Price Check
Birth Name: Ben Carroll
Age:53
F3 Start Date: October 19th, 2022
Main AO Post:Mettle of Honor
Q. How did you hear about F3 and how did you get your F3 Nickname?
A. I have a longtime friend, “Cantilever,” who invited me out to Sasquatch. I hadn’t ever heard of F3 before that. As is usually the case, after the beatdown, I was asked to give some background of my life, family, etc. I proudly mentioned my alma mater, The University of Texas, that I was a Mechanical Engineer and got to design and work with cool rocket stuff. Then someone asked me what I did before that. I said I worked at HEB, suddenly I was Price Check! Just the right sized slice of humble pie. Now I proudly embrace my F3 moniker.
Q. Which of the 3 F’s speaks to you the most and how has F3 impacted your life outside the gloom?
A. All the F's together are what make F3 the incredibly special organization that it is. But if I had to pick one, it is Faith. I don't mean faith in God, I brought that with me. I mean the kind of faith Dave Redding and Tim Whitmire defined for F3: Faith: Faith is not tied to any specific religion or system. It represents a belief in something outside oneself. F3 addresses loneliness and isolation, equipping men with tools to combat negative narratives and build strong connections. I had faith in my Creator, but I had desperately little faith in myself. When I was invited by a friend, I knew I needed to exercise, and I was motivated by the power of the ask, so I set my alarm early that morning and just showed up. I wasn't sure if I could keep it up and I won't lie, the beatdown was pretty brutal. Not brutal for everyone there, but certainly for me and my out of shape body. But I showed up. And I showed up for the next beatdown, and the next. There was something about the accountability, getting my F3 name, and then hearing people greet me every time with "Hey Price Check!" It kept me coming back. What it allowed me to see was that I could do something hard consistently, no matter the weather (first time I ever had ice in my beard). I also started seeing that other guys were like me. Some were fitter, others not as much, but everyone was striving to improve. The whole experience built up what I lacked, faith in myself.
Q. You are the main site Q for Mettle of Honor.....how is that going and what are you learning about yourself while taking the lead at the AO?
A. Ah yes! I am learning that leadership can be lonely. Meaning, the numbers have been low at times. But I have also learned that I can do this hard thing consistently too. I am growing my “I ain’t quitting” muscle! I know that Mettle of Honor will grow and be a place where a bunch of other guys will find faith in themselves. That time is not here yet. But it's coming. I also learned that the Fellowship part of F3 is no joke. Getting support from PAX coming out has been extremely encouraging. Some guys have to leave early because it takes 20 minutes to get to the AO. That is true fellowship.
Q. What is next for Price Check in this F3 journey and where do you envision for yourself in the next 5 years?
A. Well, I am going to keep doing what I’m doing, with some additional focus on Mettle Marketing. Since my “I ain’t quitting’ muscle is getting strong, over the next 5 years I plan to continue pounding it out at the gloomy beatdowns. 5 years is far out there, but I imagine I will still be at Mettle of Honor, and my second home, Sasquatch. I will have several TIRs and other events accomplished. I will be encouraging and supporting others to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men to invigorate male community leadership.