The Dad Edge Podcast

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

In this episode, I sit down with Joe Gatto — comedian, founding member of Impractical Jokers, author, and one of the most genuinely funny and surprisingly deep guys I've ever had on this show. Yes, we laugh. A lot. But what surprised me most about this conversation is how quickly it got real. Joe lost his dad to pancreatic cancer at 19 years old — and watching his father face death with grace, humor, and a smile on his face left an imprint on Joe that shaped everything: the man he became, the dad he is today, and even the comedy career that followed. We get into marriage and how humor can be the glue that holds a couple together through a tumultuous season — but also how humor can become a way to avoid the conversations that actually need to happen. Joe is honest that the last couple of years have been tough, and he talks about learning to know when it's time to stop laughing and start talking. And Joe's kids' book — Where Is Barry? — gets the full story: how his son Remo losing his stuffed animal one night turned into a beautifully illustrated book about calming down, thinking logically, and handling life's little chaos moments. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:01] Introducing Joe Gatto — Impractical Jokers, touring comedian, author, and a guy who's way more real than you'd expect [4:23] Growing up in Staten Island: big Italian family, big backyard, and a nerdy kid who quizzed his dad with encyclopedia multiple choice tests [5:40] How comedy shaped Joe's childhood — Home Improvement, Mel Brooks, Jim Carrey, and movie nights with dad [8:10] The relationship with his dad — and losing him to pancreatic cancer at just 19 years old [10:00] His dad's response to the diagnosis: "Get a fake ID, we're going to Vegas" [11:02] What it was like to be in the ambulance when his father passed — and the smile on his face at the very end [13:16] Larry's reflection: "You had more of a dad in 19 years than a lot of men have in a lifetime" [14:20] How Joe's dad shaped the comedian, the father, and the man he is today [15:02] Joe's new tour Let's Get Into It — tracing his journey from a geeky kid with no friends to who he is now [16:23] The iconic memory: dad comes home in a full suit, kids are in the pool — and he just jumps in [17:21] How Joe recreated that exact moment for his own kids without even planning it [18:36] What Joe's kids would say about him if you asked them without him in the room [19:37] His 9-year-old daughter who wants to be a DJ — and why Joe said yes without hesitation [20:06] His 7-year-old son who asks questions like "why is the middle finger bad?" — and how Joe handled it [24:08] The origin story of Impractical Jokers — day jobs, a bartender, a firefighter, and four friends doing comedy for fun <p

In this episode, I'm joined by my co-host Uncle Joe for one of our live Q&A sessions — where real men from the Dad Edge Alliance bring their real questions, and we do our best to give them real, honest answers. This one covers a lot of ground. We open with a powerful question from Rich — a man who spent nearly 30 years as an agnostic, gave his life to Christ six months ago, and now wants to know how to lead his 11 kids toward faith without forcing it on them. Joe brings wisdom from his own walk, and I share a deeply personal story about going to church with my son Ethan — how one pastor's offhand comment cracked something open in me, and how an honest, vulnerable conversation in a car changed the entire trajectory of my relationship with my son around faith. The second question is one that hits close to home for a lot of men in this community: when things have been bad in your marriage for a long time and you finally start getting wins — how do you avoid going complacent? Joe and I both dig into this one from personal experience. Joe speaks to the PTSD that builds up inside a man after years of a hard marriage, how fear and insecurity can quietly self-sabotage the very progress you've worked so hard for, and why faith — not fear — has to lead. I talk about consistency, keeping the sword sharp, and why marriage is exactly like the gym. We close with a bonus coaching moment on communication — why "you make me feel" is a conversation grenade, and how to ask for clarity in a way that actually works. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:01] Welcome to the Q&A — live questions from real Dad Edge Alliance members [1:42] Reminder: Roommates to Soulmates Cohort preview call on April 1st at 7pm Central [2:50] Question 1 — Rich: I gave my life to Christ six months ago after 30 years as an agnostic. How do I lead my older kids toward faith without forcing it? [6:07] Joe's answer: You lead by example, walking it out in front of them — including when you fail and change course [8:33] Joe's story: his son Colin told his wife "the dad I have now is not the dad I had ten years ago" [9:21] The power of community in faith — why you cannot walk this walk alone [9:55] What Joe does every two weeks: a Zoom Bible study with his entire grown family [11:02] Your outside world is always a reflection of your inside world — get your inside right first [13:47] Larry's answer: his personal journey from cultural Catholic to full believer — and what changed in the last year [15:17] The situation with Larry's son Ethan — a controversial church, a girlfriend pushing conversion, and how Larry navigated it without muscling him [16:35] How Larry approached it: curiosity over control — asking questions instead of issuing warnings [17:14] Larry goes to church with Etha

In this episode, I sit down with Nikki Sixx — founder of Mötley Crüe, rock legend, bestselling author, and a man whose story goes so much deeper than anything that ever happened on a stage. This conversation is not about the music. It's about what happens when a boy grows up without his father, carries that wound through decades of addiction and chaos, and finally — through sobriety, therapy, forgiveness, and faith — becomes the kind of dad his own kids can always run to. Nikki opens up about growing up without his dad in the picture, how the story he was told about his father wasn't the full truth, and the slow and painful process of forgiving both his parents. He shares the defining therapy session where a frumpy office, a dusty couch, and one sentence from his therapist — "you don't have to love your mom" — cracked something open in him that changed everything. We talk about sobriety, and Nikki is direct: it always gets worse before it gets better. When you remove the substance, you have to face what's underneath. But if you can survive that first year, your whole life reorganizes. He's 20 years sober, and what he's built on the other side of that — as a husband, a father of five, a writer, and a creative — is nothing short of remarkable. And Larry's son Ethan jumps in with a question that leads to one of the most important moments of the episode: Nikki's warning to today's teenagers about the very real and deadly danger of fentanyl-laced drugs — from someone who has lived every version of this story. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:01] Introducing Nikki Sixx — founder of Mötley Crüe, author, and one of the most unexpected guests in Dad Edge history [2:28] Growing up on vinyl, discovering music, and the self-discovery of being a young man in a different era [5:13] Both Larry and Nikki share the experience of growing up without their fathers — and how it shaped them [6:00] Writing The First 21 — the story of Frankie Farina, his dad's name, and what Nikki discovered about his father that surprised him [7:15] How the absence of a father manifests differently in every man — and why Nikki's came out as anger in his late teens [10:36] Larry's own story: being reunited with his father at 30 and building a relationship over 16 years [13:30] Getting to maturity means facing reality — and what Nikki's kids get to see by watching their dad work through his own stuff [14:22] Being gone on tour while raising kids — the guilt of absence and the work of making amends [15:35] No gold records on the walls: how Nikki deliberately kept his celebrity out of the home to protect his kids [16:32] "Not wanting to be my dad made me a better dad — but forgiving my dad might make me an even better one" [17:16] At 62 with a two-year-old: what legacy

In this episode, I sit down with former NFL tight end Greg Olsen — a man who built one of the most decorated careers in professional football, but whose greatest story has nothing to do with what happened on the field. We talk about Greg's upbringing in an all-boys household led by a high school football coach father who pushed hard, loved harder, and never let his kids settle for less than their best. Those lessons — accountability, perseverance, and doing the hard things when no one's watching — are ones Greg still carries and now passes on to his own kids. We also get into the youth sports landscape today, the difference between a helicopter parent and what Greg calls a "Zamboni parent," and why letting your kids face real adversity early is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. Greg's philosophy is simple: you can teach skills, but you cannot coach desire. But the heart of this conversation is TJ. Greg opens up about the moment an ultrasound revealed that his son TJ had hypoplastic left heart syndrome — a condition where only one side of the heart is functional and is 100% fatal if left untreated. He walks us through what it was like to be a husband, a father to other kids at home, and a starting NFL player — all while his newborn son was recovering from open heart surgery. And how he and his wife Cara made a conscious decision every single day to stay aligned, take turns being strong for each other, and refuse to let the weight of the uncontrollable destroy what they had built together. This episode will challenge you, move you, and remind you that the measure of a man is not how he performs when everything is going well — it's how he leads when he has absolutely no control. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:01] Why this replay hits differently the second time — and what makes Greg Olsen's story so powerful [2:44] Greg's upbringing: an all-boys household, a football coach dad, and a life built around sports and high expectations [7:29] Why Greg wouldn't trade his demanding childhood for anything — and the lessons he still carries today [8:46] When dad is also coach: the life lessons sports instilled in Greg that carried him to the NFL [9:27] The harder a coach pushes you, the more they believe in you — and why parents today have lost sight of this [11:39] The Zamboni parent: why over-protecting kids from adversity sets them up to fail in the real world [14:02] Finding the balance — building kids' confidence while still holding them to a real standard [23:43] How Greg coaches his own kids differently: effort is the only thing he'll call out from the sideline [26:24] The parents who don't show up to practice but have all the answers on game day — Greg's take [29:05] The moment everything changed: finding out at an ultrasound that TJ

In this episode, I sit down with Tara and Tim Katzman — a real couple from our own Dad Edge community who were standing at the doorstep of divorce and chose to fight for their marriage instead. This is one of the most downloaded episodes in Dad Edge history, and when you hear their story, you'll understand why. Tim was a workaholic consumed by his business, available to clients around the clock while his wife and kids got whatever was left — which was almost nothing. Tara reached a breaking point where leaving felt like the only sane option. She was done. She told him daily she wanted a divorce. And yet something shifted. We dig into what that turning point actually looked like — the flatline-or-mad emotional state Tim was stuck in, the moment Tara came prepared for a fight and got ownership and an apology instead, and how Tim went from never setting a boundary with a client to shutting work off at 4pm and protecting his family time fiercely. Their 18-year-old daughter even noticed — calling out that "dad is out of his people-pleasing era." We also get into what it means to go from doing the right things to actually being a different man — and why that distinction matters more than any tactic or checklist. Tara describes going from keeping mental receipts and bracing for fallout every time she spoke, to fully melting into her husband. Tim describes going from avoiding his wife to not being able to spend enough time with her. If your marriage feels like a checklist, if you're disappearing into work, or if you've already heard the words "I'm not in love with you anymore" — this episode is proof that it is possible to turn it all the way around. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:01] Why this episode is one of the most downloaded in Dad Edge history — and what makes it so real [1:47] Setting the scene: Tim the workaholic, Tara on the verge of walking out, and a marriage running on fumes [3:24] Switching Wednesday Q&As to real stories of wins from men and couples in the community [5:42] Tim and Tara introduce themselves — four kids, a pool business, and a 22-year relationship that started at 16 [7:32] Growing up in divorced households with no blueprint for what a healthy marriage looks like [10:18] The forced house move that made everything worse — and the moment Tara hit her absolute lowest [12:10] What the disconnection really looked like day to day: ships passing in the night, Tim treating family like a bother [13:50] When the kids started getting the same treatment — and why that was Tara's breaking point [17:34] The meditation exercise that shifted Tim's perspective and turned down the volume on work urgency [18:34] Setting boundaries with clients for the first time — and Tara having to tell him to stop ignoring people [19:40] Their 18-

In this episode, I sit down with Terrence Ogden, founder of Official Project Grit — a man who transformed a life of addiction, jail time, and rock bottom into one of the most inspiring stories of resilience, grit, and faith you'll ever hear. We start with the Immortal 32 Ruck — a 75-mile road march from Gonzales, Texas to the Alamo, now in its seventh year, inspired by the 32 men who answered the call at the Alamo knowing it was a one-way ticket. But what makes Terrence's story so gripping is where he came from. Years as a severe heroin addict, cycling in and out of jail, until a mentor named Kenny Baker reached out a hand and changed everything. That spirit of one man helping another became the DNA of Project Grit. We also get into Terrence's most extraordinary feat: a solo, self-supported 1,046-mile ruck across the entire state of Texas — 40 days, no crew, with food caches buried in the desert weeks in advance. He shares what it taught him about faith, discipline, and a peace found not in the absence of chaos, but in the presence of God within it. We close with a powerful call to any man carrying something heavy in silence. Terrence's message is simple: we are tribal by nature, and you will never find your true purpose until you're willing to ask another man for help. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:01] Introducing Terrence Ogden — founder of Official Project Grit and one of the toughest non-veterans you'll ever meet [1:46] The Immortal 32 Ruck: a 75-mile road march from Gonzales to the Alamo held every year around Texas Independence Day [4:18] Terrence recaps the seventh annual event — 51 starters, 35 finishers, record-breaking heat in Texas [7:32] How Official Project Grit was born — and why it starts with Terrence's story of addiction and redemption [8:19] The mentor who changed everything: Kenny Baker, the man who pulled Terrence out of the gutter [10:32] The Soul Crusher: the defining moment at mile 40 that gave birth to Project Grit's true mission [13:25] Ad break — Roommates to Soulmates Cohort preview call [15:11] Rucking as an equalizer: how a knee injury transitioned Terrence from ultramarathons to rucking [20:28] The power of reaching out — Larry's personal story of texting a friend in a dark moment [23:06] Six years sober and on the edge: Terrence's most gripping near-relapse story and the friend who saved him [28:15] The battle cry — a message for any man who is lone-wolfing it right now [30:04] Discipline before confidence: Terrence's leadership philosophy and how he's raising his kids [32:49] The 1,046-mile Texas ruck: 40 days, solo, self-supported, food caches buried in the desert [39:10] Finding peace in the desert — and why peace isn't the absence of chaos but the presence of God [41:54] The sp

In this episode, I sit down with Dan Cocran, a young leader who is on a mission to help men in one of the most overlooked seasons of life—the years between 18 and 30. While many resources exist for married men, fathers, and established professionals, very few focus on young men who are still trying to find their footing in the world. Dan shares the inspiration behind the Forging Your Future Young Men's Summit, an event designed to help young men build confidence, discover purpose, and develop the leadership skills they need to thrive in their careers, relationships, and communities. We dive into the challenges young men face today—lack of mentorship, isolation, confusion around purpose, and the pressure to figure life out without guidance. Dan explains why community, mentorship, and intentional development are essential during this critical season of life. We also talk about the responsibility fathers have to mentor the next generation—not just their own sons, but the young men around them. Because when men step up and invest in younger men, it doesn't just change one life—it changes families, communities, and future generations. If you're raising sons, mentoring younger men, or simply want to understand the challenges facing the next generation of men, this conversation will open your eyes to why leadership and mentorship matter now more than ever. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to create leaders of families and communities [1:02] Reflecting on the uncertainty many men experience in their early twenties [1:46] Why the years between 18 and 30 are often overlooked in male development [2:24] The importance of mentorship, guidance, and community for young men [2:45] Introducing Dan Cocran and the vision behind the Forging Your Future Young Men's Summit [3:21] Why there are few resources designed specifically for men ages 18–30 [3:56] The modern challenges young men face when trying to find direction and purpose [4:12] Why fathers should care deeply about the development of the next generation of men [4:27] Reflecting on how many men feel lost during their early adult years [4:43] Why mentorship and leadership development can dramatically change a young man's trajectory Five Key Takeaways The years between 18 and 30 are one of the most critical stages of development for men. Many young men struggle today because they lack mentorship, direction, and supportive communities. Fathers and older men play a vital role in guiding and investing in the next genera

In this Wednesday Q it's learning how to step out of the competition and into collaboration. We talk about how to create psychological safety during hard conversations, how to interrupt unhealthy patterns, and why curiosity is far more powerful than defensiveness.   Uncle Joe also shares a powerful perspective about what he calls the "rucksack principle"—taking an honest inventory of what you're carrying and being willing to sacrifice things that may be important to you but aren't serving the health of your marriage or family. If you're feeling overwhelmed, reactive, or stuck in recurring conflict, this episode offers practical tools and a new perspective on leadership at home.     Timeline Summary: [1:01] Wednesday Q&A kickoff with Uncle Joe and the Dad Edge community  [2:00] Listener question about impulsive reactions, yelling, and shutting down in marriage  [4:45] The powerful truth that two things can be true at the same time  [5:56] The "100-pound rucksack" analogy for overwhelm in marriage  [7:50] How to interrupt the conflict cycle with a new conversation approach  [10:00] Creating psychological safety by changing physical positioning in conversations  [13:20] Uncle Joe's perspective on inspecting your own "rucksack" first  [16:00] What real love looks like: patience, sacrifice, and humility  [21:30] The power of daily journaling and reflection to improve emotional awareness  [24:00] Why most men struggle with relationships because of a skill gap—not bad intentions

What does it really look like to be a present father when life pulls you in a thousand different directions?   In this powerful conversation, I sit down with actor Jon Bernthal—known for roles in The Punisher, The Walking Dead, Ford v Ferrari, and The Wolf of Wall Street—but what you'll hear today isn't about Hollywood. It's about fatherhood, humility, responsibility, and the deep influence a father can have on a son's life.   Jon opens up about his childhood, the mistakes he made growing up, and the unwavering presence of a father who never gave up on him—even during the hardest seasons. We talk about the lessons Jon learned from those experiences and how they shaped the man, husband, and father he is today.   We also dive into what intentional fatherhood looks like in real life: owning your mistakes, being present with your kids, and leading by example. Jon shares how he balances the demands of acting with showing up for his family—sometimes flying across the country overnight just to coach his kid's game.   If you've ever struggled with being present, balancing work and family, or wondering what kind of legacy you're leaving as a dad—this episode will hit home.   Timeline Summary   [0:01] Why this powerful Jon Bernthal episode is being re-released and why the message still matters  [2:06] Jon Bernthal the actor vs. Jon Bernthal the husband and father  [5:18] The powerful lessons Jon learned from his father growing up  [18:35] Growing up reckless and how his father never gave up on him  [22:02] How mistakes and failures shaped the man he became  [33:12] Balancing a demanding career with being present for family  [36:45] Why intentional presence with your kids matters more than perfection  [37:08] The simple principle Jon lives by: "Be where you are while you're there."  [44:47] Why failure and mistakes are part of being a good father  [54:26] The power of a father who never gives up on his child      Five Key Takeaways Presence is one of the greatest gifts a father can give his k

What does it actually mean to pursue excellence without losing your peace, your family, or yourself in the process?   In this episode, I sit down with New York Times bestselling author Brad Stulberg to unpack the tension so many driven men feel: the desire to achieve at a high level while still living a meaningful and grounded life. Brad shares insights from his book The Way of Excellence and explains why humans are wired to strive — but not necessarily wired to feel content once we achieve.   We dive into the trap many high-performing men fall into: constantly chasing the next milestone, promotion, or accomplishment while never feeling satisfied. Brad also shares powerful insights for fathers on how to help their kids develop a healthy relationship with effort, competition, and self-worth. If you're a driven man who struggles to slow down and enjoy the journey — or you want to raise kids who value effort and character over outcomes — this conversation will challenge how you think about success.   Timeline Summary   [0:00] Introducing Brad Stulberg and the idea behind The Way of Excellence [2:29] Why humans are wired to strive but not wired for contentment [8:57] The trap of "heroic individualism" and chasing achievement [11:04] Why success alone often leaves people feeling empty [20:08] The mountain metaphor for achievement and fulfillment [26:04] The importance of pausing to appreciate the journey [29:00] Helping kids avoid tying self-worth to results [34:46] Why youth sports should focus on development over winning [41:01] Separating identity from performance [48:55] The real goal of youth sports: helping kids want to play again next year     Five Key Takeaways Humans are wired to strive, which means the next achievement rarely brings lasting satisfaction. True excellence is about pursuing something worthwhile that aligns with your values. Focusing only on outcomes causes us to miss the meaning of the journey. Kids need to learn that effort and growth matter more than results. Fulfillment comes from aligning ambition with presence, purpose, and values.   Links & Resources The Way of Excellence (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Way-Excellence-Greatness-Satisfaction-Chaotic/dp/0063385945 Roommates to S

In this powerful Q&A episode, Uncle Joe and I tackle one of the most common — and emotionally charged — challenges men face: feeling disrespected by their wives and not knowing how to respond without escalating the situation. We unpack why reacting in anger never works, why most men were never taught conflict resolution skills, and how to move from emotional reactivity to grounded leadership.   Uncle Joe also shares his raw personal story — three failed marriages, a radical transformation in faith, and what it really means to earn respect instead of demanding it. If you've ever struggled with triggers, short fuses, or feeling misunderstood at home, this episode will give you both tactical tools and deeper perspective.     Timeline Summary [1:02] Reintroducing Uncle Joe and the story behind his name [4:11] Three failed marriages and the transformation that followed  [10:59] The marriage question: What do you do when you feel disrespected?  [15:52] Why most men were never taught conflict resolution  [18:23] Fighting for what you don't want vs. clearly stating what you do want  [19:58] Creating rules of engagement for healthy conflict  [22:13] Knowing your triggers and lengthening your fuse  [28:27] Respect is earned through leadership, not demanded  [31:57] Real peace isn't the absence of chaos — it's stability in the storm      Five Key Takeaways Most men were never taught healthy conflict resolution — it's a skill you must intentionally learn. When you argue for what you don't want, you create more confusion — clarity changes everything. Emotional triggers are rarely just about your spouse — they're often tied to your own story. Respect in marriage grows when you lead consistently and earn trust daily. Real peace is developed internally — not dependent on external calm.       Links & Resources Roommates to Soulmates Cohort & Preview Call: https://thedadedge.com/soulmates Episode Link & Resources: https://thedadedge.com/1447 <p cl

If you want to understand what real brotherhood looks like — not surface-level friendships, not lone wolfing it, not "I've got this" energy — but true fellowship forged through shared hardship, this episode is for you.   Today I sit down with Frank Schwartz, aka Dark Helmet, President of F3 Nation. We dive deep into faith, fellowship, fitness, and what actually changes a man. Frank shares how going from 40 pounds overweight and spiritually empty to leading a global movement of men completely transformed his identity. We talk about sad clown syndrome, why success on paper doesn't equal fulfillment, why most men isolate when they're struggling, and how shared suffering builds trust faster than anything else.   If you've ever asked yourself, "Is this it?" — you're going to want to hear this one.     Timeline Summary [0:00] Introducing Frank Schwartz (Dark Helmet) and the mission of F3 Nation [12:06] The three Fs: Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith — and why they must build in that order [18:05] The Lone Wolf Lie and why men isolate when they're struggling [24:02] Growing up with impossible standards and how that shaped identity [28:56] Sad Clown Syndrome — winning on paper but empty inside [39:00] The pull-up moment that redefined what brotherhood really means [48:49] Do you have what it takes? The answer every man needs to hear     Five Key Takeaways Discipline starts physically — but real transformation is internal. Surface-level friendships will never sustain a man in crisis. Shared suffering accelerates trust faster than conversation alone. Success without brotherhood often leads to quiet emptiness. Every man asks "Do I have what it takes?" — and the answer is yes.     Links & Resources F3 Nation: https://f3nation.com Frank Schwartz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadwithvirtue The Men's Forge Live Event: https://themensforge.com Episode Shownotes: http://thedadedge.com/1446       Closing     If you're tired of lone wolfing it… if you're successful on paper but feel disconnected… if you know there's more inside you but you haven't unlocked it yet — this episode

In this solo episode, I share what's coming in March inside the Dad Edge Alliance, including a full breakdown of how we're helping dads move from authoritarian parenting to grounded leadership and collaboration. I also announce The Men's Forge live event, the next Roommates to Soulmates cohort, and highlight an incredible 1st Phorm transformation story from inside our community.   If you've been feeling the drift — in your parenting, your marriage, your energy, or your leadership — this episode is your reset.     Timeline Summary [0:00] Who this episode is for — dads stuck in power struggles or marriage drift [4:19] Why holding kids accountable feels harder than asking them to do something [5:51] Moving from authoritarian parenting to grounded leadership [7:06] Mastering regulation before correction [8:16] Building accountability without authoritarian energy [9:59] The Men's Forge live event announcement [13:22] Guest speaker lineup including G.S. Youngblood [15:03] F3 Nation President Frank "Dark Helmet" Schwarze joining the event [17:01] Dad Edge 1st Phorm Dad of the Month transformation [18:53] Roommates to Soulmates course update and preview call details     Five Key Takeaways: Authoritarian parenting creates compliance — but often erodes trust. Regulation before correction is a leadership skill every dad needs. Collaboration builds accountability far better than control. Intimacy fades when emotional leadership is missing at home. Transformation accelerates in community, not isolation.     Links & Resources Roommates to Soulmates: https://thedadedge.com/soulmates The Men's Forge Live Event: https://themensforge.com Micro Factor Pack: https://1stphorm.com/products/micro-factor/?a_aid=dadedge Phormula-1 + Ignition (Post Workout Stack): https://1stphorm.com/products/post-workout-stack/?a_aid=dadedge Collagen with Dermaval: https://1stphorm.com/products/collagen-with-dermaval/?a_aid=dadedge <stron

In this powerful behind-the-scenes conversation, Marc and I sit down to unpack Eric's story — a successful entrepreneur, father of five, and longtime member of the Dad Edge Business Boardroom. Eric opens up about the strained season in his marriage, the subtle warning signs he ignored, and the moment his wife Katie made it clear that change needed to happen.   This episode is about more than marriage repair. It's about ownership. It's about learning skills most men were never taught — emotional validation, empathy, leadership at home — and realizing that waiting for crisis only makes the climb steeper. If you're a busy business owner who feels scattered, distracted, or "almost disconnected" at home, this conversation will hit close to home.       Timeline Summary: [0:00] The distraction trap of entrepreneurship and busyness  [4:48] Eric shares the difficult season in his marriage before joining  [7:18] The early warning signs and Katie's wake-up call  [9:06] Why waiting for crisis puts men into panic mode  [13:48] Learning emotional validation and empathy as new skills  [16:11] Skills vs. identity change — upgrading your operating system  [19:17] The public signs that Eric's marriage was turning around  [22:31] Why you must change first instead of waiting for your wife to  [26:47] Eric's biggest advice: find a community of strong men  [29:32] The power of psychological safety and brotherhood      Five Key Takeaways The drift from good to terrible is gradual — then sudden. Don't wait for the cliff. Panic is not the best place to rebuild a marriage. Address the rumblings early. Emotional validation and empathy are skills — not personality traits. Identity change happens through environment and repetition. If you want your marriage to change, you must change first.     Links & Resources: Dad Edge Alliance Preview Call: <

Do you ever feel like there's a relentless critic living inside your head?   The one that questions your worth, second-guesses your decisions, and tells you that you're not enough — as a husband, father, or leader?   In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, I sit down with Ashleigh Di Lello, founder of Bio Emotional Healing, to unpack the neuroscience behind the inner critic, self-sabotage, chronic stress, and identity. Ashleigh shares her extraordinary story — from being told at 13 she wouldn't survive a rare viral illness, to rebuilding her body and career as an elite dancer, to losing everything again after a failed surgery left her in chronic pain. What she discovered about the brain, the nervous system, and self-compassion doesn't just apply to injury — it applies to every man stuck in anxiety, pressure, and silent self-judgment.   This isn't about positive thinking. It's about understanding how your nervous system works, how identity is formed, and how to rewire the patterns that keep you reactive, disconnected, and exhausted. If you're tired of white-knuckling life and ready for real tools grounded in neuroscience, this episode is for you.     Timeline Summary [0:00] The inner critic most men silently battle [2:05] Ashleigh's diagnosis at 13 and being told she wouldn't survive [18:45] Using mental rehearsal to rebuild neural pathways [26:43] Losing her career after a failed surgery [30:45] Studying neuroscience to "flip the pain switch" [35:12] What harsh self-criticism does to the brain [44:16] The five-minute "container" exercise [59:06] Rewriting identity through intentional self-talk     Five Key Takeaways Harsh self-criticism activates fight-or-flight and blocks growth. Self-compassion is neurological safety — not weakness. Your brain validates whatever identity you reinforce. You can't lie to your brain, but you can guide it. What you suppress gains power — structured processing creates freedom.   Links & Resources: Ashleigh Di Lello Website: https://www.ashleighdilello.com Follow Ashleigh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighdilello/ Collagen (1st Phorm – what I personally use): <a href= "https://1stphorm.com/products

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Dr. Ross Greene, clinical psychologist and creator of the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model, to unpack why traditional rewards and punishments often make behavior worse — not better. We dive deep into why "because I said so" stops working, what your child's frustration is actually communicating, and how to shift from authoritarian control to collaborative leadership that builds trust, accountability, and critical thinking.   If you've ever thought, "Why is this not working anymore?" this episode will give you a radically different lens — and practical tools you can use immediately.     Timeline Summary [0:00] Why power struggles are so common in parenting [2:00] Introducing Dr. Ross Greene and the CPS model  [6:17] Why rewards and punishments don't solve the real problem  [8:33] Concerning behavior as a frustration response  [12:04] The 3-step collaborative problem-solving process explained  [16:19] Real-life example: solving teeth brushing battles with a 3-year-old  [30:56] Curfew conflict and how to navigate teenage resistance  [37:16] How collaborative parenting builds critical thinking  [41:56] Why authoritarian parenting may cause long-term harm  [47:06] Developmental variability — why every child is different  [49:23] Why noncompliance is informative, not defiance  [56:31] Accountability through collaboration — not punishment      Five Key Takeaways Concerning behavior is a signal, not a character flaw. It communicates an unsolved problem.  Rewards and punishments modify behavior — they don't solve the underlying issue.  The 3-step CPS process (Empathy, Define Adult Concern, Invitation) reduces conflict and builds trust.  Noncompliance is information.

In this powerful behind-the-scenes conversation, I sit down with Marc Hildebrand — former LAPD sergeant turned high-performance coach — to unpack what men are actually thinking before they decide to step into brotherhood. We break down the hidden anxiety, ego, embarrassment, and "mind talk" that keeps men isolated, stuck, and spinning in quiet defeat.   You'll hear raw audio from one of our members, Tim Cox, as he shares what life looked like before he joined — the mental spiral, the weight gain, the doctor's warning, the loneliness, and the breakthrough that changed everything. This episode isn't just about business or health. It's about identity. It's about the stories we tell ourselves. And it's about the moment a man decides he's no longer doing life alone.     Timeline Summary [0:00] Why men feel defeated before they ever ask for help [3:37] Marc Hildebrand's transformation from overweight LAPD sergeant to coach [9:20] Tim's confession: anxiety, mind talk, and feeling like a fraud [11:01] The danger of "should" statements and internal pressure [17:22] Ego, embarrassment, and the fear of being seen [24:58] The doctor's ultimatum: insulin or change [27:01] Dopamine, food, and emotional coping [30:52] Rock bottom isn't a place — it's a decision [34:22] Why you shouldn't wait until crisis hits [37:54] "You're not alone" — the most powerful realization [41:03] The myth of the lone wolf [44:21] Inside Base Camp: the first 6 weeks of transformation [46:19] The BRAVE Man Code framework explained [49:57] Thinking differently and leveling up identity [53:39] Why Larry left a lucrative corporate career to build The Dad Edge     Five Key Takeaways Rock bottom is not a location — it's a decision to stop going lower. Ego often disguises itself as embarrassment and self-protection. Isolation amplifies anxiety — brotherhood dissolves it. Health transformation starts with identity, not tactics. You don't have to wait for crisis to change direction.     Links & Resources Dad Edge Alliance Preview Call: http://thedadedge.com/preview Dad Edge Business Boardroom (Mastermind): https://thed

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Mat Lewczenko — entrepreneur, coach, and author of The Entrepreneur's Regret — to unpack what it feels like to be winning on paper while quietly losing at home. Mat shares his story of growing up as a Polish political refugee, building success through grit and discipline, and eventually finding himself at the top of his professional game… but emotionally empty, disconnected, and on the verge of self-sabotage. We talk about the silent epidemic facing high-performing entrepreneurs — entrepreneurial drift — and what it takes to reclaim your nights, weekends, relationships, and sanity. This episode is a wake-up call for any man chasing more while feeling less. Timeline Summary [0:00] The concept of "Rock Top" — succeeding outwardly while unraveling inwardly [1:41] Mat's family escaping Poland as political refugees before martial law [3:02] Growing up in an immigrant household built on pride, discipline, and ownership [10:10] Early lessons on earning what you want and respecting what you own [17:47] The tension between giving kids a better life without raising them soft [24:58] Mat's pivot from theater professor to real estate entrepreneur [30:29] The breaking point — winning at work while losing at home [31:31] The porch conversation where his wife said, "You don't get to do this" [35:29] Realizing he couldn't even name his core values [36:33] The North Star Values process and regaining alignment [40:52] The three pillars — Leadership, Love, and Life [41:30] Why being "all in" where you are eliminates guilt and fragmentation [45:28] The danger of climbing the wrong mountain [47:06] Why you must go back through the clouds to choose a new summit [54:28] Small hinges swing big doors — 15 intentional minutes a day [58:32] Presence over presents — how to win back connection at home Five Key Takeaways Rock Top is real — you can be crushing it professionally while quietly collapsing personally. Clarity of core values simplifies decision-making and eliminates internal friction. Entrepreneurial drift happens gradually, then suddenly — awareness must come before crisis. Being fully present where you are removes guilt and fragmentation. Small, consistent intentional actions create massive relational change. Links & Resources The Dad Edge Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.co

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, I sit down with Thomas "TJ" Baird — a 32-year Army veteran with 20 deployments — to talk about the real battle that followed the battlefield. TJ shares what it was like growing up with a father who was frequently deployed, only to find himself repeating that same pattern with his own daughter.   But this isn't just a military story — it's a fatherhood story. It's about PTSD, pride, brotherhood, humility, and the moment a man decides he's done living in the dark. TJ opens up about the night he realized he needed help, the ultimatum that changed everything, and the internal war between staying stuck and choosing the path toward peace. If you've ever struggled in silence or felt the weight of your past shaping your present, this episode will hit home.     Timeline Summary [0:00] The image that defines the episode — destruction on one side, sunrise on the other [2:10] 32 years of service and 20 deployments across the globe [9:20] Realizing he was becoming the father he once resented [24:17] His daughter telling him at age six, "Dad, you're too scary" [26:28] Writing Warrior Dad as a tribute to his daughter [35:07] The battlefield moment — seeing war to the west and sunlight to the east [42:12] Why most men stay stuck instead of choosing growth [47:38] The turning point — giving himself permission to get help [50:40] Walking into behavioral health as a senior enlisted leader [52:06] Leading by example so younger soldiers wouldn't suffer in silence     Five Key Takeaways You can unknowingly repeat the very patterns you once resented. There is always a path toward peace — but you have to choose it. Growth requires surrendering ego and asking for help. Brotherhood and accountability accelerate healing. Your family is waiting at the finish line — not your career.     Links & Resources Dad Edge Alliance Preview Call (RSVP): http://thedadedge.com/preview Episode Show Notes & Resources: https://thedadedge.com/1439     Closing Remark If this conversation resonated with you — if you've been carrying something heavy in silence

In this Q&A episode, Uncle Joe and I dive into one of the most common—and misunderstood—struggles in marriage: emotional connection. We respond to a powerful question from Alex, a husband who genuinely wants to show up better for his wife but feels stuck, unsure how to respond to her emotions, and frustrated that his efforts don't seem to land. This conversation breaks down why men default to "fix-it mode," why that instinct actually creates disconnection, and how emotional safety—not solutions—is what most women are truly seeking. We unpack practical, real-world skills for listening, validating, and reconnecting with your wife, especially after years of habit and complacency. If your wife has ever said, "I don't feel connected to you," this episode will give you clarity, direction, and a better way forward. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction [1:02] Opening conversation about Valentine's Day and intentional connection [2:55] Alex's question about building emotional connection with his wife [4:10] Hearing hard feedback: "I don't feel connected or loved" [5:14] How long-term habits quietly shape marriage dynamics [6:03] Why men feel uncomfortable with big emotions [7:12] The difference between fixing problems and creating connection [8:10] Why women share emotions—to feel seen, not saved [9:00] Transactional conversations vs. emotional safety [10:14] Joe explains why feedback is actually a gift [10:59] Pebbles vs. boulders and minimizing your wife's feelings [11:56] Why "it's not a big deal" damages trust [12:17] Understanding how your wife feels loved [13:19] Acts of service and practical ways to reduce her stress [14:11] Real-life example of how small actions rebuild connection [15:19] Curiosity as the foundation of emotional intimacy [16:46] Leading with humility and listening through awkward silence [17:31] Treating your wife like you did when you first dated [19:02] Complacency as the silent killer of attraction [20:13] Why long-term relationships require intentional effort [21:09] Being challenged as an act of love [22:11] Brotherhood, faith, and the mission of the Dad Edge Alliance [23:08] Invitation to the Dad Edge Alliance preview call [23:47] Closing encouragement and next steps Five Key Takeaways Emotional connection is built through presence, not problem-solving. Fixing minimizes feelings—listening creates safety. What

Some men are shaped by comfort. Others are forged in chaos. In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Siegel, founder of the Harder Than Life movement, to unpack what it actually takes to break generational cycles, rebuild trust with yourself, and lead your family with discipline and integrity—no matter where you came from. Kelly shares his raw story of growing up in extreme abuse, addiction, and instability, and how sobriety, radical self-discipline, and daily non-negotiable routines completely transformed his life. We talk about nervous system healing, trusting yourself again, enforcing boundaries instead of talking about them, and what it looks like to be the father you never had. This conversation is intense, honest, and deeply hopeful for any man who refuses to let his past dictate his future. Timeline Summary [0:00] Why excuses keep men stuck and how discipline breaks the cycle [1:39] Introducing Kelly Siegel and the Harder Than Life movement [2:22] Growing up in extreme chaos, abuse, and addiction [2:50] Turning trauma into fuel instead of identity [5:21] Seven years of sobriety and the decision that changed everything [7:31] Handling judgment, criticism, and online hate without losing integrity [8:55] Keeping your word to yourself when no one is watching [10:10] Childhood abuse and how it dysregulates the nervous system [12:03] Why sobriety unlocked clarity, discipline, and purpose [14:48] Cutting off toxic family relationships to protect healing [18:52] Forgiveness as freedom—not reconciliation [19:48] EMDR, hypnotherapy, and deep therapeutic work [22:03] Kelly's exact daily routine and why structure creates safety [24:26] Learning to love yourself when you never experienced it growing up [26:04] Cooking breakfast daily and building connection with his daughter [27:53] Asking better questions to deepen parent-child connection [29:38] Trusting yourself as the foundation of confidence [33:04] Boundaries vs. standards—and the power of enforcement [35:36] Why hard challenges build unshakeable self-trust [40:33] Breaking generational cycles and raising a confident daughter [45:44] Finding the gifts inside even the most painful childhoods [50:31] Why you don't owe access to people who hurt you [54:03] Strong fathers as the solution to cultural chaos [57:29] Healing yourself to heal the world Five Key Takeaways Discipline creates freedom, especially for men who