Mikki Willis on Masculinity, Fatherhood, and Becoming the Man Your Family Needs

What if the key to becoming a better man… was understanding women? In this powerful conversation, grief and transformation expert Joshua Wenner shares what years of men’s work couldn’t teach him — and what he only discovered after stepping into a space he never expected to lead: women’s healing. Joshua spent a decade helping men process grief, reclaim their power, and reconnect with purpose. But it was through coaching women, witnessing their wounds, and helping them heal their relationships with men that he gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be truly integrated as a man. In this episode, we talk about: The difference between men’s and women’s work — and why both matter How unhealed father wounds shape how women see men (and how men see themselves) The “Nice Guy vs Savage” trap and what real masculine power looks like How trust between men is broken — and how to rebuild it Why many successful men still feel alone, guarded, and disconnected What healthy partnership actually requires — and how we change the family system from the inside out Whether you’re deep in your own work or just beginning to ask the big questions, this episode will expand your view of what healing looks like — and remind you that real power starts with presence.  

Most men don’t realize they’re grieving. They just know they feel stuck… disconnected… angry… numb… exhausted. They’re overworking, avoiding, blowing up—or shutting down. But underneath the addiction, the burnout, the conflict… is unprocessed grief. In this raw and powerful conversation, grief expert Joshua Wenner unpacks the hidden losses that men carry—losses from childhood, unmet expectations, relationship ruptures, business failures, and the identity shifts that come with fatherhood and marriage. Joshua has spent over a decade studying grief, interviewing the top experts, and making a feature-length documentary on the subject. In this episode, he shares what he’s learned, including the tools that help men regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with their hearts, and finally move forward. If you’ve ever felt like something was off—but couldn’t name it—this episode is for you. You’ll walk away with practical tools to stabilize, feel, heal, and become more present for yourself and those you love. ______________________________ 👋 Want to learn more about Front Row Dads? We are in the business of building better families. While most dads would say that family matters most, the challenge is they feel guilty knowing their careers get the best of them, and their family seems to get the rest of them. We help Dads become family men with businesses, not businessmen with families, so they can thrive personally AND professionally. Subscribe to the Front Row Dad podcast to learn about fatherhood, marriage, and how to level up your game at home, or if you’re ready for the best coaching and true brothers to grow with 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood 🎤 Listen to Front Row Dads podcast here: 🌐 Website: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast/  Apple: http://bit.ly/3XLSRWj

This might be the best business interview I’ve done all year. It’s one every business owner should hear. In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Deiss—entrepreneur, investor, and founder of DigitalMarketer—who’s launched, scaled, and sold 17+ companies. He’s not speaking from theory. He’s speaking from experience—and sometimes, scar tissue. This isn’t just another systems conversation. It’s a full-on playbook for building a business that works without you. For founders who feel trapped in their own company… this one hits hard. Here’s what you’ll take away: Why growth can trap you—and how scale sets you free The “sticky note” method to exit roles without burning the business down How founders become bottlenecks—and why doing less is a leadership skill The scorecard and constraint system Ryan uses to spot bottlenecks before they break your team Why hiring great people won’t fix broken systems—and what to do instead How to integrate AI to elevate your team’s performance (without replacing them) Why the role you’re in now may not be the role your business actually needs The question every founder should ask before they scale—or sell: What’s my next job? Freedom doesn’t come from more hustle. It comes from better systems, clearer roles, and honest leadership. 🎧 Listen to Part 2 with Ryan Deiss now » ________________________________ 👋 Want to learn more about Front Row Dads? We are in the business of building better families. While most dads would say that family matters most, the challenge is they feel guilty knowing their careers get the best of them, and their family seems to get the rest of them. We help Dads become family men with businesses, not businessmen with families, so they can thrive personally AND professionally. Subscribe to the Front Row Dad podcast to learn about fatherhood, marriage, and how to level up your game at home, or if you’re ready for the best coaching and true brothers to grow with 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood 🎤 Listen to Front Row Dads podcast here: 🌐 Website: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast/  Apple: http://bit.ly/3XLSRWj  

You can build the house, pay the bills, protect and provide—but if your wife doesn’t feel seen, and your kids don’t feel known, what are you really building? In this episode, Ryan Deiss opens up about the moment his marriage hit a wall… and the quiet heartbreak of realizing he had drifted from the people he loved most. It wasn’t burnout. It wasn’t failure. It was success without alignment—and the cost of being emotionally absent, even while physically present.   You’ll take away: What his wife said that shattered the illusion he was “doing it for the family” How disconnection with his kids crept in while he was busy being “responsible” The family-first calendar ritual that rebuilt trust and rhythm at home Why saying “yes” to golf with his son—and missing a deadline—was a turning point The question he asked his son before college—and the answer that brought him to tears Why presence—not perfection—is what restores closeness in marriage and fatherhood If you're trying to be more than just the guy who gets stuff done…If you want to be the man your wife trusts and your kids remember— 👉 Listen to the full episode now You don’t need to do more. You need to show up better—for her, for them, for you. ______________________________________________________ 👋 Want to learn more about Front Row Dads? We are in the business of building better families. While most dads would say that family matters most, the challenge is they feel guilty knowing their careers get the best of them, and their family seems to get the rest of them. We help Dads become family men with businesses, not businessmen with families, so they can thrive personally AND professionally. Subscribe to the Front Row Dad podcast to learn about fatherhood, marriage, and how to level up your game at home, or if you’re ready for the best coaching and true brothers to grow with 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood 🎤 Listen to Front Row Dads podcast here: 🌐 Website: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast/  Apple: http://bit.ly/3XLSRWj

You’ve built momentum before. You’ve held it all—business, family, vision. And you’ve probably felt that moment when the weight of it all starts pressing back. For Jenna and Brad Ballard, that moment wasn’t collapse. It was clarity—the kind that only comes when life demands something deeper than drive. As founders of ALA—Ascension Leadership Academy, they were guiding others through profound transformation, even as they navigated their own. Business growth, parenting two young boys, and a health crisis that shook their foundation—all at once. The mission never changed. The love never left. But the way they were holding it had to. This episode is about what happens when leaders choose evolution over endurance. When nervous system work becomes strategy. When joy, creativity, and emotional safety aren’t rewards for making it—they’re the reason you keep going. Brad built Fastlane Drive. Jenna answered the call to music. And together, they didn’t walk away from anything—they found a new way to carry all of it, with presence, softness, and strength. They didn’t quit the work. They became it.   🔹 What You’ll Get From This Conversation: -  The health crisis that became a wake-up call—not just for their bodies, but for how they were carrying everything they’d built -  The nervous system work, rituals, and inner rewiring that helped them lead with clarity instead of pressure -  Why Fastlane Drive and Jenna’s music weren’t escapes—they were healing, alignment, and powerful extensions of who they really are -  How they held the business and the marriage through it all—and found a new way forward without letting go of either This isn’t a story about pushing harder. It’s about choosing presence over performance—and building what actually lasts. _____________________________________________________________ 👋 Want to learn more about Front Row Dads? We are in the business of building better families. While most dads would say that family matters most, the challenge is they feel guilty knowing their careers get the best of them, and their family seems to get the rest of them. We help Dads become family men with businesses, not businessmen with families, so they can thrive personally AND professionally. Subscribe to the Front Row Dad podcast to learn about fatherhood, marriage, and how to level up your game at home, or if you’re ready for the best coaching and true brothers to grow with 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood 🎤 Listen to Front Row Dads podcast here: 🌐 Website: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast/  Apple: http://bit.ly/3XLSRWj

Different childhoods. Different wounds. One shared commitment: to raise boys who feel seen, safe, and strong. Some of us were raised on discipline. Others in silence. Some were praised only when we performed—others not at all. But no matter what we inherited, we all face the same question when we become fathers: Will I repeat what I came from, or will I build something new? In today’s episode, I sit down with Jenna and Brad Ballard—two parents building something they didn’t fully have growing up: a family grounded in presence, emotional safety, and truth.  Brad and Jenna are the co-founders of Ascension Leadership Academy (ALA), where they help people break through limiting beliefs and lead with emotional intelligence and purpose. Their upbringings were different—one shaped by performance and pressure, the other by steadiness and structure. But what unites them now is a shared commitment to raising sons who feel seen, celebrated, and secure. This isn’t a conversation about parenting hacks or surface-level advice. It’s about the quiet patterns we carry from childhood. The ones we repeat without realizing. The ones we choose to break. And the ones we intentionally rebuild—through rituals, reflection, and relentless love.   🔹 What You’ll Get From This Conversation: 🔥 Why presence matters more than perfection—and how the smallest moments can leave the biggest mark. 🧠 How your childhood shapes your parenting (even when you don’t realize it)—and what it takes to break that cycle. ❤️ The power of rituals, mantras, and intentional language to create emotional safety at home. 🎯 What it really means to lead by example—not just at work, but where it counts most: with your kids. 💡 How to raise children who feel seen, strong, and safe—without passing down what you never meant to carry ___________________________________________________________________________ 👋 Want to learn more about Front Row Dads? We are in the business of building better families. 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood While most dads would say that family matters most, the challenge is they feel guilty knowing their careers get the best of them, and their family seems to get the rest of them. We help Dads become family men with businesses, not businessmen with families, so they can thrive personally AND professionally. Subscribe to the Front Row Dad podcast to learn about fatherhood, marriage, and how to level up your game at home, or if you’re ready for the best coaching and true brothers to grow with 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood 🎤 Listen to Front Row Dads podcast here: 🌐 Website: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast/   Apple: http://bit.ly/3XLSRWj

As a father and entrepreneur, you know what it feels like to carry the weight of providing, leading, and doing what’s right—even when it’s hard. But what happens when doing what’s right means walking away from money, approval, and comfort? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Mikki Willis—filmmaker, author, and creator of one of the most controversial and widely viewed independent films of our time. At the peak of his career, Mikki was faced with a choice: stay silent and keep everything... or speak his truth and risk it all. He chose soul over strategy. And it changed everything. In this episode, you’ll learn: What real strength looks like when everything’s on the line How to stay grounded when the world pulls at your center Why trusting your inner voice beats chasing outside approval The power of standing firm—even when you're standing alone A model for soul-led decision-making in moments of pressure If you’ve ever felt the cost of staying true to yourself as a man, a father, or a leader... This conversation is your reminder: you’re not alone—and you’re not crazy. You’re just building something the world can’t take from you. _______________________________________________________________ 👋 Want to learn more about Front Row Dads? We are in the business of building better families. 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood While most dads would say that family matters most, the challenge is they feel guilty knowing their careers get the best of them, and their family seems to get the rest of them. We help Dads become family men with businesses, not businessmen with families, so they can thrive personally AND professionally. Subscribe to the Front Row Dad podcast to learn about fatherhood, marriage, and how to level up your game at home, or if you’re ready for the best coaching and true brothers to grow with 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood 🎤 Listen to Front Row Dads podcast here: 🌐 Website: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast/   Apple: http://bit.ly/3XLSRWj

Ever feel like summer slips away without truly connecting with your family? In our latest Front Row Dads podcast, I'm joined by Ali Jafarian, our Chief Transformation Officer, to dive deep into the transformative events we've planned for you this summer. These aren’t just events—they're opportunities to redefine your legacy, strengthen your family bonds, and experience powerful brotherhood. Key Insights & Takeaways:  Rite of Passage at the Grand Canyon A life-changing experience crafted specifically for dads and their teens, designed to deepen trust and usher your child confidently toward adulthood.  Summer Summit in Keystone, Colorado The perfect mid-year reset to sharpen your family vision, reconnect deeply with like-minded fathers, and prepare intentionally for family adventures ahead. Colorado Adventure A rugged, soul-nourishing outdoor experience for a select group of dads ready to push their limits, explore profound brotherhood, and return home stronger than ever.  Why These Events Matter Ali and I candidly discuss the emotional and practical impact of intentionally stepping away from your routine to invest in family and brotherhood, transforming how you show up at home and in your business. The Human ROI Discover why time spent in deep, meaningful connection with other fathers offers a return far beyond typical business or networking events. Ready to Listen and Learn More? Join Ali and me as we unpack what makes these summer events essential for fathers committed to exceptional family lives and personal growth. __________________________________________________ 👋 Want to learn more about Front Row Dads? We are in the business of building better families. While most dads would say that family matters most, the challenge is they feel guilty knowing their careers get the best of them, and their family seems to get the rest of them. We help Dads become family men with businesses, not businessmen with families, so they can thrive personally AND professionally. Subscribe to the Front Row Dad podcast to learn about fatherhood, marriage, and how to level up your game at home, or if you’re ready for the best coaching and true brothers to grow with:  👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood 🎤 Listen to Front Row Dads podcast here: 🌐 Website: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast/   Apple: http://bit.ly/3XLSRWj

In this short but powerful bonus clip, Mikki Willis shares an intimate moment with his father that changed everything between them. It’s a story about absence, acceptance, and the unexpected beauty of things unfolding exactly as they were meant to. 🎧 In just 8 minutes, you’ll hear: – A fresh lens on forgiveness (without needing to “forgive”) – A profound insight into the hidden perfection of our past – A reminder that it’s never too late to heal family wounds – A touching, emotional story you won’t forget _____________________________ 👋 Want to learn more about Front Row Dads? We are in the business of building better families. 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood While most dads would say that family matters most, the challenge is they feel guilty knowing their careers get the best of them, and their family seems to get the rest of them. We help Dads become family men with businesses, not businessmen with families, so they can thrive personally AND professionally. Subscribe to the Front Row Dad podcast to learn about fatherhood, marriage, and how to level up your game at home, or if you’re ready for the best coaching and true brothers to grow with 👉 Join The Brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com/brotherhood 🎤 Listen to Front Row Dads podcast here: 🌐 Website: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast/   Apple: http://bit.ly/3XLSRWj

Ever feel like your past is too messy to be meaningful? Like the mistakes, the missed moments, the mess-ups with your kids or your wife… might be too much to make right? This episode flips that idea on its head. 🎙️ Meet Mikki Willis—filmmaker, father, and the man behind Plandemic—as he opens up in one of the most honest and soul-stirring conversations we've ever recorded. The title says it all: Masculinity. Fatherhood. Becoming the man your family needs. This is about stepping into who you’re called to be—not through perfection, but through presence. Here’s the real reason to listen: “If you were in my life just one human hair more… I wouldn’t be who I am today.” That’s what Mikki told his father—over a couple of Budweisers on a park bench. That moment? It changed everything.   Here’s what you’ll walk away with: 🔥 A redefinition of what it means to show up as a man and father 💔 How generational pain can turn into generational healing 🛠️ A story about bike pedals, reverse threads, and how “maybe there’s another way” might change how you lead 🦋 A deathbed conversation with his father… and the miracle that followed 📺 Why most kids’ shows are training your child to disrespect you—and how Mikki broke the cycle 🙏 A raw, honest talk with his son about God, karma, and the power of telling the truth   This isn’t just a podcast episode. It’s a guidepost for any man who’s ever wondered: Am I becoming the man my family needs? If that question matters to you—this conversation will too.