Initiation
Men’s Retreat
A Rite of Passage for Men Who Are Ready to Become the Adults the World Needs
Next retreat March 6-8, 2026 Bandera, TX
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Next retreat March 6-8, 2026 Bandera, TX |
INITIATION IS AN immersive retreat for men who are ready to step into mature masculinity, Real-life leadership, and generational responsibility.
This is the threshold into a new lineage of grounded, capable, initiated men committed to leading themselves, their families, and the next generation.
WHAT IS INITIATION?
INITIATION is a return to something men in our culture have lost: a real Rite of Passage into adulthood.
It’s a true crossing point where a man steps out of the old story—confusion, fragmentation, boyhood patterns—and steps into a deeper maturity that is felt in the body, lived in real life, and expressed in leadership.
In this experience, you will experience an arc that has shaped men for thousands of years:
Descent: shedding the habits, roles, and protections that no longer serve you.
Ordeal: meeting yourself fully—your strength, your fear, your truth.
Revelation: discovering the man you are called to be in this next chapter.
Return: integrating your power into your life, family, and community.
Unlike most modern men’s retreats, INITIATION does not end when you leave. It is the doorway into a new men’s organization built on depth, responsibility, leadership, and lineage.
This is where we begin.
What IT MEANS TO BE INITIATED
Uninitiated men…
don’t know how to navigate major life transitions. When life prompts them to grow, they shrink, check out, or just get stuck.
lack the internal structure to carry the weight of their lives. This shows up as burnout, inconsistency, avoidance, and addiction.
don’t have real community, mentorship, or brotherhood. Below the surface these men are lonely and isolated, and need to be an anchor when they don’t have one for themselves.
are disconnected from their deeper purpose and aliveness. They’ve lost touch with who they really are and what they’re here to do.
don’t know how to turn personal growth into real-world results. They are doing the “right things”, but it’s not really getting them anywhere.
Initiated men…
are resourced and able to turn toward and tackle the big transitions of life: fatherhood, marriage strain, identity shifts, burnout, business pivots, selling a company.
have put the time in to build their inner structure of emotional regulation, integrity, accountability, presence, and mature masculinity.
are surrounded by peers, mentors, and friends that are willing to show up for them. Initiated men do hard things, but they do them together.
carry a vitality that comes from alignment and connection with their spiritual fire, their emotional clarity, and a sense of inner direction.
see tangible improvement across life: better marriages, fatherhood, businesses, health, and leadership.
RESULTS That count.
Recent clients / PARTICIPANTS on a tear.
A second-generation business leader added over $1M in annual revenue, repaired the relationship with his father, married the woman he loves, and transformed from financially unstable to a multi-million-dollar net worth.
A 50-year-old new father realigned his entire life—turned around his law practice, launched a thriving non-profit, and stepped into fatherhood with presence, devotion, and vision.
A man stuck on his dissertation for 12 years finished in four months after working with Dan.
A divorced father reclaimed his sense of possibility, opened himself to partnership, and has now been in a committed, loving relationship for over a year.
A medical-device founder went from juggling two jobs to completing a landmark clinical trial and preparing to raise $50M in venture financing.
These are not outliers.
This is the pattern.
What Happens at THE RETREAT?
This retreat follows a carefully crafted arc—spiritual, emotional, physical, and practical. It’s not a lecture. It’s not abstract. It’s lived.
Move
Time in nature, somatic practices, breathwork, and physical presence..
face
Your demons, your dreams, and most importantly: the moment. Over and over and over again.
Rewild
Through time in nature, fire, sweat, and silence.
see + Be Seen
In small groups of men who drop the armor and speak the truth.
Reclaim
Know who you are, where you belong, and what you are supposed to do.
No costumes.
No performance.
Just men, doing the real thing.
Why This IS DIFFERENT
Most men’s retreats offer catharsis. Performance. Temporary belonging.
INITIATION is different.
Because it is not about the weekend—it is about your life.
And it is built on three pillars:
1. A True Rite of Passage Structure
Descent → Ordeal → Revelation → Return.
This is not theory. It’s the architecture that transforms a man’s identity at the root.
2. Depth Without Performance
No posturing. No spiritual theatrics.
Only real, grounded, adult transformation.
3. Lineage and Leadership
INITIATION is the entry point into a new men’s organization dedicated to helping rebuild the chain of guidance that boys and young men have lost.
Because the world does not need more navel gazing or men trying to fit the mold.
It needs initiated men who lead, serve, protect, and guide.
Who is This For?
You’re not here to be a “men’s work guy.” You’re here to be a better man—at home, at work, in the world.
✔ You are ready to become a true adult in a culture that never gave you a real initiation.
✔ Men who are tired of peak experiences that don’t change real life.
✔ Fathers, husbands, professionals—who want to be the kind of man the next generation can rely on.
✔ You feel the world pulling men into distraction, weakness, and confusion—and you want to stand in clarity and grounded leadership.
✔ You crave a community of men who take their lives seriously, who hold each other with honesty, and who are building something bigger than themselves.
Whether you’re at a crossroads or simply sick of performing—this is your next step.
The Details
March 6-8, 2026
Friday 6 PM – Sunday 2 PM
Sovreignty Ranch. Bandera TX.
Drive from Austin or get a shuttle from San Antonio airport.
$1,500
(Includes lodging, food, and facilitation)
Payment plans are available.
Discounts available for veterans and men under 25. Reach out.
Spots are intentionally limited.
Why Dan?
I’ve guided thousands of men through this fire. I’ve put 10,000 hours into mentoring and guiding young men through the wilderness, and another 10,000 hours into guide men through the realities of life.
I’ve kickstarted global men’s movements.
I’ve coached founders, fathers, addicts, and everyday men.
I’ve led in the wilderness, in ceremony, in marriage, and in fatherhood.
But more than anything, I’ve walked this path myself.
I have deep gratitude for my mentors and teachers. A few you may have heard of, and many you haven’t. I was heavily influenced by David Deida in my twenties, and spent much of my 30’s learning from and teaching beside Owen Marcus. I have been studying and practicing Vajrayana Buddhism for 15 years, and have spent thousands of days in wilderness and backcountry settings.
But honestly, my best teachers have been the thousands of men and boys that have shown up and been real with me. I am grateful to you all.