129. Don't Be a Deadbeat Dad!

Hearing the words, "You're going to be a dad!" is one of the absolute highlights of your entire life. After the excitement comes the questions. Now what? How do I prepare? Am I ready? What do I need to know? Am I going to screw this up?I got you covered in this week's episode!Improvement > Perfection

Having a 7 year old and a newborn is hard enough. Two very different stages of childhood that I have to manage my way through on a daily basis. What I did not expect was to be anxious about how my 7 year old interacts with my newborn!Wanting to give my 7 year old trust, responsibility to help, and autonomy over how he does things has been more difficult than I thought it would be. It 100% is my own anxiety that is making things more difficult.This week I chat about the steps I've been using to keep this anxiety in check!Improvement > PerfectionGet 10% off Brick HERE

Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, Al Bundy, all very funny dad's to watch on TV, but maybe not what us men should be exactly striving for as the pinnacle of fatherhood and marriage.This week I chat about what I have found to make sure my family is well cared for and what to look out for as you're raising these kids and trying to keep a happy, healthy and thriving marriage.For 10% off Brick click HERE

No guest this week for the podcast. Matter of fact probably no guests for a while! We don't have a ton of extra time on our hands with our seven year old starting a new school year as a second grader and a newborn in the house taking up the remaining waking hours (which are many).Don't get me wrong, there is nowhere we would rather be than in the midst of this chaos! It just doesn't allow for an hour or two chatting with people around the world about parenting. It does allow me 20 minutes to quickly explain some parenting thoughts that I have had over the last two weeks though. So, for the next couple months, at least, expect shorter episodes starring yours truly. I'll try to keep them informative and hopefully some of what I have to say may help you or at least give you a bit of entertainment.This week I just wanted to go over all the things that I forgot about the newborn stage. With Shea being seven, it has been quite a while since we had a newborn in the house. I thought I remembered what tired was, but I can confirm, I did not remember.Hang in there everybody, keep showing up, we'll get through these trying times together.Improvement > Perfection10% off Brick HERE

James Fawcett shares his transformative journey from personal struggles to building a purpose-driven life, emphasizing the importance of identity, faith, and intentionality in overcoming adversity.The Rebuild10% off Brick04:43 James Fawcett's Journey: From Australia to Recovery10:26 The Tipping Point: A Life-Altering Experience16:36 Identity Crisis: Understanding Self-Worth26:27 Rebuilding Relationships: The Path to Trust29:45 Rebuilding Trust and Intentional Parenting33:04 Creating Lasting Memories with Kids36:00 The Importance of Intentionality in Parenting39:37 Finding Purpose and Overcoming Fear43:45 Living in Alignment with Your True Self47:33 You Are Not Your Worst Season

Capacity: Parenting, Friction, and the Five Intelligences. I talk with Jon Strecker, head of a private school and author of Emergence, about what kids actually need to grow into resilient, self-directed adults. The conversation centers on why overprotecting children can slow development, and why social, emotional, ethical, and physical growth matter as much as academic achievement. Jon also explains how parents can build capacity at home through small, consistent challenges. Key topicsIn this episode, Jon Strecker explains why he thinks education has been overly narrowed to math, reading, and writing, and why that misses how children actually learn and grow.Jon lays out his five intelligences framework: intellectual, social, emotional, ethical, and physical.Jon and I discuss how boredom, frustration, and sadness can become learning opportunities when parents do not rush to fix everything.Jon shares how the brain uses emotional friction to build neural pathways, especially when children are guided through conflict instead of rescued from it.The conversation contrasts “snowplow parenting” with a healthier balance of love, support, and capacity building.Jon gives examples from school and home, including playground conflict, sibling tension, and a Lego castle disagreement.He argues that self-esteem must come from internal validation, not constant praise or external approval.The episode also covers why convenience, social media, and constant entertainment may be weakening resilience across generations.Jon connects his parenting philosophy to his own life story, including being a struggling student, returning to college, and surviving stage four cancer.Jon and I close by discussing how the same small-step approach can help children make better decisions in adolescence and beyond.Let children experience age-appropriate frustration before stepping in.Ask questions that help them process conflict instead of fixing it instantly.Praise effort and decision-making, not just outcomes.Model your own mistakes and corrections out loud.Build capacity gradually through small, repeatable responsibilities.Focus on social, emotional, and ethical development alongside academics.Get Emergence HEREJonathan's YouTube HEREJonathan's Website HERE10% off Brick HERE03:02 Reimagining Education: The Role of Parents05:59 Understanding Emotional Intelligence in Children09:00 The Importance of Struggle and Resilience11:55 Navigating Boundaries: Love and Capacity14:58 The Neuroscience of Boredom and Learning18:11 Modeling Behavior: Learning Through Mistakes20:55 Finding Balance in Parenting24:10 The Journey of Growth: Personal Stories and Lessons34:42 The Power of Belief and Optimism36:30 The Decline of Intelligence in Children38:58 The Impact of Convenience on Development42:01 Navigating Friction and Growth44:45 Building Self-Esteem in Children47:14 Redirecting Pathways to Self-Validation49:35 The Importance of Small Victories51:26 Emergence: A Guide for Parents54:54 The Future of Parenting in an AI World56:45 Parenting Moments: Lessons Learned

Steve Rolle shares insights on balancing entrepreneurship and fatherhood, building scalable businesses, and achieving control over your life and income. Learn practical strategies to create passive income, develop marketable skills, and design a life of freedom.Get your copy of The Future You Choose HERERolle With Steve Podcast HEREGet 10% off Brick HERE00:00 Balancing Fatherhood and Entrepreneurship05:25 The Seasons of Life: Focus and Prioritization08:26 Understanding Dependencies in the 9 to 5 World11:40 Is Entrepreneurship for Everyone?27:25 The Reality of Entrepreneurship Success Rates28:23 Understanding Control in Career Choices30:11 The Importance of Planning in Entrepreneurship31:32 Balancing Entrepreneurship with a Day Job32:58 The Intentionality Behind Business Ownership35:20 Building a Scalable Business Model36:16 The Four Engines of a Successful Business39:28 The Importance of Customer Acquisition41:51 Creating Optionality in Business Ownership44:01 The Freedom of Intentional Business Ownership44:31 Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Business Startups47:50 The Focus on Customers and Revenue49:14 The Journey of Entrepreneurship and Control51:34 The Intersection of Entrepreneurship and Fatherhood53:18 Outro

In this episode, Carol Ann Kates shares her extensive knowledge of grocery shopping, food storage, and cost-saving tips, especially during times of inflation and food price increases. Learn how to make smarter grocery decisions, reduce waste, and stretch your food budget effectively.Carol's WebsiteGrocery Shopping Secrets BookGet 10% off Brick Here00:00 Introduction to Grocery Savings and Inflation05:45 Carol's Journey in the Grocery Business08:28 Strategies for Reducing Food Waste11:24 Understanding Grocery Store Sales and Promotions14:01 Buying in Bulk vs. Store Promotions16:51 Selecting Quality Produce and Meat19:41 Choosing the Right Grocery Store22:13 Freezing Foods for Longevity25:00 Best Practices for Freezer Storage25:55 The Cost of Convenience vs. Homemade28:23 Understanding Food Storage and Shelf Life30:36 Decoding Sell-By Dates and Food Safety31:51 Choosing Quality Meat: Grades and What They Mean33:51 Behind the Deli Counter: What You Should Know39:06 The Impact of Store Management on Quality42:19 Carol Ann's Grocery Shopping Secrets45:23 Outro

No guest this week, you get me!Which means that you get an inside look at what we've had going on in our day to day as a family. For us, we have been working on teaching our son how to learn. He turns 7 on Saturday and at this point in life he has something new thrown at him almost daily it seems, and if he can't learn then this part of life is going to be quite a damper!Here are six steps that I have found to be helpful when trying to help my son with the learning process.

This week I got to sit down with Mike Thompson for a second time! Mike was the guest on episode 74 in which we talked about changing our identity.This episode we got to talking about how to teach our children frustration tolerance and confidence. We chat about tactics we've used that helped and what hasn't. We talk about how to model this for our children and what should be expected of us when they are part of a sports team.Mike is a personal trainer that would be glad to help you be the healthiest version of yourself for your family and children, and being a father himself knows what kind of obstacles you are dealing with. To work with Mike or to just talk parenting with him (because he loves to talk parenting!) reach out to him on Instagram which you can find by clicking HEREPlease remember to leave a rating, review, or subscribe if you haven't yet, I truly appreciate it!Chapters00:00 Navigating Parenting Challenges in Sports03:11 Building Frustration Tolerance in Children06:01 The Balance of Support and Expectations08:54 Modeling Learning and Growth for Kids12:00 Teaching Emotional Intelligence and Self-Advocacy14:58 The Importance of Trying and Participating17:59 Learning Through Failure and Process21:01 Involving Kids in New Experiences24:00 Creating Positive Memories in Learning27:03 The Journey of Learning Together27:20 Navigating Academic Pressure and Personal Expectations30:01 The Importance of Learning from Failure32:53 Reframing Timeouts: A New Approach to Discipline36:34 Modeling Emotional Regulation for Children39:08 Overcoming Parental Anxiety in Social Settings43:05 Embracing Imperfection in Parenting46:32 Positive Reinforcement: Encouraging Growth in Kids