The Dad Edge Podcast

You know your family. You know your spouse's trigger points, what's going on with their day and what bothers them. You know what is going on in your kids' lives: their friends, their favorite activities, their sensitivities. Whoa-wait-do you? When is the last time you sat down and really listened, or scheduled an activity together and really made quality time? Too many times our best intentions to build the connections with our family are overlooked by our busy schedules and outside commitments. Changing just some of our simple daily habits, though, can really help strengthen the most important connections of all. Check out all of our show notes and resources for this episode right here: Five Ways to Make Sure Your Family Stays Connected

Getting out of our comfort zones is a critical component to living life to the fullest. In this episode, I share an experience that my son and I went through that has changed our life and relationship forever. For all the show notes and resources head over to the our episode page here

At the GDP, we've had story after story of men overcoming numerous challenges, only to become stronger men and better fathers. Through all of these stories, the common thread is grit and determination. In this episode, we talk with Eric Davis, Navy SEAL and author of Raising Men, continues this trend and brings a fresh perspective on how to become the best version of yourself as a father. Check out all of our show notes and resources for this episode at Leading Your Family From the Front with Eric Davis.

Explore the vital connection between mindset and successful fatherhood. Discover how pursuing passions can lead to a more fulfilling life, even when conventional jobs beckon. Learn the importance of setting boundaries to prioritize family time over wealth. Hear real-life examples of dads striking a balance between work and relationships, emphasizing that success isn't just about financial gain but nurturing personal connections. Join the conversation for practical tips on achieving work/life integration!

Jeff Pelizzaro, owner of 18Strong.com, entrepreneur, and all-around awesome dad, gives his perspective on living your passion, taking risks, and balancing fatherhood. Jeff Pelizzaro On Making Your Dreams a Reality Let's dream for a minute. Wouldn't it be great if that "crazy" idea for a new business really became a reality? You could do what you really want to do and provide even more for your family. Maybe, just maybe, that idea would grow exponentially and help you realize even bigger dreams. Oh, but you just don't have the time and that dream really sounds great, but it's so out there. Is it? Over our last 61 (yes, 61) podcasts, we've heard from very successful men about becoming your best self and achieving your greatest potential as an individual and a father. Jeff Pelizzaro is no different: he's taken his "day job" and turned it into a focused, value-added revenue stream by targeting a very specific niche audience-golfers. Jeff Pelizzaro on Taking the Leap and Pursuing His Passion Jeff Pelizzaro's podcast and business, 18 Strong, helps golfers at all levels achieve their greatest game on and off the course. Through nutrition and physical training, Jeff shows golfers how to tweak their nutrition and fitness to fit their particular needs. Sounds like a dream job, right? It wasn't always birdies and double eagles, though. Jeff Pelizzaro started as a physical therapist, working long hours and eventually becoming burned-out; he had the opportunity to change his entire focus to, well, golf. In doing so, however, it meant a big change and a risk for his family. After all, changing from serving a variety of clients to an incredibly niche-based business is risky. In the end, he made the leap and now helps golfers from amateurs to pros perfect their game. Sacrificing Money to Enjoy What Money Can't Buy It wasn't overnight, though. As always, these great ideas take sacrifice and identifying a balance between home life and work life. Jeff has days, he says, when he's playing with his kids and a thought about a client crosses his mind. He says it's definitely not easy, but he's able to refocus and make sure he is present with his family when he spends time with them. With the help of his wife, Jeff is able to balance the time he needs for his unique business with the time he wants to spend with his family. YOUR DREAM – GO DO IT!!!! Back to your dream. Maybe you have a great idea for the current business you're in or maybe it's something new all together. Whatever it is, though, if you want to do it and it adds value for others, give it a shot. Sure, taking a risk can have its scary moments, but not taking that risk can mean regret. Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Jeff Pelizzaro Links: Jeff Pelizzaro 18 Strong Jeff Pelizzaro Facebook Jeff Pelizzaro Twitter Jeff Pelizzaro Google Plus Jeff Pelizzaro The 18 Strong Podcast Jeff Pelizzaro #1 Amazon Bestselling Book: The Golfer's Guide to a Bogey Proof Workout

Forging Strength in your darkest hour! I have gotten a ton of feedback from our last podcast on "How to Discover Daily Grit and Gratitude." From what I have heard, most people were surprised that my family went through such a life altering event by losing my son Gabriel. I have had a lot of emails, texts, and communication through the GDP community about how much the last episode effected them personally. What I am finding is that there is a vast majority of families out there who are afflicted with miscarriage or death of an infant. I have even had questions asking why I have opened my life up so much about what happened during that six weeks and how it ended. The bottom line is this…I shared it for several reasons. It's Healing When we go through something that is literally life altering it changes us forever. It's easy to fall into a mindset up anger. It's also very common that an event like what our family went through can easily tear the strongest families apart. When we share the events of our life to give strength to others, we heal. Simple as that. When we heal, we help heal others through our own struggles. Forging Strength of the Family Losing my son not only effected me, but it also effected my entire family. My wife and two older sons took the loss of our son very hard. To be honest, I underestimated how much it would effect my two oldest boys (Ethan 10 and Mason 8). I can tell you without a doubt a ten year-old and an eight-year old child feels the devastating effects of loss when something like this happens. However, here we are eighteen months later and I can tell you without a doubt our family is stronger now than it ever has been. Forging Strength through Gratitude My family learned firsthand the power of the right perspective even in our darkest hour. Our family literally went through six weeks of hell that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Knowing you are going to lose your son will rattle even the strongest man. However, I learned the power of having the right perspective in the midst of absolute uncertainty. I kept a daily gratitude journal during this six-week long process and I believe it literally saved me from insanity. Take 5 Minutes of Gratitude Every Morning Every morning during that six-week journey, I wrote down three things that I was grateful for every morning. I can tell you without a doubt, that most mornings it was very hard to see the positive aspects in my life. However, I can tell you without a doubt that there were several things in my life that were positive. It took a great deal of discipline to decide to focus on the right things in my life despite the chaos. I would write down things like: "I'm grateful I have a job." "I'm grateful my three boys and my wife all have their health." "I'm grateful we have a roof over our head." I will admit, on some days I stretched to find gratitude. However, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, it was the best thing I did every morning. My Hope for You I share this story and this daily routine of: Morning Gratitude – write down 3 things you are grateful for Your Power Statement – write down your statement that you will use when the fear wolf starts to whisper in your ear. Your Mission of the Day – what will you do today. Come hell or high water, what will you accomplish today? Evening Gratitude – write down 2-3 highlights through the day. Get back into the mindset of gratitude. The highlights are there every day if we decide to reflect on them. Eradicate Regret from your Life – What was the lowest point of your day? Write it down. Get it out there. Now, instead of focusing on how deeply you regret that low point, ask yourself "what is the lesson?" Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Thanks for checking out this week's Five Minute Thursday Episode on Forging Strength in our Darkest Hours.

Gratitude is the Secret Sauce to a fulfilled life and is the fuel that develops our grit. It takes Grit to Climb to the Top Some of us look at a mountain and immediately think, "Eh-there's no way I'm climbing that thing." Others of us will look at the mountain and think, "I'm climbing it. It's not going to be fun or easy, but I'm climbing it." To climb that mountain takes grit-the stuff that separates those who do from those who simply watch. Of course, having grit is not necessarily something we inherently have. Sometimes, we have to develop it. What do you do with Adversity? Shawn and Larry share their stories of how they developed grit. Both share the pivotal moments where they had a choice: give up or face the mountain. The essence of their stories is this-developing grit is a process, it's getting up every day and knowing there is a choice. This choice is to live with gratitude, even in the face of extreme adversity. Why Morning Gratitude is a MUST Easier said than done, but if we choose to wake up every morning and look at what lies ahead of us with a grateful heart, challenges will seem easier. Larry suggests making daily gratitude deliberate. In other words, one of the first things he suggests doing each morning is writing down what you are grateful for. (He even includes his kids in on the practice and they look forward to doing it!). What is your ONE MISSION OF THE DAY? With this in mind, he then suggests creating a daily mission statement. Think about it-when you know what you are going to do, you have a better chance of actually doing it. This mission statement doesn't have to be profound, it can be something as simple as, "Today I am going to read a book to my kids before bed." There. Done. And guess what? Mission accomplished. YOUR POWER STATEMENT! If you happen to see your day getting off track, your mission statement in jeopardy of being derailed, Larry says he uses his "power statement" to bring him back to home base. This "power statement" is the phrase that you utter to yourself when you feel fear keeping you from climbing up that proverbial mountain. It's the same thing the Navy Seals use when they face a challenge (for more on this, listen to Episode 28 with Mark Divine. Oh! And he's coming back!). Choose something simple like, "I've got this" or, really, whatever speaks to you. Eradicate Regret from Your Life with EASE Even when you have done all of this, there will be times when we won't be the best versions of ourselves. But, instead of allowing the regret to take over, embrace it. Yep, that's right, embrace regret (sounds oxymoronic, but stay with us here). Regret can be a great teacher; it can show us where we need to improve. So, when we embrace regret, we not only learn from what we did wrong, but we also know how to improve in future events. This way, you really are eliminating regret from your life by absorbing its lesson. Back to Gratitude Finally, when the day is done and you have a chance to reflect on all you have accomplished, look back at two of your most positive moments that day and one regret. Be grateful for each of them, but take a lesson from them as well. Once we learn to master our failures as well as our successes, climbing our many life mountains won't seem so impossible. Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Thank you for checking out our show on How to Discover Daily Grit and Gratitude.

Work Ethic: The Ultimate Lesson We had an awesome guest this past week on the Good Dad Project Podcast featuring Joe De Sena, founder of the Spartan Races and New York Times Bestselling author of "Spartan Up!" Shawn and I have been trying to find the perfect guest to come on the show and talk about work ethic. Joe not only talked about work ethic but also how to teach work ethic to our kids. Work Ethic and Purposeful Suffering Joe shared several ways he teaches work ethic to his own kids. Some parents listening to this week's show might cringe at some of the things he said as it relates to "purposeful suffering." However, I think his theme on this point was solid! Parents today can be so incredibly over protective that we shelter our kids from any type of growing pains. No parent likes to see their kids experience failure, loss, or even really hard work. However, what we don't realize is that we are robbing them of critical life lessons that teach work ethic and grit. If we don't allow our kids to go through any type of pain and suffering and we throw them a life line at every twist and turn, what are we teaching them? I think it's safe to say when we shield them too much from a lesson of grit and failure, we are doing them a disservice. Teaching Work Ethic Through Example It's been said time and time again that kids learn the best lessons from the example we teach. If we want to help our kids understand the value of hard work, we have to show it to them and teach them how to work hard. Desire and work ethic is one of the most difficult lessons we can instill. However, we have several opportunities to teach it. For example, the next time our kid wants something (a new bike, a new video game, an expensive toy, a car, etc.) we have the opportunity to show them how to work for it vs. give it to them. For example, my eight-year old loves football cards, baseball cards, and gum. Instead of just buying him whatever he wants, he has learned to work for things so he can buy them himself. He will sell candy, rice krispy treats, wash cars, or even help with yard work to make a few bucks so he can buy what he wants. It may sound tough to make him do certain things for simple things like games, baseball cards, and gum, but it's an excellent way to teach him these lessons now. Plus, I have noticed that when he buys something with his own money, he takes much better care of it. Talking Work Ethic on the MFCEO Project Podcast I was recently on the MFCEO Project Podcast with Andy Frisella and Vaughn Kohler (aka "The Pastor of Disaster). On that episode Andy and I talked about ways we can leverage our kids failures to teach work ethic and grit. For example, I can't stand that kids today get trophies and medals for participation. Awards are meant to be earned and not given. Don't get me wrong, we should always point out the effort our kids put out through communication and encouraging words. However, we should never give out trophies for just showing up. Awards, trophies, and medals keep kids hungry to keep striving and keep pushing themselves. If awards like this are just given for showing up, what's the point in trying your best? Asking Empowering Questions Teach Work Ethic and Grit When our kids fail, we have a great opportunity to ASK QUESTIONS and not lecture. For example, if your kid participates in a karate tournament and finishes last, it's a perfect opportunity to ask them questions to get them thinking about solutions to be better. You can ask your kid: What did you think of the tournament? If you had it to do over again, what would do different? If you could be better at something specifically with karate, what would be? Your kicks? Punches? Speed? What place would you like to finish in the next tournament? What do you think we should do to prepare for the next one so you feel confident? Questions like this get a kid (and adults) thinking about solutions. It also helps identify what needs work and what is needed to get better. Work Ethic and Grit come from knowing what we need to improve and putting in the time and effort to be better. Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Connect with Joe De Sena Joe De Sena Book Spartan Up! Joe De Sena Podcast Joe De Sena Website Spartan Races Thanks for checking out this week's podcast on How to Teach Work Ethic.

Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan Race, bases his company on the foundation that we, as humans, cannot really reach our full potential until we have gone through struggle. It's what he calls "purposeful suffering". Coming from a childhood where he had to learn, on his own, how to make it, Joe De Sena firmly believes his success has come from this purposeful suffering philosophy. As we've seen many times before on the GDP, some of the greatest success stories have come out of a poor upbringing or incredibly challenging circumstances. But there are lessons to be learned from these situations. Joe De Sena on an "Attitude of Gratitude" We are the creator, not just the product of our environment. Teaching your kids that their circumstances do no define them empowers them to face obstacles they will certainly come across in their adult lives. Instead of being a victim of circumstance, help your child, and yourself, adopt an attitude of gratitude. While the situation may be difficult, find the growth opportunity. Joe De Sena on the value of "Delayed Gratification" Delayed gratification. Joe tells a great story of how his desire for greater things helped him turn down opportunities for instant gratification, and thankfully, his actions paid off. By showing our kids that putting off an immediate want for something greater, we are giving them the gift of patience and teaching them to plant the seeds for their future goals. Perseverance Enough said. The success stories on the GDP are not from overnight successes-those are few and very far between. The true successes, the ones that get to the marrow, are those that are had from great sacrifice and tenacity. When we teach kids that they can conquer obstacles they did not think they were capable of conquering, we provide opportunities to build their self-confidence and lay the foundation for them to reach their full potential. Of course, these lessons take time to teach, and we may need to learn them ourselves, first, but they are critical for survival in this world. Instead of handing our kids everything they desire and protecting them at every turn, give them something greater: the inner power to reach the best version of themselves. Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Connect with Joe De Sena Joe De Sena Book Spartan Up! Joe De Sena Podcast Joe De Sena Website Spartan Races Thanks for checking out this week's podcast on How to Teach Our Kids Work Ethic and Mental Toughness with Joe De Sena.

Anger Management Tip #1: Forget Perfection First and foremost, we need to forget about being the perfect father, because in all honesty, it doesn't exist. Being a dad is extremely rewarding, but it is also a tough business. As men, we take a lot of pride in providing for our families and sharpening our craft in the workforce. We are wired to hunt and problem solve. Being a father is a dynamic that constantly sharpened and we can be humbled at every turn. Keep in mind, perfection is a myth. If you want true happiness, focus on progress and not perfection. Anger Management Tip #2: Know your Triggers Being proactive in our mindset will set us up for ultimate success. Most of us men have the lowest amount of patience when we first wake up in the morning, come home from work, and right before bed. Why is that? In the morning, we are just trying to clear the cobwebs before taking on the day. Not taking time to wake up 15-30 minutes early (before the kids) is like going for a 3 mile sprint without a warmup. When we come home from work, we are usually exhausted, overloaded, and "hangry" (hungry and angry). Late at night we are usually pretty spent, exhausted, the kids can be fighting us in every way possible to go to bed. Solution for the morning Get up early, shower, pray (if you are spiritual), meditate (if that is your thing), listen to a podcast (if you are more of an audio person), etc…you get it. Do something for yourself to warm your mind and patience up. Solution for the ride home from work Grab a snack to get that blood sugar up and listen to something empowering (podcast, audiobook, your favorite workout music, etc). The point is get the blood sugar in check and your mind in the right place. Solution for late at night Keep in mind that your evenings are meant to make the best memories, so don't blow it. Set the evening up for success by doing something (other than watching TV) as a family. Also, spend time with each kid before bed (pray together, talk about the day, ask questions that bring our gratitude, etc.) This will honestly propel your evening and experience into a new orbit. Anger Management Tip #3: Calm through the Breath Even the greatest dads have bad moments. We all have been moment no matter how hard we try. We all have the knee jerk reaction when we blow up and explode. After we react like that there is a ton of guilt, shame, and defeat that follows. Want to know the secret to staying calm, cool, and collected? Here it is: you have to create some "mental space" between your knee jerk reaction and your response. Meaning, think before you act. We can all achieve this by doing the most natural thing that we do unconsciously…breathe. We can use the breath to calm ourselves. Three deep breaths is all you need in the heat of the moment to calm yourself just enough to respond versus react. Go check out our interview with Mark Divine on How to Create an Unbeatable Mind - Episode 28, for more information on breath control. Resources: Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Thanks for checking out this week's podcast on Optimal Anger Management for Dads.