Front Row Dads with Jon Vroman

Cue crying from the playroom. My son Ocean bursts into the kitchen to let me know he hurts his finger. I asked "which finger did you hurt?" Seconds later I found myself struggling to contain my internal laugh fest because let's face it — what's cuter than a 5-year old flipping you the bird 🙂 On a more serious note, I reflected on that moment, and many others over the past several months, evaluating my ability to be empathetic. Today's episode is a reading from my most recent blog post This is REAL empathy. JOIN THE BROTHERHOOD Join the Front Row Dads private Facebook community so you can ask questions, share ideas, and be part of a supportive group of incredible brothers who help one another navigate the role of marriage and fatherhood. LEAVE A REVIEW If you've listened to multiple Front Row Dads interviews and get value from the show, we'd love your support! Leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts only takes a minute, and in turn, it allows us to rank higher and become discovered by other Dads, just like you. Visit FrontRowDads.com/review and tell others what you think about the show!

Tom Lambotte lives in Cleveland, Oh with his wife and 4 kids, Eliana, Atreyu, Malia and Kaia -- along with two ancient English bulldogs Zeus and Luna and his mother-in-law. He is the founder and CEO of GlobalMac IT, a national Managed Service Provider that provides legal technology services to Mac-Based law firms. Their mission is to help entrepreneurs grow by leveraging technology and they are slowly expanding into other markets. He has a passion for entrepreneurship and in addition to being a speaker, author and thought-leader in his space, is starting to coach heart-centered high-performers by invitation and referral only. And he does this all in under 35 hours a week and extremely limited travel. In today's episode, he joins us to share his experiences facing tragedy in losing two sons and his wife and how they persevered and grew their family through adoption. KEY TAKEAWAYS: The difference between open and closed adoptions Planned vs. emergency placements How to help friends during dark days Using crowdfunding to help pay for adoption INSPIRING QUOTE "There is more than one way to build a family." - Tom Lambotte "What's your plan? What are you willing to go through to build a family?" - Tom Lambotte EPISODE RESOURCES Global Mac IT Follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook The Family Board Meeting: Is Business Success Hurting Your Family? PEOPLE MENTIONED Jim Sheils JOIN THE BROTHERHOOD Join the Front Row Dads private Facebook community so you can ask questions, share ideas, and be part of a supportive group of incredible brothers who help one another navigate the role of marriage and fatherhood. LEAVE A REVIEW If you've listened to multiple Front Row Dads interviews and get value from the show, we'd love your support! Leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts only takes a minute, and in turn, it allows us to rank higher and become discovered by other Dads, just like you. Visit FrontRowDads.com/review and tell others what you think about the show!

KEY TAKEAWAYS: Thriving under big challenges The benefits of kids seeing you put in the work How to react when your kids are being bullied Getting your kids to open up and talk to you Balancing tough love with an open heart Deep listening for deep connection How knowing what you want can save your marriage How to defuse a fight with your spouse

Intimacy Expert, Allana Pratt inspires open-hearted, unapologetic living with delicious sass. Her inspiring vulnerability and courage has landed her a featured weekly column on the GoodMenProject, featured as an Icon of Influence, and as Guest Expert on The Jenny McCarthy Show, Huffington Post, People Magazine, Forbes, CBS, TLC and FOX. This cum laude graduate of Columbia University is the Author of 4 books, has interviewed Whoopi Goldberg, Alanis Morissette and Dr. Bernie Seigel and Hosts the edgy Podcast "Intimate Conversations" where listeners learn to thrive after heartbreak and find the relationship they deserve. A certified coach, Allana was asked by Leeza Gibbons to coach her during Dancing with the Stars. With over 4 million viewers on YouTube, Allana is the go-to authority for those wanting to create healthy, thriving intimate relationships with themselves first, and with their partners. In today's episode, she joins the podcast to talk about the do's and don'ts when it comes to Valentine's Day. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Why being the "bank of the river" for your spouse is key What does Valentine's Day mean to you and your wife? Valentine's day is an opportunity to align values with actions What's fun for you, and fun for her? Treat holidays in a way that's true for you Do what turns her on. End of story. It's not just about what happens ON Valentines Day, it's about the WEEK before Valentine's Day Why a car wash can lead to epic connection Winning on V-day is more about inner work, than outer gifts INSPIRING QUOTE "Use Valentine's Day as a reminder to align your actions with your priority that marriage and love need feeding." - Allana Pratt "There is no right answer, there are just different ways. So let go of having to do it right, let go of it being the right or wrong way." - Allana Pratt EPISODE RESOURCES Alanna Pratt Website Follow on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram VDAY -- get a FREE $97 gift PEOPLE MENTIONED Christopher Lochhead JOIN THE BROTHERHOOD Join the Front Row Dads private Facebook community so you can ask questions, share ideas, and be part of a supportive group of incredible brothers who help one another navigate the role of marriage and fatherhood. LEAVE A REVIEW If you've listened to multiple Front Row Dads interviews and get value from the show, we'd love your support! Leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts only takes a minute, and in turn, it allows us to rank higher and become discovered by other Dads, just like you. Visit FrontRowDads.com/review and tell others what you think about the show! [read more] Disclaimer: The transcription you're about to read was produced digitally. It's 95% accurate, however at times, the system interprets words incorrectly, so if you're shrugging your shoulders saying, "What the heck?" — just skip that word/sentence and read on :) Thanks and happy readi 137_-_How_to_Win_Valentine's_Day_with_Allana_Pratt[/read]

The parent in me wants to squash every little insurrection as quickly as possible. But the psychologist in me is glad when my children say "No." This is why…

JOIN THE BROTHERHOOD Join the Front Row Dads private Facebook community so you can ask questions, share ideas, and be part of a supportive group of incredible brothers who help one another navigate the role of marriage and fatherhood. LEAVE A REVIEW If you've listened to multiple Front Row Dads interviews and get value from the show, we'd love your support! Leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts only takes a minute, and in turn, it allows us to rank higher and become discovered by other Dads, just like you. Visit FrontRowDads.com/review and tell others what you think about the show!

Stephen Gillett is the co-founder and former CEO at Chronicle—an Alphabet company born out of X, The Moonshot Factory—and is an executive advisor to the CEO at Google. As one of the youngest CIOs of a Fortune 500 company in history, he was responsible for leading the technological transformation of Starbucks under Howard Schultz. Stephen's previous positions included CIO at Corbis, working directly with Bill Gates; President at Best Buy; and COO at Symantec. As an avid lifelong gamer, Wired also recognized him as an innovative Guild Master in World of Warcraft. Stephen lives in Silicon Valley with his high school sweetheart and their eight children. In today's episode, Stephen joins the podcast to talk about the role gaming plays in his household, and how it's helped his family develop deeper connections. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Getting kids involved in business How to create a 17 year old story The logistics of 8 kids The greatest gift he could give his kids Why his kids need to be 8 years old to play video games How epic gaming experiences help explain the important aspects of life The power of connecting with your kids through their favorite games "Before you get furious, get curious" Why reviewing digital usage stats with your kids can help them correct usage time themselves Disney Circle Service Keeping online gaming safe Why tablets are bad babysitters EPISODE RESOURCES Stephen Gillet | Follow on Twitter From Simi Valley To Silicon Valley: A Story of Hard Work, Serendipity, and Questing by Stephen Gillett One Last Talk by Philip McKernan PEOPLE MENTIONED Philip McKernan QUOTES "It's very hard to be selfish in a family of 8." - Stephen Gillett "Before you get furious, get curious." - Stephen Gillett JOIN THE BROTHERHOOD Join the Front Row Dads private Facebook community so you can ask questions, share ideas, and be part of a supportive group of incredible brothers who help one another navigate the role of marriage and fatherhood. LEAVE A REVIEW If you've listened to multiple Front Row Dads interviews and get value from the show, we'd love your support! Leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts only takes a minute, and in turn, it allows us to rank higher and become discovered by other Dads, just like you. Visit FrontRowDads.com/review and tell others what you think about the show!

KEY TAKEAWAYS: Turning dinner into the board room 3 steps to building resilience The importance of acceptance Knowing who you are Mental awareness is mental health When you flip, digging into why How your brain wants to interpret events Understanding activating events and how to defuse them EPISODE RESOURCES The Success Corps Follow on Instagram, Facebook JOIN THE BROTHERHOOD Join the Front Row Dads private Facebook community so you can ask questions, share ideas, and be part of a supportive group of incredible brothers who help one another navigate the role of marriage and fatherhood. LEAVE A REVIEW If you've listened to multiple Front Row Dads interviews and get value from the show, we'd love your support! Leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts only takes a minute, and in turn, it allows us to rank higher and become discovered by other Dads, just like you. Visit FrontRowDads.com/review and tell others what you think about the show!

Ali Jafarian is a serial entrepreneur and software engineer with over a decade of experience building technology. He built his first website back in 2005 when the internet was a place for tables and Flash. Since then he's consulted for Fortune 500's, worked with start-ups in various phases, and launched several online businesses of his own. Ali loves helping start-ups and small businesses with early stage development and growth. In today's episode, Ali shares his advice for improving your environment and becoming an eco conscious family. KEY TAKEAWAYS: The anxiety of the holidays Running a zero-waste household The 100 things movement "Don't do nothing because you can't do everything, do something, anything" How decisions you make today impact 18 generations Creating an eco-friendly environment for your kids Become the king of composting Cutting your trash in half Asking, "Where did this come from, and where is it going next?" Thinking globally, acting locally EPISODE RESOURCES AliJafarian.com Follow on Twitter, Facebook PEOPLE MENTIONED Purdeep Sangha JOIN THE BROTHERHOOD Join the Front Row Dads private Facebook community so you can ask questions, share ideas, and be part of a supportive group of incredible brothers who help one another navigate the role of marriage and fatherhood. LEAVE A REVIEW If you've listened to multiple Front Row Dads interviews and get value from the show, we'd love your support! Leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts only takes a minute, and in turn, it allows us to rank higher and become discovered by other Dads, just like you. Visit FrontRowDads.com/review and tell others what you think about the show!