The Dad Edge Podcast

This episode flips the script. Instead of Larry hosting, Marc Hildebrand, one of the top coaches in the Dad Edge Business Brotherhood, a 20-year LAPD veteran, life coach, and founder of Modern Leadership, sits Larry down and interviews him. The jumping-off point is a hard statistic: most men are lonely, and the majority don't have a single friend they could call at 3am. Larry opens up about the mastermind that changed his life eleven years ago, the "cost of doing nothing" question that got him to say yes, the BRAVE MAN system his Boardroom runs on, and the August 2017 morning his wife told him he was losing her. If you're a man who's surrounded by people but still feels alone, or a business owner pouring everything into work while the rest of your life drifts, this one is a roadmap. Timeline Summary [1:02] – The loneliness statistic and why Larry isn't surprised it's that high [3:17] – Marc introduces Larry and the role-reversal format [7:04] – The first mastermind eleven years ago and mentor Aaron Walker [8:45] – Rusty relationships and why "fine, good, busy" keeps men shallow [10:03] – The $500-a-month invitation that sounded like snake oil [11:55] – The question that changed everything: the cost of doing nothing [13:45] – Sitting with the chills, imagining life a year out, and calling back in 12 minutes [16:24] – What pulled Larry to lean in instead of talking himself out of it [19:03] – "Show me your calendar and I'll show you what's important to you" [22:59] – Why it's never the business, it's the person running the business [25:41] – The BRAVE MAN system explained category by category [29:53] – Why the room, not just the strategies, is what gets men to change [30:52] – The black belt lesson: that's when the training actually begins [35:02] – Attracting your wife back to you instead of chasing [36:22] – The August 2017 morning Jessica said "you're losing me" [40:30] – Masculine and feminine energy, and helping your wife soften [44:11] – Inside the quarterly Goal Setting Intensive [47:19] – Why the Boardroom is only 20-25% about business [50:26] – Living an "and" life instead of an "or" life [52:36] – The Dad Edge core values, read in full for the first time [58:04] – Who the room is for, and how to join the intensive 5 Key Takeaways The Cost of Doing Nothing — When weighing an investment in yourself, the real question isn't the price. It's what your life looks like a year from now if you change nothing at all. It's Never the Business — Entrepreneurs blame the business for their disconnection, burnout, and lost health. The hidden truth is that it's the person running the business, and reactivity is the pattern to break. Attract, Don't Chase — Chasing your spouse reads as needy, desperate energy. Leading from a grounded, positive masculine presence lets her soften and pulls her back toward you. Set "And" Goals, Not "Or" Goals — You don't have to choose between growing your business and connecting with your family. The right question is how one could actually strengthen the other. The Room Is the Gold — Skills and strategies matter, but transformation happens in a room of trusted men who share wins in detail, hold public accountability, and call each other forward. Links & Resources Episode page and all links: https://thedadedge.com/1515 Join the Dad Edge Alliance: https://thedadedge.com/join Dad Edge Boardroom Goal Setting Intensive (July 31, 8am central, 10 guest spots): https://thedadedge.com/goals Enjoyed This Episode? If the "cost of doing nothing" question landed for you the way it landed for Larry, don't let it sit. Send this episode to a man who's surrounded by people but still feels alone, and ask yourself honestly who your own 3am call would be. If the show keeps showing up for you, follow, rate, and leave a review so more fathers can find these conversations.

Stefanos Sifandos returns to the show six years after his first appearance, and this time the conversation goes straight to the bone. A behavioral scientist and relationship expert who's worked with Olympic gold medalists, world champion fighters, special forces operators, and high-performing couples, Stefanos helps successful people confront the emotional armor and old patterns that achievement can't hide. He's also the author of the new book Tuned In and Turned On. Larry and Stefanos both grew up with volatile, abusive fathers, and they open up about the exact moments they stood up to the men who terrorized them, the survival patterns that followed them into adulthood, and the slow inner work of forgiveness. If you're a man carrying more than you've ever said out loud, this conversation names it and points to a way through. Timeline Summary [1:02] – Stefanos returns after six years and revisits growing up in violence [3:09] – A gambler father, criminal company, and never knowing which version you'd get [4:39] – How the abuse shifted between two brothers over the years [6:24] – Leaving the country at 18 and the eldest-child savior role [7:40] – Larry shares his own story of standing up to his mom's abusive boyfriend [10:09] – Why a terrifying confrontation can be a painful gift with a long trajectory [12:40] – Stefanos on the night at the kitchen bench when he told his dad "I'm not small anymore" [18:46] – Stefanos' full background in behavioral science, performance, and embodiment [21:24] – The unconscious, fractured initiation from boyhood into manhood [23:44] – Larry on deliberately taking his sons through rites of passage [24:26] – Where the relationship with his father stands now, and the memoir project [27:15] – Forgiveness as an inside job and letting go without relying on the other person <p class=

Leslie Tyler is the Director of Parent Education at Pinwheel, where she's also known as the Chief Mom, and the editor of Your Healthy Tech Playbook. She co-hosts the Technically Parenting podcast, collaborates with leading researchers to build practical tools for families, and previously took an edtech company from startup through acquisition by GoGuardian. She's also a mom of two teenagers doing this work in real time. This conversation gets into what most parents are missing: the body image and hyper-masculinity content quietly targeting boys, why the bully now follows your kid into his bedroom, what AI is actually doing to kids' thinking and relationships, and how to teach self-regulation without setting your kid up to fail. If you've ever thought "he's in his room, what could go wrong," this one's for you. Timeline Summary [1:02] – Why boys get lost in the conversation about social media risk [2:20] – Looksmaxxing, jawlines, and the body image content aimed squarely at boys [3:52] – What the Netflix series Adolescence revealed about hidden bullying [7:43] – Comparison versus inspiration and why kids can't tell the difference [9:17] – That photo wasn't their first take, and adults know it but kids don't [13:25] – How to interrupt the gut reaction when your son sees an idealized image [14:51] – The cupcake story and giving your kid grace [19:19] – Why exposing your own vulnerability opens the door to connection [20:24] – Middle school as the hardest age and where the filter disappears [22:48] – School used to end at the door, now the bully is in the bedroom [24:14] – Text monitoring as a window into your kid's friends' real character [29:22] – The story of a dad who said nothing and changed everything [31:25] – Leslie on losing her father and what her kids remembered about him [33:00] – The AI frontier: what's real, what isn't, and why critical thinking matters more [36:32] – AI is not your friend, it's a sycophant programmed to please [41:01] – Let kids fail when the stakes are low so they don't fail when they're high [42:42] – A practical path to self-regulation that starts with the parent [49:48] – The hallway phone is back, and why kids need a landline again 5 Key Takeaways Boys Are Being Targeted Too — Looksmaxxing and hyper-masculine content hits boys just as hard as thinspo hits girls, but there's no counter-message, so boys internalize it silently. The Bully Followed Them Home — Kids used to escape their tormentors when the school bell rang. Now the device sits in the bedroom and the bully is in there with them. Vulnerability Is the Doorway — When your kid feels inadequate, don't lecture. Admit you feel the same thing sometimes. That's the moment connection actually happens. AI Is Not a Friend — It's programmed to tell kids

Gary John Bishop is the New York Times bestselling author behind Unfuk Yourself* and Stop Doing That Sht*, with seven books and millions of copies sold, and his new release Now What out this month. In this episode Larry opens the doors to an exclusive Q&A Gary did inside the Dad Edge Business Boardroom Brotherhood, where business owners brought him their real, unfiltered questions. Three men bring their hardest challenges to the table: grief and a 20-year marriage at a crossroads, the daily collapse between what you plan and what you actually do, and the fear of losing a business that follows you home to your kids. If you're a business owner who says one thing and does another, or who's been quietly sacrificing family for a fear you haven't named, this conversation will hit you where you live. Timeline Summary [1:02] – Larry introduces this exclusive Boardroom Q&A and why he brings in high level guests monthly [3:30] – Gary is introduced as the bestselling author of seven books and a friend since 2018 [5:38] – Slade opens with losing his father, rebuilding a career, and a 20-year marriage at a crossroads [8:20] – Gary challenges the idea that you lose anything when someone dies [8:57] – Your life as a conversational domain and why your father still exists inside it [13:12] – The question that changes a marriage: what are the conversations actually about? [16:02] – Why calling his dad a "degenerate gambler" was costing Slade more than he knew [18:35] – Alan asks how to stay focused when the day falls apart by 10am [20:39] – The real issue is integrity: you say and then you don't do [21:23] – Would you trust a man who never keeps his word? You're doing it to yourself [24:17] – Gary doubles his revenue target for no reason other than he said he would [29:26] – You're not detaching from emotion, you're recognizing you're attached to it [31:14] – Blake on the fear that not answering the phone will cost him his business [33:26] – Every company is organized around the fears of its founder [37:39] – "This is not appropriate to this space" and how to shut work off at home [45:05] – Ciprian asks how to stop building the present on a broken past [49:01] – Nobody cut you off in traffic: how automatic language creates your world [53:04] – Husserl's bracketing: set the story aside and be in wonder of what's there 5 Key Takeaways Your Life Is a Conversational Domain — The people you've lost still exist in the conversations you have and the way you speak about them. Locate them somewhere that nurtures you instead of somewhere labeled loss. Integrity Is Honoring Your Word — Integrity isn't morality, it's treating what you say like it matters. If you routinely say and then don't do, you've trained yourself to be unreliable to yourself. Your B

Gary John Bishop is the New York Times bestselling author behind Unfuk Yourself* and Stop Doing That Sht*, whose books have sold over 4.5 million copies and whose audiobooks alone have topped 2 million. Making his sixth appearance on the show, the Scottish philosopher and personal development author joins Larry to break down his newest book, Now What, and challenge the entire premise of self-help. This conversation gets into why chasing the next fix keeps you stuck, how your old solutions quietly become your current problems, and why self-invention beats self-improvement for good. If you're a dad who's done all the work, read all the books, and still catches himself asking why life feels the same, this one will reframe how you see time, identity, and being present with your kids. Timeline Summary [1:02] – Gary returns for his sixth appearance and the "Larry and Gary Show" reunion [3:13] – The line that started it all: solving your life instead of living in it [5:23] – Why the book slapped Gary around as he wrote it and questioned everything he knew [6:38] – Realizing most of what we call fulfillment is actually just relief [8:03] – Now is not a time, now is a place, and now is eternal, but you're not [11:28] – How Gary scrapped a finished manuscript and rewrote the guts in 30 days [14:20] – The difference between having knowledge of something and truly knowing it [22:12] – How old solutions become current problems: work ethic turning into workaholism [27:03] – Larry on his son's graduation and why he felt joy instead of regret [29:52] – The meerkat in the cathedral and why context is your one true superpower [32:16] – Alan Watts on standing in a river with the past and future always here [36:13] – Self-invention over self-improvement and why the "self" isn't broken [41:20] – Declaring who you are as accomplished and letting it call you forward [48:00] – What to do when the people closest to you resist the new version of you [53:03] – Why we prefer the certainty of misery over the uncertainty of joy [1:00:26] – The simplest way to teach kids this thinking through better questions 5 Key Takeaways Stop Solving, Start Living — Most people spend their whole lives fixing the problem in front of their face, then wonder why relief never comes. A life you create still has problems, but they're the right ones. Old Solutions Become New Problems — The job, the relationship, the work ethic you built to fix an old pain often becomes the very thing troubling you now. Recognizing that pattern is how you stop repeating it. Context Is Your Superpower — You can't always change what's happening, but you can shift the context you hold it in. Mandela sat in the same cell for years and chose to experience it as a life of service. Self-Invention Beats S

Rock Thomas is a serial entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and personal development teacher whose 7.5-minute story about his father has been viewed by over 125 million people and credited with changing thousands of lives. The youngest of seven kids raised on a farm by a cold, duty-bound father, he channeled that pain into decades of overachievement before spending over $2 million on his own healing and building a body of work on breaking generational trauma. This episode gets into what happens when a boy grows up chasing a father's approval that never comes, and how that wound quietly shapes marriage, friendship, and the way you show up as a dad. If you are a father wrestling with your own childhood, questioning whether you're doing a good job, or trying to break a cycle you inherited, this conversation will hit home. Timeline Summary [1:02] – Larry shares how a coach showed him Rock's video at the Dad Edge Summit and it moved him to tears [2:14] – Rock explains how his 7.5-minute story with Goal Cast reached 125 million people and stopped people from taking their lives [3:00] – The origin of the wound: a young boy craving a distant German father's approval [4:20] – Broken arm, "suck it up," and the trauma that drove decades of overworking [5:16] – Why Rock reframes the David Goggins "stay hard" model as pain in disguise [6:08] – The empty, hollow heart behind the boats, cars, and houses [7:07] – Rock's mission to be the one who breaks the generational cycle [7:28] – The football day: waking up excited, and the moment his spirit broke [9:53] – Larry describes his own absent father and running into him in a coffee shop at 30 [12:06] – Larry's vow to play with his kids 300 days a year after watching Rock's video [18:22] – How the father wound showed up in Rock's friendships and marriages through self-sabotage [23:00] – The hockey parking lot: leaving before the other kids to please his father [24:14] – Why Rock spent over $2 million on therapy, mentors, and personal development [28:52] – The real win isn't the home run, it's a dad in the stands saying "that's my boy" [30:25] – Larry shows a video of his 17-year-old son and the dad he's becoming [33:12] – Rock on the ego, the amygdala, and the voice of doubt keeping men stuck [35:07] – The "I used to... but now" method for rewiring your identity one small shift at a time [42:26] – Why big hairy goals backfire and how tiny wins harness dopamine and the RAS 5 Key Takeaways Kids Want Connection, Not Trophies — Overachievement can look like success while masking an empty heart. What children actually crave is to be seen, felt, and heard, not provided for from a distance. The Wound Shapes Every Relationship — An unhealed father wound quietly leaks into marriage and friendship through self-sabotage and distrust. Namin

Larry Hagner and Joe sit down for a Wednesday Q&A the day after Larry's 51st birthday, and this one goes deep on marriage repair. Nick brought a raw, real question to the room: his wife has finally said she's willing to try to fix things and go to counseling, and he's scared. Scared to hope. Scared she doesn't mean it. Scared he'll lose himself in the process of trying to save the relationship. What follows is one of those conversations that only happens when the guys in the room have actually lived it. Joe opens up about being what he calls a three-time marriage loser and a one-time marriage big winner, and he doesn't dress it up. He blew up three marriages before he learned the thing that changed everything: when you take your wife as your bride, you inherit all of her wounds, even the ones her father put there, even the ones you didn't create. Your job isn't to fix only the damage you did. Your job is to become sensitive to all of it, so she finally feels safe enough to lower the shields. Then Larry brings in two tools that shift the whole frame. The first is vision, fast-forwarding the tape to a year from now and asking your spouse what you'd both be celebrating, because whatever we focus on grows and whatever we resist persists. The second is forgiveness, and here Larry shares the framework Father Stephen Gadberry gave him: forgiveness isn't a single conversation, it's a plant. You water it, you don't overwater it, and as it grows you keep pruning it. You forgive but you never fully forget, so you keep coming back to the conversation with curiosity instead of an attack. If you're a man trying to rebuild trust in a marriage that's been hard for years, or you're carrying resentment you don't know how to put down, this episode gives you a real place to start. It's about consistency when you don't feel like it, owning wounds you didn't cause, and building a vision worth walking toward together. Timeline Summary [1:02] Larry opens the Wednesday Q&A the day after turning 51, and shares why his 50s beat his 40s [1:19] The July birthday promotion breakdown: signed book, patience course, marriage course, and 50 conversation starters [2:34] Joe comes on and speaks from the heart about getting a front row seat to Larry's last decade [3:43] Nick asks

My guest is Caitlin V, a sexologist and relationship coach who started out as a sexual health researcher and policy analyst before realizing that real change doesn't happen in research papers. It happens in honest conversations between real people. She's the host of Good Sex on HBO Max, her YouTube channel has reached hundreds of millions of people, and she's become one of the leading voices in men's sexual health, helping guys overcome erectile dysfunction, performance anxiety, premature ejaculation, and the isolation that comes with those struggles. This conversation went places I didn't expect. Caitlin explains why the biggest roadblock in a couple's sex life isn't your partner, it's the gap between your expectations and reality. She breaks down why "why can't we have more sex" is almost never about sex, what women are actually attracted to in a man (the Indiana University smell study blew my mind), and why the way you do anything is the way you do everything. I also got personal about my own marriage, including why I quit porn years ago and the one question I asked my wife in our mudroom three months ago that changed how we think about intimacy. If you and your wife have slipped into roommate mode, if the conversation about sex feels impossible to start, or if you want to rebuild attraction and connection after years of kids, schedules, and busyness, this episode is your roadmap back. Timeline Summary [1:02] Larry opens with an adult content disclaimer and celebrates episode 1500 landing on his 51st birthday after 11 years [3:00] The single biggest roadblock in couples' sex lives, the painful gap between expectations and lived experience [5:16] The performance expectations men carry into the bedroom, from lasting longer to frequency to technical skill [10:11] Caitlin's first piece of advice for every man, start with your own relationship to sexuality before approaching your wife [11:37] Why "why can't we have more sex" is really a request for closeness, connection, and feeling loved [16:33] Caitlin's story, from sexual health researcher to sexologist and host of Good Sex on HBO Max [20:13] Fact checking the viral claim that 50% of couples married three plus years haven't had sex in a year [21:55] Why Gen Z is having less sex, porn access, dating app algorithms designed to keep you single, and Covid [28:49] The Indiana University t-shirt study, why smell predicts attraction and how birth control changes desire [36:37] What women actually find attractive in a man's body, hands, forearms, posture, and capability over six packs [44:40] Why your solo sex life shapes your marriage, and Caitlin's snack versus whole meal analogy [49:49] Larry opens up about quitting porn years ago and how it fixed his arousal issues and transformed intimacy [53:37] Retraining your body without porn, why orgasm may take weeks to return,

If you're trying to put the puzzle pieces of your marriage back together, or you're stuck in that roommate syndrome that drains the life out of a home, this replay is for you. I'm bringing back G.S. Youngblood, author of two bestselling books, The Masculine in Relationship and The Art of Embodiment for Men, because over the past couple of months I've gotten so many emails from men who are really, really struggling in their marriages. His work has come up again and again in our community, and he's even helped me with my own clients. What I love about G.S. is that he lives in neither of the two extremes most men swing between. There's the ultimate nice guy who's disrespected, unappreciated, and quietly filled with resentment because his needs never get met, and there's the toxic, controlling, domineering guy on the other end. Neither one is attractive, and neither one leads. G.S. teaches what he calls relational masculinity, staying grounded in your masculine core while being deeply connected to your partner, and he lays out a three part blueprint any man can actually follow. This was one of our top shows of the past year, and we get into the stuff that changes marriages. We talk about firm but loving parenting and why ruling by fear breaks down the relationship you'll want with your kids later. We talk about grounding your nervous system before you ever try to fix anything, and G.S. even walks me through a live embodiment exercise right there in my chair. And we get honest about sex, rejection, and the little hurt boy that shows up when we feel shut down. G.S. was one of our speakers at the Men's Forge this past April, and he blew the doors off. I've read his book three times now. If you've been banging your head against the wall in your marriage, or you just want to understand why your wife can sniff out an agenda from a mile away, this conversation is going to give you clarity and probably piss you off a little at the same time, in the best way. Timeline Summary [1:02] Larry sets up the replay and why he's bringing G.S. Youngblood back for men struggling in their marriages [3:00] The July promotion for the Alliance and Boardroom, with a hard stop on July 31st [5:05] G.S. on his intense but loving childhood and how it polarized him into the good boy role [7:36] Firm but loving parenting, and why he went the opposite direction with his own kids [10:06] The energetic difference between "no" with an iron fist and "I love you, but no" [11:15] Why ruling by fear gets compliance but breaks the free flowing relationship you want later [14:05] Inner clarity comes first, and why nice guys chase external validation instead [16:01] The daily embodiment practice G.S. installs with every man before anything else [20:03] A day in the life of his grounding routine: ground connection, breathwork, movement, meditation [22:41] Why embodiment sticks better

This is a marriage and fatherhood Q&A episode of The Dad Edge with Larry Hagner and Joe, recorded as Larry rolls his June birthday promotion into July ahead of his 51st. It's a quieter, more vulnerable episode than most. Two members brought real questions, and both answers turned into something close to a masterclass on leading at home without resentment. Rich opened up about a marriage that's been struggling for a couple of years. He and his wife have started reconnecting, but he feels the load is one-sided. He's carrying the household, the kids, two jobs, and the role of primary parent, while she's drawing a line on how much she's willing to change. Joe's answer reframed the whole problem. Stop compromising, he said, because compromise has regret baked into it. Lead instead. He shared how he and Ivy split their money, how he trained himself to notice the socks on the floor she'd notice, and why an underlying resentment will sabotage everything no matter how well you execute the plan. Then Larry delivered what Joe called a freaking masterclass on the difference between expectations and boundaries, the thing 95% of the men he coaches get backwards. An expectation is a clearly communicated request you then release because you don't control the other person. A boundary is the part you own and enforce on yourself. He walked Rich through actual language, leading with structure, owning specific responsibilities, and turning a fight into a collaboration. The line that landed: uncommunicated expectations breed resentment. The second half got personal fast. Jason Grace, a leader in the Alliance who runs the divorce group, asked about the gap between being ready for a new stage of fatherhood and being willing to step into it. His daughter just graduated and is leaving for an equestrian science program in Virginia. Both Larry and Joe are living the same thing right now. Larry's son leaves for the University of Arkansas on August 6th, and he choked up describing the 5.5-hour campfire conversation they shared on a recent trip. Joe read Psalm 127 and the picture of children as arrows, the archer deciding how he launches them into the world. If you've got a kid getting close to leaving, or a marriage where you feel like you're carrying it alone, this one is for you. Timeline Summary [1:01] Larry welcomes July, turns 51, and extends his birthday promotion with a hard stop on July 31st [3:06] Joe checks in from a new location mid-move, and the hosts set up the marriage and fatherhood themes [4:04] Rich asks for help with a marriage that feels one-sided on compromises, budgeting, and household responsibilities [7:23] Joe makes the case against compromising because regret is baked into it, and reframes the answer as leading [9:25] How Joe and Ivy handle money with separate accounts and real trust instead of monitoring every dollar [12:48] Joe on the socks he trained himself to notice

Charles Gaudet built his first multi-million dollar business at 24 years old while battling severe learning disabilities, survived a hospitalization in his early twenties after working from 3:30am until midnight seven days a week, and has since helped clients across six, seven, eight, and nine figure businesses generate over $1 billion in combined revenue. Yahoo Finance nicknamed him the CEO Whisperer, his work has been featured in Forbes and Fox Business, and he hosts the Beyond Seven Figures podcast. But none of that is what makes this conversation worth your time. What makes this episode worth your time is Charles sitting down with Larry and being completely honest about the phone call his dad made in the final weeks of his life, offering to give up everything he had ever made just to spend more time with his kids and grandkids. That one moment reframed everything Charles thought he knew about success, hard work, and what a father is actually building toward. If you have ever worn your busyness like a badge, this one is going to hit you somewhere important. Charles is a husband of 24 years to his wife Heather, a father of three, a CEO coach to some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, and a man who learned the hard way that working harder is not the same as building something that lasts. This is Episode 1497 of the Dad Edge. Charles Gaudet went from a kid selling construction paper art door to door at age four to coaching billionaires in boardrooms, and the thread connecting all of it is the same lesson a neighbor named Mrs. Hersey gave him when he was mortified: always bring your best. Timeline Summary [1:02] Larry opens with a June-only Alliance offer including a signed copy of his book, a patience course, and 50 intimate conversation starters [3:07] Charles explains how Yahoo Finance dubbed him the CEO Whisperer and why asking the questions nobody else will ask is his edge [4:40] The boardroom moment with the CEO of a $34 billion company and why Charles was the only person in the room willing to challenge him [8:03] Charles tells the story from the US Army War College: a five-star general who couldn't figure out why they kept losing a battle until he asked the lowest-ranking soldier on the ground [13:26] The phone call from his dad in the final weeks of his life: "I would give up everything I've ever made just to spend more time with you and the grandkids" [17:29] Growing up barely seeing his dad, the pillow and blankets by the front door, and starting his first business at age four just to get his dad's attention [20:29] Selling construction paper art door to door as a kid and the lesson Mrs. Hersey gave him that shaped every standard he has held himself to since [23:07] Charles teaching his son the difference between being an employee and owning a business using a lemonade stand, and watching his son at 19 reach a multi-million dollar valu

Marty Hofman built a multi-million dollar real estate operation from a single $5,000 duplex, but what he's really known for isn't the portfolio. He's the founder of OKC REIA, the host of the Kill Complacency podcast with over 180,000 downloads, and the author of "Complacency Kills: Stop Drifting and Start Living the Life God Designed You For." He's also a husband of 24 years to his wife Ginger, a father of six, and a man who has built his entire life around one relentless idea: complacency is always at the door. In this conversation, Marty and Larry get into the Seven F's framework, why "I want to be more intentional" is meaningless without specifics, how your environment will eventually defeat your willpower, and what it actually looks like to fight for your marriage and your kids at the same time. If you've ever felt like you're living on autopilot and you can't quite put your finger on why, this episode was made for you. Marty is a husband, father of six, real estate investor, podcast host, and author who has given his life to helping men kill complacency before it kills everything they care about. This is Episode 1496 of the Dad Edge. Marty's book just dropped in May and this conversation is everything you'd hope for from a man who doesn't just talk about living with intention, he's built an entire framework to help you do it every single day. Timeline Summary [1:02] Marty joins the show and Larry kicks things off with a quote that anchors the whole episode: "The enemy of intention is complacency" [2:18] Why complacency isn't a one-time enemy you defeat — it keeps knocking, every single day, like Oreos on the kitchen counter [5:22] "Your environment will eventually trump your willpower" — Marty and Larry debate where willpower ends and environment takes over [8:46] Why saying "I want to be more intentional" is not enough — and what it actually takes to turn that into a real behavior change [10:43] The difference between a vague goal and a measurable one: phone away at the door, greet your wife by name, make it specific [12:34] Todd Herman's insight on the first 45 seconds of any interaction and why Marty puts it to work every time he walks through the front door [14:04] Larry introduces Marty's full background — the $5,000 duplex, the Kill Complacency podcast, the Seven F's framework, 24 years of marriage to Ginger [30:27] How intentional actions become identity over time — and why date night stops being a discipline and starts being just who you are [32:16] Why putting your marriage on the front burner is the best thing you can do for your kids, not despite them [36:50] Faith as a daily decision — how Marty grew up in a Christian home of 10 kids, went to Bible college at 18, and met Ginger there [43:16] Six kids, ages 9 to 22 — how Marty stays intentional across the board by protecting Friday family night like a funeral-level commitmen

In this episode, Lee returned to the Dad Edge Alliance for an exclusive live Q&A with members asking real-time questions about raising kids to think like value creators. The conversation covers everything from how to engage a four-year-old in family finances to what to do when a capable adult son is drifting in a digital fog. If you've ever wanted to raise kids who don't just follow rules but genuinely understand why building a life of meaning matters, this one delivers. Most parenting conversations focus on values, the character traits we want our kids to have. Lee draws a sharp distinction: having a values list is fine, but the real work is teaching kids to create value, holistically, across three buckets: material (money and lifestyle), positive emotional energy (how alive you feel going through life), and spiritual connectedness (family, community, and purpose). That framework, combined with one simple question (how would you like to create value in the world?), is the thread that runs through every answer Lee gives, whether he's talking to a dad with four-year-old twins, a dad with checked-out teenagers, or a dad watching a 20-year-old spend six hours a day alone in his room. This is especially powerful for any dad who has felt the frustration of talking at his kids instead of being with them, who wants to make family meetings something his kids actually look forward to, or who is watching a young adult drift and wondering when to push harder versus when to change the environment instead. Timeline Summary [1:02] Larry introduces Lee Benson: Wall Street Journal bestselling author, founder of Dinner Table (impacting 50,000-plus families), serial entrepreneur with eight companies and a nine-figure exit, back for a second exclusive Alliance Q&A [3:31] Lee's entrepreneurial origin story: pulling weeds at age 6 for $0.25 an hour, playing over 1,000 shows in a band in the early 80s, and launching his first actual business in 1993 after a lifetime of learning to trust the struggle [5:36] Coming home at 17 to find his clothes in paper grocery sacks on the porch and the locks changed, and why getting forced out of a toxic, dangerous home was one of the best things that ever happened to him [10:23] The Dinner Table framework: the critical difference between having a values list and intentionally creating holistic value across three buckets, material, positive emotional energy, and spiritual connectedness, and why keeping all three in balance is the whole game [12:41] How the monthly family meeting works: setting shared goals, defining what leadership looks like in the family, reviewing the household budget as a team sport, and why a six-year-old can absolutely have her own line item [16:19] Tommy's follow-up on his 23-year-old daughter who comes to him for financial advice but won

Most of us grow up thinking success means staying busy, staying strong, and never stopping. But what happens when the career that defined you is gone? Michael Kay spent decades as a financial planner and NYU instructor helping high achievers build wealth — until he realized the most important investments had nothing to do with portfolios. He's the host of the Chapter X Podcast and author of How to Craft Your Chapter X, and he's spent years guiding successful men through the emotional and psychological shift from career identity to a purposeful next chapter. He's been married to his college sweetheart Wendy since 1977, is a dad of two, and a grandfather of three. This conversation goes deep on the patterns we inherit from our fathers, what it actually means to listen instead of just waiting to respond, and why retirement without intention is a trap most men never see coming. If you've ever tied your worth to what you do instead of who you are, this one is for you. Timeline Summary [1:02] Larry introduces the June Alliance promo — signed copy of The Pursuit of Legendary Fatherhood plus three bonus courses for new members [3:01] Michael joins in studio, sharing what it means to be a dad and grandfather first [3:48] Larry invites Michael to describe growing up with a demanding, workaholic father who didn't spare physical discipline [5:29] Michael reflects on how watching his father — who had no model himself — taught him what he would never do with his own children [9:49] Michael shares what he learned from his father's dedication as a sixth-grade teacher who taught every student at their own reading level [10:42] Michael's musical upbringing — his uncle was good enough to play with Duke Ellington, and Michael took weekly lessons from a New York Philharmonic trumpeter at 14 [17:55] A butcher named Al Roth becomes a turning point — the first man Michael ever saw who love

I'll be honest with you — this conversation gave me chills more than once. JoJo Simmons grew up with one of the most recognizable names in music history, the son of Joseph "Run" Simmons, co-founder of Run-D.M.C. and a pioneer of hip hop culture. But what I've always respected about JoJo is that he's never coasted on that name. He's spent years carving out his own path in music, entertainment, and now podcasting, while quietly doing the harder work of becoming a present father and a committed husband. We went everywhere in this conversation. We talked about what it was like growing up under a microscope, making the kinds of mistakes every teenager makes except having them show up on TMZ. We talked about his parents, how they kept love intact through divorce, how his mother made one of the hardest decisions a parent can make to protect her son, and how his dad evolved from tough love to open communication in a way that shaped the father JoJo is today. This episode is filled with wisdom I didn't expect and moments that made me stop and think about my own home. JoJo has been married to his wife Denise for nearly seven years, together for 17. They're raising a ten-year-old daughter named Mia and a four-year-old son, Joseph, who is nonverbal and receiving occupational therapy. Watching JoJo talk about both of his kids, the way he's learning to hold space for his daughter as she grows into her own person, and the way he's modeling confidence and calm for his son, you can see a man who is fully in it. Not perfect. Fully in it. He's also building something. His podcast and media community, For Good, launched just a year ago and it's already growing fast. The name says everything: it represents forever, and it represents putting good into the world. JoJo's vision for it goes beyond episodes and downloads. He wants festivals. He wants a movement. He wants people from every walk of life sitting in a room together feeling heard and seen. After spending an hour with him, I believe he'll build it. Timeline Summary [1:02] Growing up as the son of Run from Run-D.M.C. — the good and the hard of a very public childhood [3:47] How JoJo's parents stayed committed to their kids' wellbeing despite divorce, and why he never felt an absence of love [5:07] The arrest that showed up in the New York Times and TMZ, and the moment JoJo knew he had gone too far [10:24] What his dad did specifically that shaped the father JoJo wants to be, including the shift from discipline to conversation [14:28] Dad Edge June offer — signed copy of The Pursuit of Legendary Fatherhood, the Patience course, and more at thedadedge.com/join [17:28] JoJo's mom: a single mother with a doctorate who ground every day, never spoke ill of his father, and made the hard call to send JoJo to live with his dad at 13 [22:23] How JoJo met Denise at McDonald's — two vegetarians, one bold move, and a phone call to her mot

Jenna Free is a counselor specializing in ADHD regulation who discovered her own diagnosis while drowning in grad school with two babies 17 months apart. She has since developed a full certification program teaching other mental health professionals her ADHD regulation method, and she runs ADHD regulation groups for clients from her home base in Calgary, Alberta. In this episode, Jenna joined The Dad Edge Alliance for a live Q&A that goes far deeper than a typical ADHD conversation. The focus isn't the diagnosis itself — it's the nervous system, specifically how chronic fight-or-flight mode silently drives the impatience, compulsive behavior, crashes, and parenting struggles so many dads in this community experience. If you've ever wondered why you can't just logic your way into being calmer, this one's for you. Most of us assume ADHD is about the brain you were born with. Jenna reframes it completely — the real problem isn't the diagnosis, it's the dysregulated nervous system underneath it, and that part is something you can actually change. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the frantic-crash cycle, the fight-flight-freeze-fawn response, why pressure feels like performance, and what it looks like to function from a regulated baseline instead of white-knuckling through the day. This is especially powerful for any dad who has ever snapped at his kids in the morning, struggled to slow down, or quietly wondered whether go, go, go is actually working against him. Timeline Summary [1:02] Jenna's background: how her own ADHD diagnosis in grad school — with a six-month-old and an 18-month-old at home — led her to develop the ADHD regulation method [3:24] Why calendars and timers weren't enough: the frantic-crash cycle Jenna kept seeing in herself and every client she worked with [4:13] The nervous system root cause: why almost every neurodivergent person (and most parents) is running in a chronic state of fight-or-flight [6:36] Can you think your way out of it? Jenna explains why logic alone can't calm a dysregulated nervous system [9:16] Alliance member Jason's question: where to start with regulation for yourself and how to notice when your son is sliding into dysregulation [10:06] The first practical step — learning to physically feel dysregulation in your body: tight shoulders, rushing, impatience, holding your breath [11:49] The rushing reframe every parent needs: shifting from "let's go, let's go" to "let's focus" and why that small shift changes the whole morning [17:55] Breaking down all four modes: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn — including why people-pleasing is a survival response, not a personality trait [25:26] Alliance member Chris's question: the "pressure to perform" cycle and why functioning in high-intensity fight-or-flight leads to hard crashes and compulsive avoidance [30:21] Why a formal diagnosis may not matter:

Jamie Kozub and Chris Carter are the yin and yang behind Shit My Dad Taught Me, a podcast that's exploded to over 2.5 million views every month in barely 18 months. Together they also co-founded Burlington Dads, a community of 7,200 fathers that has raised over $1 million for local families and charities. But what makes these two men worth an hour of your time isn't the numbers. It's the two completely different roads that brought them here. Jamie has never met his biological father and grew up 40 minutes outside Thunder Bay in a house with no working toilet and a potbelly stove for heat. With his dad working construction hundreds of miles away Monday through Saturday, Jamie was cooking dinner and raising his little brother at 12. He moved out at 15, worked the Sony store from two till ten every day through high school, and was making $130K a year by 18. Then at 19, after blowing $60,000 at the casino, he walked back in, handed over his driver's license, and banned himself from every casino in Ontario. Chris had the opposite upbringing: a ten-out-of-ten dad who fed every kid who walked through the door and modeled what it means to raise daughters. Now a girl dad of two, Chris shares his number one piece of advice, just take them with you, and the story of the letter that confronted him at 340 pounds. A year later, he's lost nearly 100 pounds and is preparing for his first bodybuilding show at 42. We also go to some deep waters in this one: their friend Matt's story of losing his father and grandfather to suicide, and my own 33 days of insomnia in 2017 and the counselor's words that changed my perception forever. This is a conversation about fatherhood, brotherhood, and building the communities that keep men alive and thriving. Don't miss it. Timeline Summary [1:02] Larry welcomes Jamie Kozub and Chris Carter, the yin and yang behind Shit My Dad Taught Me [1:56] Jamie on never meeting his biological father and why he feels no void to fill [2:58] Growing up outside Thunder Bay with no working toilet, a potbelly stove, and a dad gone Monday to Saturday [10:33] Chris's number one girl dad advice: just take them with you, from boardrooms to private jets [17:56] Moving out at 15, couch surfing, and working the Sony store from two till ten every day [19:39] Making $130K at 18 and turning down a University of Miami scholarship [20:28] Walking into the casino at 19 to ban himself from every casino in Ontario for five years [26:35] Chris's dad and the barbecue pizza rule: everyone who walks through the door gets fed [33:02] How Shit My Dad Taught Me reached 2.5 million monthly views through radical authenticity [37:16] The Lexie J letter story that confronted Chris at 340 pounds and sparked his transformation [42:18] Their friend Matt's story of loss and his commitment to breaking a generational cycle [45:18] Larry opens up about 33 d

Jess Hilarious has built a career on telling the truth in a way that makes people laugh and feel seen, from the Baltimore open mic scene to Wild 'N Out, starring on Rel, her hit podcast Carefully Reckless, and now co-hosting The Breakfast Club. But in this conversation, we go somewhere most people have never heard her go: what it really took to become the mother and co-parent she is today. Jess got pregnant at 19, raised in a strict church household, terrified to tell her parents she even had a boyfriend. She opens up about the first six months after her son Ashton was born, when she didn't want to be a mom at all, and the breakdown on her knees in her mother's house that ended with her baby smirking up at her from the crib. That was the moment everything changed. We also walk through the hard road with her son's father, Jerome. The cheating, the other girl at Ashton's first birthday party, and the public comment that revealed he had a second child on the way. Instead of staying at war, Jess chose to understand the trauma behind his behavior, and the two of them took actual co-parenting vows: for better or for worse, till death do we parent. As a father of four boys, I know how many men in our community are navigating co-parenting right now, and this episode is packed with hard-won wisdom on boundaries, accountability, and putting your kids first. Jess's new book, Til Death Do We Parent, brings her trademark humor and honesty to all of it, and this conversation is the perfect introduction. Timeline Summary [1:01] Larry welcomes comedian, actress, and Breakfast Club co-host Jess Hilarious to the show [1:48] Jess opens up about not wanting to be a mom for the first six months after her son was born [3:15] Telling Jerome she was pregnant at 19 and his unexpectedly joyful reaction [4:25] A charge on her record, no job offers, and moving back in with her mom after Ashton arrived [4:52] The breakdown in her mom's house: "why would you pick me to be your mother?" [7:17] Telling her parents at 8 PM: her dad's ten-second breathing technique and her mom's prayer <p class="font-claude-response-body break-word

Gentlemen, we're two weeks out from Father's Day and this Q&A hit me right in the chest. We've got Joe the Legend joining me today, a father of five who brings that earned wisdom — the kind that only comes from years of being in the trenches, making mistakes, and choosing to grow through them. This conversation is real, raw, and exactly what this community is built on. We tackle two questions from the Alliance today. The first one is about a 12-year-old daughter who's been lying and stealing from family members — and how to guide her toward accountability while keeping the relationship open and safe. The second one is something almost every dad I know battles: losing patience by the end of the day when the tank is completely empty. Joe drops some of the most honest perspective you'll hear anywhere on why kids lie and steal, what birth order has to do with it, and how a scarcity mindset can drive behaviors you'd never expect. And then he shares something that personally rocked me — that impatience isn't a discipline problem. It's a selfishness problem. That one landed hard, and I'll explain why. This is the kind of show that reminds you why we're here. Not to be perfect dads. But to be intentional ones who keep showing up, keep learning, and keep choosing our kids — even when we've got nothing left in the tank. Timeline Summary [1:01] Larry introduces the show and a special four-part June offer for new Dad Edge Alliance members [1:38] What's included: signed copy of The Pursuit of Legendary Fatherhood, two courses, and a brand new PDF resource [3:39] Today's two topics: how to handle a child who is lying and stealing, and losing patience by end of day [4:00] Morgan (The Engineer) asks his question: his 12-year-old daughter is stealing from family members, often tied to jealousy [5:36] Joe shares that lying is almost always a defense mechanism and stealing is tied to either scarcity mindset or attention-seeking [6:55] Joe reflects on growing up without enough — and how that scarcity mindset made stealing feel necessary as a kid [8:10] Joe raises the birth order question: second borns can feel like second best, and attention imbalance can drive behavior [9:38] Joe's reframe: are you unintentionally reinforcing scarcity in your home, or creating uneven attention among your kids? [12:08] Larry tells the story of his son Mason getting caught shoplifting at age 11 — caught on video at a local store [15:28] Larry calls the store, finds out the owner is a retired cop, and decides not to protect Mason from the consequences [17:49] Larry takes Mason to face the store owner directly and tells his son: whatever this man asks you to do, you're going to do it [20:34] The 30-day consequence plan: daily chores, journaling gratitude and reflections, and a final trip to the police station [22:15] The Sonic parking lot conversat

Thomas Pfanner is a husband, father of three, combat athlete with nearly 20 years of jiu jitsu training, and a former strength coach at the University of Oregon who was part of a Pac-12 championship team and a Rose Bowl season. After seven years as a public educator watching young men arrive unprepared for the real world, he channeled that frustration into a mission: equipping fathers to become the trusted, respected leaders their kids are actually hungry for. His Amazon bestselling book Dads Who Lead launched September 26th, 2025, and it's already resonating deeply with fathers who want to lead with strength and integrity. This conversation starts where most parenting conversations are afraid to go. Thomas shares the raw story of his son Charles calling him at 14 to say he was done, the long road of rebuilding that relationship, and the specific leadership shifts that changed everything. From there, we get into the five attributes he outlines in Dads Who Lead — faith, ownership, respect, groundbreaking adventure, and expectation — and how they stack together to help dads go from being a manager to being a mentor their kids actually choose to lean into. If you've ever felt like you're losing your son or daughter and don't know what to do next, Thomas has lived that story and walked out the other side. And if your relationship with your teenager is already solid, this episode will sharpen the tools you're using and show you where the gaps might be. Whether you're trying to rebuild a relationship or strengthen one that's already good, this episode is for the dad who refuses to go to his grave wondering what went wrong. Timeline Summary [1:02] Thomas welcomes the audience and Larry teases the June offer for Dad Edge Alliance members [3:15] Thomas shares how Charles at 14 called to say he was moving to his mom's across state — and what led up to that moment [5:23] The day Thomas couldn't find his son after wrestling practice and the call that changed everything [6:36] What it felt like to lose 14 years of relationship work in a single phone call — and the journey that followed [8:23] Thomas and his wife leave their home, jobs, and stability to move across state to pursue Charles before his freshman year [9:54] Larry previews the show's core topic: how to rebuild and build trust with teenagers, especially when the relationship has been fractured [13:10] The first step in rebuilding trust wasn't with Charles — it was rebuilding Thomas's belief in himself as a father [15:40] How Thomas used the concept of "highlight reels" to keep faith in Charles even when the evidence was going the wrong direction [21:34] The five attributes of leadership from Dads Who Lead: faith, ownership, respect, groundbreaking adventure, and expectation [24:25] Chip Kelly's single line on expectation that Thomas has never forgotten — and what i

Justin Goodbread is a serial entrepreneur, business coach, and host of the DecaMillionaire Decoded podcast who has built and sold multiple companies while raising three kids alongside his wife Emily in Tennessee. His father Alan, a Georgia Port Authority worker who homeschooled three children with Juilliard graduates and university professors on a lower-middle-class income, laid the foundation for everything Justin has become as a man, a husband, and a dad. This episode is a raw, honest look at how faith, family, and legacy intersect when life gets hard. Justin shares the stories behind losing his father suddenly at 61, nearly losing Emily during an 8-hour surgery with a 12% survival rate, and how both moments stripped away his obsession with building empires and replaced it with something that actually matters. If you're a dad who wants to leave your kids with more than money, this conversation will stay with you. Timeline Summary [1:02] Host opens with a special June Alliance offer including a signed book, two courses, and 50 intimate conversation starters for couples [2:38] Guest Justin Goodbread is introduced and the two celebrate a recent episode swap on Justin's podcast [3:46] Justin describes his father Alan and the radical decision his parents made to break a cycle of dysfunction by raising their kids in faith and homeschooling them decades before it was common [7:39] Dad gives 15-year-old Justin an ultimatum: have a job by Friday or don't come home, with three strict rules that made it nearly impossible in their small Georgia town [9:53] Justin finds a stranger's overgrown yard, earns $40, and comes home to a father who reveals the lesson he'd orchestrated all along: at 15, you just outearned me [11:37] Two years after starting "Lawn Care by the Boys," Justin and his brother were earning more individually than their parents combined [12:33] After a final day hunting and a Taco Bell conversation about responsibility and legacy, Justin returns home to a call that his father had a massive heart attack tha

One of the hardest things I face as a father is watching my kids deflect responsibility and blame everyone else for their mistakes. A door slams in the car, and suddenly it's the wind's fault. A bad grade lands on the homework sheet, but somehow it's the teacher's fault. I know I'm not alone in this—it's one of the most common questions I get from our Dad Edge community. So I brought my brother Joe back to the Q it's context. And context changes how we coach. He walked me through how to use questions instead of accusations, how to celebrate integrity when we see it, and how to be careful with the words we speak because words become the narrative our kids believe about themselves. This Q&A is one you'll want to listen to twice. Once for the tactics on teaching ownership, and once to hear what Joe says about narratives and the power of telling your kids the truth about who they are. Because if we're building men—and that's what we do here—we have to give them a better story to believe about themselves. Timeline Summary [0:02] Host introduces The Dad Edge mission: creating leaders of men, families, and communities [1:02] Welcome to June 2026 and the epic Q&A episode—plus announcement of exclusive Alliance giveaways this month [1:52] Four exclusive bonuses for joining the Alliance in June: signed copy of The Pursuit of Legendary Fatherhood, two courses ($500 value each), and 50 Intimate Conversation Starters [3:49] Joe joins and shares his excitement about these

Dominic Rubino is a business coach with over two decades of experience who built a Brian Tracy franchise from 6 locations to 240 worldwide, sold it, and never looked back. He hosts two highly niched podcasts, Profit Tool Belt and Cabinet Maker Profit System, where he helps small trade business owners get clear on time, team, money, and growth. What hit me hardest about this conversation was that Dominic had everything on paper. Two hundred and forty franchisees. International operations. A name in the industry. And then his nine-year-old son shrank at the dinner table, and Dominic made the decision right there. He sold the company. He showed up. And now his son is heading off to play NCAA lacrosse. This episode is about what it actually takes to build a business that serves your life — not the other way around. Dominic talks about delegation, systems, the cost of constant travel, and why the guys who can't stop working are often running from something. If you've ever felt like a prisoner to the income you built, this one's for you. If you're a father who owns a business or is grinding through a W-2 job that keeps pulling you away from the people you're doing it all for, this conversation will hit close to home. Dominic doesn't deal in theory. He's lived it, coached thousands through it, and he has the frameworks to prove it. Timeline Summary [1:02] Dominic's last name gets butchered before the mic even starts rolling — and a quick side note about Dallas [1:54] Host sets up the dinner table moment — nine-year-old Joseph shrinks in his chair and changes everything [2:17] Dominic describes building a Brian Tracy franchise from 6 to 240 locations across the U.S., Brazil, and Europe [3:32] A surprise buyout offer comes in from franchisees — and Dominic says no [4:13] The real cost of constant travel: getting invited to the hotel concierge's birthday party [5:29] The moment it all shifted: Joseph drops his head at the dinner table and Dominic decides to sell [7:05] Dominic reflects on the things he missed — first steps, first swimming lessons — and what his kids saw him miss [9:16] Host shares his own version: his six-year-old son locked around his ankle on the floor, begging him not to leave again [13:03] Why Dominic stopped being afraid to reinvent himself — and the promise he made to never sacrifice his family again [20:08] Advice for W-2 guys feeling stuck: stop sending resumes into the void and go talk to a human being [25:17] "Cat's in the Cradle" — one song that answers this whole conversation, and a hospital story that hits like a gut punch [31:42] The less you work, the more you make: why Dominic hires great people and then hires them an assistant [36:15] A live breathing exercise on air — and what it should feel like to actually be on top of your business [43:23] A client sells his company

Father Stephen Gadberry is a Catholic priest ordained in 2016 after a path that took him from a small family farm in the Arkansas Delta through the United States Air Force, a deployment to Iraq, and all the way to Rome to study philosophy and theology. He competed on American Ninja Warrior in 2018 and 2020, has worked alongside Bishop Robert Barron and Word on Fire, and currently serves at Saint Theresa Catholic Church and School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In this conversation, Father Stephen opens up about losing his father and twelve-year-old sister in a car accident when he was just eight years old, how that tragedy shaped his understanding of duty and sacrifice, and what it felt like to receive his calling in the middle of a deployment in central Iraq. He is a hunter, archer, CrossFit athlete, knife maker, and musician who speaks about masculinity, suffering, and faith in a way that cuts through all the noise. We also get into forgiveness in a way I have never heard anyone break it down before. Father Stephen uses the image of a plant to walk through the entire process of healing a broken relationship, from cultivating the soil, to planting the seed, to watching for weeds, to understanding why we pull back just when things start to feel close. It is pastoral counsel and practical wisdom at the same time. This one hit me differently, guys. I am not kidding when I say I felt the weight of this conversation in my chest. If you have ever carried loss, wrestled with abandonment, or wondered how a man of deep faith actually lives out forgiveness in real time, this episode is for you. Timeline Summary [1:02] Father Stephen and the host kick off by acknowledging this is take two, after a tech failure ended the first recording [1:55] Father Stephen explains his two appearances on American Ninja Warrior in 2018 and 2020 and what he was really trying to do with the cameras [4:20] The meaning behind the priest collar explained: white for speaking truth, black for death to self [6:07] Why traditions are not a threat to faith and how they are already woven into every man's life whether he realizes it or not [7:16] How the American Ninja Warrior exposure broke down barriers and gave people an entry point to seek pastoral help with marriages and personal struggles [13:25] Host introduces Father Stephen's background: raised on an Arkansas farm, lost his father and older sister at age eight in a car accident, later served in the Air Force and deployed to Iraq [17:22] Father Stephen describes the accident on May 5th, 1994, the deaths of his father and twelve-year-old sister, and how a young boy without comprehension of the full weight woke up every day and simply got it done [23:11] Two weeks after the accident, his mother discovered she was pregnant with twins, and the family's response to impossible circumstances [28:18] The Christmas delivery story: neighbor

Jon Fogel is a parenting expert, pastor, published author, and PhD candidate who runs Whole Parent and Whole Parent Academy, a resource built around the psychology of parenting and discipline. He is the author of the bestselling book Punishment Free Parenting and a brand new children's book, Set My Feelings Free, which sold out nationwide before its second printing. He is a husband, father of four kids ranging from 18 months to nine years old, and somehow found time to install a toilet while his wife was in labor. Jon has been a guest on The Dad Edge podcast twice before, and every single time he shows up, he leaves the room differently than he found it. This episode is a live Q&A inside the Alliance, and the questions the guys brought were real. Getting a spouse on the same page. The pendulum swing between authoritarian and checked-out. A five-year-old who looks you dead in the eye before he does the wrong thing on purpose. And the hard one: what happens when your son won't respond to you the way he responds to his mom. Jon's framework is grounded in brain science and developmental psychology, and the thing that keeps hitting you as you listen is how much of what we were taught about discipline actually works against us. The reason kids shut down when we raise our voices is the same reason our partners shut down when we raise our voices. The reason kids push boundaries is not defiance. It's development. The reason your son runs to mom and not to you is not a reflection of your worth as a father. It's evolution. If you're a dad who's been doing the work but still feels like something is off in how your kids or your partner respond to you, this episode is going to give you clarity in places you didn't expect to find it. Timeline Summary [1:01] Host introduces Jon Fogel for his third appearance, covering his role as a parenting expert, author, PhD candidate, and founder of Whole Parent Academy [2:05] Jon describes his book Punishment Free Parenting, its bestseller status, and explains that 99% of the book is about what to do instead of punishing [3:42] Jon's newest children's book Set My Feelings Free is sold out nationwide, with a second printing arriving May 20th [4:02] First question from Rich: how to get a spouse on the same page when parenting backgrounds and styles are very different [5:29] Jon explains why you should never try to correct a partner's parenting in the moment, and why the same brain science that applies to kids applies to adults [8:11] Jon introduces the H.E.A.R. framework from Harvard for conflict resolution: Hedge, Emphasize agreement, Acknowledge perspective, Reframe to the positive [10:55] Jon walks through each step of H.E.A.R. practically, showing how removing defensiveness creates space for the other person to move without feeling wrong [14:07] Jon adds a bonus tactic: developing a safe word

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Georgine Nanos — board certified family physician, founder of Kind Health Group and Kind TMS, and the first clinician in the world to successfully condense the 40-day TMS protocol into a single day. TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. It's been FDA approved since 2008, has no long-term side effects, and uses magnetic field energy to create new synaptic pathways in the part of the brain where anxiety, depression, and PTSD get locked into negative stress loops. The Stanford trial that condensed it from 40 days to five days got a 90% response rate. Dr. Nanos condensed it further — to a single 12-hour day — and got the same results. But this is not just a clinical episode. We talk about why men specifically have such a hard time reaching out, why burnout is a perfectly valid reason to pursue this, why the cop from the Bay Area who couldn't be present for his kids started playing drums again a month after treatment, and why the family almost always sees the improvement before the patient does. Dr. Nanos also gets personal — she has mild anxiety and insomnia, was skeptical when she first tried TMS on herself, and has now done it multiple times since. Her kids describe her as chill. She credits the machine. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:03] What TMS is — transcranial magnetic stimulation, FDA approved for 18 years, not electric shock therapy [2:38] How negative stress loops form in the brain — and how TMS creates new synaptic pathways around them [5:41] The difference between TMS and ECT — why TMS was born and why ECT is the last resort [6:59] Why TMS hasn't gone mainstream — 40 days, insurance barriers, and older devices that were uncomfortable [8:11] Stanford condenses it to five days and gets a 90% response rate — then Dr. Nanos condenses it to one [10:05] The single-day protocol study — 34 patients, same results as Stanford, now being studied at UCLA and Harvard [12:16] Response rate vs. remission — what the clinical measurements actually mean [14:47] Introducing Dr. Nanos — Kind Health Group, Kind TMS, and refusing to stay inside the lines of traditional medicine [17:15] What the experience actually feels like — comfortable table, dim lights, binaural beats, light tapping on the skull [24:00] Why medication is only 40-50% effective for depression — and why TMS is a more targeted approach [28:01] Men and mental health — the walk of shame, the fear of looking broken, and why burnout is a valid reason to come in [30:44] High-functioning people at their last straw — midlife, peak career, aging parents, hormonal shifts, and the perfect storm [31:40] What patients feel after the 12-hour day — tired, then slow incremental change, sleep improves first [33:41] The Marine

In this episode, I sit down with Lee Benson — entrepreneur, founder of eight companies, former CEO of Abel Aerospace (which he grew from 2 to 500 employees serving customers in 60 countries before a nine-figure exit in 2016), and now CEO of Dinner Table, a free global community of over 40,000 parents from 67 countries built around one idea: teaching families how to intentionally create value together. Lee's story starts where most don't — kicked out of his house at 18 with his clothes in paper grocery bags, a car he bought himself, a job cooking at Coco's, and a credit card debt his parents had secretly run up in his name. He went from negative zero to building one of the most successful aerospace companies in the country. And he has spent the last decade trying to figure out how to give every family — especially the ones starting from nothing — the framework that changes everything. We get into the monthly family meeting, what it actually covers, and why giving every member of the family — including the six-year-old — a job and a line item in the budget changes behavior almost instantly. We talk about finding your kids' value creation superpowers, what it means to show up with someone's potential instead of their performance, and why Lee's business partner Jack Welch was one of only two people in his entire life who ever made him feel that way. And Lee drops one of the most clarifying lines this show has ever heard: I believe in unconditional love. I do not believe in unconditional relationships. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:03] Kicked out at 18 — paper bags on the patio, locks changed, one night in a Chevy Blazer [2:19] The credit cards his parents ran up in his name — and why he paid them off instead of turning them in [3:46] Generational dysfunction, siblings lost in it, and why unconditional love does not mean unconditional relationships [5:17] Why being kicked out may have been the best thing that ever happened to him [8:11] Building a chosen family — 40-plus years later, one of his "kids" is staying at his house with his own family [10:06] The rules of engagement — how Lee maintains relationships with difficult family members without enabling them [15:52] Introducing Lee — Abel Aerospace, nine-figure exit, and now CEO of Dinner Table [17:18] The monthly family meeting — family goals, everybody's job, budget review, and what it means to be a leader in the family [20:17] Giving the six-year-old a line item in the budget — and what happened when the kids saw how much Dutch Brothers was costing [21:34] If there's money left over, the kids decide where it goes — including Yellowstone with no technology for a week [22:14] The one-on-one meeting with each kid — how would you like to create value in the world? [25:31] Why L

In this episode, Brandon Webb — Navy SEAL, former sniper instructor, and author of the brand new parenting book Puddle Jumpers — joins a live Dad Edge Alliance Q&A to answer real questions from real dads. No filters, no talking points. Just a man who has raised three extraordinary kids through divorce, business failure, and years of hard-won parenting lessons, going deep on the questions most dads are quietly carrying. The questions cover everything — what to tell your younger self as a new dad, how to act vs. wait when stakes are high, how to build confidence and resilience in your kids without SEAL-level pressure, how to get a reluctant 12-year-old to open up, what ordinary magic looks like in everyday parenting, and how to co-parent well when your ex has moved on and moved away. Brandon's philosophy is simple, practical, and backed by research: get to the why before you drop the hammer, let your kids do small hard things on their own, teach them to use their voice rather than your own, and remember that your voice will become their inner voice. He also drops one of the most memorable parenting wins on the show — a handwritten note from his 22-year-old daughter that he read four or five times and has carried ever since. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge Alliance Q&A — and why this is what happens inside the Alliance every month [3:33] How Puddle Jumpers came to be — three kids, a divorce, a business failure, and strangers asking Brandon for advice [6:12] The mud puddle that gave the book its name — and the kind of dad Brandon decided to be in that moment [8:29] Q1: What would you tell your younger self as a new father? [9:22] Lead with love, be present, and choose quality over quantity — especially when you don't have much time [11:16] Say sorry. Own your mistakes in front of your kids. They're watching conflict resolution in real time. [13:36] Q2: How do you decide when to act vs. wait when stakes are high and you don't have full clarity? [14:10] Get to the why of the behavior before you punish — the checklist Brandon uses from his SEAL days [16:11] The teacher who publicly humiliated his son — and why Brandon and his ex took their son's side and pulled him out [19:43] Getting to the core driver of the behavior before you act is the most important move a parent can make [23:29] Q3: How do you build resilience and confidence in kids without SEAL-level pressure? [24:36] Positive psychology from the sniper course — paint the picture of what to do, not what to stop doing [25:46] Your voice becomes their inner voice — choose what you want living in their head [27:00] Ordinary magic — letting kids do small tasks alone is how confidence gets built over time [27:54] The Portland airport and the soccer team selfies — what happens when you make your kid ask for himself [30:11] Q4: My 12-year-

In this episode, I sit down with Vince Benevento — licensed counselor, founder of Causeway Collaborative, author of Boys Will Be Men: Eight Lessons for the Lost American Male, and a man who has worked with over 2,000 young men between the ages of 14 and 30 over the past 15 years. But before we get into any of that, Vince opens up about the most formative experience of his life. Last July 4th weekend, his son Leo went from a rash on his wrist to 15 days in the ER, a diagnosis of aplastic anemia, a bone marrow transplant, a fungal infection that ate through his lung and ribs and attacked his spine, three emergency surgeries, a broken back, a seven-vertebrae spinal fusion, and 150 total days in the hospital. A doctor pulled Vince aside and told him to prepare for the fact that his son was not going to make it. Leo just got cleared to go back to school. Vince also opens up about his own story — a closeted gay father whose secret life exploded when Vince was a senior in high school, a substance use disorder from 17 to 22, two hospitalizations, a mood disorder diagnosis, getting sober, leaving college, and building the blueprint for Causeway — his own recovery blueprint — before he even knew it would become a business. This one covers why traditional therapy fails young men, what actually works instead, what it means to find your wild, and what the lost American male most needs right now. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:15] Leo's story begins — a rash on his wrist, a pediatrician appointment, and an ambulance to Yale [3:14] Aplastic anemia, a bone marrow transplant, and a one-in-a-million perfect donor match [5:19] The fungal infection that changed everything — lung, ribs, spine, three emergency surgeries, broken back [6:39] The doctor pulls Vince aside — prepare yourself. Your son may not come out of this. [8:09] How Vince and Gina navigated 150 days in the hospital — and why he's honest that they didn't do it perfectly [11:03] Their different vantage points — Vince shrinking Leo's world to protect him, Gina knowing his spirit needed connection [16:32] Vince's own mental health history — hospitalized at 19, mood disorder diagnosis, sober at 22 [17:08] The 6 to 7am ritual — one hour alone every morning at the Ronald McDonald House to lift and pray before facing the day [20:10] Introducing Vince — Causeway Collaborative, Boys Will Be Men, and 15 years working with over 2,000 young men [21:22] Vince's origin story — a father's secret life exploding senior year, substance use disorder, leaving college, and building the blueprint that became his business [30:17] Why traditional therapy fails men — especially young men — and what Causeway does differently [31:31] The deficit-driven medical model vs. a strength-based, goal-driven, action

In this episode, I sit down with Jason Reid — founder of Tell My Story Foundation, producer of the documentary films Tell My Story, What I Wish My Parents Knew, and Shift, author of seven books, Iron Man athlete, and a father who lost his 14-year-old son Ryan to suicide in 2018 while on vacation with his wife. Jason was back for the second time on Dad Edge, and this conversation went somewhere neither of us expected. We open with AI — why the easy button is robbing kids of the growth that comes from struggle, and why an AI chatbot girlfriend who only says nice things is the most dangerous mental health threat facing kids right now. We get into the warning signs parents miss, why the most at-risk kids often look like the quarterback or the cheerleader, and the clouds analogy that reframes everything about how you try to help a struggling kid. Jason is direct: stop trying to fix it. Ask about the clouds. Listen longer. And when they're ready to talk, they'll talk on their terms — almost always side by side, never face to face. We also get into one of the most unconventional but practical parenting conversations this show has ever had: how to teach your kids to fight back with their words. Not their fists. Their words. It's called verbal self-defense — and it may be the most underrated gift a father can give his kid. And then there's Shift — Jason's newest documentary about kids who protect their mental health by having a passion that's entirely their own. The message is simple and urgent: your kid needs an anchor. Help them find it before they need it most. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:04] Why AI is the new mental health boogeyman — and why the chatbot girlfriend is the most dangerous thing on a kid's phone right now [4:15] You rob yourself of growth when you take the easy path — Jason's songwriting process and why the journey is the whole point [7:34] AI will make you smarter or dumber — it's entirely about how you use it [11:14] Introducing Jason Reid — founder of Tell My Story Foundation, back for the second time on Dad Edge [12:02] What happened to Ryan — a 14-year-old son lost to suicide in 2018 while Jason and his wife were on vacation [15:58] The choice Jason made — stay married, stay working, stay focused, and turn the pain into purpose [16:20] Tell My Story on Amazon Prime, What I Wish My Parents Knew in schools, and Shift — three films born from one loss [18:31] The warning signs parents miss — and why stopping the shower is often the first one to look for [19:53] The most at-risk kids look like the quarterback and the cheerleader — not the dark quiet kid in the corner [20:59] The clouds analogy — why telling your kid the sky is blue makes them stop talking [21:51] Ask about the clouds. Ask how they look, how they

In this episode, Larry and Uncle Joe tackle one of the most relatable questions any sports dad has ever asked — what do you do when the environment your kid is playing in is toxic, and it's breaking his spirit? The question comes from Mike — a dad of two boys whose 11-year-old has recently had his love for baseball crushed by the culture of travel sports. The kid is now telling himself he's not good enough and that quitting is the answer. Mike is doing the work, modeling emotional regulation at home, and feeling like an imposter because none of it seems to be helping. Larry shares his own story of pushing his son too hard in wrestling, learning to let him lead, and watching him play football for ten years before deciding on his own to walk away. Joe drops an ancient Chinese archery proverb that reframes the entire conversation — and explains why the need to win literally drains a kid of every skill he has. Alliance member Calvin adds a coach's perspective on getting to the root of what's really going on with your son. This is a short, punchy, deeply practical episode that every sports dad needs to hear — especially if you've ever wondered whether the investment of time and money in travel sports is actually worth it. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Mike's question: my 11-year-old's spirit is being broken by travel baseball's toxic culture — what do I do? [3:47] Larry's wrestling story — getting excited about a scholarship, pushing too hard, and learning to follow his son's lead [6:26] Dr. John Delany's take: travel sports is ruining the dinner table of the American family [7:37] The stats — only 1.5% of kids who play youth sports will play in college [9:03] How kids start attaching their identity to their performance — and why that's dangerous [11:47] Whatever you start, you finish — the Hagner family rule and why it matters [12:32] The hockey coach who got kicked out of games three times — and the son who never played hockey again [13:41] 82% of kids quit a sport because of the coach — not the sport itself [15:33] Joe's ancient Chinese archery proverb — when an archer shoots for nothing, he has all of his skill [16:39] Why travel ball brings out the worst in parents — the lottery mindset and the toxicity that follows [17:12] If you play for somebody else's approval, you play half the game you would have played [17:45] Be the anti-venom — how to show up as the most positive presence in the stands [20:25] Calvin's perspective — get down to his level, ask the real questions, and watch how he shows up at practice [22:14] Mike's takeaway — finish the season, support his decision, and help him find his football whatever that looks like Five Key Takeaways Only 1.5% of kids who play you

In this episode, I sit down with Pierre Mousseau — entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author of From the Ashes: A Father's Journey Through Grief, Grace, and Faith. This is one of the most extraordinary, raw, and spiritually powerful conversations this show has ever had. Pierre grew up with a severely alcoholic and mentally abusive father, was molested at 11, slept on the streets at 17, and was kicked out of his home at 19. He built himself into an entrepreneur, a husband, and a father. And then his son Parker — sweet, joyful, endlessly loving Parker — was taken from him at 21 years old after a catastrophic bowel emergency, five surgeries, and seven weeks in the ICU. Pierre made the decision to remove him from life support. Five months later, with his company collapsing and the grief unbearable, Pierre got into his car at full speed aimed at a maple tree. He should have died that day. He didn't. What follows is one of the most extraordinary stories of faith, forgiveness, and divine intervention you will ever hear — from the church he walked into while still hating God, to the deacon whose homily that Sunday was about losing a child, to the moment in the shower when something held him and everything changed. This episode will stop you in your tracks. And it will remind you to hug your kids today. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Pierre's childhood — alcoholic and abusive father, bullied at school, Spider-Man comics as his only escape [5:33] Moving in with a drug-addicted uncle at 17, sleeping on the streets, and nobody noticing he was gone [7:44] Being molested at 11 — and the family that never did anything about it [8:31] Driving four hours to see his dying father determined to tell him everything — and what actually happened instead [10:41] Saying "I forgive you" at his father's bedside — and still carrying the hatred for years after [15:51] Introducing Pierre — entrepreneur, speaker, and author of From the Ashes [17:30] Who Parker was — how he loved, what made him extraordinary, and the boy who still believed in Santa Claus at 14 [21:30] The phone call from the hospital — and the doctor who said "I don't know what happened but his bowel is pink" [23:33] Seven weeks in the ICU, ICU delirium, and the decision Pierre had to make [25:39] "I felt like I murdered my child" — the guilt that followed Pierre for years [32:18] The hardest decision he has ever made — and why he couldn't keep Parker alive for himself [38:02] Five months after Parker's death, the company collapsed — and on a Saturday morning Pierre got in his car to end his life [39:09] Heading for a maple tree at full speed — and what stopped him [40:44] Eleven months of hating God — and the Sunday morning he suddenly drove to church [41:21] Walkin

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Leonard Kauffman — board certified urologist and men's health physician with 25 years of experience practicing in South Florida. Dr. Kauffman specializes in urology, hormonal health, sexual health, and preventative men's health care, and he brings a level of warmth, honesty, and clinical depth to this conversation that you won't find anywhere else. We cover a lot of ground — from why reactive health care is costing men years of quality life, to what erectile dysfunction is really telling you about your cardiovascular health, to the TRT conversation every man in his 30s and 40s needs to hear before he walks into one of those clinics and shuts off his own fertility without knowing it. But this is not just a clinical episode. Dr. Kauffman is 33 years married, dad of three, and one of the most genuinely human guests we've had on this show. We talk about the deli where he met his wife in medical school, what 33 years of a real marriage actually looks like, how to build a home where your kids feel safe enough to tell you anything, and what his wife's early loss of her mother taught them both about not wasting time. If you've been putting off that appointment — this episode is the nudge you need. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Reactivity vs. proactivity — why waiting until something is broken is costing men their lives [2:09] What Dr. Kauffman sees when men come in too late — prostate cancer, ED as a cardiovascular warning sign, and diabetes [4:14] How Viagra accidentally revolutionized men's health — and why men started showing up to doctors for the first time [7:27] Dr. Kauffman's background — board certified urologist, 25 years, fellowship in male infertility and andrology, MBA in Health Management [9:00] How he met his wife Cindy — a deli, a list of phone numbers, and a blind date that turned into 33 years [11:52] The non-negotiables of a long marriage — trust, transparency, communication, and shared values [13:49] Seen, heard, and safe — the three things a woman and your kids need to feel in your home [16:29] Vulnerability is not weakness in marriage — it's the foundation of real trust and real connection [19:49] What men most commonly come to Dr. Kauffman for — ED, low testosterone, and prostate health [32:00] ED is the canary in the coal mine — penile arteries are the first to show restricted blood flow, which means something else is coming [33:36] Diet talk — why extreme diets backfire and what a urologist actually recommends for men's health [38:45] The labs every man should be getting — ApoB, cholesterol panel, PSA, and why most men aren't being fully evaluated [42:07] Total testosterone vs. free testosterone — what the current guidelines actually say [43:15] Why gett

In this episode, Larry and Uncle Joe are back for another live Wednesday Q&A with real men from the Dad Edge Alliance — and this one hits on two of the most common struggles we hear from men: a marriage in repair mode that's sending confusing signals, and a hot-tempered nine-year-old that nobody knows how to reach. The first question comes from Jimmy — a man whose wife gave him a 90-day ultimatum, who has been doing the work, and who is now completely confused by what's happening. She's been affectionate. Then she's not. Then she pulls back and says no more physical contact. Is it over? Should he give up? Joe and Larry speak into this with the kind of wisdom that only comes from having lived it — including Joe's own experience with physical contact happening and then the wall going right back up, and Larry's stock market analogy that every man in a marriage repair season needs to hear. The second question comes from Mark — a teacher and dad of three whose nine-year-old middle child has a hair-trigger temper that seems to come out of nowhere. Joe drops one of the most memorable pieces of wisdom this show has ever heard about what anger in a young boy actually means, what's running underneath it, and how to find the magma before it erupts. Larry adds his own raw, honest story about his ten-year-old Colton — a family meeting he called, the guilt he took full ownership of, and what it means when the softest voice in your family has to fight just to be heard. Joe closes with a Solomon quote that stops the whole room cold. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Larry and Joe open the Q&A — May is here, and the Alliance Bible study group gets a shoutout [5:28] Jimmy's question: my wife gave me a 90-day ultimatum, I've been doing the work, she's been affectionate — then suddenly pulled back and said no more physical contact. Is it over? [8:59] Joe's answer: she doesn't feel safe yet — the narrative justifying the divorce is still running, and physical contact is cracking it open in a way that terrifies her [11:47] The mistake Joe made — trying to use physical contact to manipulate the situation back to his side [13:18] It ain't over until you say you're done trying — Joe's message to Jimmy [16:23] Larry's answer: the EKG pattern — she softens, pulls back, softens, pulls back. This is not failure. This is repair. [18:00] The stock market analogy — marriage repair is not a straight line, and the only thing that crashes it is when the man stops doing the work [21:47] Have the clarifying conversation — if you initiate, what do you want from me? Get clear so the lines stop getting blurred [24:49] Do the work for you, not for her — and don't be needy. That standoffish groundedness is what actually draws her back. [27:45] Core values as a filter — Awesome's

In this episode, I sit down with Brandon Webb — Navy SEAL, former head instructor of the Navy SEAL Sniper Course, New York Times bestselling author of twelve books, and now the author of a brand new parenting book called Puddle Jumpers, releasing May 12th. Brandon's story starts where most men's don't — kicked off the family sailboat at 16 in the South Pacific after a blowup with his dad, finding a boat headed to Hawaii, and navigating his way into the Navy and eventually SEAL Team Three. But what makes this conversation extraordinary is watching a man who trained the most elite warriors on the planet — including some of the legends you already know — apply that same performance psychology to raising his three kids. We dig into what performance psychology actually is, why the sniper school's failure rate dropped to nearly zero when they stopped pointing out mistakes and started painting the picture of what to do instead, and how Brandon built that same positive reinforcement framework into how he parents. We also get into the moment his daughter humbled him while he was writing Puddle Jumpers — telling him that because he was their untouchable Navy SEAL hero, she never felt like it was okay to fail. We swap shoplifting stories, talk about the power of getting to the why before you drop the hammer, why boys between 12 and 15 are standing at a fork in the road that can go either way, and why asking better questions on a one on one trip unlocks conversations that would never happen face to face at home. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Getting kicked off a sailboat at 16 in the South Pacific — and what his dad actually taught him [3:21] From deckhand at 13 to SEAL Team Three — and the book that made him think he could do it [7:29] Class 215 — graduating with Mike Ritland and serving with Eric Davis [9:20] Brandon's full background — SEAL, sniper instructor, NYT bestselling author, and now Puddle Jumpers [11:12] Why the book is called Puddle Jumpers — the mud puddle moment that became a philosophy [13:28] What performance psychology actually is — and why Brandon integrated it into the sniper program [17:22] The three pillars: mental rehearsal, self-talk, and positive reinforcement versus negative reinforcement [18:41] Why saying "stop flinching" programs failure — and what to say instead [21:17] The sniper school failure rate dropped to near zero — and what that taught him about his own kids [22:26] Why Brandon left the SEALs at his peak — and what the broken families around him told him about his own future [27:23] Consequences without the belt — wall squats, push ups, and eventually the iPhone [29:52] Owning your mistakes as a parent builds more credibility than never making them [33:05] What made him write a parentin

In this episode, I sit down with Adam Adler — Charleston-based founder, private equity investor, and dad of two — and his ten-year-old daughter Isla, who is not just the inspiration behind their app Wyzly but an active co-founder and integral part of the business. Yes, you read that right. A ten-year-old co-founded a company. And when you hear the idea, you'll understand why. At seven years old, Isla asked a simple question: what if kids could earn screen time by learning first? That question became Wyzly — a learn-to-earn platform that ends daily screen time battles without punishment, restriction, or power struggles. Instead of ripping the device away, Wyzly locks the apps and gives kids 5 to 10 curriculum-aligned questions to answer — specific to their grade, school, and school district — before the device unlocks. The whole thing takes about five minutes. The bunny runs across the screen, and the apps open back up. We dig into what too much screen time is actually doing to kids' brains, why the lock-and-block method always fails, and why giving kids the power to earn their own screen time changes everything. We also cover how the parent portal works, how Wyzly compares to Bark, and what's coming next — including avatars, brand partnerships, and Android. Larry has been using it with his 10 and 12 year old and it's already changing behavior, reducing anxiety, and eliminating the daily battle. Use code DAD20 when you download Wyzly for 20% off the $6.99 monthly membership. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Meet Isla — ten-year-old competitive gymnast, co-founder, and the brains behind Wyzly [4:24] Adam's background — private equity investor, founder, and dad of two girls [8:22] The idea that started it all — a seven-year-old's question that no app had ever answered [13:06] Why Adam went looking for the app in the App Store first — and what he found [15:48] Larry's firsthand experience using Wyzly with his 10 and 12 year old — and what changed [16:21] Two plus years building a category that didn't exist — and thousands of downloads in 60 days [19:44] How Wyzly actually works — what the device does, how the bunny unlocks the screen, and why kids love it [21:14] What makes it different — curriculum and school district specific questions powered by their own AI [23:03] How many questions, how long it takes, and what happens when you get them wrong [27:45] Why Wyzly flips the script — from power struggle to collaboration [29:12] Available now for kindergarten through sixth grade — and what's coming next [31:20] What too much screen time is actually doing to kids' brains — from Isla and Adam's firsthand experience [35:07] The data Wyzly is collecting on brain breaks and how they're helping kids regulate better

In this episode, I sit down with Bill and Danielle Beer — a married couple of 20 years, parents of five, and one of the most genuinely connected pairs we've ever had on this show. Bill is a physician and Dad Edge Alliance member of four and a half years. Danielle is a former military spouse, internal processor, and the kind of woman who quietly holds everything together while pushing her husband to go take care of himself. Their story starts in college — Bill surviving leukemia at 16, making his own treatment decisions to preserve his fertility, and then secretly applying to the cancer camp where Danielle was a counselor. That same dock where they had their first kiss is where Bill proposed three years later. Twenty years and five kids later, they're still building — and they're willing to talk about all of it. We get into what Bill was actually like before the Alliance — the poking, the picking fights when he needed connection but didn't have the vocabulary, the "happy wife happy life" mentality taken to such an extreme that Danielle stopped sharing hard days because she didn't want to be the reason Bill felt like he was failing. We talk about the weekly marriage meeting, ballroom dancing as a date night game changer, why they go to counseling when nothing is broken, and the moment Bill's 16-year-old daughter looked at him at the grocery store and said "your needs matter, dad." This one is warm, funny, real, and deeply practical. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] What Bill was looking for when he joined the Alliance — and the nudge Danielle gave him [6:33] Bill's leukemia diagnosis at 16 and the treatment decision he made to preserve his fertility [11:39] How they met at a cancer camp — and how Bill secretly applied after their first conversation [12:37] The dock proposal — same spot as their first kiss, fake run, hidden photographer [15:47] 20 years married, five kids, and a surprise trip to Hawaii Bill planned entirely himself [24:13] The moment Bill heard something in the group that Danielle had said for years — and why it landed differently [27:30] What poking and picking fights actually was — Bill seeking connection without the vocabulary to ask for it [29:51] Happy wife happy life taken too far — how it created pressure on Danielle and closed her off [33:37] The shift from avoiding divorce to asking "how do I actually want to be married?" [36:16] The weekly marriage meeting — appreciations, needs, big three, then logistics [38:07] Larry and Jessica in counseling right now — not because something is broken, but because the season demands it [40:38] Ballroom dancing as recreational intimacy — and why going even when you're annoyed always works [44:15] What Danielle finds most attractive about how Bill has evolve

In this episode, I sit down with Doug Boneparth — CFP, founder of Bona Fide Wealth, CNBC and Investopedia financial advisory council member, co-author of Money Together with his wife Heather, and one of the most refreshingly honest voices on money, marriage, and family I've ever had on this show. We open with a fact that stops most people cold: billionaires get divorced at the exact same rate as everyone else. More money does not solve the problem. The problem is the practice — or the complete lack of one. Doug breaks down why money fights in marriage are almost never actually about money. They're about the stories, traumas, and scripts we bring into the relationship from our upbringing — the dinner table conversations we absorbed as kids, the financial trauma we never talked about, and the values we've never stopped to examine. He shares his own story of a scarcity mindset rooted in coming home at 16 to find his mom sitting on a bare floor — and how not sharing that story with your spouse quietly poisons your financial partnership. We get into the quarterly money date, the invisible labor problem, why "just tell me what to do" is not helpful, what fairness really means in a marriage, and how to teach your kids about money through curiosity instead of shame. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Billionaires divorce at the same rate as everyone else — and what that tells us about money and marriage [6:28] Why financial literacy in schools is still nowhere near where it needs to be [10:52] "Mom goes on that train every morning so we can have fun on the weekends" — how to explain work to a four-year-old [14:06] The self work that comes before the teamwork — understanding your own money story first [18:52] Larry's story — coming home at 16 to a bare floor, a devastated mom, and a scarcity mindset 35 years in the making [22:51] You don't do this once — financial alignment takes consistent practice, like the gym [24:46] The quarterly money date — what it covers, how to do it, and why it changes everything [27:29] If a financial expert and an attorney couldn't get this right without doing the work — what chance does everyone else have? [31:51] Never bring up money during family rush hour — time and place matter more than you think [36:37] Teaching kids to spend — why Doug let his daughter buy junk and then got curious instead of critical [38:47] How a spring break lanyard project turned into a mini business [43:34] Making space for your partner to learn differently — the whiteboard that finally worked [45:04] The invisible labor problem — the sock on the stairs that Doug stepped over while laughing at his phone [46:16] "Just tell me what to do" is not help — own a task beginning to end [51:33] Where is the US dol

In this episode, Larry opens the doors of a live Dad Edge Alliance Q&A featuring neuroscience expert and brain coach Ashleigh Di Lello. This is a rare look behind the curtain at what actually happens inside the Alliance — real men, real questions, and real breakthroughs in real time. Ashleigh was told she was going to die at 13. She learned to walk again three times. And when a catastrophic hip surgery in 2017 left her in chronic pain and facing the possibility of never walking again, she decided to stop trying to control her body and start studying her brain instead. What she discovered — and has since spent seven years coaching others through — is a comprehensive, neuroscience-based process for rewiring the patterns, beliefs, and self-critical voices that keep men stuck. The men in this Q&A ask the questions most of us never say out loud: how do I quiet the inner critic at 61? How do I build resilience when my business is falling apart? How do I help my perfectionist daughter without making it worse? And what does it actually mean to feel your emotions without losing your identity as a man? Ashleigh answers every one of them — and the conversation goes places you won't expect. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] The quiet, sinister nature of negative self-chatter — and why morning affirmations aren't enough [3:26] Ashleigh's story — told she would die at 13, three hip surgeries, learning to walk again, and turning it all into a neuroscience-based brain rewiring practice [5:13] Ashleigh opens the Q&A — the brain's mechanisms are the same for all of us and can become our greatest asset [8:20] Jason's question: 61 years old, raised to suppress feelings, bullied in school — how do I quiet the inner critic now? [10:35] You are not either strong or weak — you are both. The human experience is contrast. [12:15] Self-criticism locks up the neural synapses — why the brain cannot change long-term through shame [13:47] The writing exercise — ten minutes, throw it away, slow the brain down and finally hear yourself [16:26] Speaking to your brain instead of letting your brain speak to you — and why micro-action is what changes the operating system [19:40] Larry shares his own moment — sitting down after his interview with Ashleigh in tears, writing down every cruel thing he was telling himself [21:09] Chris's question: how does your process actually work from start to finish? [22:15] The 12-week process — identifying, processing out, then rewiring. You can't skip the first half. [23:43] What isn't expressed is suppressed — and the brain holds on to it [28:24] Why men are more prone to addiction — shame activates the brain's alarm system and it will always find an outlet [31:10] Scott's question: how do I build resilience u

In this episode, Larry and coach Marc sit down to talk about one of the most common and least-talked-about crises facing business owner dads — burnout. Not the dramatic kind. The quiet, grinding, everyday kind where you're doing 14-hour days, drinking to decompress, wearing exhaustion like a badge of honor, and slowly losing the very people you're killing yourself to provide for. Featuring recorded clips from John — a real Boardroom member who came in on the brink of burnout — this episode is one of the most emotionally honest conversations we've had on this show. John's story will hit close to home for a lot of men. Working obsessively, drinking daily to escape, knowing something was wrong but believing the only answer was more action. His wife was losing her patience. He was losing himself. And then he stopped lone-wolfing it. Larry shares his own raw moment — telling his wife that if he's not providing, he doesn't know what value he brings to the family — and what his kids said when he and his wife actually asked them what they wanted most. Marc breaks down the BRAVE Man system, the tracker, and why busyness is not the same as results. And the episode closes with John getting so emotional he can't speak — and the silence that says everything. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] The burnout that business owner dads don't talk about — grinding for your family while quietly losing them [2:44] Leaders usually starve — because they pour everything into everyone else but themselves [4:15] Introducing Marc Hildebrand — and what today's episode is really about [5:52] How Marc met John — on the brink of burnout, drinking daily, running 14-16 hour days [7:35] The shift Marc saw by weeks four and five — doing less, but achieving more [9:11] The GPS analogy — what life feels like without a system versus with one [10:37] Why we resist new tools even when they could save us — and the old-timer cops who threw out the Garmin [12:12] Wearing burnout as a badge of honor — and the people who love you who see it from a mile away [13:29] Your kids ask "Dad, are you okay?" and you think nobody noticed [14:45] John's first clip: what life looked like before he applied — work first, drinking to escape, lone-wolfing it [17:36] The heart behind the burnout — doing it all for your family, but missing what they actually need [19:20] What Marc saw in John — a man believing there was only one way to succeed [20:10] Larry's vulnerable moment: "If I'm not providing, what value do I bring this family?" [22:10] His kids' answer when asked what they wanted most — more time, not more money [22:29] The 13 Hours scene — a Navy SEAL on his 12th deployment finally hearing "the kids don't need more money, they need you" [24:37] Why being will

In this episode, I sit down with Thomas Caleel — former Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School, founder of Admittedly, and one of the most clear-eyed voices in the college admissions space. This one is personal — I've got an 18-year-old headed to University of Arkansas in four months, and a sixth grader whose decisions today will quietly shape where he ends up ten years from now. Thomas opens the black box of college admissions and explains what's actually changed, what most parents are getting wrong, and what admissions officers are really looking for. The shift from well-rounded candidates to "vertical spikes" of deep passion and genuine interest is one of those things that sounds simple but changes everything about how you should be thinking about your kid's path right now. We talk about the right time to start, why the seventh-grade math assessment quietly matters more than most parents realize, how doing fewer things with real intentionality is more powerful than stacking clubs and activities, and why your child's college essay should tell their story — not yours. We also get into the financial reality most parents aren't prepared for — new federal loan caps, how to negotiate financial aid after admission, what Juno is and why it matters, and why sending your kid to a low-tier private college that costs $50,000 a year is something Thomas calls criminal. And he gives a refreshingly honest answer to whether college is actually worth it. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Larry's 18-year-old is leaving for University of Arkansas — and Thomas's son is heading to NYU [2:45] When change goes according to plan — and why it hits harder than you expect [4:45] What most parents are missing — the pressure cooker, the doom race, and why more is not always more [5:56] Why admissions is a black box — and why bad information fills that vacuum [7:23] Thomas's background — former Director of MBA Admissions at Wharton, 20 years shaping admissions strategy globally [9:05] How college admissions has changed — from well-rounded candidates to vertical spikes of deep passion [10:49] Why schools now prioritize socioeconomic diversity — and what full ride programs actually look like [11:37] What the internet did to admissions — 50,000 applicants where there used to be 8,000, and rates under 3% at Yale [12:00] Do fewer things intentionally and well — the sneakerhead who got into Stanford [15:18] Why volunteering doesn't help anymore if your kid doesn't actually care about it [17:31] How grit, initiative, and unglamorous jobs stand out just as much as expensive summer programs [19:29] The most common question Thomas hears — when should we start? [19:51] The seventh-grade math assessment that quietly determines whether your

In this episode, I sit down with Sol Kennedy — software developer, founder of the co-parenting app Best Interest, host of the Co-parenting Beyond Conflict podcast, and a man who built the thing he needed most during one of the hardest seasons of his life. Sol grew up watching a codependent father and a controlling mother, and spent years of his adult life repeating that dynamic — giving up his power in relationships, avoiding conflict at all costs, and calling the absence of fighting a good marriage. It took a divorce, his first therapy session at 38, and laying awake next to his girlfriend at 2am feeling that familiar anxiety spike when his phone pinged from his ex for Sol to finally build something different. We dig into the psychology behind why co-parenting is so emotionally explosive — the trapped emotions, the triggers, the courtroom-ready anger that destroys custody cases — and Sol walks us through exactly how the Best Interest app works. It acts as an AI-powered filter between you and your ex, stripping inflammatory language before it reaches you, flagging your own reactive messages before you send them, and letting you set communication boundaries without needing your co-parent's cooperation. It's essentially a bodyguard for your inbox — and for your peace of mind. We also get into the practical stuff: why you should start with a divorce coach, not a bulldog attorney; why anger in the courtroom is the fastest way to lose custody; and why therapy isn't optional if you want to actually show up well for your kids on the other side of a divorce. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] The moment that sparked Best Interest — lying in bed next to his girlfriend, anxiety spiking at every notification from his ex [2:23] What Our Family Wizard is and how co-parenting apps work [4:28] Why co-parenting is so hard — you're still in a relationship with someone you divorced [7:52] Sol's origin story — the codependent father, the controlling mother, and the name he chose for himself [9:22] Stepping into therapy at 38 for the first time — learning what "triggered" and "boundary" meant [13:05] Who Sol Kennedy is — founder of Best Interest, host of Co-parenting Beyond Conflict [14:30] How Sol's childhood shaped the relationships he sought out as an adult [19:47] The golden child, the scapegoat, and a marriage that never had real depth [23:29] How divorce changed what he was attracted to — and the intimacy he found on the other side [26:59] The catalyst for the divorce — a year and a half of therapy, a repetitive cycle, and his wife leaving just before the Covid lockdowns [29:26] How Best Interest differs from Our Family Wizard — shifting from a court-ready mindset to a conflict-prevention mindset [31:49] How the AI filter works in practic

In this episode, Larry and Dad Edge coach Marc sit down to unpack one of the most common traps business owner dads fall into — hoping things will get better instead of building a strategy to make them better. Featuring recorded clips from Jaden, a real estate investor and five-year member of the Dad Edge Business Boardroom, this episode is a real, unfiltered look at what it actually feels like to be a high-performing business owner who has it dialed at work but is guessing at home. Jaden's story is one a lot of men will recognize — stressed, stretched, showing up for everything but not really present for anyone, and telling himself tomorrow would somehow be different without any real plan to make that true. Hope is not a strategy. And that one sentence — dropped by Larry's toughest sales mentor years ago — becomes the through-line for the whole episode. Marc and Larry break down why business owners specifically are so underserved when it comes to marriage and fatherhood, why the men around you shape who you become whether you're intentional about it or not, and what happens when you stop reacting and start running a new operating system. Not just in your family — in everything. If you're a business owner who's winning at work and guessing at home, this one was made for you. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] What happens when we try our best but don't have the skills — and why winging it in marriage and fatherhood is a recipe for quiet misery [2:33] Why business owner dads are among the most underserved men out there [3:33] Starting a business is like having another kid — and most men are carrying both without the right support [5:45] Jaden's story: five-year Boardroom member, real estate investor, and a man who was just hoping tomorrow would be different [7:21] Hope is not a strategy — why hope without a plan turns against you over time [8:31] Marc's experience as a police officer and Larry's in sales — guessing in the early days and what changed when they found the right room [11:19] Hope is not a strategy — the mentor who stopped Larry cold and changed how he approached everything [13:58] What Jaden started learning inside the Boardroom — generative questions and the skill of processing in real time [15:04] Walking the cube: facts, story, emotions, action — and how it replaces emotional dumping with intentional response [16:39] It becomes your operating system — not a skill you have to work at, but how you fundamentally operate [18:18] These skills don't just change your family — they change your business too because you take your head everywhere [19:29] The tools that become part of your identity: emotional validation, generative questions, psychological safety, walking the cube [20:11] The software upgrade analog

In this episode, I sit down with Doug Smith — award-winning author of The Path of Rocks and Thorns, policy expert, trauma-informed leadership coach, adjunct professor, and a man who spent six years in a Texas prison cell for four counts of robbery committed in the grip of crack cocaine addiction. This is not a redemption story wrapped in a tidy bow. It's a raw, honest, and deeply human conversation about what happens when a man loses everything — and what he discovers about leadership, recovery, and fatherhood in the process. Doug walks us through what crack addiction actually feels like — the all-encompassing high and the equal and opposite fall — and what it took to rebuild a life after prison, including a bipolar disorder diagnosis, years of therapy, and a spiritual practice pieced together inside a Texas prison cell. He also shares the extraordinary leadership work he did while incarcerated, helping build a sexual assault prevention program that led to a dramatic increase in reporting and prosecution inside Texas prisons — work that continues to have an impact to this day. But the heart of this conversation is fatherhood. Doug's daughter was five when he went in. She was almost eleven when he came home. He shares the terrifying day he was released, the first reunion with his daughter, and how they reconnected through play and letters rather than words. And then he shares the hardest part — what happened when his book came out and his daughter's buried anger finally surfaced, and the hike where he sat in that anger with her without defending himself. Larry meets him there with his own story of a father who left twice — and the dinner conversation twenty years ago where forgiveness finally had room to breathe. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Introducing Doug Smith — author, policy expert, trauma-informed coach, and formerly incarcerated for four counts of robbery [1:23] What prison was actually like — more boring than people imagine, and unexpectedly clarifying [2:31] The decline into crack addiction — what the high feels like and what the low does to your soul [5:14] The black spot on the soul — how crack takes you lower with every use and never lets you climb back up [6:50] What withdrawal from crack cocaine actually does to your brain and body [9:04] How Doug recalibrated inside prison — exercise, meditation, spiritual practice, and learning to feel good without drugs for the first time in his adult life [11:18] His mental health diagnosis — bipolar disorder, personality disorder, and how he eventually moved past treating a label [13:21] Who Doug is today — policy expert, adjunct professor at UT Austin, trauma-informed leadership coach, and author [15:28] What leadership actually means — it's not a business term, it's the relation

In this episode, I sit down with Kelvin Davis — fashion trailblazer, author of Be a Good Man Not a Nice Guy, creator of Notoriously Dapper, one of the first Black big-and-tall models for Gap and Target, and dad of two daughters. This one covers a wide range of territory — style, masculinity, nice guy syndrome, divorce, co-parenting, and raising daughters as a single dad — and somehow manages to be one of the most fun and most real conversations we've had on this show. We start with style — and not the surface-level kind. Kelvin breaks down why how you dress is actually a statement about how you see yourself, how the right fit and color unlocks a level of confidence that can't be faked, and why most guys are unknowingly dressing for a version of themselves they no longer are. Then we get into the heart of the show: the difference between a good man and a nice guy. Kelvin draws the line clearly — nice guys are motivated by approval and the avoidance of conflict, good men are grounded in purpose, principles, and accountability. He gets deeply honest about his own nice guy patterns, including a porn addiction and seeking emotional connection outside his marriage, and how staying in a relationship he knew wasn't right ended up costing him and his daughters dearly. We dig into his divorce — how the girls responded, the pressure to pick sides, the importance of therapy, and what happened when his daughters moved to Tennessee and their relationship actually deepened over FaceTime. And we close with a powerful conversation about what Kelvin believes a dad's real job is: not to be liked, but to get your kids ready for the world. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:01] Introducing Kelvin Davis — style, Notoriously Dapper, big and tall modeling, and Be a Good Man Not a Nice Guy [4:58] Kelvin's backstory — knowing from age eight that fashion was his calling and going back to speak at his old elementary school [9:23] Larry's story with style expert Tanner Gazi — and the fat kid still living inside him who wears dark colors to hide [12:58] What style actually is — and why the right fit unlocks confidence that cannot be faked [14:03] How to build a base wardrobe — know your true size, nail the fit, then add accessories to elevate everything [16:52] What happens when you walk into a room dressed confidently — including the people who love it and the ones who resent it [19:53] How Kelvin learned to stop caring what people think — and why we all care to some degree [23:50] Introducing Be a Good Man Not a Nice Guy — how Kelvin defines the difference [24:36] Nice guys are motivated by approval and conflict avoidance — good men are grounded in purpose and values [27:25] Covert contracts, people pleasing, and why nice guys always eventually fall apart [29:01]

In this episode, Larry and Uncle Joe are back for another live Q&A with real men from the Dad Edge Alliance bringing their real questions. This one goes deep — and fast. The first question comes from a man walking through divorce he didn't want, trying to reconcile his faith with a marriage that's falling apart. Joe has lived this exact story — fasting, praying, sleeping in a separate bedroom for 18 months, doing everything he could — and speaks into it with the kind of wisdom that only comes from having actually been there. Larry adds his own perspective, including the heartbreaking story of losing a son to trisomy 13, and what he learned about God's ability to redeem even the worst seasons of life. The second question comes from Shepherd — a man who is newly divorced, in a new relationship seven months in with a wonderful woman of faith, but feeling the friction of competing priorities: his kids, her desire to be put first, a potential reverse vasectomy, and the nagging question of whether this is really the right person. Joe and Larry both weigh in with hard, loving, and deeply honest answers — including Joe's own cautionary tale about getting into a relationship too fast after a divorce, and the painful price his kids paid because of it. This is one of those Q&A episodes where every man in the audience will see himself in at least one of these questions. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Welcome to the Q&A — and a quick shoutout to the new Dad Edge shop [2:15] Question 1 — Anonymous: I'm a Christian going through a divorce I didn't want. My wife is a strong believer too. I need guidance. [2:34] Joe's answer: his own experience going through divorce as a believer, sleeping in a separate bedroom for 18 months, and what he learned [4:10] Being a follower of Christ and being a mature follower of Christ are two completely different things [5:37] Seeking the one with your two — how Joe and Ivy operate their marriage around loyalty to Christ first [6:50] The A plus B equals C equation with God — and why that theology will wreck you [7:37] What Joe would do differently: stop panicking, stop pushing, and focus on maturing as a man [10:01] Larry's perspective: it's okay to be angry with God — Father Stephen Gadberry on The Sean Ryan Show [13:11] God removes things we think are good for us — and sometimes this is a preparation for something better [14:39] Larry's story: losing a son to trisomy 13 in 2014, the decision to keep the baby, and the stillbirth at 22 weeks [17:33] Standing in that bathroom, looking up, and asking God why — and what came out of that season [18:00] Joe's response: our father redeems everything — even the worst stuff [19:39] Joe's own three marriages — and how God used all of it [20:08] Living

In this episode, I sit down with Demir Bentley — Wall Street analyst turned productivity coach, co-founder of Life Hack Method, author of Winning the Week, and dad of three daughters under six. This one goes deep on two things most dads desperately need: a better system for planning their week, and a real conversation about what it means to raise confident, loved daughters. Demir opens up about his time on Wall Street — 80 to 100 hour weeks, a hustle culture identity so baked in he didn't know who he was without it — and the health crisis that forced him to change everything. His digestive system began shutting down, he required three surgeries, and his doctors told him to cut his hours below 40 or face serious consequences. That pressure produced the Winning the Week method — a simple, three-pillar planning framework that helped him get the same work done in a fraction of the time. We break down exactly how to run a real planning session — a calendar interrogation, not a calendar review — and why your calendar is lying to you right now. We get into why planning on Friday instead of Sunday is a game changer, what open loops are doing to your brain on the weekend, and how sharing the mental load with your wife is one of the most important leadership moves a man can make at home. And then Demir drops one of the most memorable parenting concepts this show has ever heard: the idea of being the Keeper of Vibes — not just the lowest heartbeat in the room, but the painter of the energy canvas your family lives inside every day. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Introducing Demir Bentley — Wall Street to lifestyle design, productivity coach, dad of three daughters [3:38] Freedom as a core value — and why Demir's shirt and hair are a statement, not an accident [5:00] Being a girl dad — and Larry's experience running a daddy daughter retreat with men who had never lit up like that before [8:33] Demir's slow start to fatherhood — and why a phone call from a friend before his first daughter was born may have saved him [10:44] What Winning the Week is — and where it came from [11:04] Wall Street, hustle culture, and the religion of outworking the competition [13:30] The health crisis that changed everything — salaryman sudden death syndrome, three surgeries, and a doctor telling him to cut his hours in half [14:36] Who am I if I'm not the guy who works 100 hours a week — the identity crisis behind the health crisis [20:22] How the Winning the Week method was born out of raw necessity [23:31] Pillar one — the calendar interrogation: your calendar is lying to you and here's how to catch it [26:47] Pillar two — real prioritizing: if there's no tear in your eye when you're cutting things, you're not cutting enough [27:27] Pillar three — the

In this episode, I sit down with Jon Fogel — pastor, dad of four, PhD candidate in developmental psychology, and bestselling author of Punishment Free Parenting. Jon is one of those rare guys who can make you laugh so hard you forget you're learning some of the most important parenting insights you've ever heard. We open with chaos — including the time his wife went into labor at Goodwill, insisted on finishing the bathroom tile and installing a toilet before going to the hospital, and the time Jon almost missed the birth of his fourth child because he stopped for Jimmy John's on the way back. But then it gets real. Jon breaks down why punishment doesn't work — not as a philosophy, but as brain science. When you punish a child, you activate the threat response system, which is the exact part of the brain that shuts off learning. We dig into what to do instead, the landmark Bobo doll experiment proving kids follow the behavior of the men in their lives above everyone else, and how rupture and repair actually builds stronger relationships than if you'd never messed up at all. Jon also walks us through Set My Feelings Free — his kids' book packed with emotional regulation games you can start using today to stop tantrums before they start. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission [1:02] Introducing Jon Fogel — pastor, author, PhD candidate, and Whole Parent [6:07] Why the parenting space desperately needs more men in it [14:02] Jon's family — and the birth stories that will make you lose it [26:12] Why Jon goes calm in a crisis but loses it over spilled milk [45:34] The core message of Punishment Free Parenting — brain science, not philosophy [49:12] Kids don't have the same negativity bias as adults — they want to see you in the best light [50:18] Your kids aren't trying to give you a hard time — they're having a hard time [51:07] Rupture and repair — why messing up and fixing it builds the strongest bonds [55:39] The dad buried in his phone is a bigger problem than the dad who sometimes loses his temper [57:42] The Still Face Experiment — and what a parent staring at a phone really communicates [1:00:37] The Bobo doll experiment — kids follow the men in their lives above everyone else [1:03:37] You don't have to fix your kids. Fix yourself. Your kids are fine. [1:09:08] Why punishment shuts off the brain's learning system — and what to do instead [1:17:16] Get Curious, Not Furious — the question every parent needs to ask [1:20:12] The Doctor House analogy — stop managing symptoms, find the underlying problem [1:24:05] Set My Feelings Free — emotional regulation games disguised as fun [1:29:34] Why you should never check under the bed for the monster Five Key Takeaways Punishment activates the threat response system — the part of the brai

In this solo episode, Larry gets straight to the point: the reason most men feel stuck isn't a lack of motivation — it's a lack of direction. Not the five-year-plan kind of direction, but the daily kind. What are you building in your marriage right now? What are you doing this week to move the needle? Because if you don't choose a direction, life will choose one for you — and it's usually the one that leaves you reactive, exhausted, and quietly frustrated. Larry shares what's coming up in the Dad Edge community in April, breaks down what the Alliance is really about in plain English, and makes the case for why this is the moment to stop consuming content and start executing. He also announces the first ever First Form Dad of the Month — a man in the Alliance who has been quietly doing the work, keeping his promises to himself, and leading from the front without making a big deal about it. This one is short, direct, and worth every minute. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] The real reason most men feel stuck — it's not motivation, it's direction [1:45] What happens when you don't choose a direction and life chooses one for you [2:01] What's coming up in the Dad Edge community — events, programs, and announcements [3:02] The Men's Forge event — what it is, who it's for, and why it's not a hype fest [4:44] Why being in a room with the right men changes everything [5:44] The April theme inside the Alliance — purpose, direction, and leadership for men [6:06] The real reason men fail — not laziness, but an unclear target [7:04] What the Alliance actually is in plain English — brotherhood, plans, execution, and no egos [7:58] What April inside the Alliance looks like — getting clear on what you actually want and building a weekly rhythm that makes winning normal [9:22] What men who show up and do the work actually experience — no longer feeling behind, making faster decisions, becoming more consistent at home [10:07] The Roommates to Soulmates preview call — April 1st at 7pm Central — who it's for and what to expect [11:43] Announcing the first ever First Form Dad of the Month — Jason Rowe — and why he earned it [13:05] First Form product spotlight — Magic Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Red Velvet Cake flavors [15:09] Closing message — the world is loud, drift is real, and today is the day to do one thing your future self will thank you for Five Key Takeaways You're not stuck because you're lazy. You're stuck because your target is blurry. When direction gets fuzzy, discipline gets fuzzy right along with it. If you don't choose a direction on purpose, you'll drift toward whatever is loudest and most urgent — and you'll look up one day and realize you've been living the same week for

In this episode, I sit down with Matthew McConaughey — Oscar-winning actor, author of the bestselling memoir Greenlights, and a man who thinks about fatherhood, legacy, and what it means to truly live with the same intensity he brings to everything else. This is not a conversation about Hollywood. It's about what it means to be a man and a father who doesn't half-ass the most important things in his life. Matthew opens up about his own father — a larger-than-life man who taught him three rules that shaped everything: don't say can't, don't hate, and don't lie. We get into the stories behind each of those lessons, the "don't half-ass it" moment when Matthew told his dad he wanted film school instead of law school, and what it takes for a father to recognize that his son has made up his mind — not asking permission, but declaring a direction. We also talk about Camilla, taking his kids everywhere he goes on set, and why three older actors all told him the same thing: they chose work over family time and would do it differently if they could. Then there's the passage from Greenlights that stopped Larry mid-workout — about living your legacy now, and the idea that most of us don't fly too close to the sun. We don't fly nearly high enough. Our alarms go off too early. This one is timeless. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Why this replay is one of the top ten episodes in Dad Edge history [2:18] What Matthew hoped would come from this conversation: waking men up to what being a dad really means [4:29] What brings Matthew joy: bringing people together and watching them build their own independent friendships [6:31] The role most relative to who he is as a husband and father — and why his family has always come with him on every job [8:52] Camilla's one condition before they started a family: "You go, we go" [11:02] Three older actors all said the same thing: they chose work over family, and they regret it [12:39] The 80% statistic: most of your one-on-one time with your kids is gone by the time they're 12 [14:00] Fatherhood is a verb — on screen time, saying no with love, and why the easy answer is almost always the wrong one [18:33] The birds and bees talk from his father: a lesson about respect for women that stuck word for word [20:34] Don't say can't — the lawnmower story and the lesson that there's always another way [21:57] Don't hate — saying "I hate you" at his own birthday party, and what happened next [22:28] Don't lie — the stolen pizza, four chances to tell the truth, and what Matthew actually remembers [24:10] "Don't half-ass it" — the film school conversation and what it means when a father hears conviction in his son's voice [28:04] His dad was alive for just five days into Matthew's first acti