Andlife/dominion. Get your applications in. But Michael, let's start simple here. Age, location, profession. Let's just get the basics. >> Uh I am 54 years old. I'm in Tampa, Florida, and I am a project manager for a national construction firm. >> What's the weather like in Tampa right now? Inquiring. Cloudy. >> It's cloudy. Yeah, it's [clears throat] uh it's maybe upper 70s, which is definitely winter for us. >> All right. Well, let's just move past that cuz that just made me angry cuz you know, we live in Oklahoma. It'll be over 100 degrees for like two months straight, but then our our winters can be uh can be fairly terrible. But I know there's people crying that are, you know, listening in Canada and, you know, Idaho and all that right now. But let's go back to how you found Undaunted Life. So, how did you find uh the show? How did you find our content? I uh right after CO I was invited to a u a weekend men's conference uh called Band of Brothers and uh it really impacted my life deeply and you happened to be a guest speaker. I think maybe the third or fourth year that I had been attending. It's a twice a year event. Uh, and it's great. And I was so impressed with your burn it all down and walk away speech that, uh, uh, you're actually the first, uh, influencer I've ever followed or ever looked into. And I, I don't think I've come across a show yet that I haven't finished in its entirety. [snorts] >> Influencer? Gh, I don't want to be one of those. Isn't that what like little kids do on TikTok or whatever thing? Why'd you call me that? What's wrong with you? Well, that's I I'm trying to be cool like the cool kids. I uh >> I don't you know I I don't really um connect with the internet much. I don't watch much television. So I I'm a much more inerson kind of interaction. And uh but I have to tell you that uh because of Undaunted, my world has grown exponentially, especially with regards to quality, you know, quality Christian people and and quality thinkers. Well, I can shake that off that you called me that as long as you don't give me like a name tag or a t-shirt that says that on it. But I mean, you talk about you're more of an inerson guy. I mean, that's how you and I met. Like you and I met at that band of brothers event that I did cuz I spoke I think I think it was either once at the night before and then once in the morning it was something like that. spoke a couple of different times, but you and I actually had a short interaction um during that and I mean according to you what you told me later that that interaction had a a fairly big impact on you in a weekend where you're having you know a lot of positive impacts on yourself. So talk a little bit about that. >> Well, so like I said, Band of Brothers is a phenomenal program. Um and it's great, but it's twice a year and so you really look forward to it and you know by the time you blink it's over. Uh, but I I mean your style is so different than some of the other speakers we'd had. And I just real quick shout out to Guy Shashi, Band of Brothers, just a phenomenal organizer. And u but you know, we have a barbecue at the end of it. We come out, we do, you know, we we grill Gator, we grill a different game. And most of the time when we have a guest speaker, they're gone. You were actually out there with us. Um, you know, and I I could approach you and I could talk to you and you just you seem like a real person and and and you should know by this time I had never seen or heard any of your podcasts. I really didn't even know who you were. I just was really impressed with your presentation. Um, you speak to men that are looking for, you speak to men that are maybe repressing some of the feelings they have because they're, you know, misguided or um, maybe they're ashamed to feel a certain way, to have a certain amount of courage, to be a certain have a certain amount of aggression. And, you know, I just I felt like you were someone I admired. And so, it's because of that I started to follow you. And it's because of that I decided to join the Dominion program to invest, you know, my time and and my resources into becoming a better man. >> Well, yeah. Michael, I think it's kind of weird when guys speak somewhere, they get whisked to the venue in their black SUV, and then as soon as they're done, they walk off stage, they get they grab their bag, and they get right back in the SUV and take off. Like, if I can swing it schedule-wise, I want to be there well before I talk to just mix and mingle and chat like afterwards. Like, why wouldn't I go out to the cookout? I mean, that's first time I had ceviche. They let they let me have some ceviche. We had some, you know, this guy, I think it was from Argentina that was doing some, you know, steak for us and different things. Like, why wouldn't I go out there and just like, you know, hang out with you guys and be a part of what you got going on? But, so, yeah. So, you start following Undaunted Life. You you done that for a couple years and then I talk about the Dominion program. And so, I don't know if you, you know, just heard the episode or read the email or whatever, but what was it about the Dominion program? Cuz I'm obviously on the front end. And I'm I'm kind of not cy, but I'm like, you really can't understand the program unless you do an interview. Cuz in the interview, we really get into the specifics. So before I'm just kind of talking about, hey, this is a an intensive disciplehip program. It's going to be with other like-minded men around the country. We're covering the six pillars of a Dominion man because I'm just trying to put enough chum in the water to get guys excited enough to apply. And then if they're a good fit via the application, then we move to the interview where we actually get down to business and I explain what the program is. So, what was it about the program before we did the interview to where you're like, "Yeah, there's something here. I want to do this." >> Well, I I actually was hesitant. I was on the fence that The Devil Owns uh when the first round came out and uh and I I I didn't know enough to regret it, but I kind of regretted it because it sounded really interesting and and I wanted to find out more and I just I waited. Um, and procrastination is one of one of the ways the enemy gets to me. So, I was given the opportunity because I I I eventually did apply. I was given the opportunity to be in the early rounds of applicants uh when you opened it up this last time. Uh, and yeah, I really don't I can't articulate I can't articulate what it was about the interview, the pre-in I had before I spoke to you. Um, but I had a real sense that my spirit was saying that I needed to jump on this, that this was going to this was going to be a real eye openener for me. And it turns out, and we're not done with with um our complete session yet, although I'm coming up towards the end, that it's really just the start. I think Dominion, this Dominion program has started me in a new track in my life that will probably continue for the rest of my life. Well, I I mean, it's great to hear you say that because yeah, we're coming up towards the end of your thing and and like I've said before, the Dominion program kind of prepares you for our alumni program, which we just call Watchmen, because it's like, you know, the watchmen on the wall that were described in Isaiah. You got to be equipped to do that job. You're not just thrown up there with a bow and arrow or a spear or something like that. It's like, all right, you're a watchman now. And so, it's like preparing you for what you're going to be doing for for the rest of your time being involved with all this. And so I'm curious for you because you know we described this in the interview so we're we're not going to get into all the details but there's a couple of different tracks of this program and they're all require a good amount of commitment. Like there is a significant amount of time that's required a significant amount of effort and a significant amount of capital. Like I've described this isn't like a $200, you know, onetime event. This isn't like you know some sort of weekend conference that you pay maybe 500 bucks for. It's not a it's not a $5 a month app. It's a significant multi,000 investment in yourself and the man that you're wanting to be, the man that God is calling you to be. But maybe you're just stuck, maybe you're in a rut, maybe you just need a little bit of direction. But for you, you and Mrs. Grall, what was the deciding point? Because everybody comes to a decision because you know when when we do the interview, if you're a fit, it's like, yeah, you're a fit, here's what it takes to be a part of it. And then we give you got like a couple of days to make a call. like you can't have four or five weeks or you know a month or two to think it through. It's like hey man we got to fill these teams. There's only a certain number of spots that we're going to take. You got to make a decision. What was the decision like for you? >> The decision for me took less than an hour. >> Okay. >> That hour was that hour was mostly Mrs. Grall asking well what are the details and [laughter] me telling her I don't have any. >> Uh what tell me a little bit more about that. Yeah. Yeah. What was the decision for me? Well, Kyle, I uh I elected to choose the path that gave me not only uh uh a foxhole to work with and a lot of the previous Dominion team members, the mentors to work with, but gave me personal time with you, which I know a lot of a lot of the guys didn't have. And I want to say that um I just believed that in order to be uh better than I am, to be uh better, I needed to train with a person I thought was better than I was. And I really I had a lot of faith in your ability. Uh and you didn't let me down. I think the one thing you mentioned when you talk about um all the investments we have to make in time, capital, things like that is, brother, you humbled me in so many ways. Um you know, through our one-on-one coaching, you've helped me identify areas of my life that I have just kind of sugarcoated. Hey, in jiu-jitsu, you showed me [laughter] I didn't want to get into that. Just not the man I thought I was. Micah, you got to pause right here because I gotta say, uh, I let you guys know, hey, we're going to do a meet up in Oklahoma. Like, hey, we're going to meet up at the Forge. We're going to start out with a workout in some jitsu jiu-jitsu. We're then we're going to go break some bread, have some fun. We'll do a little whiskey tasting, cigar pairing. Like, you know, we're going to do some fun stuff. And you started talking so much trash about the jiu-jitsu stuff. And I thought you were joking, but then you kept on and you kept on. And I was like, "This guy really thinks he it's going to go a certain way, but he just doesn't really know yet." So that's the stage that I set. You spent months in my ear chirping at me about what you were going to do once we got on the mats. Do you want to do you want to tell everybody what happened whenever uh we got out there during our meetup? >> It was quick. It was quick. That's all I'll say. It was quick. And there was no doubt that uh I am a white belt in jiu-jitsu. So uh but but it again it's hum it's it's humility. It's um it's you can't you cannot build up until you tear down all that really isn't strong and all that really isn't there. >> Amen. >> And you know and physically guys if if you want to know Kyle you are just watch his podcast. He's exactly the same guy he is on, you know, when he's doing his interviews, when he's interacting on the forging table and he's jo that same guy. He um one thing I remember when I went to saturated uh this past year, which was phenomenal. Church of 1122 is a phenomenal church. Y >> highly recommend it to anyone who can visit it. You need to do that. >> U my wife was sick and so I couldn't come the first two days. She was really sick and I begged her to come and she finally agreed to come like the third day and I just remember you were so kind to my wife. You were just so gracious and made her feel so important and so cared for and I just I couldn't believe you know I understand that you're a big deal Kyle and you're you're down to earth. I've seen you I've seen you do Bible study. I've you know I've been to um Faith Bible Church in Edund Oklahoma. just um the quality of the people that you've introduced me to in the last five months both in the Dominion program in my team in and the guest speakers that you've had that you introduced us to and and people like Dale Porter and Jesus for Jiu-Jitsu and um I mean it's it's just phenomenal and it it made such an impact on me that I could highly recommend anyone who is able to and willing to commit their resources. It's all God's. It's all God's anyway. And I can't think of, you know, I sit back now. I get a lot of questions. Was it worth it to me? I can't think of anything else I could have spent my time on or my resources on that would have given me as much as I got out of the program and as much potential as I have to share both the gospel with my family with my friends but also to build my relationship with God which is ultimately what I joined Dominion for. I was I was looking for disciplehip and I just I wasn't able to find it on my own. So, Micah, I can go back to our very first interaction. Okay. I think this was this was right after you had, you know, signed up for the program and and we hopped on a quick call and as you were talking even just then, it reminded me of that first conversation. It seemed like the moment you said yes and the moment you you paid to secure your spot in the Dominion program that something kind of like kind of like broke loose a little bit to where you were like it's kind of [clears throat] like you had all this energy that needed to go in a particular direction and Mrs. Grall knew that knew that as well. And then, you know, I kind of gave you an option and gave you a path. And there were some other things you were doing at the time that were kind of tangentially related to sanctification, disciplehip, sort of kind of, just not really in the way the dominion was. But you seemed to just go into the Dominion program with a full head of steam. Like there was no reservations. There was no let me just dip my toe in and see how this is going to do it. No, you seem to burn the ships from the beginning. And I think that's done you well and done your team well because you just approached it with the right mindset. So I'm just curious for you because you've already kind of elucidated some of the things that you've gotten out of it as in terms of benefit. But but why did you carry that amount of momentum in because that again that's part of the psychological cue for a lot of men. When something is substantial in terms of what it requires from you time, effort, capital-wise, a lot of men just take it more seriously than they would something that's just kind of cheap or free. Well, I'm in my mid50s and [clears throat] you know, time goes faster as you age and I I just had a different vision of myself at this age and the I just I felt a calling that, you know, as great as Band of Brothers is, it's uh twice a year and I I I attend a fantastic church in in Tampa called Vibrant Church and phenomenal pastor, great community, but it's a small church and they're still they're still, you know, developing. And I just I just knew I I wanted more. I wanted more and I needed to find people that could offer more and I didn't have a lot of time to just kind of lolly gag. And you know, when I don't want to do something, that's what I do. I procrastinate and lolly gag. I'm very grateful, Kyle, that you just don't allow that for people that you work with. I mean, I guess you do. you just you call them out when they do it. So, um I just I hadn't I had a feeling that this was going to work and it it actually exceeded what I thought it would do. Um as you know, I'm I'm even considering at this point uh working into some type of ministry program future in in the future of my life. So, I think that it was an investment and it there was some risk, but the risk was I I didn't think there was ever going to be a lose. I guess I put it to you that way. There was never going to be a lose. I just felt like how much I how much I gained was really dependent upon how much effort I put in. Just like anything else you do, if you want to if you want to be in jiu-jitsu, you got to roll. And if and it hurts. It really does. But you gota, you know, you know that eventually as you keep rolling, you'll get better and then you'll hurt somebody else. If you want to lift, you got to lift heavy. You know, you don't just lift light weights. You gota, you got to you got to suffer. And um that's been good. And I just, as much as I want to give you praise, I also want to thank, you know, the members of team five. And and I had the opportunity to meet some of the watchmen at a recent uh meetup we did in Jacksonville. I got to meet uh some of the watchmen and I mean these cats are all quality people. I mean they all talk to me individually. They, you know, they're mentors. I mean it's a fraternity. God gave me a bum ankle so I couldn't join the military. And uh I didn't I didn't have the chops to to a four-year college program. So I never had a fraternity. And I really think that Dominion for a lot of men like me is going to be the fraternity and and the brotherhood that we lacked. Well, man, that that's great. So, last question here. You got guys here pretty soon that are going to be doing their interviews or maybe they're Liz sending to this before their interview, right after their interview, and for whatever reason, they're going to be on the fence, right? You've already mentioned uh that the devil owns the fence, [clears throat] but you got guys that are maybe worried about the the time investment, the the effort investment, the capital investment, whatever whatever thing is tripping them up. maybe their wives are the ones that I mean they're not doing the interviews and so guys are just like you went to Mrs. Grall and it's like hey you know this is what I want to do and then they're kind of hearing it all secondhand and trying to be supportive but maybe they don't have the ability to be. But what would you say to the man that's on the fence that is is somehow been stuck in neutral or stuck in the mud? They know they need to do something but they don't know if Dominion's it. What's your message to them? For guys on the fence, I would say think about where being stuck has gotten you. Think about where using all of your best efforts has gotten you. All your best ideas have gotten you. And then realize that there are people that have gone through this and can walk you through it. I mean, that's what dominion does. They take you by the hand because you're down and the only way you get up is somebody to grab you and lift you. You still got to pull yourself up, but they grab you and they lift you up to a point where you can see what's holding you down. And then it's really your choice whether you go forward or backwards. But you can't even see what's holding you down unless you're up. So if you're stuck, don't stay stuck. take a chance on something. And if and if you think I'm if my testimony is helping you, then take a chance at Dominion because it really has had a tremendous impact on my life. >> Mike, I appreciate you sharing and uh all your testimony to this, but that's all for me. Is there anything else you want to get off your chest? >> No, sir. >> All right, guys. >> Good luck and uh God bless, >> man. Appreciate that, guys. Again, it's undaunted.life/dominion. undaunted.life/dominion. Get your applications in if we like your application. We have a limited number of interview slots ready to go for the beginning of December. And we've got a limited number of slots for people that we're going to be taking on team. So, Micah, thanks again. See you, buddy.