Heart of Dad Podcast

In the episode, Heart of Dad founder, Matt Fox, reflects on some of the big themes from a year of the podcast:

Dads are willing to go deep
Dads are doing their best (and are always learning)
Dads feel guilt, but it's not always helpful
Dads feel over-stretched
Dads long for more
Dads can feel lost and lonely
Dads don't want simple labels

The Heart of Dad Group is an active community of business owning dads who want to find more harmony between work and home.

If you’re an ambitious business owning dad who finds it difficult to balance all that life has to offer, then we have something for you. Each week, we dive into what you can do to:

Love your work and business, like it used to be before you had kids, but without burning out
Feel like family life is both front and centre and fun, rather than a chore
Feel in great physical and mental shape, so you can put yourself first, without feeling guilty or feeling selfish

Join us at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad
Apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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After realising he was an angry dad, David Willans set out to be a better dad.

He blogs about what he finds at BeingDads and every two weeks he sends an email out with articles, stories, questions and insights to help other dads.

Follow him on twitter.

In this episode, we discuss

If I'm not being the dad I want to be, what's the opposite?
How he started Being Dads, by getting curious about other dads
Fatherhood as a massive driver of change
The power of unconditional love
Creating a legacy with his boys
His moment of truth
Seeing 'patience' as the key to success
Putting the basics in place for wellbeing
Working together as a family
Being fascinated with going deep
Asking himself 'what will I regret more' as a filter for choices
How men need to show up differently as dads

You can find out about David's work at www.beingdads.com

The Heart of Dad Group is an active community of business owning dads who want to find more harmony between work and home.

If you’re an ambitious business owning dad who finds it difficult to balance all that life has to offer, then we have something for you. Each week, we dive into what you can do to:

Love your work and business, like it used to be before you had kids, but without burning out
Feel like family life is both front and centre and fun, rather than a chore
Feel in great physical and mental shape, so you can put yourself first, without feeling guilty or feeling selfish

Join us at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad
Apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Craig Herd has been called The Business Architect. He works exclusively with Family Men to build a business and life that works.

Craig is also host of the “Built to Last” podcast where he shares battle hardened, apex strategies and stories to help men level up when they are tired of the “Hustle.”

He lives in Scotland, with his wife and son.

In this episode, we discuss

Fatherhood as leading by example
Giving people a track to run on
How meeting Simon Sinek changed everything he thought about leadership
The crisis in 2017 that led him to a fresh start in life
Working in a warehouse to make ends meet
The consequences of not being honest with ourselves
Rewriting our self-story
Getting addicted to progress
Resisting change
His inspiring vision for his family and business life
The grief and loss of multiple miscarriage
What men need to do to manage themselves in crises better

You can find out about Craig's support group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessandfamilymen

The Heart of Dad Group is an active community of business owning dads who want to find more harmony between work and home.

If you’re an ambitious business owning dad who finds it difficult to balance all that life has to offer, then we have something for you. Each week, we dive into what you can do to:

Love your work and business, like it used to be before you had kids, but without burning out
Feel like family life is both front and centre and fun, rather than a chore
Feel in great physical and mental shape, so you can put yourself first, without feeling guilty or feeling selfish

Join us at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad
Apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Charlie Madison is a fun guy who is learning how to chill out, trust God, and not burn stuff down.

He's a father of 4 boys, affectionately known as the final four. They are his life.

Charlie and Cassie have been married for 16 or 17 years. He's not exactly sure but it's in that range.

His current mission is to create a company that helps entrepreneurs spend more time with their family by giving them new clients from people they already know. It's called Referrals While You Sleep.

In this episode, we discuss

Being brought up by his great grandparents
The impact of loss of loved ones
Reconnecting with this parents
Creating his first business out of high school
His journey with alcohol and his recovery
How his relationship with his wife has evolved as he has been in recovery
Fatherhood and presence
Building an intentional business around his commitment to be present with his family
His 180 plan and how he's going to get there

You can find out about Charlie's latest business at http://www.referralswhileyousleep.com/ or look him up on Facebook at Charlie Madison, Nashville.

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Chris Fenning is a husband, father, and author, on a mission to improve the communication between IT and business teams.

Chris believes that everyday interactions, project progress, and company profitability, can all be improved by helping IT professionals become great communicators.

Over the past fifteen years Chris has worked in more than fifteen countries on three continents, and helped businesses in six different industries.

He has helped improve the communication skills of individuals and teams around the world in organizations from start-ups to FTSE 100 and Fortune 50 companies.

When he isn't working you can find him walking in the countryside with his wife and daughter.

In this episode, we discuss:

Finding adventure in lockdown
Living out of 4 suitcases
How fatherhood is relentlessly revealing
How infertility impacts 1 in 8 couples (and is largely unseen)
The daily conversation when you're trying to conceive
The journey of 6 rounds of treatment
The lack of support for men
The scale of disruption to life
Miscarriage trauma
When Dani was caught in a terror incident
The moment he thought he'd give up (and why he didn't)
The hidden suffering with infertility

You can find out more about Chris at www.chrisfenning.com or connect with Chris on LinkedIn.

His wife, Dani's blog is here: https://thegreatpuddingclubhunt.com/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Best known as the founder of Beast Gear, Ben Leonard is the classic millennial entrepreneur. He built a business on a laptop, in a cupboard, in his spare time.

The difference? Ben grew an international 7-figure business and successfully exited after 3 years; the business holy grail.

Now Ben is doing it all over again, this time creating a brand of parent's accessories based off his own lived experience as a dad.

In this episode, we discuss:

How he sees fatherhood as gratitude
His journey in creating and then selling Beast Gear
His origins as an ecologist
The health scare that sparked the genesis of his business
The primacy of brand positioning
Leveraging others' expertise
The moment he knew it was going to work out well
How he sold his business
The creative spark that drives his endeavours
His foray into products for parents
How his relationship with his parents has impacted him
The joy and downside of being all consumed by our business
His long term vision for impact

You can find out more about Ben at
www.benleonard.pro
www.benleonard.pro/fbg (Ecom Made Easy facebook group)
www.benleonard.pro/yt (YouTube)

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Daniel's story is one of going from struggle as a youth to being an inspiring, resilient dad, software engineer and mentor to foster parents.

He grew up in foster care from ages 2 - 5, and was beaten, verbally abused and told he wouldn't amount to anything. Up until about 15 years ago, he didn't give a shit about anyone or anything.

He was eventually saved by the Hall family and his wife Tina.

Daniel has had a long career as a top-level software engineer and is a passionate advocate for fostering and adoption.

Together with Tina, he has six adopted special needs children and he says they have been and continue to be his biggest teachers.

In this episode, we discuss:

How he sees fatherhood as humbling
Coming from a traumatic childhood and how it affected his decision to. be a father
Learning he had a purpose in life
Flipping his upbringing to bring kindness into the world
Listening with more than your ears
Finding coding as his way into life
The struggle of putting the tech down when you have children
Reconnecting with his birth family
Training other foster parents
The moments when it becomes too much
Creating a ritual of forgiveness and appreciation
The power of random acts of kindness

You can find out more about Daniel at https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielbhall/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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David Foster is a Master Coach, author and inspirational speaker.

Since 2012 he has helped business owners and coaches throughout the world create more balance, clarity and freedom so they can live inspired lives they love leading.

He specialises in helping ambitious coaches grow independent practices full of great clients without sacrificing balance so they have a growing business, better relationships with their family and enjoy all that life has to offer.

David has dedicated his life to being a present parent, creating a loving family unit and inspiring people all over the world connect with themselves and their families before it’s too late.

He lives in Essex with his wife, Trix, and their two sons, Rocco and Enzo.

In this episode, we discuss:

The catalyst for major change in his life
The influence of his entrepreneur dad on his life choices
Creating a new business at the same time as the birth of his son
Finding his way into fatherhood
Male grief and loss through miscarriage
Seeing how our life is a function of the choices we make
The opportunities to create balance in life
Making and honouring commitments to what we want in life
How our highest values determine where we place our attention
The discomfort we experience at the edge of change
Fatherhood and leadership

You can find out more about David at www.davidfoster.coach and on social media my searching for David Foster.

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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For the next few episodes, I'll be sharing some coaching sessions I've done with previous guests on the podcast. We dive deeply into a topic that's close their heart.

In this episode, I meet again with John McIntosh who, at the time of recording was trying to find his way between trusting his intuition and putting pressure on himself to keep momentum with his business and other areas of his life.

We explore together, what he really wants and needs, and what might be holding him back.

About John

John is an experienced HR Professional and a trained Executive Coach with a supervised practice.

Over the last ten years he's been working with businesses to understand the employee proposition, and deliver a range of solutions; latterly focusing on Employee Health and Wellbeing.

He's recently set up his own Wellbeing Strategy consultancy business... and is still finding his feet after 30 years in the corporate world.

John has 50/50 custody for his 11 year old son, who stays with him every other week.

John is also currently undertaking an MSc in Workplace Health and Wellbeing at the School of Medicine, Nottingham.

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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For the next few episodes, I'll be sharing some coaching sessions I've done with previous guests on the podcast. We dive deeply into a topic that's close their heart.

In this episode, I meet again with Tim Jameson who, at the time of recording in April 2020, was looking to launch his game-changing social media platform, but wrestling with challenges of time.

We explore together, what he really wants and needs, and what might be holding him back.

About Tim

Tim has a wide variety of interests and life experience, with musician and writer at the top of the list; he’s what some might call a “multipotentialite”.

He loves thinking and communicating about a variety of topics, ranging from philosophy and psychology, to leadership, emerging technologies and ‘the future world’.

Describing himself as an “insuppressible people ponderer”, Tim’s main aim is to help people slow down and reach a place of peaceful fulfilment within themselves, regardless of life circumstance.

Tim is also the founder of MakeLifeClick - a new values driven, social media platform.

Tim lives in Sussex with his wife and three children.

You can find out more about Tim at

www.makelife.click

https://runtherace.co.uk/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Esmond is a transformational life coach and entrepreneur. Having spent more than a decade working in finance, he now bases himself in Bali where he is co-creating a psychedelic mental health start-up, and where he works as a transformational coach.

He works especially with privileged and successful men between 35-55 years old, facilitating insight and clarity through a subtractive process of seeing through resistant and unrecognised thinking that may be in the way of realising dreams, and a fully emotional experience of life.

Esmond is passionate about supporting his clients to realising the truth of who they are, to a deeper connection with themselves, their women, their children, and lives fully lived.

Esmond is a father of one.

In this episode we discuss:

His move to Bali and starting 3 different businesses out there
His early life assumption that he'd be a salary man working in finance all his life
His transformational life experience in 2016 that started his journey to awakening
His boarding school experience that changed everything
Recognising the cycle of anxiety, shame, depression in his life
His relationship with his dad and the assumptions about his future
The trappings of wealth
Turning his back on golf
The conception of his daughter as the threshold for healing
Co-parenting his daughter
Exploring psychedelics for mental health
When things fell apart in 2019
The powerful Acacia Tree Ceremony that set him on new path of growth
His daughter's sensitivity to his depression
Finding full commitment to healing
Finding the glimmer of light in depression and suicidal thinking

You can find out more about Esmond at www.esmondbaring.com
Insta - @esmondbaring
FB - Esmond Baring
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmondbaring/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Richard Gordon Kelly (RGK) is a Father, Partner, Coach. His purpose is “making a difference in people’s lives”. Bringing his enthusiasm, positiveness to people and organisations by being committed to what makes them feel truly alive.

Over, the past 20+ years’ in business with success in leading training, continuous improvements, and transformation programs.

Richard works with individuals, teams (sport & business) and organizations across a variety of fields.

As a lifelong learner, Richard loves reading the latest research and practices in coaching, leadership, and organization development.

He continues to grow in his understanding of the Three Principles.

He has recently co-created the “Men Don’t Talk Group Belgium” and hosted several “The Power of Now Webinars” with the Entrepreneur’s Network.

Richard is a dad of 2.

In this episode we discuss:

The shock of separation and ensuing depression
His New Year's Eve revelation that changed everything
His daughter's inner wisdom when he was at a low ebb
His tough time with formal schooling
The relief of a dyslexia diagnosis and going to Uni in his 20s
A sacred and deep connection with his dad
Anger at his parents' illness and his loss
The inspiration behind his men's group initiative

You can find out more about Richard at https://www.richardgordonkelly.com or search for him on Facebook.

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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How to train your creativity muscle as a parent…

There was a time when I thought, I didn’t have it as a parent. That creative spark to make a game of anything. That ability to find the light and funny that diffuses a situation. That idea, that rescues the day (or at least the hour…!)

I started to see that there were some simple things getting in the way.

Anyone who follows Jamie Smart will know him as a master of creative expression in his work as a coach and a business owner. Prolific, nimble, innovative…And of course Jamie is a dad too.

So I thought, who better to explore the topic of creativity and fatherhood with me.

In this short episode, we explore how creativity is one of the keys to finding deeper connection and peace of mind as a parent.

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Devon Bandison is one of the most sought after personal and business coaches in the world.

He works with Fortune 100 Companies and people from all walks of life, including professional athletes and teams, CEO’s, salespeople, small business owners, film makers, producers, the top business and life coaches in the world and parents.

Devon was born and raised in New York City and shares the same energetic heartbeat, big personality and commitment to excellence as his hometown. Growing up, his love and hard work in sports resulted in him receiving a basketball scholarship to Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina.

After graduation he spent years working in the front lines of NYC. Devon worked with an organization responsible for developing behavioral health programs for youth, families and first-time fathers in some of the toughest neighborhoods throughout the city that never sleeps.

As Director of this organization he was responsible for the clinical and leadership development of social workers, psychiatrists and managers in order to serve their clients. He also created leadership and organizational development programs during his tenure that led to him launching his own coaching company.

In this episode we discuss:

How fatherhood is leadership and leadership is influence
Checking our 'audio is matching our video'
The joy and ritual of pizza night
Making a different choice about experiencing divorce
The enduring power of love
Letting go of seriousness and control
The call to develop as dads
Sticking with his dad through very troubled times
Creating the possibility of different relationships with our family
Loyalty and integrity as the foundations of leadership in fatherhood
The paradox of true authenticity
Getting really clear on priorities to underpin a created life
The crucible moments in life that define us
Creating our legacy today, a step at a time
Finding 'space in between the notes' by slowing down
Co-creating the bridge - the dialogue about inequality and finding identity
The risk of spiritually by-passing the reality of events in the world
The 'best seats in the house'

You can find out more about Devon at https://www.devonbandison.com and https://www.fatherhoodisleadership.com

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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In the lead up to the heart of dad summit which starts on 30th November 2020, I’m releasing some short episodes of the podcast. Today’s is a brief interview I did with Dr Dicken Bettinger where we discuss the power of presence.

If you want to join us for this and other powerful conversations about fatherhood at the summit You can sign for the free at www.heartofdad.com/summit

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Direct and to the point, Micheal describes himself as a Higher Performing Leader Of Married Dads.

He was ready to end his life after struggling from stress, depression, anxiety and overwhelm.

He was running a business, juggling a marriage, trying to balance life, and it all got too much.

After turning his life around he started on a journey to help men take back control of their lives – levelling up in work, family, intimacy and achieving peak performance throughout life – so they can step up and become better fathers, husbands and leaders.

Michael is married and has 3 children.

In this episode we discuss:

The problem with do as say rather than do as I do
Being a role model for his children
Having a dad who wasn't interested in him
Fear of losing it all
The pressure we put on ourselves to keep on smiling
The moment everything started to change
Being an insight junkie
The change in pressures when his first child was born
Making conscious transitions from work to home life
Looking after his energy and doing things for himself
The power of the morning ritual

You can find out more about Micheal at https://www.facebook.com/iammichealhilton/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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John was a full time working dad working in Government comms until 2011 when he left his job to become his kids' main carer.

Over the years he has been a stay at home dad, worked part time and now works for his own micro-business running Dadbloguk.com, current holder of the Online Influence Award Best UK Dad Blog.

He started the blog in 2012 to highlight the sexism and challenges he faced as a man holding the babies and it has steadily grown to become his sole source of income.

He is married to Gill who works f/t and have two daughters, Helen aged 11 and Izzy aged 8.

In this episode we discuss:

The absence of flexible working opportunities that led him to leave his job
The insidiousness of presenteeism
The impact of being a dad under lockdown
Having more time to reflect
Having identity wrapped up in taking care of the family
Being concerned with what other men think
The loneliness of being a male carer
The imbalance in child care provision and support
The financial impact of stopping his career and the gender pay gap
Treading the fine line of privacy when blogging
The influence of his step-father in his life
Righting a childhood wrong; retaking his GCSE
Being a social media influencer
Reclaiming the agenda for dads

You can find out more about John at https://dadbloguk.com https://www.facebook.com/dadbloguk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-adams-4451855a/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Joel is an award-winning teacher, author, speaker, and frequent podcast guest who loves helping young leaders overcome obstacles and grow through courage, confidence, and humility.

By sharing personal stories of failure and success, using humor and engagement, Joel teaches leadership principles that audiences can apply as soon as they leave the event. His book, Inverted Leadership: Lead Others Better By Forgetting About Yourself was a #1 best-seller on Amazon.

Having studied and played soccer at both Covenant College (Georgia) and Oxford University (England, UK), Joel has a B.A. in History and a passion for literature as well as a love for sports. These interests and his experience as a high school teacher come across through his presentations, as he often references historical examples and quotes from C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Wooden, and Coach K.

Joel currently lives in Alabama with his wife, his two daughters, and their two rescue dogs Bruiser and Butterscotch. When he’s not busy speaking, writing, teaching, or coaching, Joel is longing for the day when he can go on his dream vacation of visiting Hobbiton in the Shire.

In this episode we discuss:

His experience and interest in supporting 'blended families'
What defines a 'blended family' and the trauma that is often at the heart
The complicated communication webs of blended families
Giving the benefit for the doubt
His experience of divorce in childhood
Recalibrating his relationship with his elder daughter when it went off track
Being willing to listen to criticism and to evaluate it for its merit
Making things right when we get them wrong
Transforming his relationship with anger
The challenging dynamics of father and brother relationships
The possibility of redemption when we screw up
His moment of truth with his ex father-in-law after his divorce
Moderating his soccer-coach rage
His bond with his dad and the contrast with his brother's relationship
The extraordinary moment of belief his dad showed in him
The reconciliation between his dad and brother in the last year of his life
What he misses about his dad and the life lessons he learned from him
Changing the perception of step-families from negative / neutral to positive

You can find out more about Joel at:

www.joelwhawbaker.com
www.reallifeleading.com
www.stepdadding.com

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Marc works as Executive Coach & Agile Strategy Facilitator.

He dedicates his passion and energy to enable companies to accelerate their strategic growth, leveraging agile frameworks to create a collective-learning culture.

He is a former Senior Executive, investor, and a disruptive thinker, and he has mentored and trained teams around the globe; focusing mainly on deploying strategies in a disruptive way and training teams to develop a growth-mindset culture.

The result is the creation of self-autonomous high-performance teams that drive innovative leadership capabilities to accelerate growth.

Marc is a dad of 1.

In this episode, we discuss:

Quitting the corporate world and building his own business
Making a choice to stay in Finland to be close to his daughter after his relationship ended
Having a values crisis that led him away from the corporate world
Writing your own funeral speech as a way of creating his vision
Focusing on what kind of father he wants to be
His burnout experience at 30
The turning point, when he realised he couldn't be the dad he wanted to
Redesigning his life from scratch
The bigger the struggle, the more glorious the triumph
Being present with his daughter and others in his life
The Dead Sea and the Gallilean Sea story - allowing the river of thought to flow to stay present
The oneness he felt with his daughter and his choice to stay in Finland after divorce
The grounding effect of being a Mediterranean man living in the north
Seeing his dad speaking when he was child as a key moment of inspiration for how we can influence others for the good
The positive impact of his grandparents on his life view and carrying his ancestors' legacy into the world
Deeper connection with oneness as the source of all creativity and inner peace
Drawing out his life plan, aged 7 - never doubting that he would be ok, inspite of the fear of the friction that our egos create in life
Exploring the nature of life with his daughter
Focusing on what really matters in your life - juggling rubber balls vs crystal balls

You can find more about him at https://www.themindsetstrategist.com/

You can follow his podcast called Coaching Talks Podcast in all major platforms like iTunes (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coaching-talks-podcast-with-marc-siles/id1437812789) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/2wf0p8m.)

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Will McInnes is the CMO at Brandwatch, a leader in digital consumer intelligence and one of Europe's most successful VC-backed software firms.

Prior to that he founded NixonMcInnes, an early innovator in social media marketing.

His book Culture Shock, published by Wiley, outlined a blueprint for practical approaches to digital transformation.

He's dad to two boys and loves riding bikes with them, exploring new places and general adventures outdoors.

In this episode, we discuss:

His journey at Brandwatch
The thrill of moving from MD of his own business to the CMO role
Being a wing person rather than a leader
Craving team success
The body knows before the mind
Walking away from business and the excitement of the new challenge
His New York adventure and taking his young family with him
Having to come home when his relationship foundered
Re-integrating his life in the UK
The upsides and downsides of being demanding
The weight of working through divorce
The lack of punctuation points in life
Being in relentless pursuit of the next thing
Accepting vs resisting ageing
Different ways to leverage your passions as you age
Opening metaphorical doors for his sons
Wearing his feelings on his sleeve
The edge of directiveness vs inclusiveness
Growing up with a very strong female role model
The anger switch when scoring own goals
Integrating his new relationship into life with his children
Bonding with his family through playing Rose, Thorn, Bud

You can find out more about Will on Twitter: @willmcinnes

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Chris is the Founder of the Life Empowerment Organization, a company that takes over 10 years of experience in the mental health, parenting, couple and family therapy, and preschool world and provides powerful resources to help people empower their lives.

He is also a proud husband and father, which is his greatest accomplishment in life.

In this episode, we discuss:

His journey from computer science to psychology
Working with Headstart and what he saw about dads
How to get dads more involved in their kids' lives
Theory vs practice when being a dad
The primacy of relationship and connection
Taking the pressure of ourselves as dad - humanising all experience
Guilt as a signpost for self-reflection
The major pivot in his life - finding his home in psychology
Dealing with anger as a teen and into adulthood
Helping people play to their strengths
Taking responsibility and healing relationships
His dad's support at a really tough time
How providing is more than economic
How men aren't raised as nurturers
The importance of mentors
The gift of giving back to the world
Loss of control and anger
Not entering our children's world
The importance of self-regulation
Anger as a mask for shame
Self-sacrifice vs making time matter
Autopilot vs empowerment
Being the type of leader you'd want to follow
Getting stuck in the day to day
Becoming the dad you long to be

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Piers is the founder of Quality of Mind a pioneering way to enable exponential human potential. Piers has been a coach for 20 years and works with businesses and private clients.

Piers is a Dad to 2 children.

In this interview, we discuss:

His pioneering journey into coaching and his fascination with people
Finding his way through divorce
What feels real vs what is true
Resilience in the face of the enormous change
Getting unshackled to live life more richly
What 2 year olds have to teach us about experience
Managing the narrative of divorce with children
How to be the dad he wanted to be when not living with them
Not being attached to what your role of dad is
Guilt not being an effective behaviour modifier
Kids are always providing feedback
Recalibrating his role as a dad post divorce
Using feelings as a compass for connection and flow: moving beyond justification and judgement
Whoosh vs drip-drip recalibration in life
Embracing the full 4D experience of life
His relationship with his dad and the 5 generation family business
Navigating blended-family life

You can find out more about Piers at www.qualityofmind.biz - Realising Exponential Human Potential
- www.makingchangework.co.uk - Unlocking Personal & Operational Performance
- www.feelhappynow.co.uk- Transformation Coaching for Private Clients
- www.separationsimplified.co.uk - Harmonious Separation for couples
- www.piersthurston.com - for an overview

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Ben Killoy, is a U.S. Marine Veteran turned blogger, life coach, speaker, and now podcaster who seeks to bring Military Veteran Dads home to their families.

He resides in Milton, WI, with his wife and three beautiful kids!

Ben, went through what most transitioning veterans go through of redefining identity and rediscovering your passion and purpose for life.

A seminar changed it all for him, and realigned him to his passion for leadership. Since then he has been on a mission to master leadership principles and use his passion for leadership to help dads understand who they are, develop the skills to overcome adversity, and own their life and choices truly come home to their life.

In this episode we explore:

His life in the marines
The impact of pushing back on dreams and falling into jobs
Falling in love with leadership
Losing his job becoming the catalyst for following his dream
The impact of not dealing with emotions
The impossible tension for military dads
Transcending feeling isolated
Taking action outside of comfort zones
Connection and conversation as the magic sauce for change
Learning to fit in rather than being yourself
Choosing the harder path as the route for growth
The life turning point at Marine bootcamp
Growing into being a dad
Prioritising seasons of life, particularly our children's early years
Learning to take deep responsibility for our lives
Chocolate cookies and his grandmother - learning deep love
Feeling into his masculinity and finding peace
The gold hidden in triggers
Going beyond military stereotypes
Finding his inner hugger
Learning from his dad about the power of connection
Seeing purpose emerge through adversity
Our greatest legacy is created through our presence with our kids
The power of seeing and prioritising life through seasons

You can find out more about Ben at https://www.militaryveterandad.com/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Nico Czinczoll Managing Partner of Core 42 and the founder of the Homecoming Academy.

He is a trusted advisor to executives and management teams of large corporations and hidden champions.

After a successful career in multi-national corporations he consults and coaches leaders at companies like Zalando, Infineon, BASF, Wintershall, Deutsche Bahn, Thalia, buch.de, BP, Gazprom, Bertelsmann and mid-size businesses.

Nico lives in Berlin with his wife and son.

In this interview, we discuss:

His work in organisational culture, body and psyche
His interests in psychology and computer science
His journey into contemplative practices to explore who he is in the world
Bringing better decision making and more awareness of body and psyche into the world
Our projections from childhood on to organisations and using models for decision making which are not fit for purpose
Getting to the heart of who we are in the world
Contemplative practice as a support for being a dad
The value of getting to know what throws us off the rails
How his practice supports him keep his equilibrium in life
Recalibrating his relationship with his own dad
The longing for a guide through life
The tension between the need for safety and edge in psychological development
The gift and choice of spending the first 7 months of his son's life at home
Finding balance in the family triangle and continually adjusting as needs involved
His commitment to be present with his son

You can find out more about Nico at https://www.thecore42.com/ and https://www.homecomingacademy.com/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Nathan helps business leaders and professionals stuck in their 9-5’s, take the lead on their careers, work out what they bring when they’re at their best and create fulfilment in the work they do.

He does this using the tools and ideas he’s learned as a business coach, trainer, speaker, and soon to be author.

He has a vulnerability and courage gathered from a multitude of highs and lows, personally and professionally which he’s deeply reflected upon.

Whether it’s travelling the world, client break throughs or severe health challenges and hospitalisation, regardless, as a result he now shares this back as a Leadership and Career coach challenging peoples thinking so they can become more incredible than yesterday.

Nathan is married and has one daughter.

In this episode, we discuss:

Nathan's insights on leadership, permaculture and home schooling
His crisis of leadership and finding his 'why' after leaving a toxic work environment
His own recalibration, and helping people find the 'thing' they are here to do
Designing travel into the family plan
The toxicity of 'shoulds' and making 1 degree shifts
Learning from knocking at the wrong doors
Going beyond 'not'
Tapping into your wisdom to orientate yourself in your career
Finding the physical manifestation of our thinking
Wanting to touch 100 million people with his work
Bringing his family along, respecting different communication styles
Coming through a horrendous health situation and eating clean
The tension his dad created in his career
The road into and out of drug use
Always finding our way back into balance
Everything is a solution to a problem - the evolutionary drive

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John is an experienced HR Professional and a trained Executive Coach with a supervised practice.

Over the last ten years he's been working with businesses to understand the employee proposition, and deliver a range of solutions; latterly focusing on Employee Health and Wellbeing.

He's recently set up his own Wellbeing Strategy consultancy business... and is still finding his feet after 30 years in the corporate world.

John has 50/50 custody for his 11 year old son, who stays with him every other week.

John is also currently undertaking an MSc in Workplace Health and Wellbeing at the School of Medicine, Nottingham.

In this episode, we discuss:

The difficulty of starting a business during the pandemic
Feeling a failure after his unexpected separation from his wife
Choosing not to be angry
Coming to a 50% custody arrangement
Learning to put his oxygen mask on first and being able to ask for support
Being a really hands on dad
His unusual childhood, growing up in Latin America
How important relationships are to him
Putting himself in his son's shoes after the separation
Starting a new relationship and working through what that means as a parent
Realising he was overdoing it at work and his son was suffering
Learning to listen to his body and developing self-compassion

You can find out more about John at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcintoshseesawltd/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Russell, is a Sales Manager for a large IT firm. He separated from his wife of 14 years in 2018 and has three boys, 15, 12 and 10. He says they are the highlight and bane of his life and he loves them dearly. His job is high influence and requires travel to countries all over Europe which can make the arrangements for seeing his boys difficult.

He is an active triathlete, ex rugby player and member of Leicester Tigers Rugby Club. He loves going on walks with his boys and black lab, Koko.

In this episode, we discuss:

The pressure to produce as a career dad
Having to shift focus to home and his career stalling
Getting divorced and the challenge of the court system
The impact of unemployment and financial distress
Going from stressed and absent dad to fun dad
Completely changing his relationship to money and material acquisition
Not getting dragged into his ex-wife's narrative
The dark period of not finding work
The karma of helping others
The saving grace of therapy
Getting the right support for managing debt
Getting his esteem back and appreciating the smaller things in life
Recalibrating his relationship with his second son after a difficult time
Holding on to his own truth during divorce
Letting go of anger and living in the moment

You can find out more about Russell at https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-lewin-0473293/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Armando Cruz is a connoisseur of experiences. He's a husband, father, adventurer, best selling author. He's also an ultra-marathoner, lifestyle physical therapist, and legacy coach.

In this episode, we discuss:

His specialism in helping people shift out of chronic pain
Pivoting his business online during lockdown
Helping people have better relationships with their body
His realisation about missing out on a level of fulfilment took him in a new direction
Pushing through a period of serious depression and the risk of bankruptcy
How a retreat in Thailand changed everything
Developing his RICH system.
The difference between how we behave with clients vs our families
Focusing each day on his big 3 questions: my time / family time / work time
His jazz quartet analogy for family life
Asking his children for their input on his relationship with them
Creating dad adventures

You can find out more about Armando at http://cruzcountry.com/ and http://legacycodebook.com/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Josh is CEO of J B Cole and a digital transformation / digital evolution specialist focussed on the growth of Industry 4.0 in traditional Industry.

He helps B2B organisations increase revenue, improve efficiency and boost employee effectiveness through effective use of digital technologies and a robust digital strategy and approach.

Over the last 12 years of running J B Cole UK, Josh has worked on over 250 web and digital change projects with SME’s and a number of well-established brands and agencies around the world. Leading a team of talented and creative professionals has allowed him to bring these visions to life.

In 2016 and 2017 he was awarded recognition in the BIMA100 for achievements in the digital industry whilst still under the age of 30 and currently sits as Chair of BIMA Manchester, helping shape the future digital sector in the region.

He also co-founded Hertfordshire’s leading digital network Digi-Cluster and co-hosts 9others roundtables in Manchester. Aside from his business, Josh is also the father of two beautiful young children.

In this episode, we discuss:

Building his business with and around his family
Pivoting his business and being in the feeling of a start up
Being a lockdown dad - balancing not wanting to miss out on his kids and not missing out on himself
Managing overwhelm and the risk of burnout
Pushing through the tough times
Managing a business when you have a new born
Being more vocal about his own needs
The pressure of putting on a brave face
Creating a positive environment for his kids
Managing the fear of things going off the rails

You can find out more about Josh at https://jbcole.co.uk/ and https://uk.linkedin.com/in/joshbolland

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Ben Dueck is a Canadian entrepreneur with a wide variety of experience throughout his career.

He started his first business as a teenager and has spent time in a variety of work environments ever since.

He has worked in the church, in non-profits, at a summer camp, in post-secondary education, in the Chamber of Commerce network, and as a small business owner more than three times, if you count his teenage venture.

To his everlasting regret, he missed the birth of his second daughter when he was taking courses for his Master of Arts in Leadership degree.

Above everything, he also enjoys being a father to three children (16, 10, and 5), and a husband to Kendra.

He is thankful is most recent entrepreneurial venture allows him to be at home more often to be a husband and father.

His most recent entrepreneurial venture is launching Cantera Leadership, where he focuses on helping to transform leaders, teams, and organizations.

He does this primarily through Executive Leadership Coaching, Team Workshops and Facilitation, and Employee Engagement Consultation.

In our episode, we discuss:

His diverse career before coaching

The tension between having a steady income and following your passion

Having 3 children at very different ages and stages

Being a dad while supporting his wife through post natal depression

The depth of his relationship with his own dad and being held to high standards

Strength building and playing to our strongest suit

Recognising and nurturing our children's talents

You can find out more about Ben at https://

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Mark is a strategist, speaker and facilitator exploring meaning, purpose and participatory leadership through human rewilding and life centred design.

He spent 15 years growing purpose-led brands for Virgin as Head of Global Brand Strategy. Here he launched new Virgin companies around the world and advised and supported the unique ecosystem of Virgin brands to better embody the ‘mother’ brand values.

More recently he has been exploring and researching ‘wildness’ and how it can support a more meaningful engagement with the world.

During this time he brought together many of the UK’s biggest conservation and children's charities to create The Wild Network a people-powered movement to get kids outdoors.

Together they launched the feature length film Project Wild Thing which has been seen by 1.5 million people worldwide.

Mark now creates experience led journeys to support agents of systems change by helping them to become more human, stepping into the wildest and best version of themselves as leaders.

Mark lives in Devon with this wife and two children.

In this episode we discuss:
Mark's Black Country heritage and his early connection with nature

Seeking connection in the mountains

Falling in love with the river Dart

Going in deeper connection with ourselves through our connection with places

Mid life transitions and how you show up for your kids during your own crises

Our children's gift of being in the present

Dealing with turbulence in his career

Creating space for connection

The anger that arises when our inner child isn't met

Early warning signs of overwhelm

How the past can show up an impact our lives

How we can create the conditions for our children to discover themselves

The importance of thresholds, coming into manhood

You can find out more about Mark
https://www.marksears.co.uk
on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/m_a_r_k_s_e_a_r_s/
and LinkedIn
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mark-sears-52b96517

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Dominic Mason is a Business and IT transformation consultant, turning round and delivering difficult or failing projects. He is also a regular sea and pool swimmer, training most days.

In our episode, we discuss:

His mission to stay fit following damaging his spine

Building resilience and detachment

How swimming is the perfect antidote to stress

How his family has adapted to live with his son's immune-compromised condition

Resisting the urge to control and relaxing into your children's independence

How his relationship with his dad was forged through eclairs and practical jokes

Finding intimacy and connection as a dad through cuddles and humour

You can find out more about Dom at https://www.linkedin.com/in/domlewismason/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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After starting his career in banking, Paul left his job to be a stay at home dad to 6 week old twin boys.

When they were 18 months old he decided to give up banking completely and train as a teacher (with the thinking that it would allow him to spend more time with his boys).

After a difficult divorce where Paul fought for and won 50/50 custody of his sons he then married Emily who, it transpired, he had initially met on his first day of teaching.

Having added a daughter to their brood they are now parents to twin teenage boys and a pre teen girl!

Over the years Paul worked his way up to being a senior manager within teaching which inevitably meant he was now not getting the family time he desired.Between them Paul and Emily created the Parent Guide to GCSE which works with and supports parents in a way that schools do not.

Starting their business has enabled both of them to leave their jobs and look to a future where they dictate their schedules and therefore achieve the family time and business success that they both desire.

We discuss:

The origins of his business and wanting more time with his children
The proving ground that helped him make the leap
Involving kids in decision making
Being a business partner with his wife
Divorcing when his twins were 5
The battle for equal access and the inequality in the court system
The overwhelm of busy-ness
Forming a bond as a dad doing the early life care for his boys
Forging his own independence as a child while his parents were abroad

You can find out more about Paul at https://www.parentguidetogcse.com.

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Igor is a divorced and newly remarried father of two (18 and 15) who has been working for 25 years in IT sector despite of being just 44 years young. He says, as you can imagine the divorced part brought a lot of challenges into the process of building his relationship with his kids.

He says he made a lot of errors and was able to learn from them - the challenges are what pushes us forward, after all!

We discuss:

The bumpy ride of divorce
With little children how problems are little and with big children they are big!
Not taking gossip and criticism personally
Feeling torn between being 'fun dad' and the longing to be more present in his kids' lives
Building self-sufficiency in our children
Seeing that everyone is doing their best, given their state of mind
The unproductive cycle of guilt
Shifting and dehumanising perspectives in his relationship with his dad
The power of deep listening

You can find out more about Igor at igor.furdik@gmail.com or find him on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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In this episode, Sam Wilde interviews me to uncover the big WHY that's behind the Heart of Dad movement. I get really honest about some of my own struggles as a dad, that fuelled my desire to start a deeper conversation about being a dad.

In this episode, I discuss:

My experience of the birth of my son
The emotional challenges and stress of being a new dad
Throwing myself into work and career change as an avoidance strategy
My embarrassing Candy Crush story
The pressure I put on myself to be a different kind of dad
The unspoken challenges of being a dad
The level of expectation on dads
Polarised images of dad in society
The challenge of opening up to our vulnerability and being real
Creating a safe space for men to talk
Creating the best possible relationship with my child
How love and acceptance of ourselves is key to a better relationship with our children
Breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma of emotionally absent dads
How to start the journey of being a more connected dad

Join the community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad or apply to be on the Podcast at https://heartofdad.com/contact

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David Schnurman is the CEO of Lawline, the leading provider of online Continuing Legal Education (CLE) in the US.

The company recently celebrated serving over 130,000 attorneys with over 3,000,000 courses completed. David is also the past president of Entrepreneurs Organization New York.

David is the author of the book “The Fast Forward Mindset: How to Be More Fearless & Focused to Accelerate Your Success." This book shares a very simple formula to consistently break through your walls and fast forward your entrepreneurial success and happiness.

He recently gave a TEDxYouth talk to high school students to inspire them to reach their full potential in life.David is a frequent speaker to business organizations, colleges, and high schools on topics ranging from entrepreneurship, mindset, leadership, and culture, and has published articles on these topics in Forbes.

His success has been recognized by his peers in entrepreneurship and the legal industry, and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur.com, Crain’s NY, the New York Post, and Law.com

Lastly, David has a love for adventure and discovery. He has run several marathons. He has hiked the mountains of Patagonia, paraglided in the Colorado mountains, gone skydiving, and taken flying lessons. He currently lives in Spain with his wife Kelli and three beautiful children.

We discuss:

Life under quarantine in Spain
Rating yourself as a way of living up to the life design you've created
Finding a balance between routine and spontaneity
The attention span of parenting: bailing vs digging in
The joy of creativity, our own and our children's
Living life with no regrets
Lessons learned in building a successful business and how Covid-19 has changed the culture
Being a self-help addict and the moment he decided to become an entrepreneur
Navigating his relationship with his father and knowing his own mind
What you do when you hit a wall
Perfect = the enemy of good enough

You can find out more about David at https://www.ffwdmindset.com and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidschnurman/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Ankush Jain is coach and author based in London, England and most importantly, he recently became a proud father to his first child - a baby boy.

In this episode we discuss:

His journey to becoming a coach
Overcoming shyness as the first step into his journey of personal development
How babies are great teachers
The massive shift in his relationship with his dad, after his uncle died
Dropping anger and resentment as a way of deepening relationships
The 'ace in the hand' of being able to reset from stressful situations
The challenges of being a new dad
The gifts and challenges of working from home
Creating space for yourself within your relationship
How men can be really hard on themselves

You can find out more about Ankush at www.ankushjain.co.uk

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Billy Mann, Father, Husband, Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Coach, Blogger, Soon to be Author and All-Round lover of life.

Billy has spent all of his life in business in one form or another. He literally grew up in his family business (we lived over it) and has worked serving people in one form or another as far back as he can remember.

People have always been his passion. As life has it, it took a life changing event to see something new and he has spent the last 10 years dedicated to understanding what it really means to enjoy our lives, creating what it is that reflects our joy.

Now, along with running a very successful salon with very happy staff (it's a really joyful place to work for us all) to helping others to find that sweet spot inside, he's busily creating a coaching business to help business owners discover what it means to really live and love their business and their staff.

Having spent 27 years employing people both as a freaked out, stressed out boss to having a more productive and profitable business taught him that people always come first and a great relationship with staff builds a great business...

That comes from being a great boss and that's not as tough as it may seem.

In this episode we discuss:

The seduction of working all hours
The slow shift or priorities
The health crisis that shifted everything
How the quality of relationship with your kids is everything
Helping the family to evolve as needs change
Transforming his relationship with anger
A moment of the most poignant connection with his dad
The extraordinary redemption in his relationship with his mum after her death

You can find out more about Billy on Facebook or by emailing: billymanncoaching@gmail.com

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Dicken Bettinger, Ed.D., received his doctorate in counseling psychology and practiced as a licensed clinical psychologist.

Dicken’s whole career of 44 years has focused on psychological well-being.

Dicken co-founded a training, counseling, and education center in Vermont. Dicken was a senior staff at Pransky and Associates in La Conner, Washington for 16 years, where he developed and led corporate and university leadership trainings, team development, and executive coaching.

In 2012 Dicken founded his own business called 3 Principles Mentoring. He offers 4-day immersion retreats for individuals and couples and offers development for 3 Principles practitioners. He enjoys leading group seminars in the US and throughout Europe.

Dicken is the co-author of a book called Coming Home: Uncovering the Foundations of Psychological Well-being. Dicken has been happily married for 50 years.

He has two adult children and four adored grandchildren. He enjoys photography, hiking, canoeing, and traveling.

In this episode we discuss:

How focusing on self-development isn't always helpful
Leaving behind his 'space cadet' label
Moving beyond feeling bothered by his kids
How a chance encounter with a book changed his life
Seeing how he could no longer blame his kids for his upset
Transforming bed time battles
Dropping the inner tyrant
Watching his whole family come into mental health
How the mind clearing opens us up to new solutions

You can find out more about Dicken at www.3principlesmentoring.com

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Mark Harrison has worked in the learning and development world (specifically in e-learning) for over 30 years and was co-founder of Kineo one of the top digital learning agencies in the World.

He is married and has one daughter now aged 23 and is working out what being semi retired actually means!

In this episode we discuss:

How we all connect differently with our children
Taking your children on work trips
Feeling far away and the impact of work travel
Involving your child in your work as a route to closeness
How children can help us to de-stress
How children are our 'why'
What having a warped sense of need to achieve does to us
Making up our own ideas of parenting

You can find out more about Mark at https://www.linkedin.com/in/markharrison10

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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By day, Rene Power is a marketing consultant, trainer and speaker working with directors of family run manufacturers and professional services companies to advance their marketing and business growth.

He has run Vision B2B Marketing and Training Ltd based just outside Manchester since October 2015 after a 20 year career working client side in manufacturing and marketing agencies came to an end.

By night and at weekends he is an active 45 year old, husband and dad of four.

Rene feels he is defined by being a success in work and is driven to be a role model in the importance of hard work and application to his children.

The struggle and balance is real as Rene shares his experiences in running a consultancy business, securing planning and training work and also looking at monetising knowledge and amplifying his reach in hitting the online coaching at scale market.

In this episode we discuss:

Starting his business as he had his 3rd child
Taking one for the team and supporting his wife through PND
The power of networking
Putting in the ground work
Not speaking about what's unbearable
Guilt when finances are tight
Focusing on experiences rather than things
The stark choices that can mea missing out on your kids
The importance of knowing your 'why'
How self-care is crucial to survival
The difference between friends who are employed and those who are entrepreneurs

You can find out more about Rene at https://visionb2b.co.uk

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Ray Richards is a social entrepreneur and a founder of tech wellbeing company, Do Something Different, the Life Done Different.ly podcast and Port Moor Cottage, a men’s wellbeing retreat that floods.

His work seeks to understand how we can all find balance in our lives through the lens of the unknown and the known, how we can all benefit from taking small slightly uncomfortable steps into the unknown and turning that experience into the known.

His work explains how that process of expanding our comfort zone is crucial for our wellbeing.

In this episode we discuss:

How work and play can become indistinguishable
The nature of adventure in creating a business
The hangover of exiting a successful business
The importance of being around in the teen years
Being able to take time out, guilt free
Shielding children from stress
The genesis of passion projects
How being on a mission inoculates against guilt
The importance of knowing your 'why'
Putting your oxygen mask first
Learning from his father and being different
Letting go of the need to be successful

You can find out more about Ray at https://www.lifedonedifferent.ly/ and https://dsd.me

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Heart of Dad Season 1 has come to and end. Thank you to all my contributors and listeners. I'm honoured that you've taken the time to be a part of this project.

When I started this podcast, I had no idea whether other dads would want to step into the conversation or if they did, if they'd be open to explore the questions that I had on my own mind about being a dad and an entrepreneur.

12 Episodes later, and I've been humbled, awed, moved and delighted by how all my guests have shown up to have these amazing explorations of fatherhood and business.

This brief endnote, pulls together some of the insights and reflections I've had:

The conversation that started this podcast
The taboo of saying 'this is hard'
Keeping our eye on the ball
The power of showing up
The wisdom we all have within us
Self-care and taking your time
Whether guilt is even an issue
The gift of intentionality
We're all doing the best we can, given how we see the world

Find out more and apply to be on the podcast at https://www.heartofdad.com

Join our community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad

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Gary is a father to an adult daughter and a step-father to his ten-year-old stepson.

Despite training to be an engineer Gary has always been more interested in helping others overcome their feeling of being lost and stuck and lead a happier more fulfilling life.

A winding career path has taken him from the British Royal Air force to car navigation engineer, EU proposal writer, company owner, life coach, and yoga teacher.

His daughter has been his greatest teacher and her presence, wisdom and love helped him to face anxiety, depression and overcome the pain of losing his own father at nine years old.

In this episode we discuss:

How the break up of his relationship brought an unexpected richness to his relationship with his daughter
The guilt felt in separation
The archetypes of men and women in relationships
Bankrupting himself in the process of helping his mum
How his father's death impacted Gary's experience of fatherhood
Wrestling with not feeling good enough
The pressure and exhaustion of managing a new relationship alongside being a parent
How with his daughter's coming of age, he's now a dad, not a parent
The gift of being a step dad
The creative force of children
Finding freedom through his spiritual path and his daughter's support for this
Letting go of the need to be successful

You can find out more about Gary at https://activate-yourlife.com/ and http://whatyouvebeenlookingfor.com/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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David Key is an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author, Award Winning Coach, Principles Teacher, NLP Trainer and Master Trainer of Hypnosis dedicated to helping people realise their goals both personally and professionally.

Over the last few years some 55,000 people from over 40 countries have invested in one of David's award-winning, dynamic and innovative online and in-room coaching programs.

Now David is teaching a new understanding in psychology - The Three Principles. Through coaches like David Key it has the power to transform the world.

A leading teacher and practitioner of the revolutionary new paradigm known as The Three Principles, David was one of a select group of coaches to be personally mentored by Doctor George Pransky, the man who was famously described by English philosopher and writer Colin Wilson as "the greatest psychological mind of our time".

The Principles - in David's own words - have 'turned conventional Freudian analysis on its head, sweeping away a century of misunderstandings about the way in which we human beings experience and process reality'.

The insights he has gained have transformed David's life, both personally and professionally, and he now spends all his time taking the message to other trainers and coaches, to businesses and private individuals.

David is also Ambassador for A Slice of Happiness - This is a pro bono program specifically designed to transform the mental health and well-being of the homeless population. (This is a pilot research project funded by 3GPRC)

David lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and two daughters.

In this episode we discuss:

His journey from challenging roots in childhood
The transformational insight that got him into personal development
The grief and then unexpected turnaround in his marriage that came from an affair
The pivotal moment than woke him up to where his experience was coming from
How we moved from being thick skinned and self-protective to being open to all life brings
Needing to learn to be a loser
Being caught up in a story of what a good dad looks like
How stress and rumination take you away from the present moment
The impossibility of predicting the future
How we all search for peace of mind, but don't know it
The intellect vs inspiration

You can find out more about David at www.davidkey.com

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Amechi Udo, dad of two, helps mid and senior level professionals make desired career transitions through coaching and training.

His company, Your Career Matters, was formed out of his own desire to create a career that allowed him to integrate his home and work life.

In this episode we discuss:

The tensions and opportunities when both parents are entrepreneurs
How early memories of his dad shaped his own direction as a father
Having to get practical and take work when his daughter was born
The often hidden grieving process we go through about life and ambition when we have children
The importance of having support from a close friend when family isn't able to support in the way you want
Men's roles in pregnancy and childbirth
The power of his own birth story and name, and wanting his children to know their story
How returning to entrepreneurship when his son was born was a relaxed experience
How being around for his family is a non-negotiable
Being honest with his kids about when he can and can't be present

The easiest way to connect with Amechi is to email him at amechi@yourcareermatters.co.uk with “Career Transition Conversation” in the headline.

Amechi regularly shares career transition tips and insights on LinkedIn where you can also connect with him.

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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Jag is an "end to end digital learning expert" - on a mission to bring an end to lacklustre video and boring online content. He is pioneering the use of social learning in organisations

He is a husband and father of one.

In this episode we discuss:

Making the leap from employment to entrepreneurship
How priorities changed with the arrival of his son
What being a dad means, particularly in the early years
Finding his way into patience
Making things work in your favour
Dealing with everyday pinch points
How starting a business was an intention to create a better life for him and his family
How his family is his Board, looking ahead to what's needed in the next 20 years
Staying in shape mentally and physically when driving your own business

You can find out more about Jag at http://justjag.me.uk/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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In this episode I interview Martin Morrison.

Martin Morrison is a ghostwriter, editor, speaker and coach who specialises in mindset transformation, mental programming and helping others discover how to live a more purposeful life.

His slogan is "Express Your Truth With Clarity", and Martin ensures he is expressing his truth clearly in everything that he says or does.

Martin's own physically and emotionally violent childhood taught him that we all face challenges whether we close up into a ball or go out fighting.

He chose to take the bull by the horns and live his life as authentically as possible.It would be decades before Martin finally managed to clear out all the negative "programs" implanted into his mind as a child, the subconscious self-loathing, but once he began his own journey of mindset transformation, the effect it had on his own life was profound.

Now he helps others to do the same.

Martin is a father to 4 children.

In this episode we discuss:

The journey into entrepreneurship
How martial arts are a route to mindfulness
The joy of going with the flow
The impact of relationship breakdown before the birth of his daughter
Adjusting to being a time-sharing dad and the pressure of comparison
How having children forced him away from alcoholism
Going beyond breakdown and depression
The perils of emphasising things that don't matter
The turning point when a mentor pointed him to a truth about his own father
How a difficult moment with his son over maths homework opened his eyes to a situation that was going off track
The spiritual and physical redemption that came through a commitment to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous)

You can find out more about Martin at http://www.martinmorrison.me and LinkedIn/martinjmorrison

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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In this episode I interview Giles Croft.

Giles is a psychology graduate and former NHS surgeon who spent more than a decade exploring a number of career paths, including healthcare information management, cycling journalism, public speaking and opening a high street shop with his wife.

His curiosity about the human condition led him to coaching and a deeper dive into how our psychology works from the inside-out.

He now works with clients to help them resolve stress related conditions, without recourse to medication.

His greatest teacher is his 5 year old daughter, Rhonwen.

In this episode we discuss:

How being in the work doldrums opened up his relationship with his daughter
How finding balance is no longer the issue, it's about presence
The joy of going with the flow
How losing and finding a ballet shoe provided an extraordinary turning point in his life
How dropping labels for experience, including bad moods, frees us up to be present and feel more alive
What to do when you lose the plot
The lightness of not taking difficult times so seriously
Why making time for yourself is so important

You can find out more about Giles at http://gilespcroft.com and https://www.facebook.com/drgilespcroft

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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In this episode I interview Jason Oates.

Jason has been married to Laura for 20 years. They have 3 children Luke 17, Rachel 15, and James 12.

Jason is an active Sport Coach and has coached over 80+ Seasons from youth to college athletes, as well as being a Personal Performance Coach.

He's the creator and host of 'Whistle and a Clipboard Podcast' which he's been running for 5 years.

Jason is also the Co-owner of Fusion Contractors LLC, a general construction company with 14 years in business.

In this episode we discuss:

How children can be a release from the stress and worries of work
How having your children involved in your work can foster a sense of pride and skills
The myth of busy-ness and how it's all a matter of priority and perception
How guilt is sometimes just a story we're buying into
His changed relationship with anger and seeing how in most situations, it makes things worse
The impact of miscarriage on your relationship
The profound and empowering moment you accept you will be known as a father
Coping with anxiety that your child will come to harm, as a new dad
Finding connection in the ritual of breakfast
The pitfalls of coaching your own children and seeing the wisdom they have to share

You can find out more about Jason at http://whistleandaclipboard.com/ or subscribe to his podcast here https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whistle-and-a-clipboard-the-coaching-communities-resource/id825358250

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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In this episode I interview Rob Ashton.

Rob is the founder of Emphasis, which he started in a 10x10 ft square cage more than 20 years ago and has since grown to become a world leader in text-based communication training. At the last count, his company was working in 32 countries around the globe.

He says words and their effects on us fascinate him, claiming that getting them wrong lies at the heart of a huge number of misunderstandings, conflicts and failures in relationships – at work and at home. Yet so much of what passes for communication advice seems to be based on little more than pseudoscience and wishful thinking.

He lives in Brighton with his wife and two teenage children.

In this episode we discuss:

How we overlook the power and pervasiveness of written communication in all aspects of professional and personal life
The big misunderstanding most of us have about written communication
The big shift that happens when your child is born
The conflict of being present as a dad vs driving the business to provide for the family
The pressure of the boss in your head
The impossibility of compartmentalising family and business
Taking business on holiday and the nightmare scenario that brought a key shift in his approach to taking breaks
How taking our business really personally doesn't serve
The pros and cons of involving kids in the business and the joy of car conversations
Navigating the compulsion to work and personal mission vs family mission
The pros and cons of being and staying connected
How being maxed out reduces your emotional resilience
The challenge of nurturing friendships while having kids and running a business
How having a mission makes most problems recede

Find out more about Rob here:
www.writing-skills.com
www.robashton.com

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: www.heartofdad.com/contact

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In this episode I interview Simon Hartley.

Simon is a globally respected sport psychology consultant and performance coach. For over 20 years, Simon has worked with gold medallists, world record holders, world champions, top five world-ranked professional athletes, Olympians and championship winning teams.

Since 2011, Simon has published seven books, including Two Lengths of the Pool; Sometimes the simplest ideas have the greatest impact and Master Mental Toughness.

During the last 10 years, Simon has also applied the principles of sport psychology to business, education, healthcare and the charity sector. This has included projects with some of the world’s leading corporations and foremost executives.

He is also an award winning international professional speaker, delivering keynotes throughout the world.

In this episode we discuss:

Finding his way when his partner has a long-term health condition and managing the tension of needing to earn and wanting to be at home
How partnership with his wife helps bring perspective and balance into his life
How having his back to the wall financially brought about a moment of profound support from his wife and a life-changing decision in his business
They keys to survival when running your own business and being on the road so much
Finding a way through the pull of chasing business and supporting family life
How being intentional in his relationships and business makes all the difference to quality of life
How a drive across the Pennines woke him up to a situation that was running out of control
How surrendering to the reality of his wife's health shifted things profoundly in his relationship with himself and his business
The importance of flexibility when life throws a curveball
Choosing time for self vs choosing time to connect
Agreements vs expectations in his relationship
Getting clear on spend vs investment
A powerful reframe of the idea of sacrifice

For more information on Simon, please visit www.be-world-class.com

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and apply to be on the podcast here: https://www.heartofdad.com/contact/

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Welcome to Episode 3 of Season 1. In this episode I interview my friend and ex-colleague Tim Jameson.

Tim has a wide variety of interests and life experience, with musician and writer at the top of the list; he’s what some might call a “multipotentialite”.

He loves thinking and communicating about a variety of topics, ranging from philosophy and psychology, to leadership, emerging technologies and ‘the future world’.

Tim lives in Sussex with his wife and three children.

In this episode we discuss:

How we can be on a track to burning out without seeing it
When we get to living in survival mode
How it's about work-life integration, not balance
The moment Tim realised his family was getting the last of the fruits of his energy and what change that prompted
How we can give clients more attention than we do to ourselves and our families
How we can be successful at work but not at home
Choosing not be like our dads, when it comes to parenting
Why 'go and talk to your mum' is a route to experiencing delayed guilt
The risks around exasperating your children
The unexpected opportunity for connection offered through a child's nightmare
Adjusting expectations around personal freedom and environment
Making space for your relationship when you have teens
Decluttering your life to consciously make quality time with your children

More about Tim:

www.makelife.click

https://runtherace.co.uk/

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and
Apply to be on the Podcast here: https://www.heartofdad.com/contact/
We're always looking for entrepreneur dads for new interviews

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Welcome to Episode 2 of this first season. In this episode I interview my friend and ex business partner Stephen Walsh.

Stephen is CEO of Anders Pink, and a co-founder of Kineo and Buzz Sumo. He's also a highly talented and published author.

Stephen had 3 children in the decade he grew Kineo to be a multi-million business with over 200 staff and knows more than anyone what a tightrope it is to build a business while being a dad to three young children.

In this episode we discuss:

The pressure of dividing your attention, particularly when you have really young kids
The role of primal fear in driving you on
Making unspoken deals to manage the tension between work and home
The addictive cycle of busy-ness
Getting real with clients about family life
'Falling behind' with family life
How our kids ground us as 'mini-mindfulness' experts
Role modelling flexibility for our kids
Getting new perspectives on impatience

And...

Whether he wants his kids to follow in his footsteps

You can find out more about Stephen here:

Twitter @stephentwalsh

LinkedIn stephentwalsh

www.anderspink.com

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and
Apply to be on the Podcast here: https://www.heartofdad.com/contact/
. We're always looking for entrepreneur dads for new interviews

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In this Episode, I interview coach, husband and dad of 1, Sam Wilde.

Sam runs a well-respected and successful coaching practice.

In this intimate and wide-ranging interview, we discuss:

His painful route to become a dad, including being diagnosed as infertile and what that has meant for him and his identity as a man
How his experience brought about a completely new direction in life
How seeing beyond his thoughts and limiting beliefs led to emotional freedom
How finding balance is a myth - the place of quality in life
How he manages to find space for his own needs and his family's
How anger is inevitable for dads and what to do about it
How his son helps him stay present in the moment

You can find out more about Sam at:

www.samwildecoaching.com

Wake the F Up Facebook Group

Join us in our community at: www.facebook.com/groups/heartofdad and
Apply to be on the Podcast here: https://www.heartofdad.com/contact/
We're always looking for entrepreneur dads for new interviews

Heart of Dad Podcast: Recent Episodes

Matt Fox