The Ordinary Family

Ryan Maxwell, creator of the Chasing Maximus Substack , returns for round two. This time he’s in the hot seat. He shares how he went from “running for his life” in a corporate career to coaching, why anger is often a shield for shame, and how his Drift, Notice, Return framework helps you step into the person you intend to be. We also dig into the gap between what you know and what you do, why you...

As parents, it can be incredibly hard to watch our kids struggle. They forget their homework. They have a friendship conflict. They don’t make the team they wanted. They’re frustrated learning something new. They feel anxious before a performance. They have a difficult coach or teacher. They spend all their allowance and regret it. And sometimes, we know exactly how to make the problem go away. We...

Megynn and Jonathan Webb have been married for ten years. In that decade, they’ve moved across the country multiple times, raised four kids eight and under, navigated postpartum depression, watched their youngest daughter get diagnosed with epilepsy at six months old, and last December, received a breast cancer diagnosis for Megynn. By most measures, they’ve been through more than most couples fac...

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There are moments in life that expose what we really believe. For our family, that moment came when we had to say goodbye to our 13½-year-old Labrador, Bross. This episode isn’t only about losing a dog. It’s about grief. It’s about parenting. It’s about what it means to honor commitment when things become inconvenient, painful, and uncertain. And it’s about the question every parent eventually fac...

Ben and Shauna Weaver got married six months before COVID hit — and found out they were pregnant the same month the world shut down. What followed was a crash course in marriage, parenthood, and faith that neither of them saw coming. Ben spent fifteen years in vocational ministry before becoming an entrepreneur and men’s coach. Shauna is a mental health therapist and writer behind the Substack Ups...

What does intentional family life actually look like after 32 years of marriage, six kids, two international adoptions, and a whole lot of earned wisdom? In this episode, we sit down with Rick and Laura Clapp — coaches, parents, and longtime mentors to the Housefield family — for one of the most substantive conversations yet on the podcast. Rick is a faith-driven executive coach and strategic retr...

What does a thriving marriage actually look like after 16 years, two adopted daughters, and lots of travel? In this episode, Coleman and Abby sit down with Tommy and Brenda Geary — coaches, adventurers, and parents of two — for one of the most honest and warm conversations we’ve had on the show. Tommy is a men’s life coach and adventure guide, and Brenda works in health and wellness at a universit...

These micro moves can turn your depleted days into energized ones—plus a surprising insight into self-care. It’s not about trying to cram more productivity into every hour; it’s about understanding where our energy actually goes—and how to create more of it. The core insight? We can minimize our drains, but we’ll never fully eliminate them (and you don’t want to, trust me). Instead, the real magic...

Most families aren’t overwhelmed because they’re doing the wrong things. They’re overwhelmed because they’re doing too many good things —stacked on top of each other with no margin. In this episode, we talk about how over-scheduling quietly drains connection, why your family’s capacity matters more than you think, and how doing less might actually lead to a more meaningful, connected life at home....

Starting in 2026 we will be interviewing parents who’ve struggled, stayed in the arena and kept fighting for their family and marriage. These aren’t people who have it all together, these are parents who’ve done the work to build a life they love together. Our first interview is with Abby and my longtime friends, Rick and Helen Morrison. We can’t wait to bring you more interviews this year to enco...

In this episode, we explore the powerful concept that our memories and the stories we tell ourselves about the past shape our present and future. You’ll learn practical strategies to uncover unconscious stories, rewrite them, and ultimately change your life trajectory—all while honoring reality. Whether you’re dealing with limiting beliefs or emotional patterns, this discussion provides clear insi...

In this episode, Coleman and Abby Housefield share proven techniques for guiding children through emotional regulation at different stages of development, emphasizing a shift from control towards connection. Drawing on their personal experiences with three kids across age ranges, and their coaching expertise they uncover how parental regulation and emotional skill-building lays a foundation for re...

Why would more time together feel like a threat—rather than a blessing? A great marriage isn’t luck or chemistry, it’s a set of deliberate skills anyone can develop. This episode uncovers the three revolutionary skills that shift your marriage from surviving to thriving: letting go of relationship manuals, owning your emotional responsibility, and choosing unconditional love and support. Coleman a...

Hey Friends! Welcome to February, the month after the month when many of us embark on a new years resolution, and start getting after our goals. Unfortunately for many of us, February can feel depressing or downright discouraging because we’ve, “fallen off the wagon” or given up on our goals that only a month ago were creating excitement and anticipation for us. In this episode Abby and I will tal...

I was hanging out with an old friend recently and telling him about Abby and my annual reflection practice. My friend said, “you do that with your wife?” and he sounded surprised. It was at this moment I realized what I thought was normal, was perhaps not normal for many people. A lot of people reflect on the year or make goals for the new year but they often do this exercise for work or for perso...

I know only a handful of people who aren’t intimidated or outright scared of having a hard conversation with someone. In fact this is a skill Abby and I are practicing this year. It’s something we’re much better at than we used to be but we’re still intimidated and scared about having a hard conversation. The good news is, anyone can have a hard conversation and not get completely taken out by it....

This episode first went live last year in December of 2024 and we’re publishing it again this year because people found it so inspiring to consider new experiences vs traditions! It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We love Thanksgiving and Christmas around here and we have some cherished family traditions that we look forward to every year. For some of you though, I know that the holidays ca...

This episode first went live last year in November of 2024 and we’re publishing it again this year because people found it so helpful for navigating the holidays with family! If you are dreading the upcoming holidays because time with extended family often feels draining and awkward we recorded this episode just for you! Your hosts Coleman and Abby will share funny and painful stories from their e...

We (Abby and I) recently hit one of those parenting walls where our strategies and tools that had worked well up to this point were not working anymore. We believe in the power of contribution in our home and in our family. Society and humans are better when we’re connected and contributing, not just to ourselves but to each other. But lately, the house has been a mess more often than not. Chores...

You can make regulating your nervous system easier by taking better care of your physical body. If you know how to drop into your body and process your emotions, bringing your nervous system back to regulation but you’re not sleeping at night, you’re going to have to work a lot harder to regulate your emotions. If you can take 10 minutes and do a thought download to observe your thoughts and get t...

Have you ever found yourself keeping track of your spouse’s shortcomings? Or waiting for them to change so you can finally relax, feel loved, or be okay? If you’ve ever thought: They make me feel anxious or If they’d just listen better, I wouldn’t get so upset. It’s likely that you too are plagued by this very common mindset in relationships. I know we (me and Abby) have been plagued by this minds...

What if emotions aren’t as messy and unpredictable as we think they are? What if the way your emotions work could be rationally and logically explained? And what if you could completely change your life by learning how to interpret and regulate your emotions? This is exactly what my coaching client, Sam did! Listen now to hear his story. Have a question or comment to share? We would love to hear f...

Abby and I argued for years over one, surprising thing: to avoid having an impact on the other person that wasn’t purely positive. Wait, what?! Why would we fight about this? Because we were both trying to be selfless. We really wanted to serve the other person and take care of them and in the process we stopped taking care of ourselves (because wasn’t that the other person’s job now that we are m...

What was it like for you growing up? Did you feel like you were adequately prepared and supported as you transitioned from being a child to growing into an adult? What about life skills? As an adult did you find that you knew how to manage yourself and your life so you could feel at peace and safe no matter what happens? Were you given autonomy and agency as you entered your teenage years or did y...