Being a Dad Podcast

The first school shooting I remember watching on the news was the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech. I was in Mr. Walker’s art class and in the 15 years since, nothing has seemed to change.  2 days after the school shooting at Robb Elementary, I was scheduled to interview a man I admire so much, Mike Chu. I wanted to ask him about his experience of being a dad as an entrepreneur, what it’s been like to raise 2 young girls in today’s day and age, and how he’s been showing up as a dad since the passing of his father.  I wanted to pick his brain about all of this and more but all I could think about in the short time leading up to our interview were the families who lost their kids earlier in the week. All of my questions felt insignificant to the matter. Mike, however, is a powerful leader and coach.  Knowing that, I wanted to know how he’s been showing up for his fiancé and daughters in the time since the shooting and how he’s showing up during these uncertain times. We don’t talk about anything political. We talk about being a dad. If you have any questions, anything you'd like me to pass on to the dads who've been interviewed, or if you're a dad who would like to be on here, send me an email to [email protected].

Owner of GameChanger Fitness and entrepreneur, Joe Meglio, talks about his experience of raising 2 kids and creating a lifestyle where he can be the father he wants to be, as well as pursue his goals with business. Today you’ll find out: -The importance of setting boundaries and protecting your time, so you can be the dad you want to be -How sports and coaching helped prepare Joe to be a dad who leads with value -Why you can focus on what is important to you and prioritize those things, so that you live a life you enjoy -And much much more If you have any questions, anything you'd like me to pass on to the dads who've been interviewed, or if you're a dad who would like to be on here, send me an email to [email protected].

Director, producer, and screenwriter Brian Baugh joins us on the Being a Dad podcast to talk about his experience being a father and raising kids while away from his family for weeks at a time.  Today you'll find out: -How to create great communication with your kids -The challenges Brian faces as a father who works weeks at a time away from his family (and how he overcomes those challenges)  -The values Brian and his wife use to help guide their family -And so much more  If you have any questions, anything you'd like me to pass on to the dads who've been interviewed, or if you're a dad who would like to be on here, send me an email to [email protected].

What would you do if you were a police officer and your daughter was protesting against police brutality at the end of your driveway?   How do you parent them and respect that?   Today I'd like you to meet one of my coaching clients and all round good man, Michael Collier.   Mike is raising 2 teenagers with his wife, running an online business, and working as a cop, full-time.   Today you'll find out: -How Mike and his wife are raising teenagers with different political views   -How to parent as a police officer amidst the current police and racial climate   -How to raise kids with different personalities and interests so you have a great relationship with them -How to create a great relationship with your kids with a police officer's work schedule -And so much more  If you have any questions, anything you'd like me to pass on to the dads who've been interviewed, or if you're a dad who would like to be on here, send me an email to [email protected]. 

Are you about to become a father to twins?   Is this your first time having kids?   I'd like to introduce you to a man who had became a father to twins during the height of the pandemic and persevered several challenges; such as an ectopic pregnancy, having one son stay in the NICU after being born, and coming home to raise twins as first time parents.   His name is Jose Hernandez and I'm blessed to call him my brother in law.   Today you'll find out:  How to show up for your wife and kids when one of your kids is in the NICU  How to overcome and persevere the challenge of raising twins for the first time  How to show up for your wife before, during, and after and ectopic pregnancy  And so much more   If you have any questions, anything you'd like me to pass on to the dads who've been interviewed, or if you're a dad who would like to be on here, send me an email to [email protected].

I didn't have much time with my dad growing up, so I figured that a great dad needed to be home every day.  This was not the case with Matt.   As I was speaking with Matt in our previous episode, he mentioned his dad was a firefighter and that he has a great relationship with his dad.   In the United States, most firefighters work on a schedule where they live in the firehouse and are off from work for a certain amount of days of the week.   If you're interested in seeing how an irregular schedule can still help you be a great dad, watch this.

Have you and your partner been trying to have a baby, but you seem to not be able to?   Are you concerned about your baby being born prematurely and staying in the NICU?   If you are trying to have a baby and don't know what to expect, I'm happy to introduce you to Matt Morse.   I met Matt in 2018 and he runs Baseball Education Center with my good friend Paul Reddick.  Matt is a really good man and he shares his experience of being a dad to his 1 year old son, the journey to becoming a father, and the challenges he's faced and overcome with his wife as a new dad.   Today you'll find out:  How to remain consistent and positive when trying to get pregnant for over a year Why being in the moment and enjoying each step of your child's life is something you will treasure for the rest of your life How being around other dads who have more experience than you will help you prepare and be a better dad How to balance running businesses and being a new dad And much much more…   If you have any questions, anything you'd like me to pass on to the dads who've been interviewed, or if you're a dad who would like to be on here, send me an email to [email protected].

I am grateful to share today’s episode with you because it is with a mentor of mine who has helped me grow tremendously this past year.   I met John Patrick Morgan in 2021 when I was looking for a new coach, and I’ve learned so much about how to BE the man who creates everything that I want.   Today I’d like to share with you what John has taught me with being a father, and I will lead with a powerful idea he shared with me 30 minutes in:   If there were no cultural rules that say you should be a certain way as a dad, how would you show up if you could be any dad that you wanted to be?   In this episode, you’ll find out: -How using YouTube as a distraction negatively affected his sons -How to John and his wife keep their kids entertained without the iPad -How John deals with shame as a parent -And so much more…   If you have any questions, anything you'd like me to pass on to the dads who've been interviewed, or if you're a dad who would like to be on here, send me an email to [email protected].

Have you ever wanted to be close to your family?   Have you struggled with the doubt that you and your kids are going to have a close relationship as you get older?   If so, I'm happy to introduce you to a man who has a close relationship with each of his 4 kids, his 15 grandchildren, and his 9 great grandchildren!!   Ed Lassiter is a man who defines his success, not by what he's done in his career, but mostly how he sees himself as a husband and father.   Today you'll find out: -4 questions to help you stay close with anyone and everyone you want -How to have your kids WANT to call you instead of "having" to call you   -What to do when your kids and grandkids don't call you but you want to talk to them more regularly -And much much more   If you have any questions, anything you'd like me to pass on to the dads who've been interviewed, or if you're a dad who would like to be on here, send me an email to [email protected].

ATTENTION STEPDADS: If you are struggling with your relationship with your step child, or you have trouble with their dad, you need to read every single word. Being in a relationship has its own challenges. Add in other people's exes and children and the challenge sometimes feels impossible. There is no roadmap to being a dad and we all know too well that being a man isn't enough to be called a Dad. I am not going to reinvent the wheel and learn what it's like to be a dad on my own, so I'm constantly reaching out to other fathers. However, when I come across a father I'm thinking about connecting with and learning from, I ask myself: "Are they a good example of the kind of fatherI want to be?" When it comes to Jason Soto, the answer to that question is an automatic YES. I invited Jay onto the podcast again because I wanted him to specifically share his experience as a stepdad. Today you'll find out: -How he approaches his relationship with his (step) daughter's biological father -How he meets his daughter where she's at and parents her from that place -What he does when his daughter is missing her biological dad -And much much more If you have any questions, anything you'd like me to pass on to the dads who've been interviewed, or if you're a dad who would like to be on here, send me an email to [email protected].