DAD Talks

S3 #001 "Graduate college, get a job, get married, have kids, and live happily ever after..." Wait, it's not that easy?!? On this episode of DADtalks, I interview Mark Galloway . I asked Mark to come on DADtalks to discuss fatherhood and the unique challenges of adopting. We also talk about continually improving as a dad and the leader of your family, the complexity of the brain, and how kids rais...

S2 #008 In this final episode for Season #2 of DADtalks, JT shares what he has learned over the past season not just from his own life but from each of the guys interviewed this season. 

S2 #007 On this episode of DADtalks, I interview Ryan Dawson. Ryan has been a friend of mine for several years. Even though he has lived in a different state or country most of the time, we have stayed connected over the years. Ryan works as a pilot for a missionary organization based in Peru. Ryan and his wife, Genevieve, are some of the coolest people you will meet. Both were raised in the jungl...

S2 #005 On this episode of DADtalks, I interview Reid Gossen. Reid is another friend of mine from good ol Corn Bible Academy. As you will hear in the interview we did some crazy stuff together in HS and just like most of you question how we are still alive today. Reid is Fire Fighter at Norman Fire Dept in Norman, Oklahoma, and is also the owner of Gossen Homes and Construction. He is married to M...

S2 #006 On this episode of DADtalks, I interview Matt Miller. Matt is a guy I met a few years ago through a mutual friend and I never would have thought I would be interviewing him to hear his advice or input on divorce and blended families. It is pretty awesome to see how God has worked in his life over the years. Matt and his wife Rochelle stay busy raising their blended family of 4 and if that...

S2 #004 On this episode of DADtalks, I interview Carlin Day. Carl and I talk about what it's like raising 4 boys with his wife, Angela.  How dads can elevate their value by developing their character, vision, and skills. Carl also talks about the legacy his father passed down to him that gives him a solid foundation to raise his boys. To connect with Carlin Day:  Go check out: https://el...

S2 #004 Welcome to the first episode of our new segment titled DADisms DADisms are characteristics that dads should have as stated by previous guests in their answers to the question: A DAD is ______.  The idea is to dig deeper into the answers that the dads give and how we can apply them to our everyday life. The first DADism comes from the interview with, JC Zahradnik, A DAD is consistent.

S2 #003 On this episode of DADtalks, I interview Josiah Street. We discuss raising girls specifically strong-willed independent girls, how to overcome overthinking, and what we can learn from difficult situations. 

S2 #002 On this episode of DADtalks, JT interviews his older brother, JC Zahradnik.  JC and his favorite assistant coach aka his wife, Beth, work together to help their team of 4 "Work Hard. Be Tough. Be their best self."  We talk about our shared childhood experiences, how the skills needed to be a great dad transfer over to being a great coach, and why it takes courage to work on our o...

S2#001 Dads have can many roles that they are trying to play and the struggle comes as they try to find the balance to perform all of them well. Does balance just mean giving equal time to all roles so one is not neglected? Or is there a better way? 

Bonus #001 - I asked the following question on Facebook, "Do you agree with this statement: "In order to grow you have to experience pain.'?” I was amazed at the amount of responses I got from this question but even more at the insightful answers from a variety of people. In this bonus episode I respond to the comments and dig into them a little deeper. 

I can't believe that the first season of DADTalks has come to a conclusion. Here's what I learned from Season #1: "Be curious. Not judgemental." -Walt Whitman Practice gratitude. Be fully present where you are The "withness" of God Thank you so much to everyone who has listened!

#007 - In the first interview on DADTalks, JT talks to long-time friend and mentor, Toby McCarter. Toby and JT talk about growing up without a father present and the impact this has on a young man. The two also share some laughs from the crazy days of Toby's childhood as well as some insights on fatherhood. 

#006 - I think a lot of us dads live passively because we didn’t have a high standard set by our dads. Not saying all of our dads were bums but some our parents had the mindset of; you got the basics met, what more could you possibly need? What if we lived with a different mindset? What if instead of just meeting the basic needs, we actively shaped the story our kids will tell their kids when we a...

#005 - Part of our job as dad’s is to leave a legacy. Or I should say we leave a legacy regardless, so it’s up to us whether that legacy is good or bad. So how do we work on legacy especially if we have been handed down a not so great legacy or we feel like we are failing at the moment? In this episode, I try to answer the question, “What is legacy?” and how we can begin to lay a foundation for ou...

#004  - I have come to believe, you have to break down all the walls and get back to a solid foundation before you can rebuild. It will never work to simply paint or remodel all the while you have a faulty foundation. God had to break me so I would give up my pride and control and this false idea we men have, “I have it all together. I don’t need help.” If I am defined by my past then there i...

#003 What are your wounds? How do you even discover them? We as dads have to get healthy first so we can take care of our kids. In this episode, we talk about how to recognize our wounds and how to begin to heal from them. 

#002 Anybody else ever ask yourself, "Why do I act this way? Or where did that come from?" This is the idea of "legacy burden" which I will be discussing over the next several episodes starting by sharing my own personal legacy in Episode 2.

#001 Since this is a podcast all about dads, it only makes sense that we first come up with a definition for who or what is a dad. We can't get better at being dads if we don't even know what we are aiming for. We talk about how a dad is like a coach. 

“You have heard of Ted Talks, right? Well these are DadTalks. Unlike TedTalks where experts talk about how they have it all figured out, well these ain't that. DadTalks are just one dad talking about the issues dads face and how to respond to them so they can better love and lead their own kids. Introducing the DadTalks podcast from JT Zahradnik, a dad trying to figure out what it means to be a da...