Dad Saves America

There’s a mental health crisis among boys and men. The warning signs of depression and other mental health issues in males, particularly teenage boys, are not widely known, and so they often go overlooked. The first step towards reversing this concerning trend is learning to recognize when young men are suffering. Dr. Warren Farrell has spent half a century researching and writing about the bigges...

Denisha Allen has some wisdom to share. As a leader at the frontlines of education reform, and as a new mother, Denisha has a lot invested in the future of our country. Her path from at-risk student to education policy wonk is full of wisdom for parents. After all, we want our kids to succeed regardless of their circumstances, and Denisha has done exactly that. Denisha founded an organization to t...

Quality education can be a great equalizer and a platform for success in life, but our current public school system may be the most regressive and unequal institution in our society. Today’s guest, Denisha Allen, founded an organization that's tackling this issue head on. It’s called Black Minds Matter and it’s a non-profit dedicated to promoting access to high-quality school options for black stu...

Jeff Sandefer has some wisdom to share. After striking it big in the oil industry before the age of 30, Jeff set off on a path of discovering where true meaning and purpose can be found and how individuals can maximize their impact on the world. He’s applied the purposeful risk-taking of entrepreneurship to raising his own kids, going as far as to let his son start paragliding at age three! Jeff i...

At one time, a college degree came with the legitimate promise of a better life. For generations of families it was part and parcel with ‘The American Dream.’ Unfortunately, the return on investment isn’t what it used to be. Today’s guest, Jeff Sandefer, knows this issue inside and out and is working to provide parents with an alternative to educate their children. He’s a successful entrepreneur-t...

What can we do as dads to keep our kids healthy? And how can we improve our own health to have as much time with them, and our future grandchildren, as possible? Today’s guest, Chris Powell, is an expert on fitness and the psychological struggles that often come along with any wellness journey. He hosted the popular TV show Extreme Weight Loss on ABC, where he helped numerous people overcome obesi...

Chris Powell has some wisdom to share. This father of four may be a health and fitness expert, but he also knows how to have some fun. Whether it’s flying planes with his dad or making his kids cringe with goofy jokes, Chris’s life is full of good memories. On top of that, Chris has plenty of great advice on how to support your children’s passions and set them up to explore the world on their own...

Adam Carolla has some wisdom to share. On the last episode of Pop Wisdom, I spoke with Dr. Drew, a father of triplets. In keeping with the theme, this week’s guest is a father of twins - and also was Dr. Drew’s co-host for ten years on KROQ’s long-running radio show Loveline . Despite their friendship, these two dads have very different perspectives on parenthood. Adam is a comedian, podcast host,...

The current culture of fear has made our kids nervous wrecks and has wreaked havoc on comedy in the process. Not taking yourself or your fears too seriously is one of the best ways to overcome them, so we sure aren’t setting up kids for success.  Today’s guest, Adam Carolla, isn’t afraid to tell his kids, and the rest of us for that matter, to toughen up, get over it, and move forward. He’s a come...

Dr. Drew Pinsky has some wisdom to share. This father of triplets may be a well-known media personality, but he knows that in the end, fatherhood isn’t about being the cool dad or the best dad, and certainly isn’t about being a famous dad. It’s about being present and engaged so that your kids can reach their own potential, whatever that may be. Dr. Drew is a practicing doctor of internal medicine...

What does the rise of “quiet quitting” say about the future careers of the youngest generation? Is it based on legitimate frustrations with the current career landscape or is it the result of a cultural devaluation of self-reliance and work ethic? Either way, how do we inspire our kids not to fall into this cycle of passivity? Today’s guest, Ben Askren, is anything but passive and certainly isn’t...

Russ Roberts has some wisdom to share. This father of four has spent a long time thinking about why having kids is so special. Russ may be an economist and a college president, but his stories about his grandfather, his dad, and his kids leave no doubt that his first priority is family. His latest book, Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us , takes the analytical approach of econo...

What do hip hop and economics have in common? Well, until host John Papola and Russ Roberts met following the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, there was very little overlap between those two topics. John learned of Russ after listening to his popular podcast, EconTalk , which sent John down the economics rabbit-hole. This led to an unlikely collaboration between John, a filmmaker, and Russ, economist...

Evan Baehr has some wisdom to share. He may be a successful investor and entrepreneur, but Baehr’s most important role is as a devoted family man. In this episode of Pop Wisdom, we cover everything from how faith informs his conception of masculinity, his greatest childhood pranks, and most importantly, his secret steak recipe. Baehr is managing partner of Learn Capital, a venture capital fund tha...

Is the point of a successful career to gather as much money as possible so that you can later start “doing good,” or should increasing your net worth and improving human welfare go hand-in-hand? Evan Baehr would argue that the best kind of entrepreneurs take the latter approach. The first step to being an effective entrepreneur is finding a problem that you’re passionate about solving. The bigger...

Dr. Carlos Carvalho has some wisdom to share. Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Dr. Carvalho learned what real danger is. That upbringing, combined with his career as a statistician, has resulted in a unique perspective on age-appropriate risk-taking for his own kids, especially compared to the typical American parent of his generation. Dr. Carvalho is a professor of statistics and the Executive Direc...

Should we “trust the science”? What does that even mean? Dr. Carlos Carvalho is a professor of statistics and the Executive Director of the Salem Center for Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. He’s an expert in analyzing data and understanding the tradeoffs of competing policies. Dr. Carvalho doesn’t believe we should “trust the science” because science is not capable of leading people. T...

Brian Gitt has some wisdom to share. The example his dad set helped Gitt develop the entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit he has today, and a few experiments with fireworks taught him a lesson or two about risk-taking along the way. A little mischief can be good for kids, but Gitt recalls how he and his friends “could’ve burned down the whole neighborhood” on a few occasions. Gitt has spent his...

Dr. Drew Pinsky’s 2008 book, The Mirror Effect , was an insightful analysis of celebrity culture when originally published. Looking back, it’s also turned out to be a prescient guide to the social media landscape that’s emerged over the past decade. In this episode of Dad Saves America, we discuss social media, narcissism, substance abuse, therapy, and Dr. Drew’s wide-reaching career. Dr. Drew is...

Brian Gitt’s conversion from mainstream environmentalism was an accident. For decades, he believed that solar and wind power were the future, and that it was only a matter of time before fossil fuels were a thing of the past. However, after creating a startup that helped homeowners compare utility costs, he realized that the numbers just didn’t add up for the environmentalists’ favorite kinds of e...

At the 94th Academy Awards, Troy Kotsur won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in CODA , available on Apple TV+. He is first deaf man, and second deaf performer after Marlee Matlin, to win an Academy Award. However, long before this historic accomplishment, Kotsur already had a successful career on stage, particularly in Deaf West Theatre productions. He also has appeared in movies a...

Marian Tupy has some wisdom to share. Growing up in Communist Czechoslovakia, Tupy learned to appreciate and strive for liberty from a young age. He cherished any connection with the culture and freedoms of the West and sought out opportunities for adventure, sometimes taking on serious risks in the process. More than anything, his parents taught him through their actions how to be true to himself...

Antong Lucky has some wisdom to share. When Lucky was sentenced to seven years in prison at age 21, he knew that something had to change in his life. Upon his release, he began working with Bishop Omar Jahwar, founder of Urban Specialists. On this path of redemption, Lucky combats the school-to-prison pipeline and bring peace to communities, and takes care of his family as the father that he never...

If our population keeps growing, won’t we eventually run out of resources? According to Marian Tupy, the answer is no. Tupy is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute who recently co-authored Superabundance , a book exploring this very question. More people means more mouths to feed, but it also means more minds working together to develop the technology of the future. As long as individuals are fre...

Mike Gibson has some wisdom to share. Gibson is a venture capitalist and author of the soon-to-be released book, Paper Belt on Fire . He helped run the Thiel Fellowship and his current venture, 1517 Fund, seeks out young tech founders in their creative and productive prime. As the son of a mom, a dad, and two step-dads, he has a unique perspective on family and what really matters in life. Subscri...