The Self-Employed Man

Be your own boss and still pay the bills: clients, pricing, taxes, tools and time for your family.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

Do's & Don'ts: Men Do's & Don'ts: Business Owners

Black bear hunting, the bait argument and what to do with the meat

Bait is legal in some states and outlawed in others, bears don't leak blood like deer, and the only kitchen number that matters is 165.

GuideBRO for HerNina CastellanSep 23, 20266 min

Get paid to learn a trade, and what the first year asks

Electrician, welder, plumber: how the apprenticeships actually work, what the gear costs you, and the parts nobody warns you about.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

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GuideTravelDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Buy travel insurance for the medevac, not the lost bag

Most policies get sold on baggage and bought on fear. The parts worth paying for are medical, evacuation, and a 14-day clock most people miss.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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Hunting & Shooting6 min read

Your first elk hunt is decided four months before opening day

The fitness, the calling and the pack out, from a guy who learned the hard way that killing the elk is the easy part.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuidePlayMarcus ValeSep 23, 20266 min

The rod, reel and four knots that cover freshwater fishing

One spinning setup, a handful of hooks and four knots you can tie in the dark will catch you almost anything that swims in fresh water.

GuideTravelDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Ask these questions before you wire the fishing lodge deposit

The nightly rate is maybe two-thirds of what you'll actually pay, and the answers to six questions decide whether the week is worth it.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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GuideHunting & ShootingWes DunbarSep 23, 20265 min

What your hunting license actually pays for

The duck stamp, the excise tax on your ammo and the tag you never filled all feed one system. Worth knowing how it works before you complain about the price.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideMovies & TVDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Westerns Ranked by How They Actually Play on Family Night

Twelve of the best, ordered by whether an eleven-year-old stays in the room, with the content concerns named up front.

GuideTravelDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Draw a 350-mile circle and book the trip inside it

Set the dollar number before the destination, keep the drive under six hours, and the cheap family vacation builds itself.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuideHunting & ShootingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Calling Coyotes Without Losing Your Permission

Coyotes come in fast, from the wrong side, and usually behind you. The harder part is still the guy who owns the gate.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

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GuideMovies & TVDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Watching Every Clint Eastwood Western From Rawhide to Unforgiven

A viewing order, the content concerns said out loud, and why The Outlaw Josey Wales is the one to start your teenagers on.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideTravelDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Two nights, ninety minutes away, and one page of instructions

The anniversary weekend works when you plan the handoff harder than the hotel. Do the boring part Thursday, and Saturday takes care of itself.

GuideHunting & ShootingWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Pattern the gun, learn one call, then sit still

Spring gobblers are won on a paper target in March and lost by a hunter who moves at 9:40 a.m. Everything else is detail.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

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GuideMovies & TVDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Where to Start With Gunsmoke's 635 Episodes

Twenty seasons, one marshal, and no finale. A watch plan that gets you to the great stuff without doing twenty years of homework.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

Travel6 min

Go to the Holy Land with fifteen people, not fifty

Hunting & Shooting6 min

Your freezer is where most venison actually gets ruined

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideMovies & TVDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Ten John Wayne Films to Watch With Your Son, in Order

Skip The Searchers on night one. Start where an eleven-year-old can get in, and work up to the hard stuff.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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Travel6 min read

Request the airport wheelchair even if Dad walks fine

The trip with your parents works or fails on about eight small logistics calls, and most people make none of them.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

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