Becoming the Father You Needed with Glen Henry

52 snips

Nov 3, 2025

In this enlightening conversation, Glen Henry, the creator of Belief in Fatherhood and author of Father Yourself First, tackles the nuanced challenges fathers face today. He delves into the importance of self-compassion and the need to 'father yourself' before guiding your children. Glen discusses the power of mentorship, storytelling in Black culture, and the significance of play in parenting. With raw honesty, he shares insights on building trust and relational equity, emphasizing how these elements shape both fatherhood and personal identity.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

A Warm Body Is Often Enough

Glen felt terrified stepping into fatherhood and humbled watching his wife give birth without an epidural.
He learned presence matters: a baby primarily needs a warm body and stillness from a parent.

ADVICE

Accept Your Child's Invitations

Accept your child's invitations because they are short-lived VIP passes to their heart.
Prioritize presence over convenience and err on the side of fatherhood.

INSIGHT

Fatherhood Reveals Self-Care Gaps

Fatherhood rewired Henry's identity: he became gentler with children than with himself.
This led him to the core idea of the book: 'Father Yourself First' by changing the inner voice.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

I sit down with Glen Henry, creator of Belief in Fatherhood and author of Father Yourself First, to talk about the real work of becoming a better man and father. We dive into the challenges modern dads face—balancing ambition, healing our own wounds, and showing up with patience and presence.

Glen shares raw insights on building relational equity, repairing trust, and learning to father yourself before fathering others. This one’s a heartfelt and honest look at fatherhood that every man needs to hear.

Buy Glen's book here:

https://a.co/d/3EP2YoD

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 – The biggest challenges fathers face

02:40 – The crisis of absent fathers

05:00 – Mentorship and the power of guides

08:20 – Storytelling and fatherhood in Black culture

12:00 – Entering fatherhood with fear and purpose

17:20 – Accepting your child’s invitations

22:00 – Learning patience and self-compassion

28:40 – Healing, failure, and forgiveness

31:40 – What it means to father yourself

38:20 – The power of proof and mentorship

43:30 – Adventure, play, and connection

49:10 – Managing ambition and presence

56:40 – Rebuilding trust with your kids

01:00:25 – Understanding relational equity

01:02:20 – Glen’s message for fathers everywhere

***

Tired of feeling like you're never enough? Build your self-worth with help from this free guide: https://training.mantalks.com/self-worth

Pick up my book, Men's Work: A Practical Guide To Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, And Find Freedom: https://mantalks.com/mens-work-book/

Heard about attachment but don’t know where to start? Try the FREE Ultimate Guide To Attachment

Check out some other free resources: How To Quit Porn | Anger Meditation | How To Lead In Your Relationship

Build brotherhood with a powerful group of like-minded men from around the world. Check out The Alliance.

Enjoy the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser. It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community, and help others find the tools and training they’re looking for. And don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

For more, visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram