The Dad Edge Podcast

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 [38:36] How Wyzly compares to Bark — and the key difference in the learn-to-earn model [41:03] No Family Sharing required — scan a QR code and it works instantly [47:34] Isla's next big idea inside the app — customizable avatars earned through points, with brand partnerships coming Five Key Takeaways Links & Resources https://www.wyzly.app/DAD20https://www.instagram.com/wyzly.app/https://thedadedge.com/1472 Closing If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the screen time battle in your house doesn't have to be a battle at all. A seven-year-old saw the problem clearly and asked the right question. What if kids could earn it instead of just have it taken away? Three years later, that question is a real app, changing real behavior in real homes — including Larry's. Download Wyzly, use code DAD20 for 20% off, and let your kids earn it. Go out and live legendary.

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 evolved [46:11] Bill's people-pleasing taken to the extreme — and the day his 16-year-old daughter said "your needs matter, dad" [52:50] What they're most excited about for the next 20 years — and the four-year-old who starts every dinner with appreciations Five Key Takeaways Links & Resources https://thedadedge.com/mastermindhttps://themensforge.comhttps://thedadedge.com/1471 Closing If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: marriage and fatherhood are learnable skills — and it is never too late to start learning them. Bill Beer survived cancer at 16, spent the first decade of his marriage white-knuckling happiness for everyone around him, and then decided to go do the work. And what Danielle noticed wasn't a different man — it was more of the man she fell in love with on that dock. That's the goal. Not perfection. Not arriving. Just more of who you actually are, showing up more consistently, for the people who matter most. Go out and live legendary.

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 dollar going — and why investing to outpace inflation is non-negotiable [53:01] The financial foundation: spending awareness, a cash reserve, and consistent asset accumulation Five Key Takeaways Links & Resources https://thedadedge.com/mastermindhttps://readmoneytogether.comhttps://bonafidewealth.comhttps://readthejointaccount.comhttps://thedadedge.com/1470 Closing If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the money conversation in your marriage is not about the numbers — it's about the stories you've never told each other. Doug and Heather are a financial expert and an attorney who still had to do the hard work to get their own financial partnership right. If they needed the practice, so do you. Start the conversation. Build the practice. Own a domain. Take 30 seconds before you respond. Because a financially aligned marriage isn't just good for your bank account — it's good for your kids, your partnership, and the life you're actually trying to build together. Go out and live legendary.

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 under prolonged stress as an entrepreneur? [33:29] Resilience is not a character trait — it's a part of your brain you can grow [34:36] The win book — why you need a physical record of what's working, not just what isn't [36:07] When your identity gets attached to not pivoting — and how that keeps you stuck [40:27] Never make a big decision on a bad day — and give your brain real breaks from stimulation [42:24] Chris's question: I can already see perfectionist tendencies in my nine-year-old daughter — how do I help her? [43:38] Share your own struggles with your kids — it gives them permission to struggle too [45:18] Failure is not a noun — it's how we learn. And the brain can't learn through shame. [46:31] The win book applies to your kids too — build the evidence of progress, not just the list of what went wrong [49:08] Practice makes progress, not perfect — and what that means for how you raise your kids [51:38] Henry's question: how do men navigate the space between survival instincts and actually feeling their emotions? [52:23] It's not either or — it's and. Feeling doesn't eliminate...

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 willing to have the vulnerable conversation is the game changer [25:10] John's second clip: getting a map, small goals, and what changed in his marriage [27:25] Breaking down the BRAVE Man system — Bond, Raise, Amplify, Vitality, Enjoy, Movement, Action, Network [28:04] Why joy is a tactical requirement — if you have no joy to give, you have nothing to give [28:50] Why motivation is a lie — and why action creates motivation, not the other way around [29:13] John's transformation from 15 points a week to 40-50 — and what the tracker actually measures [31:57] Busyness does not equal results — the most dangerous trap for burned-out business owners [32:18] John's final clip — the emotional moment that stopped everyone cold [35:28] What that moment meant — a man who saved his marriage and came back to himself [37:52] What it means to have a battle to fight, a beauty to love, and an adventure to be had — together [39:05] The call to every business owner who sees a piece of John in himself Five Key Takeaways Links &...

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 kid can pursue STEM majors [22:41] Middle school is for exploration — you don't need to pick a direction, just stay warm on the fundamentals [24:11] What universities are really asking — not what do you want to do with your life, but what are you curious about right now [24:47] Why your kid won't tell you the truth — and why a neutral third party changes everything [29:47] How to have a real conversation with your kid about what they actually want [30:36] Listening without judgment — the parent who almost killed their child's essay by refusing to let them tell their real story [33:06] How to handle the "I want to study dance" conversation — without crushing them [35:45] Is college a scam? Thomas's honest, nuanced answer — and why the lottery ticket mentality is dangerous [37:20] Why low-tier private colleges charging $50,000 a year are, in his words, criminal [40:38] What's changed in the political arena — new federal loan caps and what they mean for families [41:51] Why the ROI conversation has to happen before you commit to a school [44:08] How to negotiate financial aid after you've been...

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 practice — stripping inflammatory language before it reaches you [33:29] How it protects you from yourself — reviewing your outgoing messages before you send something you'll regret [35:44] The only co-parenting app you can use solo — no co-parent buy-in required [36:46] Setting message frequency limits — Sol's solution to the 30-messages-a-day ex [38:25] The AI bodyguard — how Best Interest changes lives one filtered message at a time [41:14] Why men specifically get themselves in trouble — anger in the courtroom is the fastest way to lose custody [43:47] What newly separated men need to know — start with a divorce coach, not a bulldog attorney [45:19] Get to therapy now — learning where you feel stress in your body is not soft, it's survival [46:41] Internal Family Systems and somatic work — why trapped emotions show up as physical sensations Five Key Takeaways Links & Resources https://thedadedge.com/boardroomhttps://themensforge.comhttps://thedadedge.com/1466 Closing If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: you don't have to let your ex's words reach...

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 analogy — your marriage won't run optimally on an outdated operating system [21:39] Jaden's advice for men on the outside: you cannot do this work alone. It's a 12-foot ladder with only two rungs. [23:00] Larry asks Jaden where he'd be without the Boardroom — and the pause that said everything [24:21] Mark's insight: surround yourself with people who already have what you want — that's the cheat code [25:42] What Larry thought when he joined his first mastermind in 2015 — and why he called back 11 minutes later [28:27] What Larry found on that first Monday morning call — every question he was afraid to ask was suddenly welcomed [30:07] The call to action for every business owner dad listening right now Five Key Takeaways Links & Resources https://thedadedge.com/mastermindhttps://themensforge.comhttps://thedadedge.com/1465 Closing If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: stop hoping and start building. Every man listening to this has the same 24 hours. The difference between the man who looks up in ten years with the life he wanted and the man who wonders where it...

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 relationship between the results you're creating and your contribution to them [16:18] The sexual assault prevention program Doug built inside a Texas prison — and the dramatic results it produced [22:47] How sexual assault in prison is always about power — and why staff are often the perpetrators [23:16] How old his daughter was when he went in — and his daily prayer to get home while she was still a child [24:51] The terrifying day he was released — why his brain wouldn't accept it as real [26:05] Flying down the stairs to hold his daughter — and sitting with her while she wept [26:49] How they reconnected on day one — spreading out her letters and going through them together [27:13] Larry's midroll reflection: you're home, but are you really there? [29:14] How his daughter responded after the initial reunion — the games, the capybara play, and Riley the racing rat [32:07] The years of building trust — and how his daughter's anger didn't surface until the book came out [33:10] His daughter's reaction to the book: everyone's celebrating his story, but nobody asked what she went...

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] Kelvin's nice guy symptoms — avoiding accountability, gaslighting, saying yes to everyone at the cost of himself [31:33] The one place Kelvin's nice guy syndrome never showed up — fatherhood [33:34] Why dads who weren't loved well as kids tend to over-serve their kids — and why holding the line is still the right move [35:08] What Kelvin's daughters would have picked up on if he'd stayed in a marriage where he wasn't showing up as his true self [37:03] The guilt and shame of a pregnancy that forced a marriage — and admitting the foundation was never really there [40:37] Seeking emotional connection outside the marriage — and the fear that keeps nice guys trapped [41:38] The unexpected peace of living alone for the first time after the divorce [43:37] How the girls responded when he moved out — the pressure to pick sides and what Kelvin told them [45:32] Kids hear everything — the damage done when adults talk about each other in front of their children [46:22] Therapy for the girls starting in 2022 — what the therapist revealed about the older daughter's emotional burden [47:31]...

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 a life you don't deserve — Joe's reflection on grace, mercy, and what he gets to enjoy today [21:28] Joe shares a personal health challenge he's currently walking through — and why his mercies being new every morning is not just a saying [23:21] Question 2 — Shepherd: I'm seven months into a new relationship after divorce. She wants to be put first over my kids. I'm at a crossroads. [28:13] Joe's answer: she doesn't have kids, so there's a disconnect — and until there's a covenant, your kids come first [29:58] The conversation you need to have now — not after you say I do [31:09] How Joe met Ivy — determined never to remarry, then God showed up anyway [32:23] Larry's take: know your non-negotiables before you go further — and be honest about what they are [35:08] This is what you signed up for — and if you love me, this is the way it's going to be [36:17] Joe's red flags: she's pushing for the covenant before it's time, and the reverse vasectomy conversation deserves serious prayer [37:18] Joe's cautionary tale: getting into a relationship too fast after divorce — and the price his kids...

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 task list: stop hiding your commitments and start owning your time supply [28:53] Marrying the tasks to the calendar — the test fit that tells you if you have 10 pounds of priorities in a 5 pound bag [31:06] Start from the top down — your values first, then your calendar, then your priorities [31:28] The number one complaint wives have about their husbands — and how planning fixes it [33:06] Sharing the mental load and invisible labor — the new definition of leadership at home [36:35] Leading by example: how planning together on Friday beats planning together Sunday night [37:18] The team huddle — how Demir and his wife plan separately then align on a walk together [39:24] Why good planning still produces anxiety — and why meeting after the sigh changes everything [42:49] Why your brain won't let go of the weekend — open loops, unfinished sentences, and the science behind Sunday dread [44:35] Why planning on Friday instead of Sunday gives you your whole weekend back [46:39] Switching gears to daughters — what it really means to raise strong, confident girls [47:10] The Keeper of...

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 Links & Resources https://thedadedge.com/soulmateshttps://themensforge.comhttps://wholeparentacademy.comhttps://thedadedge.com/1460 Closing You cannot punish your kids into becoming who you want them to be — and you can't punish yourself into becoming the parent you want to be either. Get curious before you get furious. Repair when you rupture. Model what you want to see. And give your kids the tools to regulate themselves when the world gets hard — because you won't always be there, but the way you showed them how to handle it will be. Go out and live legendary.

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 Links & Resources https://thedadedge.com/soulmateshttps://themensforge.comhttps://thedadedge.com/mastermindhttps://1stphorm.com/dadedgehttps://thedadedge.com/1459 Closing If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: direction is a decision, and today is the day to make it. The world is loud. The fires are always burning. And it is incredibly easy to spend your whole life responding instead of building. But the men who are winning at home — in their marriages, with their kids, in their health — are not the ones who figured out some secret. They're the ones who got clear, got consistent, and chose the right room. Don't let April be another month on autopilot. Go out and live legendary.

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 acting job — the first thing he committed to that wasn't a fad [30:55] How Matthew pursues Camilla in the middle of kids, career, and constant demands on his time [35:26] Why Matthew and Camilla go on dates every week — and what they tell the kids about why mom and dad go alone [35:43] The passage from Greenlights that stopped Larry in the gym: "Live my legacy now" [38:33] The inverted Icarus problem: most of us don't fly too close to the sun — our alarms go off way too early [41:59] The science in the rearview mirror — how everything connects, even the things that looked like mistakes [42:36] Ten years from now: what Matthew hopes to be celebrating with his family Five Key Takeaways Links & Resources https://thedadedge.com/soulmateshttps://themensforge.comhttps://a.co/d/017KxpPwhttps://thedadedge.com/1458 Closing If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: stop waiting for the right moment to live your legacy — it's already happening right now. Matthew McConaughey's father gave him three rules, one five-second pause, and a standard he's been carrying ever since. Don't say...

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 [33:24] The important line: humor can hold you together, but there's a time to stop laughing and start talking [35:09] Where Is Barry? — the children's book inspired by his son Remo losing his stuffed animal [38:48] Joe's son's first reaction to the finished book: "Where's Milana? My sister should be in it too" [39:25] Why Joe believes teaching kids to cope with adversity is the number one job of a parent [41:22] Leading by example: how kids see everything, reflect everything, and learn how to handle life by watching you [42:06] Separating emotion from response — and catching things when they're little, not when they're boulders [42:43] Why Joe always apologizes to his kids — and why he never says "because I said so" [47:05] Joe's advice: surround yourself with people who make you better, and be the person who brings others up [48:19] On balance: it's impossible — just be where you are, and say yes to the five minutes that matter most Five Key Takeaways Links & Resources https://thedadedge.com/soulmateshttps://themensforge.comhttps://www.joegattoofficial.com/https://thedadedge.com/491 Closing If...

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 Ethan and hears a pastor say: "I had a great dad — but I had to find God by myself" [19:12] The conviction that hit Larry on the way home: "I'm failing you just like his dad failed him" [21:33] The honest conversation in the car — and Ethan's response that Larry never expected [23:10] How Larry invited Ethan into a Bible study as a fellow learner, not a teacher — and what it has done for their relationship [25:22] Question 2 — Anonymous: When things have been bad for years and you finally start getting wins in your marriage, how do you avoid getting complacent? [25:56] Larry's answer: expect your wife to pull back at first — she's afraid to hope. Keep the sword sharp and never take your foot off the gas [28:01] Joe's answer: be mindful of the PTSD and insecurity that builds up inside a man after years of a hard marriage [29:21] How fear and insecurity can quietly self-sabotage the progress you've worked so hard for [30:16] Let faith lead, not fear — fear has never once led Joe somewhere he was glad he went [31:03] A real-time example: a man texting Joe that morning — his wife said she...

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 do you want to leave, and how do you get there without carrying old baggage? [18:31] Put down the baggage — it's heavy, it's exhausting, and it's crushing the people who love you most [19:23] The therapy session that changed Nikki's life: a dusty office, beams of light, and "you don't have to love your mom" [21:19] Letting go of the victim story and reclaiming the good — his dad was creative, his mom was charismatic, and Nikki carries both [23:28] Creating a home where your kids can always call dad — no matter what, no matter when [24:19] How unforgiveness clouds your ability to love the people right in front of you [25:36] Why Nikki shares his story publicly — so someone else doesn't have to wait as long to have their moment [29:18] When your daughter says "dad, you seem so happy" — the moment you know it's working [30:11] Ethan tells Larry "I love my life" — and why that's the greatest thing a father can hear [31:04] Moving from LA to Wyoming: finding simplicity in nature, watching moose in the yard, and what wildlife teaches about family [37:24] 20 years of sobriety — and why Nikki...

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 had a serious congenital heart defect [30:33] What hypoplastic left heart syndrome is — and why it's 100% fatal if left undetected [32:24] How Greg and his wife Cara made a conscious decision to stay aligned through the unthinkable [34:25] Wearing three hats at once: spouse, parent at home, parent at the hospital — and still performing on the field [36:19] The hardest part for a fixer: facing something you cannot work, solve, or control [37:17] Larry shares his own story of losing a son — and the helplessness every man feels when he can't protect his family [39:39] Greg's response: how he navigated grief, kept the family moving, and put his own needs last [41:59] Why you can't sit on the couch feeling sorry for yourself — even when no one would blame you [44:02] Larry's 14-year-old son's questions for Greg: what kept you focused at my age? [45:17] The moment at 14 that clicked — getting a scholarship offer from the University of Miami and realizing this could be bigger than high school [47:03] Long-term vision over short-term comfort: why every hard decision Greg made...

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-year-old daughter notices the change: "Dad's out of his people-pleasing era" [20:52] Tim's side of the story: feeling completely alone while sleeping one foot away from his wife every night [23:58] Tara's plan to leave — and the screaming match that became the turning point [27:47] Tara's honest reaction when Tim said a podcast was going to fix things: she laughed [29:50] The first signs of real change — Tim hearing her, owning his mistakes, and apologizing to the kids [31:33] The difference between covert contracts and genuine ownership — and which one Tim chose [35:42] Tara describes what it feels like to finally be safe enough to bring anything to him without bracing for fallout [37:06] How the relationship has completely transformed — travel, connection, and a bond Tara never believed was possible [39:26] Tim's perspective now: from avoiding conflict to not being able to get enough time with her [41:25] The moment Tara started "melting" — and what it means when a woman can finally drop her defenses [43:17] Masculine and feminine energy — why Tara stepping into her...