Resilience
Forge Forward
Your Freedom is Hard Earned
Evolve beyond personal growth into someone who creates, fortifies, and invigorates the world around them.
About the book
Forge Forward: Your Freedom is Hard Earned is the book where Jon Mayo introduces the WayMaker Code — the ten-tenet creed at the heart of his WayMaker philosophy. Where Be Relentless extends the invitation and roadmap to becoming a WayMaker, Forge Forward codifies the practice: Chapter 3, "The WayMaker Code – A Creed for Intentional Living," presents all ten tenets, and Chapters 5–14 then devote a full chapter to each one in order.
The ten tenets, in sequence, are: Live Intentionally, Cultivate Curiosity, Pursue Wisdom, Uphold Truth, Be Relentless, Forge Courage, Embody Sisu, Foster Unity, Champion Freedom, and Build Legacy. The Code is built not to constrain but to inspire — a framework for liberation applied through thought, word, and action.
Two foundations sit beneath the Code. The Four Mementos — Memento Mori (remember you must die), Memento Viveri (remember to live), Memento Crear (remember to create), and Memento Conectare (remember to connect) — form the cornerstones of the WayMaker philosophy. And Ideological Alchemy, the deliberate alignment of thought, speech, and action, is what transforms the static Code into a daily proclamation: a personal creed spoken each morning to internalize the tenets into identity.
From that foundation, Forge Forward presses into freedom itself. Its central claim is that freedom is not merely the absence of restraint but a personal, discipline-born journey of growth, creativity, and relentless pursuit of purpose — hard-won and preserved both for oneself and in the liberty of others. Champion Freedom (the ninth tenet) carries the self-discipline and sacrifice required to expand liberty; Build Legacy (the tenth) invests in actions that empower future generations. In Jon's own words, the book invites the reader to evolve beyond personal growth into someone who creates, fortifies, and invigorates the world around them.
The framing is intentional, courageous, self-ownership-oriented living — autonomy and resilience treated as a daily practice rather than a one-time arrival. Given Jon's background as a U.S. Army Artillery officer and Fire Direction Officer in the 4th Infantry Division, the freedom-and-responsibility framing runs through authentic experience.
The framework
The WayMaker Code — introduced and enumerated here. Chapter 3, "The WayMaker Code – A Creed for Intentional Living," presents all ten tenets — Live Intentionally, Cultivate Curiosity, Pursue Wisdom, Uphold Truth, Be Relentless, Forge Courage, Embody Sisu, Foster Unity, Champion Freedom, and Build Legacy — then Chapters 5–14 give one chapter to each tenet in that order. Grounding them are the Four Mementos (Mori, Viveri, Crear, Conectare) and Ideological Alchemy, which turns the Code into a daily proclamation. Freedom is framed not as the absence of restraint but as a hard-earned, discipline-born responsibility preserved for oneself and for others.
What you'll take away
- The WayMaker Code — ten tenets introduced and enumerated here, one chapter each (Ch. 5–14)
- Live Intentionally, Cultivate Curiosity, Pursue Wisdom, Uphold Truth, Be Relentless, Forge Courage, Embody Sisu, Foster Unity, Champion Freedom, Build Legacy
- The Four Mementos — Mori, Viveri, Crear, Conectare — as cornerstones of the WayMaker philosophy
- Ideological Alchemy — aligning thought, speech, and action into a daily proclamation
- Freedom as hard-earned and actively preserved — not merely the absence of restraint
- Discipline-born responsibility — freedom carries weight, for self and others
- Champion Freedom — the self-discipline and sacrifice required to expand liberty
- Build Legacy — actions that empower future generations
- The companion that codifies the philosophy Be Relentless invites you into
Who it's for
High-performers and purpose-driven individuals who have absorbed the invitation of Be Relentless and want the structured Code that turns it into daily practice. People committed to self-ownership, intentional living, and resilience, who treat freedom as something to be earned and defended through daily discipline. Suited to readers who want a daily companion — a creed and proclamation — for navigating their great life adventure with autonomy. Jon's veteran and leadership audience is a natural fit given the freedom-and-responsibility framing.
Related reading
Go deeper on the ideas in this book.
Questions
Frequently asked.
What is Forge Forward about?
Forge Forward: Your Freedom is Hard Earned is where Jon Mayo introduces the WayMaker Code — the ten-tenet creed for intentional living — and argues that freedom is not merely the absence of restraint but a discipline-born journey of growth, creativity, and relentless pursuit of purpose, hard-won and preserved for oneself and in the liberty of others. It is the companion that codifies the philosophy Be Relentless invites you into.
What is the WayMaker Code, and where is it introduced?
The WayMaker Code is a framework of ten reinforcing tenets: Live Intentionally, Cultivate Curiosity, Pursue Wisdom, Uphold Truth, Be Relentless, Forge Courage, Embody Sisu, Foster Unity, Champion Freedom, and Build Legacy. It is introduced in Forge Forward — Chapter 3, "The WayMaker Code – A Creed for Intentional Living," presents all ten, and Chapters 5–14 give a full chapter to each tenet in order.
How does Forge Forward relate to Be Relentless?
Be Relentless extends the invitation and roadmap to becoming a WayMaker. Forge Forward goes further and codifies it: it introduces the ten-tenet WayMaker Code, grounds it in the Four Mementos (Mori, Viveri, Crear, Conectare) and Ideological Alchemy, and turns the Code into a daily proclamation. Be Relentless is the foundational entry; Forge Forward is where the Code lives.
What are the Four Mementos and Ideological Alchemy?
The Four Mementos — Memento Mori (remember you must die), Memento Viveri (remember to live), Memento Crear (remember to create), and Memento Conectare (remember to connect) — are the cornerstones of the WayMaker philosophy. Ideological Alchemy is the deliberate alignment of thought, speech, and action that transforms the WayMaker Code into a daily proclamation internalized into identity.
Is there an audiobook of Forge Forward?
No. Forge Forward is currently available in print and ebook on Amazon; there is no Audible edition.
