Welcome to Forge the Man, a Fairest Love Podcast hosted by US Military Veteran and Retired Firefighter Paul Ybarra. This Podcast is dedicated to calling young men to greatness in their work, character, and relationships. Guided under the mantle of Mary, Mother of Fairest Love, and the heroic spirituality of St. Josemaría Escrivá, our intention is to build men for professional mastery and the noble vocation of marriage or becoming a father of souls.
The Rosary: What Twenty Minutes a Day Could Do for Your Faith - In The Forge with Paul Ybarra
No time to pray? You might already have 20 minutes hiding in your day, your commute, your run, the five minutes before bed you usually spend scrolling.
In this episode, Paul makes the case that the rosary isn’t a grandma prayer, it’s a real discipline, and one of the most powerful tools you have for facing whatever’s coming your way. He shares where it actually fits into a packed schedule, a simple trick for staying focused instead of zoning out, and two stories you won’t forget: an outnumbered fleet staring down impossible odds, and a 14-year-old who faced something far worse than a bad day at work — and didn’t flinch.
6 Oct 2026
You're Never Going to Be 100% Ready: A Firefighter's Advice on Family Life
What if the house, the career stability, the "right time" — none of it ever fully arrives? Would you still say yes?
That's the question at the heart of this conversation with Patrick Wilkinson, a 20-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department who drives a hundred-foot aerial ladder truck through the streets of LA. But work isn't what lights Patrick up, it's his family. He and his wife Bianca met completely by chance at an Applebee's, and from there built a marriage and a household that now includes four kids, a fifth on the way, and a homeschool routine neither of them originally planned. Patrick gets honest about the financial sacrifices, the daily grind of sibling conflict, and the men's group that pulled him out of isolation during COVID — plus some hard-won wisdom about waiting too long to start a family that he wishes he'd heard earlier.
00:00 Introduction to Patrick and his family
01:52 How Patrick met Bianca at Applebee's
04:00 Traits that attracted Patrick to Bianca
06:10 Transition to parenthood and trusting God's plan
07:58 Financial sacrifices and home decisions
11:02 Family life, homeschooling, and faith practices
13:50 Balancing work as a firefighter with family responsibilities
18:03 Building community and supporting each other in faith
22:00 Conflict resolution and teaching children forgiveness
24:57 The importance of prioritizing faith and family
30 Sept 2026
Your Future Wife Can't Marry You Until She Finds You: Dating, Breakups, and Getting Back Out There
If you've ever felt like dating today is somehow harder than it used to be, this episode is for you.
Dana, a California government attorney, Harvard grad, and returning guest, is back on the show, and a lot has changed since his last appearance: he's now engaged. In this conversation, Dana and Paul get honest about the real risks of dating, where to actually meet someone worth pursuing, how to handle breakups without spiraling, and what changed for Dana when he met his fiancée. Dana Cruz shares insights on navigating the complexities of modern dating, the importance of virtue and community, and how to discern God's will in finding a life partner.
Perfect episode for Catholic men seeking guidance on their journey to marriage.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Contact Forge the Man
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
