The Dad Edge Podcast

What happens when we've never been tested by life? If we've never experienced illness, tragedy, death, or war? How do we know how if we have the mental toughness to face adversity? Today, I have one of our Dad Edge Alliance mastermind program graduates and our first team lead Brad Ritter on the show. In his thirties, he was by all definitions a success. He had a big house, a great marriage, healthy kids, and a rock solid job. But he felt something was missing. He had never been tested by life and he wanted to find out what he was made of. Brad talks about how he endured SEALFIT Kokoro training, the world's premier training event for forging mental toughness. He also talks about his Dad Edge Alliance call team nicknamed the Fight Club, and how he has helped the men in his group develop and grow. For the show notes and links in this episode go to gooddadproject.com/thursday105.

Jeff Hemmer is the author of the book Man Up!: The Quest for Masculinity. He is also a pastor, a husband, and the father of six children. We don't' usually do spiritual topics on the podcast, but whether you're spiritual or not, you will get a lot of value from today's show. We're going to talk about what it means to be a spiritual leader in your house and go beyond the "Sunday School" versions of the Bible to explore the true masculinity of Jesus. For the show notes and exclusive links mentioned in this episode go to gooddadproject.com/162.

What does the word 'budget' bring to mind? It's about as fun as the word 'diet.' We think of sacrifice. We think of depriving ourselves. We think of boredom. But what if you could change your money mindset so that living on a budget is something that you and your family can be passionate about? It's possible, and in this episode of Thursday Throwdown, we have one of our Dad Edge Alliance members on to tell us how he paid off a huge debt and how he and his family have changed their money mindset so that they enjoy budgeting for their financial goals together. For the show notes and links in this episode go to gooddadproject.com/thursday104.

Armando Cruz is back on The Dad Edge podcast! He is the author of The Legacy Code: Modern Man's Guide To Escape Obscurity & Live A Life Unleashed, a performance coach, and a father of three. In this episode, he talks about why building a legacy is about much more than leaving wealth behind for your children. He also gives us his five key steps to purposefully creating a legacy that inspires ... starting today! For the show notes and links mentioned in this episode, go to gooddadproject.com/161.

All of us want to be a perfect father, but things never turn out the way we expect. Even for those men actively striving to become a better dad, perfection eludes us. Holding ourselves to this impossible standard leads to frustration and hopelessness. It might make us feel like giving up altogether. Today, we have Dad Edge Alliance member Sam on the show. He's from Sydney and was part of the Australian Special Forces. He's married and is the father of three boys. He lost his band of brothers when he left the military and live and work in Abu Dhabi. Sam was desperately searching for guidance in his relationships with his wife and kids. He didn't consider himself a great dad and reached a point where he was just going to accept it. Today he talks about how perfection was his enemy and how he moved past it to grow as a husband and a father. For the show notes and special links mentioned in this episode go to gooddadproject.com/thursday103

The Dad Edge podcast is honored beyond words to have John Eldredge on the show. He is the author of bestselling book Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul and is here to talk about our core needs as men and our constant quest for validation. He also shares life-changing insights on how to become a student of our child's heart and interpret their experiences for them so that they can become happier, stronger adults. For the show notes, links, and special offers in this episode CLICK HERE.

Steve Birch weighed 250 pounds and was on cholesterol and blood pressure medication. At Thanksgiving, he realized he was sweating, not because it was hot, but because of his extra body fat. It got to the point that when he looked at family pictures, he was appalled at the sight of himself. Now Steve is 30 pounds lighter, off his medication, and feels better than ever. How did he finally reach his health goals? With the help of the Dad Edge Alliance. Doing life with other likeminded men upped the accountability factor, giving him the motivation to stay on track on not give up. Listen to how Steve Birch is becoming not only a better man and father, but a healthier one. For the show notes and links mentioned in this episode CLICK HERE.

Hal Elrod is a best selling author, international keynote speaker, ultra-marathon runner, world class success coach, and most importantly, a father. He is a man who made it his life's mission to reach his true potential. Hal seemed absolutely unstoppable. Then he was diagnosed with cancer. In this episode, Hal Elrod reveals what it was like to face death head-on, what tools he used to heal himself, and how he and his family got though it. For the show notes and links mentioned in this episode CLICK HERE.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." This was in 1854, but it is now truer than ever before. Today, I have John Bauer on the show to talk about the power in sharing your struggle. John became a Dad Edge Alliance member in the summer of 2017 and has since grown in all aspects of his life. He now pays it forward by being a team lead and an inspiration to all the other members. In this short episode he talks about why men are afraid to connect and talk about their problems. He also reveals how getting over that fear and sharing your challenges with others helps you finally leave the life of quiet desperation behind! For the show notes and links mentioned in this episode CLICK HERE.

Kris "Tanto" Paronto is a former U.S. Army Ranger and CIA security contractor who is known for his actions during the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and the CIA compound in Benghazi. He is now a speaker and the author of the self-improvement novel, The Ranger Way: Living the Code On and Off the Battlefield. Kris is also a father. Today, Kris talks about discipline, failure, and leading by example. He also tells us why confident men don't take themselves too seriously and how goofing off and having fun keeps us young. For the show notes and the links mentioned in this episode CLICK HERE.