The Rites of Passage Blueprint Every Dad Needs (Ages 8, 12, 14, 16, 18)

Today’s guest is Laurie Handlers — Tantra educator, talk show host, and intimacy coach. She’s the author of Sex & Happiness: The Tantric Laws of Intimacy and leads programs through Butterfly Workshops, Inc. and the International School of Temple Arts. In this ~40-minute episode, you’ll learn: Why long-term sex gets better only with intentional effort (after the honeymoon & kids). The starter “effort stack”: schedule date night, learn to dance, have the conversation. How to decode complaints into clear requests—without hurting feelings. The training mindset: treat intimacy as a skill (courses/coaching > guessing). The presence playbook: breathe together, watch her face, phones down. The 10/10 framework women name: Presence, Connection, Safety, Communication, Skill. A simple boundary script and the repair rule: “First to return to love wins.” Listen now. ________________________________________________________________ 📚 Read what high-performing dads are reading. These are the most impactful books in our brotherhood. Tried, tested, and implemented. Grab them here: Https://frontrowdads.com/podcast-books  

When you lose your cool, it’s usually not about the moment—it’s about what’s underneath. In this episode, Josh Trent unpacks HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) and shows you how to spot these triggers before they hijack your reactions. Learn how to pause, reset, and show up at your best for the people who matter most. ___________________________________________  📚 Want to win at home and in business? These are the books that helped high-performing dads create deeper relationships and stronger lives—without sacrificing success. 👉 Get the list: https://frontrowdads.com/books  

Schuyler Williamson is a leadership expert, entrepreneur, West Point graduate, military veteran, and family man. After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as a combat arms officer, Schuyler transitioned to business where he’s now a Top 1% real estate agent, co-owner of 4 laundromats, and operator of multiple companies. He’s also the author of The Steady Leader: Leadership Models That Bring Clarity to Chaos, where he shares proven frameworks for leading with steadiness in uncertain times. In this episode, you’ll discover: Military-tested leadership frameworks you can apply at home and in business. The power of modeling — why great leaders don’t invent, they adapt what works. Practical parenting routines (like his morning ritual that fuels his kids’ confidence). Stories from combat and entrepreneurship that reveal how clarity and steadiness transform leadership. This conversation is packed with frameworks, stories, and takeaways you can start using right away — whether you’re leading your family, your team, or both. ______________________________________________  📚 Want to win at home and in business? These are the books that helped high-performing dads create deeper relationships and stronger lives—without sacrificing success. 👉 Get the list: https://frontrowdads.com/books  

In this condensed episode, Ryan Levesque, Front Row Dad, 7-time Inc. 5000 CEO, and 2-time #1 bestselling author, shares the 7 steps he uses to run his weekly family meetings that build connection, teach values, and create wins at home.  You’ll hear:  How to use wins, gratitude, and goals to anchor family conversations  A 7-step agenda that kids actually look forward to  Practical tips for turning chaos into connection each week ______________________________________________________________ 📚 Read what high-performing dads are reading. These are the most impactful books in our brotherhood. Tried, tested, and implemented. https://frontrowdads.com/books/  

This condensed episode features one of our most popular conversations of all time—distilled down to just the essentials. Jon shares how coaching with Nathanael Chawkin opened his eyes to simple questions that work like “meditation on the go”—a practice you can use anytime to shift perspective, see blind spots, and calm heated moments in marriage, parenting, and leadership. You’ll hear: Why most suffering comes from the story you’re telling yourself, not the situation A four-question checklist you can run in real time to get clarity How to spot blind spots and projections before they blow up relationships A quick test to know whose business you’re really in—and how to step back into your lane Nathanael is a seasoned leadership coach who helps CEOs and teams approach tough conversations with heart, building trust, alignment, and high performance. With a background in martial arts and mindfulness, his practice-based approach gives leaders practical tools they can apply in real time—at work and at home. Resources: Worksheet  ________________________________________ Books that don’t just inform— They transform. These titles helped the men in our community grow into stronger leaders at home. FRD Books → https://frontrowdads.com/books/

This condensed episode dives into Rich Christiansen’s proven blueprint for raising resilient, values-driven kids—featuring age-based rites of passage and entrepreneurship as a tool. You’ll hear: The Legado Family Framework (values → symbols → traditions → rites → finances) The 8/12/14/16/18 rites of passage (and why they work) Why his teens built businesses—and why they later shut them down Practical ways to kill entitlement and build family identity Resources: Rich’s site → https://legadofamily.com/  _____________________________________________________________  Books that don’t just inform— They transform. These titles helped the men in our community grow into stronger leaders at home. FRD Books → https://frontrowdads.com/books/  

If you're a dad who's ever questioned your parenting style, wondered about rules, boundaries, or how much freedom to give your kids, you're going to find this conversation fascinating (and maybe a bit challenging). I sat down with Aaron Stupple, father of 5 and author of the controversial book The Sovereign Child. His radical approach to parenting—recently debated after his podcast with Tim Ferriss and Naval Ravikant—has sparked intense conversation in our own community. In this powerful interview, Aaron shares: Why conventional rules might actually hurt your child's development His framework for parenting without becoming your child's adversary How he handles controversial issues like screen time, sugar, and discipline The surprising reason your kids might not trust you (and how to fix it) This episode is sure to challenge your thinking and provide practical insights to help you become a more connected, conscious father. Ready to dive in?  ____________________________________ 👋 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/

Most men have no idea they’re still trying to father a wounded boy inside themselves. In this episode, Dr. Bob Beare, PhD — licensed therapist, recovery leader, and founder of Deep Waters Recovery — returns to unpack what reparenting really means, and why so many high-performing men avoid the one thing that could finally bring peace. This isn’t theory. It’s raw truth. Bob walks us through the core practices that help men connect with the younger parts of themselves — the inner child who still carries unmet needs, suppressed grief, and the shame we were told to bury long ago. And he explains why ignoring this relationship keeps us stuck in cycles of reactivity, overwork, and emotional shutdown. We explore: What it actually means to reparent yourself — and how to start Why most men resist healing (even when they say they want it) How inner child work unlocks real emotional freedom — not just insight How unhealed men unconsciously raise kids to fix their own wounds Why grief and joy live in the same place — and how to access both How to stop creating chaos just to feel something What happens when we stop fighting and finally let peace in If you’ve ever wondered why you “know better” but still overreact… Or why you keep striving even though you’ve already achieved so much… This episode will give you language, tools, and a path forward. Because the best thing you can do for your kids… Is heal the kid still living inside 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/ 

Over the past 9 years, we’ve sat down with hundreds of men—entrepreneurs, leaders, husbands, and fathers—to talk about what really matters. And after 500 raw, unfiltered conversations, one truth keeps rising to the top: Success means nothing if it costs you your family. In this special 500th episode, I sat down with two of the men who’ve been there since day one—Hal Elrod (The Miracle Morning) and Justin Donald (The Lifestyle Investor). They've helped shape this brotherhood from the very beginning. We didn’t talk about hacks or highlight reels. We talked about what this community has taught us after nearly a decade of doing the work: What happens when your wife looks you in the eye and tells you the truth you’ve been avoiding. What cancer, addiction, and burnout reveal about the life you say you want vs. the one you're actually living. What it really looks like to lead your family with integrity, presence, and love. This isn’t a greatest-hits recap. It’s a look under the hood. This is what we’ve learned from 9 years of showing up, failing forward, and fighting to become the men our families need. If you’ve ever felt the gap between the man you are and the man you’re trying to be… This conversation will meet you there. 🎧 Listen to the 500th episode now.

“I’m a great dad… so why am I still losing it with my son?” In this powerful conversation, we unpack a question every high-performing man quietly wrestles with: Why do we keep repeating patterns we know aren’t serving us — as husbands, fathers, or leaders? This week I sat down with Dr. Bob Beare, PhD — licensed therapist, recovery leader, and founder of Deep Waters Recovery and The Creative Life Institute. Bob has spent over two decades helping men confront the emotional wounds they’ve spent a lifetime avoiding — trauma, shame, addiction, grief — and guiding them toward healing that actually lasts. Together we explore: Why your biggest parenting blowups have nothing to do with your kid How “doing the right thing” as a child can create a lifetime of pressure The dark side of positivity (and how it blocks real healing) How spiritual bypassing shows up in fatherhood and leadership Why healing your nervous system is the best thing you can do for your child How men can access deep emotional release without abandoning strength This isn’t theory. It’s two men telling the truth. About childhood wounds. Emotional reactivity. Shame. And what it looks like to repair with the people you love most