Dad Space Podcast - for Dads by Dads

Episode 267 - Not All Dads Are Broken - Healthy Dads, Help a Dad That is Struggling and Share Your Strength Opening question: “Are men okay?” → Reality: many aren’t, but some are just better at hiding it. Pushback on narrative: Not every man is secretly broken, despite what social media suggests. Cultural exaggeration: Online messaging often paints all men as emotionally unstable or on the edge. B...

Episode 266 - Navigating the Empty Nest with David Campbell Guesting on the Great Dad Podcast In this special Shared Mic Series episode of Dad Space, host Dave Campbell shares a conversation from his appearance on the GreatDad.com podcast with host Paul. The discussion centers on a topic that many fathers eventually face but few are prepared for: navigating the transition to an empty nest. Dave re...

Episode 265 - Celebrating Father's Day - Dad, Embrace Your Day, You Have Earned This This Father’s Day episode of Dad Space is both a celebration and a reflection, marking four years of conversations dedicated to supporting dads around the world. Dave opens with gratitude, recognizing the growth of the podcast and the global community that has formed around a shared goal: becoming better fathers t...

Episode 264 - The Dad's Library - What Every Library Can Teach Us About Fatherhood In this Father’s Day month episode of Dad Space, Dave explores a simple but powerful idea: what if the rules of a library could guide how we show up as dads? Drawing from the quiet structure and shared expectations of a public library, he builds a thoughtful framework for fatherhood rooted in presence, respect, and...

Episode 263 - When a Dad Runs on Fumes - where life stops feeling manageable and starts feeling like survival When a Dad Runs on Fumes There comes a point for a lot of fathers where life stops feeling manageable and starts feeling like survival. You wake up tired. You go to work tired. You come home mentally checked out. The bills keep coming, the expectations never seem to slow down, and somewher...

Episode 262 - Jon Gustin - The Tired Dad - Learning from Your Kids, Strength for Weary Dads and Content Legacy Helping dads navigate parenthood with perseverance, vulnerability, and self-compassion. He speaks openly about mental health, sobriety, and the need to include fathers in the parenting conversation. His message to all parents is clear, keep showing up. This episode of Dad Space features a...

Episode 261 - Navigating the Teen Years - Connection Over Control. A Guide For Caring Dads In this episode of Dad Space, Dave brings a grounded and personal perspective to one of the most challenging transitions in fatherhood: the teenage years. With humor and honesty, he reminds listeners that no dad is fully prepared for what happens when a child turns thirteen. While every father has experience...

Episode 260 - Beyond, How Was Your Day - Boosting Family Communication for Dads In this episode of Dad Space , Dave opens with his signature humour and reflection on fatherhood before diving into a deeply relatable moment many dads experience: the routine question, “How was your day?” and the all-too-common one-word response, “Fine.” From there, he explores why these surface-level exchanges often...

Episode 259 - Achieving Work-Life Balance - A Dad's Blueprint for Presence, Not Perfection In this episode of Dad Space , the conversation opens in a light, relatable way before shifting into a deeply personal reflection on what it really means to balance work and family life as a dad. The host shares stories from his early years of fatherhood, including long commutes, extended work hours, and the...

Episode 258 - What Makes a Good Dad Today - Redefining Fatherhood in the Modern Age In this episode of Dad Space , the conversation centers on a powerful and timely question: what actually makes a good dad today. Rather than offering a rigid definition, the episode challenges listeners to reflect on their own understanding of fatherhood and how that definition has evolved over time. The discussion...

Episode 257 - Dad's Guide to Tech - Balancing Screen Time and Real Connection Today on Dad Space, Dave is focused on the growing tension between technology and meaningful family connection. Technology is no longer optional in our lives. It shapes how we communicate, relax, and even how we relate to one another. While it brings convenience and opportunity, it also quietly pulls families into separa...

Episode 256 - Getting in The Mud With Others - Caring and Knowing When To Fix It and When To Listen In this episode of Dad Space , the conversation centers on a powerful but often overlooked skill in fatherhood: knowing when to step in and fix, and when to simply sit and listen. It’s a lesson that shows up everywhere in a dad’s life, from friendships with other men to relationships at home with a...

Episode 255 - Collecting Penguins, Noticing the Good That Our Kids Do and Not Just the Bad - Rethinking our Kids Scorecard Instead of focusing mostly on mistakes, frustration, and correction, this episode encourages fathers to notice, name, and celebrate the good things their kids do every day. In this episode, Dave shares a powerful story heard on another podcast about a father who began collecti...

Episode 254 - What Passion Really Means, Redefining Passion for Family, Partner, and Purpose Rediscovering Passion as a Dad As dads, we wear many hats — provider, partner, leader, teacher. But somewhere between school lunches, late nights, and chasing deadlines, our sense of passion can fade into the background. February, with its focus on love and connection, is a good time to ask: What does pass...

Episode 253 - March DadNess - Building A Championship Culture – Playing the Long Game In this March Dadness finale, the conversation closes the five part series with a focus on building a championship culture at home and playing the long game as a dad. Using the language of sports as a frame, the episode argues that the real legacy is not the trophy or the scoreboard, but the character, confidence...

Episode 252 - March DadNess - Making Halftime Adjustments – Navigating Mistakes and Reset Moments In this March DadNess episode, Dave invites dads into the locker room of everyday fatherhood to talk about making halftime adjustments when life and parenting don’t go as planned. He opens with a simple but powerful moment: finding his granddaughter’s teddy bear tucked into his bed, a quiet reminder t...

Episode 251 - March DadNess - The Coach and the Player – Knowing When to Lead and When to Step Back Host Dave welcomes listeners to the third installment of March DadNess, flipping March Madness into a celebration of fatherhood lessons drawn from the sports playbook. From his home in Canada where snow lingers but spring beckons, he dives into the evolving dance every dad does with his kids: knowin...

Episode 250 - March DadNess - The Regular Season – Showing Up Consistently Championships aren't won in the spotlight moments—they're forged in the grind of the regular season, those 82-game stretches where teams build habits, trust, and identity. Fatherhood works the same way. Most of parenting isn't buzzer-beaters or highlight-reel heroics; it's the ordinary Tuesdays with rides to practice, homew...

Episode 249 - March DadNess - The Draft – Discovering Your Role as a Dad When You Get Called Up to the Big Leagues The Draft – Discovering Your Role as a Dad Think back to the most exciting day in sports—the draft. The cameras are rolling, the names are called, and every team looks at their first pick not for what they already are , but for what they could become . That’s fatherhood. When your chi...

Episode 248 - Act 4 - Connect and Renew - Strengthen What Strengthens You As A Dad Connect and Renew — Strengthen What Strengthens You Build a Challenge Network. Compliments feel good, but they don’t help you grow. Honest feedback does. Psychologist Adam Grant suggests creating a small group of people who care enough to tell you the truth. Ask better questions like, “What’s one thing I could do be...

Episode 247 - Act 3 - The Motivated Dad - Finding the source of what keeps us going as a Dad In this third act of a four-part series inspired by Daniel Pink's insightful video on planning for 2026 (link in show notes), host Dave dives into motivation and becoming a more intentional dad this year. Drawing from Pink's framework, Dave reframes it specifically for fathers, urging us to adjust our inne...

Episode 246 - Act 2 - The Structured Dad - Some effective tools to structure your year In this episode of Dad Space, host Dave dives into Act 2 of Daniel Pink's insightful 2026 video on preparing for a great new year, adapting its lessons specifically for dads. Even though we're into February, Dave stresses it's never too late to implement changes that reclaim time and intention as fathers. He urg...

Episode 245 - Daniel Pink's Act 1 Clarity in 2026 - Premortems, Themes & 90-Day Dad Sprints In this episode of the Dad Space Podcast, host Dave dives into Daniel Pink's powerful video on designing your best year ever, adapting its insights specifically for fathers aiming to crush 2026. Drawing from Pink's 25 years of motivation research, Dave shifts the focus from fleeting inspiration to rock-...

Episode 244 - Level Up as a Dad - Premortems, Themes, and Micro-Sabbaths Unlock 2026: Your 4-Part System for the Best Year Ever Dads, imagine 2026 as the year you finally crush it—not just at work, but as the husband, father, and man your family deserves. No more January resolutions that fizzle by February. This isn't fluffy motivation; it's a battle-tested, science-backed framework from 25 years...

Episode 243 - Lonely Dads, When Family, Friends and Your Spouse Just Don't Seem to Be Enough in the Moment Dave opens up a conversation about one of the most invisible struggles many fathers face: loneliness. With humor, warmth, and honesty, he explores how dads can feel disconnected even while surrounded by the people they love most. In a world where we’re more connected than ever, many dads stil...