The Company of Dads Podcast: Recent Episodes
Paul Sullivan
Paul Sullivan, former NY Times columnist, explores the lives, stories, joys, and challenges of Lead Dads – fathers who lead in raising children, supporting their partner, and balancing their career. New episode drops every Tuesday.
Interview with Chip Leighton / Host of The Leighton Show
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What happens when a corporate executive with an MBA, a steady career, and a very normal dad life accidentally becomes one of the internet’s funniest fathers? Paul sits down with Chip Leighton—the creator behind the painfully relatable dad content so many parents secretly see themselves in—to talk about why his humor hits so hard, what teenagers are really like, and how laughter can make parenting feel a little less lonely. Chip shares how a few TikToks turned into millions of followers, a bestselling book, and a new release, Dad, Can You Not? But beneath the jokes is something every parent needs to hear: your kid is probably more normal than you think, and you’re probably doing better than you think too. This one is funny, honest, and full of those “wait… that happens in your house too?” moments.
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Interview with Sonia Bestulic / Founder of Flourish with Sonia
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What if the biggest challenges facing kids today aren’t about behavior or performance - but about how disconnected we’ve become from ourselves? Drawing on decades of work with thousands of families, globally recognized thought leader, speech pathologist, and author Sonia Bestulic has built a framework for raising empowered children through self-leadership, intuition, and trust. She shares why so many parents feel stuck in guilt and self-doubt, how traditional systems often miss a child’s true brilliance, and what it really means to build strong foundations for lifelong flourishing.
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Interview with Ben Sacco / Author of "Disruption in Schools: Understand me Before You Mark me"
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
How do we really know what our kids are trying to tell us - even when they can’t put it into words? Ben Sacco, author of Disruption in Schools: Understand Me Before You Mark Me, reframes how we think about classroom behavior. He explains why “disruption” is often a sign of adversity - not misbehavior - and how parents can spot the real signals beneath a child’s shutdowns, boredom, or the classic “school was good” response. Ben also shares practical strategies for recognizing when behavior is actually communication, helping parents and teachers respond with clarity, compassion, and consistency.
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Interview with David Homan / Founder of Orchestrated Connecting
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What if the secret to strong parent communities isn’t perfection, but integrity, vulnerability, and follow-through? David Holman is the author of Orchestrating Connection and founder of a decade-old community built on one rule: only surround yourself with people you’d trust to watch your kids. As a divorced father of two, David shares how vulnerability can actually build confidence, especially for dads who feel pressure to “know it all.” He opens up about support networks, single fatherhood, follow-up etiquette, and the lessons he learned from a dad who always showed up.
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Interview with Erin Coupe / Author of "I Can Fit That In"
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
When Erin Coupe’s husband decided to leave a thriving real estate career to support her growing business, their family dynamic - and their definition of success - changed forever. Erin, a global speaker and author of the book I Can Fit That In, helps high performers move from self-sabotage to self-leadership through neuroscience, mindset mastery, and authentic living. She explains how rewriting the stories we tell ourselves, designing daily rituals that fuel purpose, and creating lives rooted in conscious choice can lead to a deeper, more sustainable kind of success - one that starts from within and radiates through your work, your family, and your leadership.
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Interview with Brian Mann / Co-Founder of Glitched States
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What if we’ve been using the wrong words to talk about our mental state? Brian Mann, co-founder of Glitched States and Kemble & Mann Creative Intelligence Labs, is on a mission to replace stigma with strength. He’s building a new vocabulary for mental health - one that turns “disorders” into dimensions of human experience. He discusses how reframing anxiety as Signal Sense or OCD as Deep Detail can transform the way parents, kids, and families understand themselves.
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Interview with Dr. Harvey Karp / Author, Creator of the SNOO Smart Sleeper
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What if raising happier kids and getting better sleep were simpler than you think? Dr. Harvey Karp - world-renowned pediatrician and creator of the SNOO Smart Sleeper - shares the science behind calmer homes and well-rested parents. With decades of experience, he unpacks common mistakes around sleep and discipline while offering practical, science-backed advice for working parents - especially dads - who want to bring more peace and joy into family life.
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Interview with Michael Taverna / Founder of The Ad Village
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Children are the most valuable - and vulnerable - targets for online advertisers. Every day, brands and tech companies use sophisticated tools to track, profile, and influence kids, shaping their choices before they even know they’re being sold to. Michael Taverna is the founder and CEO of The Ad Village, a mission-driven platform that flips the script on digital advertising. After years managing multimillion-dollar campaigns for global brands, Michael saw firsthand how manipulative online ads could be. Now, he’s building a “digital Robin Hood” that reclaims ad space from corporations and replaces harmful ads with safe, uplifting messages for families.
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Interview with Jim Chastain / Founder of Reality Check
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Men want to grow, but too often feel like they can’t without losing a part of themselves. Jim Chastain is a father of two, founder of the market research firm Reality Check, and now a researcher of men and modern masculinity. He discusses the five core insights that hold men back - from the pressure to always prove rather than improve, to the conflicting narratives of what a man “should” be. Jim explains why growth is often stigmatized as weakness, how social expectations keep men stuck, and why “only-ness” can be more isolating than loneliness.
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Interview with Lindsay Tanne / Founder of LogicPrep
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Applying to college is stressful - for students and parents. But does it really need to be? This week, Paul sits down with Lindsay Tanne, founder of LogicPrep, a globally recognized educational consultancy she started as a student at Harvard, growing a team of advisors, coaches, and tutors who’ve helped thousands of families successfully navigate the college admissions process. She discusses the most (and least) helpful ways parents can support their kids, and protecting mental and emotional health during this high-stakes journey.
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Interview with Zack Pumerantz / Director of Investments for I.M. Financial
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What happens to your money mindset when you become a parent? Zack Pumerantz is a father of two, former FanDuel exec, and now a financial advisor dedicated to helping fellow parents build strong financial foundations and lasting wealth. He shares practical strategies tailored for dads, insights on how financial pressures shift once kids enter the picture, and how to spot (or miss) key money opportunities along the way. This is a great guide for every parent trying to do right by their family’s future - without losing their financial footing.
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Interview with Ed Tilton/ President of Begin Again Institute
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
As parents we worry about how our kids use screens, but how fathers engage with technology can either break old patterns or pass them on. Ed Tilton, president of the Begin Again Institute, works with men to heal from past trauma and stop harmful behaviors before they impact the people they love most. A husband and father himself, Ed shares powerful insights on how dads can build healthier relationships - with their kids, with tech, and with themselves. Listen in for a conversation about connection, communication, and how to stop repeating cycles you didn’t choose.
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Interview with David Morgenstern Founder and CEO of Gaddies
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What does it mean to be a father in today’s world, especially when your identity doesn’t fit the traditional mold? David Morgenstern shares his fatherhood journey as a gay dad, discussing the challenges and triumphs of creating inclusive parenting spaces. He sheds light on his work as leading gender-inclusive initiatives at Nike, and his impact with his own clothing company - Gaddies. This powerful conversation explores the intersection of identity, fatherhood, and community support.
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Interview with Courtney Cecil / CEO of the Working Moms Movement
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Balancing work, parenting, and partnership takes effort. Courtney Cecil, an expert in work-life balance, shares her insights on how companies can better support parents in the workforce, how to create a more equitable household, and the importance of intentionality in carving out time for yourself and your partner. Creating space in your workday, delegating household responsibilities, and making time for your marriage - Courtney offers practical tips to help working parents navigate the complexities of modern family life.
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Interview with Larry Sprung / Founder and Wealth Advisor at Mitlin Financial
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Sure, building a business takes work—but so does being present for your family. Larry Sprung, dad and founder of Mitlin Financial, has spent the last 20 years doing both. He designed his life and company around his values, setting boundaries, finding flexibility, and making time for joy Listen for practical tips, real talk, and a reminder that work-life balance isn’t a myth - it just takes intention.
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Interview with Pete Hunsinger / CRO of Condé Nast - Entrepreneur
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Want to know how to be a Lead Dad with a demanding career, four kids and a great marriage? One thing's certain: Getting it right doesn't happen without effort. As a publisher for Condé Nast in the heyday of glossy magazines, Pete Hunsinger spent a large amount of his career working to get that balance right. Now, looking back on it all - with the added perspective of being a new grandfather - Pete shares what he learned. Listen for a master class in how to be an in-demand dad.
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Interview with Titania Jordan / Chief Parent Officer and CMO at Bark
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Sure, there's a lot our children can learn on the internet, but there are plenty of websites, apps, and traps that they need to avoid. And it's our job as parents to help them. Titania Jordan, a mom and the Chief Parent Officer and CMO at Bark, an internet safety company, has tips on best internet practices, crucial conversations, and even tech that can help monitor and limit our kids’ device usage. Listen and get ways to protect your kids.
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Interview with Mike Malloy / Founder of Malloy Industries
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Parents have two resources they are always trying to protect and secure - time and money. As a Lead Dad, Mike Malloy structured his work life around reserving time for his family and fatherly duties. After creating a process to keep life on track domestically, he applied the same principles to Malloy Industries and was able to help other companies save time and money while operating more efficiently. What’s his secret? Listen to this week’s episode for actionable advice.
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Interview with Mike Hermus / Founder of HaleSpring
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Many people who require mental health treatment rarely receive it. Of those that do, some are receiving what they can get - but not necessarily what they need. Mike Hermus - father, entrepreneur and Founder of HaleSpring - shares his personal experience with mental health, and how it pushed him to develop a way to help others. From connecting patients to better treatment options to discussing how parents can support their children’s mental health, Mike embraces his passion and gives great actionable advice for being a part of the solution.
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Interview with Alisha Simpson-Watt / Collaborative ABA Services
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Why do kids behave the way they do? How can we as parents guide them effectively? Alisha Simpson-Watt—an expert in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and founder of Collaborative ABA Services—shares insights on understanding children’s behavior, and offers great advice on reinforcing positive behavior, handling challenges, and supporting your child’s growth.
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Interview with Margot Machol Bisnow / Author of Raising an Entrepreneur
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
We all want to see our child follow their passons and achieve their goals. But what if they are passionate about something we don’t understand? What if their goals don’t align with our goals for them? Margot Machol Bisnow - Author and mother of 2 entrepreneurs - has spoken with many families that let their kids follow passions that led to entrepreneurial success. She offers great points to consider.
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Interview with Kevin Goodnight / Founder of Dadvoted Fatherhood Coaching
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Being a devoted dad is a challenge we often feel we fall short on. But what if we’re closer than we think? Kevin Goodnight - author, fatherhood coach, and founder of Dadvoted - helps dads meet their goals, understand their generational impact, and realize it’s all within reach. His insights are invaluable.
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Paul Sullivan’s final thoughts on 2024
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
As we wrap up 2024, Paul reflects on the progress The Company Of Dads has seen - highlighting a few key experiences as a Lead Dad both personally and professionally. He and Skip Cherryholmes discuss what they look forward to in the coming year, and the ultimate goal of finding more ways to bring dads together in 2025. Here’s to another great year, and the ever-growing community of Lead Dads across the world!
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Interview with Steven Miyao / MidCareer Parent Coach
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Is there a greater challenge for a father than balancing a demanding career that is no longer as rewarding as it once was with being the involved parent that his children need? You want a change, but you have obligations. What do you do? Steven Miyao, a coach and father of two, takes fathers through a 'life-first approach'. Learn what that means and why total change isn't necessary.
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Interview with Sara Deren / Founder of Experience Camps
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Over 6 million children will lose a parent or sibling before they turn 18 years old. It's a large number, but a lonely lot. Sara Deren, who married into a summer camp family, has been working to reduce their isolation. Her Experience Camps has now helped 1,500 kids in 7 states and keeps them connected all year. What's she's learned can help us all be more compassionate.
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Interview with Elissa Strauss / Expert on What Care Does For Us
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Male caregivers are increasing in number. They're Lead Dads to their children and their wives. They're more vocal in the office. They're taking on roles that have been traditionally assigned to women based on outdated gender stereotypes. And care has changed them in positive ways. So why does it seem so strange for men to be taking on these roles? And why do they get mocked for doing so? Elissa Strauss, author of "When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Other," has great insight.
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Interview with Timothy Smith / a.k.a. The Financial Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Why don't parents talk more about personal finance with their children? You talk to them about all the ways to keep them safe - dating, drugs, drinking, doing the right thing in tough situations. All super important, and so, too, is understanding financial choices - and the consequences they can have. Tim Smith, the Financial Dad, says too many parents don't understand personal finance themselves. He's here to offer actionable advice.
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Interview with David Graham / eSports Entrepreneur and Parental Ally
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
There are outdoor sports like football, soccer and tennis. And there are eSports like Fortnite and League of Legends. As parents, should we care which ones are children engage in? The answer from a leading eSports entreprenuer may surprise you. It starts with the question: How do we help our kids develop life skills? Listen for 5 tips.
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Interview with Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Expert in Sibling Relationships
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Are sibling behaviors like pushing, intimidating just harmless rivalry? When does that rivalry go too far and become aggression? Should parents ignore the fighting? Should they step in and settle it for their kids? What are the best tactics to manage and diffuse the conflict as a parent? Listen as these and more get answered.
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Interview with Kevin Baker, Leader on Tween and Teenage empowermentHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANTweens can be moody. Teens can be withdrawn. As a father, you have a role to play in helping them through these periods of growth and change. Don't step back, lean in, says Kevin Baker, a thought leader and coach on tween and teen empowerment. Listen to 5 thoughts he has to help all parents.
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Interview with Jason Armishaw / Publisher of Start The Talk newsletter
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Your pre-teens and teens are getting messages about sex from their friends, from social media, from the school and community environment they're growing up in. To think differently is to be in denial - one that can be dangerous. Listen to 5 tips from Jason Armishaw, a sex educator focused on helping parents have the conversation at home.
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Interview with Matt Maynard / Family Therapist and Parent Coach
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
When it comes to parenting advice, your friends and most therapists aren't going to give it to you straight. Matt Maynard, a New Jersey-based family therapist, is not one for beating around the bush. In this podcast, he gives 5 actionable pieces of advice ripped from his new book, "Honey We F’ed up the Kids: A Step by Step Process on How To Be a Less Sh*tty Parent" Learn what to do, not to do, and when a win is a win.
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Interview with Elliott Rae / Father Advocate
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Fathers need to step out and be more present, at home and in the office. This is the crux of the Parenting Outloud campaign that Elliott Rae has launched in London. He realized just how bad support for dads at work was when his now 8-year-old daughter was born prematurely. It started with having to leave his wife to go back to the office and got worse from there. He's set out to change that. Listen now.
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Interview with Marc Hoffman / Advocate for Children with ADHD
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
In second grade, Marc Hoffman's teacher told him he wouldn't amount to anything. It crushed him but his parents and brothers rallied behind him. He ended up going to Williams College, one of the top liberal arts colleges in the U.S., and becoming a widely respected advocate for kids with ADHD and other learning challenges. Today he helps parents and kids thrive - often showing them how to push back against reluctant school districts. Listen to what you can do.
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Interview with Neal Conlon / Men's Group Leader and Coach
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Neal Conlon is one interesting guy. Out of high school, he went into the Marines where he served for nearly 8 years. Getting out, he chased status. He had success being an entrepreneur, raising capital and helping lead growth companies. Then he hit reset. Today he runs Omnis Rising, a community to support men, and Press Forward Coaching to help men get past the obstacles in their lives. Hear why.
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Interview with Will Hoffman / Rare Disease Advocate
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Will Hoffman is a runner and when his son was diagnosed with NF - an incurable genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body - he ran towards the problem. With his son, with others, he tried to figure out what he could do and that was to raise money. But he had other children and had to balance that. Learn what he does to make it all work.
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Interview with Anthony Franzese / Seeker of Fatherhood Wisdom
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What does it mean to be a Successful Working Parent? It's a question Anthony Franzese, a healthcare sales executive, had when he became a father. So he went on a quest: if you have fatherhood questions, ask a parent - or 52 of them. That's what Anthony did and nearing the end of the year he has some revelations. Listen in.
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Interview with Verne Marble / Veteran, Advisor, Father
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Verne Marble is one of four and the father of four. His childhood was a bit haphazard. But he's a committed father who was clear-eyed about what mattered for his family. After college he wanted to serve his country but a few years into his Naval service he made a change so he could be more present for his family. Listen to what he did and why the lessons in those early years have informed what he's done in business and in life.
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Interview with Abby Davission / Expert on Money and Love
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Should love and money be linked together? If you want to be happy in life, Abby Davisson argues 100 percent. She wrote about it with one of her Stanford Business School professors - but that interest came out of a project she worked on with a fellow student, who is now her husband. They have two kids, too. Learn how to work through the areas that people always argue about when it comes to love and money.
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Interview with Michael Ray / International Fatherhood Advocate
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Michael Ray provided security for music superstars - Jon Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, INXS. Bruce Springsteen was the nicest. Then, on the cusp of turning 50, he became a father. Less than two years later, going through a cancer scare, he became a solo dad, when his daughter's mother left them both. Today, a decade later, he's a leading voice for father's rights in Australia and beyond. It all began when he was told he couldn't braid his young daughter's hair before her ballet recital. Listen to how he's changing hearts and minds.
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Interview with Sean Keenan / Lessons from a Divorced Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Sean Keenan, an economist by training, has a harrowing story about a divorce that went to such a dark place. The least of it was it drained his savings account. His two children were put at the center of a horrifying alimony and custody battle. The accusations and allegations are extreme and terrifying for any parent. He’s not exactly coming out of it now, but he does have residential custody of his son and daughter. Here's what he learned.
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Interview with Adrienne Prentice / Parent Coach for Companies
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Adrienne Prentice loved being a lawyer and was working her way up within the general counsel's office. She went on parental leave when her first child was born - and returned to find her position had changed. She wasn't invited to certain meetings or assigned to cases that involved travel. The assumptions that were made bothered her deeply. That motivated her to create Keep Company, which works with law firms to put better caregiver policies in place. Listen to what workers can do to help themselves.
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Interview with Dan Doty / Founder of Evryman, Engaged Fatherhood Leader
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Before the pandemic, Dan Doty was one of the best known advocates for helping men live better, fuller and more fulfilled lives. He was a founder of EVRYMAN, which led group retreats but was ascending to a near-spiritual level of support for men. He was as comfortable talking to Joe Rogan as he was on The Today Show. But all wasn't what it seemed for Dan as a father and husband. While he was helping other men, he wasn't helping himself. A journey into the woods, literal at times, changed how he approached himself and his work. Now he's ready for a comeback. Listen to how he changed and you can too.
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Interview with Jon Macaskill / Navy Seal, Advocate of Mindful Meditation
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
When a doctor told Jon Macaskill, a decorated Navy Seal with decades of combat experience, that meditation could ease his mental health struggles, he laughed. He didn't want to hear anything about that "hippie sh@t" - he was an elite warrior who led other elite warriors into and out of combat. So why was what he was doing now not working for him, the doctor asked? That got Jon thinking and led him on a journey to become an advocate for mindfulness within the Seal Teams and for men and fathers more broadly. Learn how this "hippie sh@t" can help all men.
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Interview With Dr. Amy Beacom / Parental Leave Expert
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Companies can have the most generous, equitable parental leave policies - plans polished and perfected to allow mothers and fathers time to bond with their new baby and return to work feeling valued. And then a manager ruins it all with a snide comment. Or calls during leave. Or has no plan for return whatsoever. Enter Amy Beacom, founder of The Center for Parental Leave Leadership. Listen to her tips on how not to be that manager and learn to lead a better way.
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Interview With Zach Watson / Fair Play Coach, Recovering Manchild
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Two words could change your married life for the better: mental load. It's a phrase coined by Eve Rodsky that has spawned a movement to rethink how work in the home is allocated. It's not so much about what gets done as who thinks of that what. Zach Watson, a star dad creator on Instagram and Tik Tok, has so fully embraced the teachings of Fair Play that he recently left his tech sales job to go all in on coaching men in the Fair Play method of being a partner. At the crux of it is discussing who carries the mental load for which tasks. Listen to learn how to improve your communication and happiness in marriage.
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Interview with Todd Demsey / PGA Tour Player Who Walked Away From The Game
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
"Thirty weeks a year on the road - it's not worth it.," said Todd Demsey who wasn't a consultant or traveling salesman. He was a PGA Tour golfer living every golfer's dream. It was his dream, too - until his children were too old to travel with him. So he gave it up and moved to a beach town in the shadows of Ponte Vedra Beach, home of the PGA Tour. And there he's been making golf clubs, giving lessons and most of all spending time with his kids. He has no regrets - and may have a second chance at playing. Listen to what he's gained.
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Interview with George Grombacher / Founder of the LifeBlood podcast, Father of Three
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Success usually begets more obligations to fit on top of what you're already doing - without more time to do them. That happened to George Grombacher, who was a financial adviser when he launched Lifeblood, a podcast that delves into health, wealth, relationships, work and life. It took off and was airing daily. He's adding another podcast; he just wrote a book called The Purpose Book. But he's also a father of three, married to a working mom and getting daily exercise. How's he do it? No secret formula. Listen in to learn what you can change.
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Interview with Sir Royce Briales / Founder of Welcome To Fatherhood
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Welcome To Fatherhood began when Sir Royce Briales asked his childhood friend, Dr. Raheem Young for fatherhood advice. The two Chicago dads began talking and Sir Royce wondered how he could share more broadly Dr. Raheem's advice. It was all about knowledge transfer and Sir Royce realized that transfer wasn't happening for fathers like it should. What began as a meeting in Chicago has gone national thanks to Zoom. Whatever the format, Sir Royce said there's one goal the groups go back to again and again. Listen in.
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Interview with David Landman / Goldman Sachs HR leader, Workplace Advocate
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
After a 20-year career as a human resources leader at Goldman Sachs, David Landman recently left and has launched a consultancy that is working to bring more fulfillment, belonging and connection to the workplace. Armed with experience from one of the top Wall Street banks - a firm that has been more rigid than most on working in the office - David is a wealth of strategies on how both managers and workers can get what they need out of work. Listen to his tips on discussing life issues with managers and hear what managers want from working parents.
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Interview with Katherine Goldstein / Community Leader, Care Fellow
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Not to be cute, but how much does America care about care? We talk about it. We stress about it. We know we need it. But what steps can we take to bring about action? Katherine knows from researching and writing "A Playbook to Transform How America Cares" Listen to what she learned and we can do.
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Interview with Jason Abrams / Dad of Two on His Company's Leave
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Amtrak offers paid parental leave to mothers and fathers. Jason Abrams has taken his full allotment of leave twice now - a rarity among men. His exit from and return to work were seamless. It required some planning. Listen to lessons for other men undecided on taking parental leave.
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Interview with Barney Banks / Tik Tok's IAmMrBanks, Diaper Dude
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Barney Banks' fatherhood fame started humbly: he was trying to entertain his son while changing his diaper. He showed the video to his mother-in-law who suggested he post it to Tik Tok. It resonated - to the tune of millions of views. What's happened in the year since shows what we fathers are craving: connection. Listen to Barney talk about the broader message of his family content.
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Interview with Nate Thompson and Alex Schwartz / Fathers and Workplace Thinkers
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
People want to work differently. We know this. So why are some companies so behind in adaptaing - not to mention those companies putting a stake in the ground for return to office? Nate and Alex, both dads, had traditional office-based careers pre-pandemic. But after work shut down they began to think strategically about what the workforce of the future would look like. Listen to their story - and learn from their future of work mindset model.
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Interview with Anna McKay / Back-to-Work Expert for Parents
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Parents pause their careers all the time. They do it to devote all their time to their families. But at some point, they may want to return. If they're an attorney or accountant, there's a path. For others, though, it's challenging. As the founder of Parents Pivot, Anna has tips for Lead Parents who want to return to work this year.
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Behind The Scenes Of The Company of Dads
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
This is our holiday episode and we’re sitting down with The Company of Dads itself – the people who make this possible: Helder, Emily, Terry and Skip. We talk about the best fatherhood moment in the past year and why so much has changed.
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Interview with Kristen Shockley / Our First Guest, Professor at Auburn / Work-Life Expert
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Welcome to our 100th Podcast! To celebrate, we're talking to Kristen Shockley, our first guest almost two years ago. We talked back then about her research during the pandemic and what led to harmony at home. (Spoiler: people who only worked and weren't involved with caregiving were less productive in their jobs.) Talking to her was a great way to kick off our weekly podcast where we strive to bring insights, stories, and even a bit of humor to the changing pre-pandemic dynamic at home, at work and in our communities. Listen to new thoughts and ideas on work and life from Kristen here.
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Interview with Kurt and Trent Long / Father-Son Entreprenuers
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Kurt and Trent Long, father-son founders of a company called BUNKR that digitally encrypts your passwords and documents, have lessons for other families looking to work together and build a business. Kurt is a serially successful entrepreneur whose family and friends have always been around his businesses. He recognizes the strengths his children have and leverages them. For his part, Trent knows that at work Kurt is Kurt - not dad - and that's helped them with respect from other employees at work and family harmony outside of the office. Listen to their lessons for parents and children.
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Interview with Nick Bloom / Hybrid Work Expert, Stanford Economist
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
The Five Day Office Week is Dead - so says Nick Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University and an expert on work-from-home practices. Yet some CEOs keep fighting a losing battle to bring it back. There is no evidence, Bloom says, that this will lead to anything good - and lots of research showing that inflexible work arrangements will cost companies millions when key employees leave and need to be replaced. So listen up managers and workers alike to ways to improve worker happiness and a company's bottomline!
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Interview with Brad Harrington / Boston College Center for Work and Family
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Many companies still focus on working moms with their outreach and employee resource groups for parents. But research from Boston College's Center for Work and Family shows that doing only that is missing the mark. Not only are fathers taking paternity leave that companies have offered them, both they and working moms are using those benefits as proxies to assess whether they'd even want to work for that company. So why are some companies still acting like it's 1983? Listen to Brad Harrington's insights from over two decades of research in the field.
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Interview with Michael Perry / Creator of An App To Organize Families
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Michael Perry was living the tech founder's dream. He'd sold an app he created to Shopify, where he had a senior role. Then he and his wife started to have children, and the juggle became a struggle. It gave Michael an idea: What if he created an app to help families organize, delegate and communicate all the big and small tasks of family life? Listen to learn what Maple, the result, is looking to do to help with the logistics of life.
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Interview with Jason Frishman / Narrative Therapist, Founder of JourneyMen
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Can fathers journey through life with responsibility, meaning, intention and partnership? That's Jason Frishman's goal: A therapist based in Vermont, he wants to help men create and sustain authentic relationships with one another and live a more meaningful life. He wants to help them become engaged participants in their family, community and work lives. Listen to how redefining masculinity helps the entire family.
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Interview with Michael Frerichs / Illinois Treasurer, Father of Three
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Michael Frerichs was elected state treasurer in 2014 and has been reelected twice. For all that time he lived in a farming town in southern Illinois where he grew up. When he met his second wife, she was working for Kellogg in Chicago. They commuted, so she could be close to work and he could be with his daughter from his first marriage. Then they had twins. And the choice was: ask her to move to his town or relocate to Chicago so she could continue on the executive path. Listen to what they did and how it impacted their careers - for the better.
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Interview with Jeff Wickersham / Warrior Dad, Fatherhood Coach
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Sometimes unexpected bad outcomes lead to great personal growth. A decade ago, Jeff Wickersham was let go from his job at American Express. It was his livelihood; it was some part of his identity as a provider. But he turned that loss into a moment to connect more deeply with his sons and wife and that spawned the idea for what became Morning Fire Coaching - a program to help fathers be more fully present in their family's life. From that came the Warrior Dad experience - an immersive program meant to reawaken a father's priorities in life. Listen to the three most common challenges fathers face and solutions that any man can apply.
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Interview with Blessing Adesiyan / Workplace Challenger, Founder of MH WorkLife
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Blessing Adesiyan is at the forefront of changing how workplaces think about care for workers. A chemical engineer by training who held senior roles at companies like BASF, Dupont, and Cargill, Blessing shared some thoughts about being a working mother and invited people on social media for coffee. What she thought would be a small gathering of like-minded moms back in 2018 turned into a gathering that overwhelmed a local coffee shop. That was the beginning of a movement that has gained speed during the pandemic. Now with MH WorkLife, she is reimagining the care infrastructure at companies and for employees. Listen to how she's doing it and what you can learn.
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Interview with Ryan Carters / Pro Cricketeer, Dad Coach
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
At 18, Ryan Carters was a professional cricket player in Australia. He was a father in his early 20s. In his late 20s, after graduating from Harvard, he became a consultant for McKinsey, one of the top management consulting firms in the world. Good life. What didn't fit, though, was how fathers were expected to work and interact with their family. It drove him to start DadFIt, an organization that aims to turn fatherhood into a team support and give dads the support mothers give each other. Listen to how to build your own Dad Team.
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Interview with Jimmy May / Navy Seal, Father of Three
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Jimmy May is highly regarded in the world of Navy Seals, one of the most elite fighting groups in the world. For 22 years, he was often deployed 300 days a year. But in a job with no work-life balance, he rarely saw his children and got divorced twice. Since retiring he's making up for lost time, with an intensity that only an elite Seal could have. Listen to how he is becoming the father his kids need now - and what he is doing to help other Seals.
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Interview with Mita Mallick / DEI Expert, Leading Voice for Change
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Mita Mallick is challenging the lazy statements company leaders have made about diversity policies and laying out a plan to make workplaces more inclusive and to build stronger, better working teams. And when it comes to policies around care, she wants to invite men in to be part of the solution. Listen to how things can change for the benefit of the whole workforce.
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Interview with Terry Smith / Author of See You Later
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
After going through his second divorce, Terry Smith got full custody of his daughter. Watching her come to terms with what happened pained him. So Smith, an artist, wrote a book, See You Later, with her to help children and parents talk about divorce in a better way. With 18 percent of fathers in the U.S. being divorced, widowed or otherwise single, Terry is helping fathers explain to their children what may be hard for them to understand. Listen to ways to soften the blow of parents splitting.
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Interview with the Authors of Raising A Kid Who Can
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
A psychiatrist, a psychologist and a child therapist all walk into a parenting group, and... it's a good set-up for a joke, but it's the feeling you might get listening to Catherine McCarthy, Heather Tedesco and Jennifer Weaver, three experts and friends, who wrote a book about creating independent kids - and less cloying, worrying and meddling parents. They're as wise as they are funny. Listen in.
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Interview with Deanne Aussem / Wellbeing Leader At PWC
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Creating a wellbeing platform for a large, multinational company like PwC, the professional services firm, has been a decade in the making. But it positioned the company well in the post-Covid shift to how, where and when we're working. The company's Parenting Inclusion Network offers equal benefits for mothers and fathers - but more than that, it works with parents (and caregivers more broadly) to integrate work and life. Listen to Deanne Aussem, who heads the firm's wellbeing initiative, talk about what works and what still needs to be done - with tips for other companies starting out.
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Interview with J.R. Havlan / Emmy Award Winner & First Time Camp Worker
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
J.R. Havlan got an offer he couldn't refuse: come work as the communications director at sleepaway camp. The eight-time Emmy Award-winning writer might seem a tad overqualified for the job but he jumped at the chance: he'd be around his two kids and fully focused on one job - a rarity in a world of disruptions. But he learned some things that he - and any Dad - could use in the school year. Listen now.
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Interview with Doug Patton / Inventor and Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Doug Patton is an inventor with over 200 products to his name, ranging from a biomedical device used worldwide for eye surgery to an electric candle sold by Disney. But he’s always been an involved father, to his daughter Heather and his son Sean. When she was a baby and a restless sleeper, he would get up early with her and sketch inventions with her rocking on the kitchen table. His son, who just graduated from college, has worked with him since he was 12. The three have come together to work on a passion project for Doug, a putter that brings sophisticated sound technology to golf. Listen to Doug talk about how his children came to work with him and what’s it meant for him as a father and entrepreneur.
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Interview with Jennifer Wallace / Author and Advocate for Adolescents
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
It's all or nothing. Harvard or bust. A's may not be enough. This is achievement culture and it's hurting kids. Jennifer Wallace, author of “Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic--and What We Can Do About It”, has a plan to help adolescents and their well-meaning but intense parents change the dynamic. Listen to her tips.
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Interview with Chris Michalak / Healthcare CEO and Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
In one year, Chris Michalak lost his marriage, his job and his dog. He became a single Lead Dad with custody of his sons. He kept it secret at work - it was a different time. Fifteen years later, he became CEO of VIrgin Pulse, a healthcare company, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. His personal experience years earlier informed how he led - and allowed him to lean into remote work for everyone's benefit. Listen to what he did and how it helped his company.
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Interview with Jay Rosenblatt / Filmmaker and Father
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
How do our kids change as they age? All fathers observe it in real time but Jay Rosenblatt recorded it. Starting when his daughter was 2, he interviewed her on camera every year on her birthday until she was 18. The result is a beautiful record of a father-daughter bond. Listen to what we can all learn from his endeavor.
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Interview with Rocco Carreiro / Author and Financial Adviser
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
The three cords are work, family and self. Abd author Rocco Carreiro said all three need to be bound together for men to be happy and producitve as Lead Dads, entrepreneurs or employees, and spouses or partners. No surprise: it's not easy to give your all to your business, your family and yourself? There are tradeoffs; it's hard. Listen as we unpack this.
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Interview with Linda Nielsen / Professor and Expert on Fathers & Daughters
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Do babies really bond better with moms? Do dads sacrifice less than moms? Are dads less empathetic, less compassionate, and less skilled at communicating than moms? These are all myths that hold fathers back, says Linda Nielsen, a professor at Wake Forest University. She's been researching the subject for 30 years. Listen to how to correct the record.
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Interview with Professor David Smith / Naval Aviator, Gender Rights Expert
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
A Naval Academy graduate, David is an associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School where he focuses on inclusive leadership and gender in the workplace. His life in academia started after his stint as a Naval aviator, flying combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. How did he come to his research? He saw his wife, a fellow Naval Academy graduate, struggle far more than he did, despite being just as well educated and trained. Learn how to be a more inclusive leader.
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Interview with Reshma Saujani / Advocate For Women and Girls
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Reshma Saujani is an amazing force for working parents, an advocate for girls and a thinker on work today. She founded the nonprofit Girls Who Code, which worked to close the tech gap for women by teaching girls to be programmers. In the pandemic, she started a second nonprofit called the Marshall Plan for Moms, now known as Moms First. It advocates for child care, paid leave, and equal pay. Want to know what Lead Dads can do to support Working Moms at home and at work? Listen in.
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Interview with Jeff Zaugg / Advocate For Fathers And The Fatherless
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Jeff Zaugg is the founder of DadAwesome, a nonprofit that’s all about helping fathers embrace their role as dads and be more present. Why? Because kids are watching us and they know when we are loving being their dad - and when we're distracted. Jeff also started Fathers for the Fatherless – a nonprofit that stages a series of 100-mile bike rides to bring fathers together to raise money for children who don’t have fathers. Listen and be inspired.
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Interview with Justin Breen / Entrepreneur, Lead Dad, Date Night Pro
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Justin Breen is a communications innovator from Chicago and the author of Epic Life: How To Build Collaborative Global Companies While Putting Your Loved Ones First. The book details what makes entrepreneurs not just great but happy and fulfilled. (Hint: it's not more stuff.) He is also a marathon level romantic – having orchestrated 52 dates in 52 weeks with his wife Dr. Sarah Breen - and without their kids. Listen for his insight.
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Interview with Brooks Barron / The Inheritance of Good Fatherhood Examples
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Brooks Barron was destined for a high-achieving corporate life. He graduated from Princeton University as his father had and went on to Stanford's business school. Enormous wealth and professional accolades were his for the taking. But there was something about his Colorado childhood, its inspiring lessons, that called to him. He took a different path, working outdoors in teaching and leadership roles built around the natural world. A young father, Brooks has thoughts on how to help visionary leaders discover their soul's purpose and unleash their full aliveness.
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Interview with Todd Detwiler / Illustrator and Author of How To Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
There is no shortage of books on parenting but they're written for mothers - only to be read by the rare father. Todd Detwiler set out to change this with his illustrated - and funny - book: How To Dad. It begins with his own Covid parenting stumbles as he worked to figure out what he should do, and when and how to do it. Of all the dadding advice, the section on air travel with kids is worth the price! Listen to how new and experienced dads can learn something new this Father's Day.
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Interview with Shawn Lesser and Brent Herd / Men's Mental Health Advocates
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Shawn and Brent are fathers who have had professional success and family success. But like many men, they’ve also had mental health struggles. Brent’s came first. Shawn, who was bringing together investors in some of the nicest places in America, had his crisis last year. When it happened, Shawn's wife reach out to Brent. They'd been youth baseball buddies but that light friendship was enough for Brent to help Shawn through a dark period. From that experience of openness and caring came the creation of The Real, a mental health advocacy group aimed at fathers who are suffering. Listen to how they plan to remove the stigma around getting treatment and help Dads get the help they need.
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Interview with Kevin Olmstead / Author and Advocate for Anorexia Awareness
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Kevin Olmstead wrote the book "Scared Dad Feeding: How My Daughter’s Anorexia Took Me To Hell and My Guidebook for How I Got Back" about his family's experience. But he was moved to write it to help other dads get through what his family is still navigating: helping a child who lost 30 pounds in 60 days and is still working through the mental health struggles of anorexia. To get her the care she needed, Kevin left his career in the wine business and became a Lead Dad who devoted all of this time to his family. Listen to what he learned and how it can help Dads in a similar situation.
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Interview With The Band of Sisters / Advocates For Change
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
The Band of Sisters are six senior female executives who have seen it all and not all that they’ve seen has been good. They've written “You Should Smile More: How to Dismantle Gender Bias in the Workplace" - the title a phrase all six women were told in their careers. Listen to two of the sisters, Angelique Bellmer Krembs and Lori Tauber Marcus, give actionable ways to eliminate the lazy bias of corporate America.
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Interview with Jaclyn Wong / Expert on Career, Relationship & Family Decisions
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Balancing the competing pressures of modern work and caregiving roles is hard for everyone. Professional couples fall into three categories that may not be good for them long term. Consistent compromises. Autonomous actors. Tending traditional couples. Learn what each one means for you and also understand how far you can go to change this dynamic when there are structural and cultural issues aligned against couples switching up roles.
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Interview with Kelly McGinnis / President of the Working Parent Institute
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Parental burnout is only recently a topic that is getting talked about openly. All parents can struggle with it but Lead Dads and Working Moms are juggling working, parenting, living, being a spouse and a friend every day. Kelly McGinnis is leading a reevaluation as the president of Incredible Family, which supports working parents and aims to prevent parental burnout, and the Working Parent Institute, which is a resource for companies looking to do better. Learn some actionable actionable tips to reduce burnout and get aligned as working parents.
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(This is part 6 of a 6 part mini-series: The Global Dads Council.)
How do you unlock dads at work and allow them to be full parents? Research shows it makes workers more productive, and builds loyalty and engagment with the company. Yet companies have been slow to adapt to the post-pandemic world of work. It's easy to blame Boardroom Dads for being out of touch but it's a problem that rapidly needs to be solved for companies and communities. Listen to the Global Dads Council off tips on how to coach men to be fully engaged Dads at Work.
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Interview with Jeff Siegel / Health and Wellness Coach for Men
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Being a father is loaded with expectations - many stemming from how society pushes men into a certain way of being a father. Jeff Siegel, a health and wellness coach with Harvard credentials and mindfullness training, is pushing back against those assumptions. He wants men to let go of heroic images of fatherhood and be the best dad they can be. Learn his 4 ways men can become conscious dads.
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(This is part 5 of a 6 part mini-series: The Global Dads Council.)
Fathers can play a positive role in guiding their children through school-age sports. Sometimes it can be as easy as playing with them in the backyard. Othertimes it can be more organized games and leagues. But so often, just being out there with them - or driving them home - can open up a world of conversations. Hear how dads around the world get the best out of kids' sports - and avoid the cliches of living vicariously through their children.
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Interview with Charlie Rosier / Founder of Babbu, Childhood Learning Expert
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What do you do when you want to entertain your toddler with something educational but you don't know where to go or whether the resource you find will be any good? Stuck at home during the pandemic, Charlie Rosier, a single parent with a toddler, pondered this question. The result is Babbu, an early child resource. Listen to 3 ways it can help Lead Dads - and their young children.
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(This is part 4 of a 6 part mini-series: The Global Dads Council.)
Working parents, moms and dads, need time for self-care. But how do you get that space when there is so little free time? Work. Parenting. Spousal time. They eat up a day! Does it just come down to managing guilt? Or is there something else holding us back to relaxing and being better men? Bryan Tan from Singapore leads off this discussion. Listen for 5 actionable tips.
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Interview with Sara Madera / Relationship Coach, Parent Thinker
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What comes first: Gender equity at work or at home? In this week's podcast, I discuss the issue with Sara Madera, founder of Plan Creatively, which works with working moms to manage the demands of career and parenthood. We talk about the role Lead Dads play in this at home and in the workplace. Listen to what we agreed and disagreed on.
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(This is part 3 of a 6 part mini-series: The Global Dads Council.)
The Global Dads Council Takes On Work-Life Balance
Around the world, fathers want to work differenly. We're at an inflection point in the work-life debate. Allowing men to be dads at work is about unlocking families' potential and finding what's right at home and in the office. It's the missing link around gender equality. But there are strong culture factors aligned against this shift. Listen to the panel as it offers suggestions and solutions to get beyond culture barriers and find a better way forward as we enter The Next Normal.
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Interview With Brett Edwards / Hollywood Actor, Dallas Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Brett Edwards plays tough guys on screen. He was in American Sniper, the film based on a Navy Seal's life. He's been in CSI, Narcos and Westworld. But the hypermasculine roles he plays on screen are just that, roles. At home, he is a Lead Dad to his two daughters and his wife, who runs her own consulting firm. Listen to why separating the two personas is so important to him.
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(This is part 2 of a 6 part mini-series: The Global Dads Council.)
The Global Dad Council Debates Balancing Being a Dad and a Partner
What's easier to master - fatherhood or the art of being a great husband? Neither is easy but being a great husband can often take a backseat to the more immediate needs of a child. The good news is there are some easy fixes. The bad news is you need to be aware that there is a problem. Listen to ways we can understand each other better and keep the key relationship in our family strong.
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Interview With Alison Graham, Global Exec, Lead Dad Advocate
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Alison Graham, a native Australian, came to the States 25 years ago and has had a remarkable career in tech - Unisys. Computer Associates. IBM. Salesforce. Amazon Web Services. She credits her Lead Dad husband - who was also working in tech - with being the go-to parent when she was traveling at different times in her career. Hear what he did that mattered.
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(This is part 1 of a 6 part mini-series: The Global Dads Council.)
Four Fathering Groups, Four Countries, One Unified Mission
How universal are the joys and challenges of being a father around the world? That word can mean different things - a caregiver, a Lead Dad, a husband, a provider, a friend. To find out, we've created The Global Dads Council, whose founding members are: Paul Sullivan, founder of The Company of Dads (US), Rupesh N. Bhambwani, founder of Cool Dads' Club (India), Han-son Lee, founder and chief executive of Daddlife (UK)and Bryan Tan, chief executive of Dads for Life (Singapore). Listen as together we begin to answer some of those questions.
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Interview with Travis Parry / Efficiency Expert and Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Work too much? Struggle allocating time to home, work, your community, yourself? This was Travis Parry, a father of seven, who had a revelation when his father passed away suddenly. He wanted to find a better way to do things. So he founded the Make Time Institute and now consults with business owners on how to reprioritize their lives. Listen to his actionable tips for any dad.
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Interview with Eve Rodsky / Fair Play Advocate, Bestselling Author
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Eve Rodsky is changing the way working couples coexist. Starting with her bestselling book "Fair Play: A Game Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much To Do and More Life to Live," Eve is helping couples find a better way to divide up the tasks of life, of parenting, of the house, of the chores, and of all the stuff that isn’t fun. She created the Fair Play Institute to bring this method to more people. Listen to Eve's thoughts on what every couple can do to find harmony free of resentment.
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Interview with Brian Anderson and John Badalament / Change Makers
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Fathering Together is a nonprofit that works to make fathers agents of positive change. One of its missions is to give dads the tools to try to be the best fathers they can be. Their mission is supported with research and data that shows that more involved fathers benefit the whole family. Listen to what any dad can easily do better.
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Interview with Roman Gaida / Business Leader Setting An Example
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Lead Dads need examples at work. They need to see senior leaders being Full Parents at Work - not Event Dads who leave early for a game or a performance. Roman Gaida came to understand this when his sons were born five years ago. He runs Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Mitsubishi Electric - some 160 employees - and he has instituted work policies to allow parents to fulfill their potential. He writes about his leadership strategy in a new book: Working Dad: How To Combine Family and Career as An Active Father. Listen to his tips for men to be great fathers, husbands and workers.
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Interview with Colin Haupt / Widowed Lead Dad Of Three
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Colin Haupt was always a Lead Dad. When his children were young and he was a rising HR executive, he was the one to leave work when his kids needed him. His wife's job in financial services didn't have that flexibity. It continued when he joined a start-up insurance company that was growing quickly but had a CEO who put family first. Five years ago, Colin's wife died from breast cancer and the company's support allowed him to focus on their kids. Listen to his story of being two different types of Lead Dad and how working for a company with strong care policies made a difference.
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Interview with Stew Friedman / Director of The Wharton Work/Life Integration Project
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
When his first child was born, Stew Friedman, then a young professor, started researching how companies could think differently about their employees' work and home lives. His colleagues thought he was sabotaging a promising career. Instead, Ford Motor Company hired him and that stint spawned Total Leadership, a Wharton Business School course and a consulting company. Listen to why he's optimistic about companies "opening up so much experimentation and innovation - out of necessity!"
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Interview with Bill Masters / Legendary Sitcom Writer and Creator, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Bill Masters is a comedy-writing legend. He parlayed stand-up into writing for "Seinfeld". He created "Caroline in the City" and "Raising Dad". His wife Gail Berman is a legend in her own right, having run Paramount Pictures and Fox Broadcasting's entertainment division. More recently she produced the Netflix hit "Wednesday" and the film "Elvis". Yet when it came to their twins, now 30, Bill was the Lead Dad, working his writing around the family's schedule so he could support Gail in her career. Hear him talk about the good, the bad, and the funny of being a Hollywood Lead Dad.
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Interview With Sue Groner / The Parenting Mentor
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
All the myriad questions that parents have about their children can be boiled down into one, single issue: expectations, says Sue Groner, aka The Parenting Mentor. Coming out of The Wharton School, Groner didn't imagine that her career would take her into a world of coaching parents to manage - or in corporate speak, right-size - their expectations for their children. But coaching led to a book - Parenting With Sanity and Joy - and a career where she helps parents at home and in the workplace. Listen to her actionable tips for working dads and moms.
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Interview With Drew Soleyn / Dad Coach and Founder of Connected Dads
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Before coaching Dads, Drew Soleyn was a sports coach turned corporate coach. Coaching executives was important but what if the the then-father of three could connect more deeply with Dads? What if he could coach them to learn to lead themselves, and through that to become better fathers and men? His change was informed by his own experience as a father and then a divorced Lead Dad. Listen to Drew talk about the Four A's and the Five P's and other essential tricks of the trade to allow men to be more successful fathers.
Interview with Jimmy Gomez (& his infant son) / America's Most Famous Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Congressman Jimmy Gomez, who represents Los Angeles in the House of Representatives, put his 4-month-old son Hodge into a baby sling and voted with him for Speaker of the House - again and again. What began as a proud father moment at the start of the week of voting became a family necessity for the Democrat: his wife, a deputy mayor for the city of L.A., had to go back to work and the new parents didn't have any childcare. Listen to the Congressman's thoughts on improving childcare in America, paid paternity leave and whether he'd ask a Republican to babysit.
Interview With Rob Taylor / Corporate Dad Trainer
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Companies are starting to give men paternity leave at work. It's a start. But there's still a macho culture that can make taking that leave difficult. That same culture can also quiet men who want be open about being caring, engaged fathers - while also being workers. As Rob Taylor says, "They don't teach Dad in school." He's doing work to change that. Listen to our discussion on what companies can do better to lead and support the Dad conversation.
Interview With Trevor Kempner / Assistant District Attorney, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Trevor Kempner, assistant district attorney, a cappella singer, thirtysomething Lead Dad, is a fascinating study of human complexity. He went to Yale where he studied theater and then onto Stanford Law School where after graduating he became a business litigator. It didn’t take, and he moved to the San Francisco District Attorney’s office where vice president Kamala Harris once worked. When the courts closed and work went remote he found himself assuming the role of Lead Dad, while his wife, who works for Apple, found her workday just as packed as before. Two years later, they have two sons. Listen to what he’s done to thrive as a lawyer while supporting his wife in her career.
Interview with Deborah Porter / Working Parent Coach
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Deborah Porter is an influential voice on parenting. She runs Porter Systems and is a consultant to organizations and businesses to provide support beyond parental leave for working parents. At a time when working parents are trying to negotiate how and when to ask for a different way of working, she has some concrete advice to get the time they need while still being great workers. It starts with the 3C’s: Clarity, Confidence and Courage. She also has advice for businesses that want to manage the Next Normal effectively. Listen now.
Paul Sullivan Talks About What He Learned as a First-Time Founder and What The Company of Dads Has Planned
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
We launched The Company of Dads in February, and our Paul Sullivan has told the story of how he came up with the idea many times. Now, for the first, he reflects on what went right and wrong in the first year, what still bothers him (and what still makes him smile), and what The Company of Dads has in store for 2023 and beyond.
Highlights from Kirstin Shockley, Jamie Ladge, Kenneth Braswell, Dana Suskind, Jay Lauf & Jeff Forte
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Welcome to The Company of Dads year-end review. The majority of our podcasts focused on Lead Dads and their stories. But we also sought out experts on all sorts of things that relate to men as fathers, husbands, earners, and people. There were academics who studied pandemic parenting and men at work. There were advocates for fathers and experts on the social forces that influence dads navigating The Next Normal. Listen to quick tips from a selection of them.
Highlights from Mike McKee, Tony Maws, JR Havlan, Tino Ricci and Max Rivera
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Welcome to The Company of Dads Christmas highlights from five podcasts this year – Mike McGee, husband of famous golfer Annika Sorenstam; Tony Maws, award-winning Boston chef; JR Havlan, Emmy Award winning comedy writer; Tino Ricci, my childhood best friend and a long-timne Home Depot employee; and Max Rivera, a New York City Firefighter. Listen to some funny, interesting and useful insights from each one.
Interview with David Newson / Chief Marketing Officer, Working Parent Advocate
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
David Newson has risen to the upper echelons of the marketing world. He’s a leader in his field. As a husband and a father, he does something so simple but important for other Lead Dads in the corporate world. He blocks out two hours each morning to get his son ready for school – and he keeps it sacrosanct. It’s not hard yet it’s impactful. As a partner and member of the management committee of his firm, doing this sets an example that allows other parents to be honest at work, to not lie about being a worker, a parent, a human. Listen to him talk about how he decided to be open about parenting as part of work, and what challenges he’s had to confront.
Interview with Michael Beacham / Co-Founder of Money Savvy Generation
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Inflation may be tough on the family budget but it’s a remarkable time to talk to your kids about money. Take the grocery bill and show your kids how much basic necessities cost today versus last year, says Michael Beacham, president of Money Savvy Generation – a financial education firm for children founded by his wife Susan. He and his wife are the creators of the popular and pragmatic Money Savvy Pig – a porcine savings bank divided into four compartments: Save, Spend, Invest and Donate. Listen for tips on good money values for children and ways to raise financially literate and independent adults. Added benefit – the caps on the hooves are hard to open so they make impulse withdrawals tough.
Interview with Eric Arthrell / Researcher on The Changing Desires for Fathers At Work
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANEric Arthrell, a long-time management consultant, was the lead author on Deloitte’s “The Design of Everyday Men Report” – a look at how top-performing fathers want to work differently and what the best companies have done to retain and support them. Key finding: inclusive work cultures do better in terms of both financial performance and innovation. But he also found that without senior managers modeling this behavior men were unlikely to be open at work about their role as fathers. Listen to Arthrell talk about how companies can enable men to be better fathers at work and relieve some of the burden on working mothers, and what lines working Dads need to draw for themselves.
Interview with Mark Tamhane / International broadcast Journalist with Kids 4 to 24
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANMark Tamhane is a father of six in Melbourne, Australia. His children are 24, 21, 18, 7, 5, and 4. Australia had one the world's strictest lockdown policies during Covid and that time taught him perspective. Trained as a journalist, Mark worked in radio, tv and print, in Australia and in London, for 33 years. He has written about his experiences Lead Dadding for the Australian Broadcasting Company. He’s also found a different perspective the second time around. Listen to his thoughts on "familying" as a way to improve family time.
Interview with Ian Dinwiddy, Corporate Coach and Founder of Inspiring Dads
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANBusinesses are starting to emphasize parental leave for fathers as well as mothers. No complaints there – as long as the corporate culture makes men feel that taking leave won’t be a penalty. But what many companies are not doing is helping fathers (and mothers) reenter the workforce and thrive in a world that’s different from what it was before kids. It’s something Ian Dinwiddy knows well. He was a management consultant until he had children. His wife, a senior lawyer in London, had less flexibility than he did, so Ian became the Lead Dad. But as the years went on, he realized his skills as a consultant could be used to work with companies and their new fathers to adjust to a new mix of life and work. Listen to Ian talk about how he helps Dads be their best at home and work.
Interview with Marvin Avilez who Spent 7 Years Securing Fatherhood Rights
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANMarvin Avilez’s story to be a father to his daughter continues. The former counter-intel Marine turned technologist became a father in 2015 in New York City – when the mother of his child was in the United Kingdom. After talking his way into the country in 2020, he was fortunate to have an attorney who worked at a capped rate to get him residency. He had no such luck with the legal bills to secure fatherhood rights, racking up substantial debt in his battle to secure parenting rights to see his daughter. Earlier this year, his case came before the judge who had been presiding over it for years. Listen to hear how the case was resolved and where Marvin is today.
Interview with Marvin Avilez who Spent 7 Years Securing Fatherhood Rights
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANMarvin Avilez has one of the most captivating stories about becoming a Lead Dad I’ve ever heard. A former counter-intel Marine turned technologist, Marvin became a father in 2015 in New York. His daughter’s mother had moved to London and was trying to shut him out. He refused to be erased, and so began a seven-year odyssey traveling between New York and London to secure his rights as a father. In this first episode, Marvin talks about educating himself, crafting a plan and making strides – until he was struck with Covid-19 in the earliest days of the pandemic. It ends with Marvin selling everything he had and emigrating to London as soon as flying restrictions were lifted in 2020. He was at least near his daughter but his fight was nowhere close to being over. Listen now.
Interview with Dan Kadlac / Early Remote Worker and 1990s Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANDan Kadlac was a Lead Dad when silence about his role was the way to maintain his ability to work remotely and parent his children as his wife’s career became more demanding. That was the 1990s when working from home was a euphemism for slacking off. But after discussions with his wife, they realized his job as a magazine columnist was more portable, so he raised his hand to be the Lead Dad for their three school-aged children. “At some point that may have hurt my career, but it also opened up some doors that I wanted to pursue,” he said. As for being the go-to parent for the kids, it was worth every trade-off, particularly with his teenage daughter: “I heard stuff I’d never have heard if I wasn’t driving them. They just thought I was the chauffeur and talked like I wasn’t there.” Listen to Dan’s 7 tips for Lead Dads adjusting to a role that is rewarding if still not always understood and accepted.
Interview with Michael Cohen, employment lawyer, Philly sports fan, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANWhen Michael Cohen’s first daughter was born, some 20 years ago, he was afraid to take paternity leave. Not super shocking in the early 2000s – unless you know that Coach Mike, as his daughters and their friends call him, is an employment lawyer who helps companies craft their workplace policies – including around parental leave. Back then, he was afraid to ask the senior partners at his firm for time off when so many of them boasted about the parenting moments they had missed. Today, Mike is that senior partner and he encourages men and women to take time to be parents. He trusts they’ll get everything done and knows how important that flexibility is. When it comes to the companies he advises, he said things are getting better but there’s still room for improvement. Listen to him talk about what companies should do, what employees need to ask for and how much he learned from coaching his daughters in sports.
Interview with Kate Mangino / Gender Expert, Researcher, Author
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANSplitting up work at home equally doesn’t mean you do the dishes and I take out the trash. It means both partners share the mental load of running a house, raising children and tending to all the things that crop up. Kate Mangino spent time with 40 men who are equal partners to their spouses – as verified by their spouses – to write her new book Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home. What she found was the upbringings of the 40 weren’t always traditional – some were raised by single parents, some felt different growing up, some came from violent households. But their willingness to take on more of the mental load when they got married was summed up in a positive way: they felt it was better for them to be equal contributors in their relationships and they didn’t feel like that was a sacrifice. Admirable stuff. But listen to learn why so many of the 40 asked for anonymity and still don’t know each other.
Interview with Andrew Jensen / Pro Athlete, Mental Health Advocate, Suicide Survivor
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANAndrew Jensen was an elite athlete all through the junior and university ranks. Handsome, fit and charming, he nearly reached the pinnacle of his sport, falling just a few notches short of playing on the PGA Tour. Throughout it all, Andrew was struggling with his sense of self-worth and hanging everything on his professional golf performance. Under that pressure, he played worse, and his mental health declined. He tried to take his own life three times. Now as a Lead Dad to his wife and their one-year-old son, he still worries about his own mental illness. He talks candidly on this episode about his own struggles and also about his desire to help other men in need.
Interview with Brian Page / Founder of Modern Husbands, Financial Literacy Expert
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANFor our first joint podcast, Paul Sullivan, founder of The Company of Dads, and Brian Page, founder of Modern Husbands, come together to discuss what the two groups have in common and where we differ. No competition here, just two men discussing one set of key issues that have come out of the pandemic: what it means to be a Lead Dad or Modern Husband in this changing world of work and home life. Listen to hear what Brian and Paul have to say about money, marriage and the pursuit of dad and husband happiness.
Interview with Han-Son Lee / Founder of Daddilife, Leader in HR Change in the UK
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANHan-Son Lee, the founder of Daddilife, a parenting website for fathers in the United Kingdom, is working to change the way companies treat working dads. Human resources departments can be there to facilitate changes and help create Working Dad Groups, but the only way men are going to come on board is if there are effective mentor groups. Listen to Han-Son talk about how to create these groups and why a lot of effort at the start pays dividends that grow exponentially for years.
Interview with Mike McGee / Marketing Guru, Lead Dad to Annika Sorenstam
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANMike McGee was a sports marketing guru in his own right before going to work for Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest golfers of all time. About 15 years ago, their relationship turned romantic, and he’s now a Lead Dad to Annika and their children Will and Ava. Growing up in a golf family – his father was PGA Tour winner and Ryder Cupper Jerry McGee – he learned from his parents about what it meant to live in a true partnership. “I knew I had the love in my heart to do this and the ability to support Annika,” he said. “I’d lived it: it’s about the kids and supporting your spouse. I’m very fortunate to do that.” Listen to how Annika and Mike make the partnership work – and why he prefers guys ribbing him go with Mr. Annika.
Interview with Bruce Feiler / Creator of The Council of Dads, thinker on family and friends
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANBruce Feiler is best-selling author, sought-after speaker and contemporary thinker on fatherhood, family and work. He may be best known as the creator of The Council of Dads, an idea and a book he conceived when he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his leg. He wanted to recruit other dads to be there for his daughters if he wasn’t, and the council was born. He’s also written The Secrets of Happy Families, which is filled with actionable advice that we can take to make our lives better. Listen to us talk about fathers, family and what he calls a crisis of friendship among men today.
Interview with Paula Ratliff / Tech Leader, Workplace Thinker, Kentucky Colonel
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANMen far outnumber women in tech, but Dads have the ability to even the playing field for working moms, says Paula Ratliff, president of Women Impact Tech, which helps women thrive in the tech space. She talks about the “He’s for She’s” that helped her in her own career and can help women today. What’s needed she said is more mentors for working mothers and also great appreciation and understanding for working parents – who have proven they can work effectively in a remote or hybrid workplace. While she’s been doing this work for 20 years, there is a sobering statistic that still persists: mothers get a five to 10% pay cut for each child they have, while fathers get a 6% pay bump per child. Listen to her discuss why she’s optimistic that coming out of the pandemic the tech industry is at an inflection point that could bring real change for working parents.
Interview with Kenneth Braswell, National Expert on Responsible Fatherhood
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANWhat’s a big lesson for fathers? Having patience – and the understanding that none of us can do it all, says Kenneth Braswell a leader in the responsible fatherhood movement. Kenneth is the chief executive officer of Fathers Incorporated, a widely recognized nonprofit that supports fathers, researchers, and policymakers. His group focuses on providing services to thousands of organizations working to ensure that fathers can contribute to the healthy well-being of their children. He is also the author of the autobiography “When The Tear Won’t Fall” and four children’s books. Listen to him talk about what fathers can do but also what government agencies and workplaces need to do to help fathers succeed in their parenting roles.
Interview with Gary Barker / Leader in the Global Men’s Movement / O.G. Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANGary Barker is a leading global voice in engaging men and boys in advancing gender equality and creating a positive view of masculinity. He is the CEO and founder of Equimundo, which has worked for 20 years in more than 40 countries - starting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He’s also the founder of MenCare, a global campaign working in 50 countries to promote men’s involvement as caregivers. Gary co-created and leads the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), the largest-ever survey of men’s attitudes and behaviors related to violence, fatherhood, and gender equality, and is a co-author of the State of the World’s Fathers reports. Listen to him speak about how mens’ roles have changed in the decades he’s been working in the field.
Interview with Carrie Schwab Pomerantz, Expert in Family Finances
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Carrie Schwab Pomerantz is an absolute expert in family finance. She has served two White House administrations. She advised the Council on Financial Literacy under President George W. Bush, and was later appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability. She knows first hand that investing fads never work. When she asked her dad, legendary mutual fund pioneer, Charles Schwab, what to invest in, he didn’t give her a hot stock tip: he told her to diversify her portfolio and to keep saving. All good money decisions start with a conversation. Listen to her talk about why passing on good values around money is the most important thing you can do.
Interview with Dana Suskind, Surgeon, Author, Child Development Expert
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Dana Suskind is an acclaimed pediatric surgeon at the University of Chicago – she’s an expert in cochlear implants for young children. She’s also the author of two best-selling books. Thirty Million Words: Building a Child’s Brain, Tune in, Talk More, Take Turns – about the beneficial impacts of parents having conversations with their children – and this spring Parent Nation: Unlocking Every Child’s Potential, Fulfilling Society’s Promise. Listen to her talk about how to create real change for parents and children in this post-pandemic world where work and family are intertwined.
Interview with Jay Lauf / Thinker on the Future of Work, Reformed Daily Commuter
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Jay Lauf is the co-founder and president of Charter, a news site going deep on the future of work. He’s had a great career in magazines and media. He was the chairman and publisher of Quartz, the publisher of The Atlantic and the publisher of Wired. But for 20 years, the constant was his daily commute: he was veteran of Metro North, the train that took him from Fairfield, Conn, to New York City. It was a two-plus hour commute just one way. It got so bad that he preferred flying far away to sitting on that train to go into the office. Covid changed all that. At home with his wife and two daughters, he found the joys of being a LeadDad, getting time back after years of commuting. It changed his view on work and parenting. He’s never going back to the daily commute. But more broadly, he’s using that experience to influence the conversation on what work will look like going forward. Listen to what we should do be productive and happy people and workers.
Interview with Jill Castle / Expert on Feeding Kids For Maximum Health and Happiness
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Parenting is some combination of exhausting and exhilarating. Making healthy meals can fall into the exhausting category. And it’s complicated: if Daddy is drinking a rum punch and attacking a basket of fried seafood, can he really tell his kids to skip the Shirley Temples and chicken fingers? Jill Castle, childhood nutrition expert and founder of The Nourished Child, has some answers. She worked at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital before starting her own practice. She’s also a mother of four – and here’s where theory met practice: it wasn’t always easy for her to get her own children to eat. They’re all adults now, so she figured it out. But listen to her journey as a professional and a parent – it’s instructive for all of us.
Interview with Jeffrey Forte / National Advocate for Families / Special Ed Attorney
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Jeff Forte is special education attorney in Connecticut and advocate for parents and children. He runs one of the few law practices in the state dedicated entirely to helping families navigate the state’s special education laws to insure their children get an appropriate education. Sometimes this means negotiating with a school district to get more services for a child who may be struggling with reading or math; other times it means suing that district to pay for that child to be placed into a school that suits his or her educational and behavioral needs better. One thing that is essential, Jeff says, is for Dads and Moms to both be there in the educational negotiations. Without a united front, kids end often up with less than they require. Listen to his reasons for Dads participating more in their children’s education and becoming their advocate in school.
Interview with Stephanie Coontz, Expert on Contemporary Families and Marriage
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
How have husbands and wives balanced working, parenting and being together throughout history? Stephanie Coontz, the director of research and public education at the Council on Contemporary Families, says it’s generally not how most of think about it today. If anything, the past 50 or 60 years are an historical aberration – since it used to be more egalitarian. So now, employers assume when women become mothers they will be less committed to the job and therefore they’re more reluctant to promote them, while men who become fathers will be more committed – so those who want to take parental leave get penalized as not being a good worker. Listen to her discuss how working moms and Lead Dads can reset those expectations and allow a better working environment to come out of the pandemic.
Interview with Chris Bell / Musician, Lead Dad of Two, Guitar Master
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
A New Hampshire guy originally, Chris Bell has called Austin, Texas, home for almost two decades. A classically trained musician, he used to teach but now he is, what he calls, a ‘stunt guitarist’! He and his wife knew each other since they were kids but they reconnected 20 years ago. He’s the Lead Dad to their two boys. Most recently, he’s made a reputation for himself as a ‘luthier’ – a word I’ve been dying to use in an introduction. And he’s got some serious thoughts on the challenges of being a Lead Dad when you have a passion that conflicts with family life. Listen to hear more on stunt guitaring, guitar making and a guitar guy’s guide to Lead Dadding.
Interview with Nick Brophy / Bakery Owner, Career Supporter, Wise Man
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Today my guest is Nick Brophy, father of five children, ages 7 to 24. Nick played football at Princeton and the team won the Ivy League championship his junior year. Then he took a traditional path to Wall Street. He loved it and excelled at it for nearly 20 years. His wife Sarah was also enjoying a thriving career. Then they started having kids. In 2013, after adopting their third child, Nick’s wife found out she was pregnant. They were at crossroads. Nick put his hand up to be the Lead Dad and walked away from Wall Street, to the disbelief of friends. The past 9 years have taken him on a journey he hadn’t planned, one that has been rewarding but not without its challenges. Men, society still says, are supposed to be the breadwinners and nowhere is that more true than on Wall Street. Today, Nick is an owner of two bakeries, while his wife Sarah is in her dream job at Uber. Listen to hear how he’s adjusted and thrived.
Interview with Rob Kenney, Creator of "Dad, How Do I?"
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Rob Kenney came up for the idea for “Dad, How Do I?” during the pandemic. He wanted to provide what he calls “Dadvice,” to kids who didn’t have a dad. He knew that role personally, growing up without a father – his mom died and his dad left the family when Rob was 14. Little did he know that his first video on how to tie a tie would strike a cord. In a little over two years, he’s gone from working in sales and being a loving dad to two grown children to being a wildly popular YouTube Dad who is sought out for advice, be it how to fix a toilet or understand the rules of football. Listen to how he came to this mission of helping kids with or without fathers – and dancing to the Monday Night Football Song!
Interview with JR Havlan, 8-Time Emmy Award-Winning Comedy Writer, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
A funny thing happened on the way to J.R. Havlan using his college degree to get a job on Wall Street: the stock market crash of 1987. With every offer evaporating, he did the next logical thing and went into comedy. While he surely would have been the funniest guy at the water cooler, he also was legit, All-Pro funny. After doing the rounds at New York’s comedy clubs – and faxing, yes, faxing, jokes into shows – he landed a writing gig on The Daily Show, when Craig Kilborn was the \host. Then a guy named Jon Stewart came along and the show took off. J.R., who has won eight Emmy Awards (but who’s counting), spent 18 years there. He had other writing jobs afterwards, including at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, but as his kids became school aged, he opted to write for himself so he could be the Lead Dad to his son and daughter. This also allows his wife to go all in on her career in school nutrition. Listen to JR’s tips on shrugging off PTA slights, immersing himself in his kids schools and creating shelf space in a Manhattan apartment for his Emmys.
Interview with Lara Bazelon, Lawyer, Author, Honest Assessor of Dads
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Lara Bazelon is an attorney and author of the book Ambitious Like A Mother: Why Prioritizing Your Career is Good for Your Kids. Her book is about this moment in time, when we’ve come out of the pandemic where whole groups of people have been able to work from home, and that has allowed spouses to see exactly what the other one was doing and when. Listen to her thoughts on shaking off lingering stereotypes – like who’s the breadwinner and who’s the caregiver – to create better relationships and more dynamic families.
Interview with Franco Finstad, Jazz Trumpeter, City Dad, Quick-witted Storyteller
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Franco Finstad is a dad-at-home in Manhattan, as he calls it on his LinkedIn profile. He has twins, a boy and a girl. Before they were born, he was a software engineer and a musician – trumpet being his instrument. But a funny thing happened on the way to being the Lead Dad to his twins. While he and his wife – a financial adviser – were in agreement that this was what worked for their family, it’s not been without its issues. What do you do when your wife introduces you to people at a work party and they walk away when you tell them you’re a dad-at-home? How do you adapt when you thought other caregivers would accept you in an open-minded city like New York? It’s all about how you describe what you do. And as Lead Dads know, words matter, so listen to what Franco has to say about his journey – and how he frames it to others.
Interview with Kamau High / Journalist / Kid Pickup Pro / Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Kamau High is a senior editor at The Baltimore Sun, where he helps shape the news agenda and manages a team of reporters. It’s been an interesting path to get where he is. He married his high school sweetheart. They moved to New York, they had fun, they worked – she is a cardiologist, he was a reporter at the Financial Times. And then they had a daughter and a different life beckoned. Today, Kamau is the diversity, equity and inclusion editor as well as the education editor at one of America’s most storied city newspapers. (The creator of The Wire once worked there.) His wife works for an insurance company and their daughter is a teenager – about to enter high school! He’s happy to say that the new way we work has suited his family better, with a greater ability to work from home and go into the office for important meetings. That said, the car line for school pickup remains a constant. Listen to him talk about Lead Dadding a teenager, managing work deadlines and car line drama.
Interview with Tony Maws / Award-Winning Chef, Restauranteur, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Famed chef, Tony Maws was a central part of the Boston food scene for more than two decades. He won a slew of chef honors, including the highest – a James Beard Award. One of his restaurants, Craigie on Main, attracted a loyal foodie following who gathered around his famed chef’s table. (He also had a more casual burger joint because, well, who doesn’t love a good burger?) But being the chef-owner and being there for your family isn’t always compatible. The pandemic changed Maws’ thinking. He is embracing being a Lead Dad for his teenage son and wife, a public school teacher. Listen to him talk about restaurants, family and the greatness of a roasted chicken. (It’s on the menu at least once a week in his home.)
Interview with David Weinstein / Legendary Baby Doctor – At Nearly 11,000 Births
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
David Weinstein has delivered nearly 11,000 babies in the New York area—most at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut. He’s one of the all-time greats. Stories of his grace and coolness under pressure are legion. High-risk pregnancies? No problem. Record deliveries in a day? 12 – out of 600 a year for him and his partner in their prime. Time with his own family? Turns out he had a streak of delivering most of his babies while his kids were asleep. Ahead of Mother’s Day, Dr. Weinstein shared some of his extraordinary experiences and talked about some of the lessons he’s learned after bringing so many babies into the world. Listen to his wisdom on parenting from the very start.
Interview with Max Rivera / New York City Firefighter, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
After the September 11 attacks, Max Rivera knew he wanted to be a New York City firefighter. It’s not an easy job to get but he was determined to do it. It took him over a decade to accomplish his goal. But he made it and was assigned to a storied fire house in Flatbush, Brooklyn. He’s now part of an elite special operations squad that backs up other fire houses. While he can leave the job at work, it’s harder to leave his Lead Dad responsibilities at home when he reports to the station. He’s got support: his community of fellow firefighters. Because of their schedules of days living in the firehouse and days off, New York’s Bravests are a group full of Lead Dads. What’s more difficult – responding to a three-alarm fire or being a Lead Dad on little sleep to his two kids when his wife is at the office? Hear for yourself.
Interview with Keegan Albaugh / Founder of Dad Guild, Educator, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Keegan Albaugh readily admits that his wife, a grad student and stand-up comic, pushed him into starting what became Dad Guild. But after he gathered with a handful of other new fathers in Burlington, Vermont, he realized what he was striving to do was no joke. Normalizing fathers taking care of their babies was serious business. Tons of funny moments ensued along the way. Imagine a gaggle of dads with babies strapped to their chests walking through a park – the reactions were more akin to seeing a Hell’s Angels parade than watching parents care for newborns. Albaugh has built Dad Guild into a network of 500-plus fathers around Vermont and he is partnering with national organizations to spread what they’re doing for new parents. Hear how he has brought new dads out of their shells and helped them overcome basic fears and anxieties around being a Lead Dad to their young children.
Interview with Michael Teager / Jazz saxophonist, Early Remote Worker, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Michael Teager is a renown saxophone player with multiple recordings who was gigging several times a week before his son was born. His wife, a musician and teacher, needed to return to work fairly quickly, so he stepped up to take over childcare duties. He felt he could make it all work. He stopped teaching, reduced his gigs, and asked to shift the hours of his job as a business manager to nights. But it came at a cost: sleep, music friendships, free time. He thought his life would return to normal in 2019 when his son went to school, but then Covid hit and his son was back with him. Oh and the family had moved to Buffalo, where he knew no one. Listen to how Teager balanced so much, kept following his passion and never quit.
Interview with Nikola Gasic / Newly minted C.F.A. Charterholder, Parent and Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Nikola Gasic believed his employer when it offered him paternity leave when his son was born: take it, someone else will cover for you, your job will be here when you return. He took paternity leave to spend time with his son but he also took it because his wife’s job was more entrepreneurial than his: if she was out for six months it would be a set back to her career. As an investment manager, he could step back into his role and rely on teammates to keep things going. And in between juggling Lead Dad responsibilities, he decided to complete the hardest professional exam in finance. So when he returns to work, he’ll do so as a C.F.A. charterholder. Listen in to hear more serious Lead Dad balancing.
Interview with Dr. Jamie Ladge / Expert on The Trade-Offs Parents Make and How Work is Changing
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Jamie Ladge, an associate professor of management and organizational development at Northeastern University, comes at the work-life debate with a lot of questions. Why is it hard to be both a good parent and a good worker? Can fathers be competent dads and professionals? Will involved dads be penalized like working moms have been? Where does the change start? (Hint: Not at the top.) Listen to her answer these questions and also provide suggestions on what companies need to do to adapt to the new world of work and advice on how men and women can be parents and workers without guilt.
Interview with Alex McKenzie / Emperor of Ice Cream, Sobriety Advocate, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Alex McKenzie was the Emperor of Ice Cream, a life-long food lover who created an ice cream business (named for a Wallace Stevens poem) that was thriving pre-pandemic. He’d done many other things in the food world. He’s worked in the fields and in restaurants. The fish business – he’s swum in that tank. He’s also produced rock music and public radio podcasts. The most challenging role, though, has been figuring out his current dynamic: part-time college professor, LeadDad to his daughter and husband whose wife’s career as an architect has taken off. Hear him talk about the need to define and re-define roles in a Lead Dad home.
Interview with Nathan Richardson / Entrepreneur, Florida transplant, Father of Twins
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
Nathan Richardson was a New Yorker, and the community in his neighborhood allowed him to be a single Lead Dad to twins, a boy and a girl, and still work at the top of his profession. He had time to volunteer and be with each of his kids alone, knowing his neighborhood network was there to help. But stuck in a New York apartment during Covid, he made the tough choice to leave the city behind and move to Miami. His kids have adapted, but there have been challenges. Hear him talk about the importance of other parents for single Lead Dads.
Interview with Tino Ricci / Husband to an ER Nurse, Home Depot Associate, Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
When the pandemic began, Tino Ricci’s wife was an emergency room nurse outside of Ft. Worth, Texas. She was seeing first-hand how devastating the virus could be – and worried about bringing it home to her family. Tino stepped up, shifted his schedule, and took the lead on parenting and virtual-schooling. It was a role he embraced. After being a professional golfer for a decade, Tino began working at the Home Depot so he could be the Lead Dad to their children and support his wife’s dream of being a nurse. The pandemic got him thinking: Why is this such a hard role for men to take on? Hear more.
An Interview with Brad Klontz / Financial Psychologist, Tik Tok Influencer and Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
What holds some men back from becoming Lead Dads – or at least openly embracing the role? It starts with traditional perceptions of masculinity, of being the higher earner, of being the provider, of not engaging as much with parenting and family tasks. But it’s not something that’s hardwired. Men can become more comfortable being Lead Dads and still fulfill their potential. What does it take? Dr. Klontz discusses his findings.
Interview with Dave Andrews / Air Force Officer, Commercial Pilot, Lead Dad
Hosted By Paul Sullivan
Flying was Dave Andrews’ dream. As an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, he flew military operations and supported humanitarian aid missions; he also flew the prime minister under the call sign, CanForce One. He went on to fly for Air Canada where he was just as likely to wake up in Hawaii as Canada. But his priorities shifted when his son was born. Now he works in civil aviation and is a Lead Dad to his wife, a doctor, and their son. Hear how he managed the shift and has continued to be fulfilled.
Interview with Steve Israel / Financial Adviser, Ex-NFL Player, Lead Dad of Four
Hosted by Paul Sullivan
Talking to kids about money and financial responsibility isn’t easy. What might matter more is what your kids see you doing, not what they hear you saying. “Whatever I preached, they had to see me doing it,” said Steve Israel, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and played 10 years in the NFL. He now works as a private banker and financial adviser to families.
Interview with Najee Goode / Super Bowl Champion, Entrepreneur and Lead Dad
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANThe former linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles has sacked Tom Brady and intercepted him. He started a company, Veepio, that seeks to change the financial landscape for college athletes. Now living in Jacksonville, Florida, Najee is the lead dad to his two daughters, 5 and 4. He’s applied football lessons to fatherhood – and shares them along with some juicy stories from his Super Bowl LII win against the Patriots in 2017.
Interview with Kristen M. Shockley / Professor, University of Georgia
HOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVAN
The pandemic changed parenting and relationships overnight. Kids were forced home from school. Parents were sent into remote work or forced to juggle shifts with parenting. Into this chaos, stepped Kristen Shockley, a professor at the University of Georgia, who wanted to know what this sudden shift did to how couples worked, parented and cleaned up afterward. What she found revealed unexpected insight into on relationships, but it also offered valuable lessons for the new world of work.