Fatherhood Field Notes

William Brinker is an entrepreneur, husband, father of three, and business leader connected to The Landfill Group and Enerdyne Power Systems , companies working in the landfill gas-to-energy space. In this conversation, William shares how his family history, entrepreneurial upbringing, faith journey, marriage, fatherhood, and stewardship of land have shaped the way he thinks about legacy. He also...

In this short Friday episode of The Craft of Fatherhood, Ned reflects on finishing his son Brody’s junior year of homeschool and what the experience taught him about a father’s role in noticing, guiding, correcting, and affirming his son. The episode is not primarily about homeschooling; it is about proximity. Ned uses the end-of-year moment—reading Brody a letter on the back porch with Sarah pres...

For nearly a decade, Mike Foster has been helping people become stronger physically, mentally, and spiritually. As the owner of CrossFit 1776 in Loomis, California, and founder of the Resolute Life Foundation, Mike’s mission is bigger than fitness—it’s about freedom. But before CrossFit became his ministry, Mike was fighting a different battle. Alcohol had become his coping mechanism. He was physi...

Few books change how you see yourself. Even fewer change how you see every relationship in your life. In this conversation, psychologist, speaker, and bestselling author Dr. Kelly Flanagan returns to Fatherhood Field Notes to unpack the central ideas from his newest book, The Road Less Triggered —a practical roadmap for transforming the moments that usually create conflict into opportunities for d...

Joevon Barnes is a plumber, coach, speaker, radio host, and father of two daughters. But more than anything, he’s a man who chose to break cycles, stay present, and become the father his daughters needed. In this deeply practical and inspiring conversation, Joevon joins Ned Schaut to discuss fatherhood after divorce, raising daughters, healing family wounds, overcoming anger, building generational...

This episode focuses on HOPE for an epidemic affecting men (and women) in and outside the church: pornography addiction. (Ready to get free? Men: go to liberatedkings.com to get started on your journey with Jesus.) Before founding Liberated Kings, Thomas Bills spent years trapped in the same struggle affecting millions of men today: pornography, shame, secrecy, and the belief that freedom was out...

Before becoming a creator, author, and founder of Sonjoy, Michael Leonardini spent decades wrestling with the same questions many fathers quietly carry: Why do I do the things I do? Why do I react the way I react? How do I become the man, husband, father, and son God created me to be? In this deeply reflective conversation, Ned sits down with Michael to discuss identity, recovery, suffering, vulne...

Eric Collins is a California entrepreneur, tax strategist, and business owner who has built and sold companies while navigating major physical adversity, including breaking his neck in five places and surviving multiple spinal fusions. In this episode, he and Ned go deep into discipline, certainty, emotional stability, fatherhood, business ownership, marriage, and the kind of intentional leadershi...

In this Friday Craft of Fatherhood episode, Ned processes through the realization that he's been transactional at home with his family like he is at work. What does it take to be present instead? Best takeaway: Check yourself and see if you're showing up responsive to your family, rather than expecting them to just do what you say, like a boss. --------- Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis...

Jason Vallotton is a pastor on staff at Bethel Church in Redding, California as well as a founder of BraveCo, a ministry dedicated to the healing and development of men as a means to healing and developing the world. Jason joins Ned Schaut for a deeply honest conversation about masculinity, healing, discipleship, and the kind of fatherhood that changes generations. This episode goes far beyond sur...

This Friday Craft of Fatherhood short is finds Ned thinking through the epic role that Zechariah played in the identify and name of John the Baptist. Do we have the same responsibility as modern dads? What about getting our kids to do things with us... like go to the gym? Do we ask them to, or do we tell them they're going and bring them along? Chew on these things with us on this short episode. B...

Mark Stiles joins Ned Schaut for a grounded, honest conversation about raising a large blended family, building intentional family culture, and redefining what strong fatherhood really looks like. Mark and his wife are raising eight children ranging from ages 3 to 19—including biological, step, adopted, and special-needs children. What unfolds in this episode is not polished parenting theory. It’s...

This Friday Craft of Fatherhood short is a solid quick listen if you want something deeper than generic parenting hacks. Ned tackles a question almost every dad thinks about but rarely says out loud: How much influence do I really have over who my kids become? The episode is really about this idea: A father’s job isn’t just protecting and providing — it’s helping shape a child’s identity . He talk...

"Failure is measured in ounces, regret is measured in tons." Nate Burkhalter—seven-time competitor on American Ninja Warrior—joins Ned Schaut for a raw, grounded conversation about identity, risk, and what it actually means to lead as a husband and father. Nate’s story isn’t polished—it’s forged. From a career in oil and gas engineering to chasing a his calling through failure, rejection, injury,...

In this straight-shooting Craft of Fatherhood episode of Fatherhood Field Notes , Ned Schaut calls fathers back to two lost arts of manhood: listening well and leading with purpose. Ned challenges dads to stop being the constant lecturer, fixer, and rule-enforcer—and instead become the trusted voice and steady ear their children actually want to come to. He shares how some of the deepest moments w...

In this powerful episode of Fatherhood Field Notes , Ned Schaut sits down with Eugene Johnson Jr. for a bold, no-nonsense conversation on biblical manhood, fatherhood, marriage, and spiritual leadership. Eugene shares wisdom forged through 25 years of marriage, raising two children, mentoring men in courts and prisons, and leading fathers back to God’s design. He challenges modern labels like “pro...

On this Craft of Fatherhood short, Ned reflects on a recent conversation with Mondoe Davis where Mondoe gave us all a challenge: ask your kid to rate your relationship. Then smile and say "thank you". And get busy implementing their feedback! Listen to this episode for some thoughts on how to implement this and walk out changes and development with the help of some insights from your kids. After a...

In this episode, Ned sits down with Johann Kurtz - a legacy adviser, former technology professional and author of Leaving a Legacy: Inheritance, Charity, and Thousand-Year Families. Kurtz's work focuses on the philosophy, theology, and practical structure of multi-generational family impact. Drawing from a deep engagement with Western intellectual and Christian traditions, he explores how families...

This Craft of Fatherhood short hits on a tension every dad of a teenage son will recognize: how do you lead, teach, and hold the line… without becoming a micromanager your kid resents? Ned walks through a real moment of conflict with his son and zooms out to something bigger: most families are operating without clearly defined beliefs. Not because they don’t care—but because they’ve never actually...

In this powerful episode, Ned sits down with Mondoe Davis—a man forged through discipline, faith, and intentional fatherhood—to confront one of the most urgent issues facing men today: Who is preparing our sons to become godly men? Drawing from his work with Rise Up Kings and the Genesis rite-of-passage program, Mondoe speaks directly to the silent burden many fathers carry—the fear that they are...

This Craft of Fatherhood Friday edition short is a sharp reminder that some of the best moments in fatherhood aren’t planned—they’re happening right in front of you. Ned challenges dads to stop chasing the “perfect” family activity and instead lean into the space between —those unstructured moments where real connection happens. The conversation at the kitchen counter, the random 45 minutes that t...

What if your fitness… wasn’t just about you? In this conversation, Ben Barker breaks down why physical discipline is directly tied to how you show up as a husband, father, and man. This isn’t about six-packs or vanity. This is about responsibility, leadership, and stewardship. Ben shares how injuries forced him to confront something deeper: 👉 His inability to rest 👉 His tendency to stay “on” ins...

In this Friday Craft of Fatherhood short episode, Ned explores the importance of family legacy, intentionality in marriage, and the role of fathers in shaping the future. He shares personal stories, reflections from a recent marriage retreat and practical steps for investing in family and faith. key topics Family legacy and passing values Intentionality in marriage and family life Personal growth...

In this episode of Fatherhood Field Notes , Ned sits down with Chris McCall—worship leader, missionary, and instructor at YWAM Kona—for a deeply honest and faith-centered conversation about what it means to lead a family without relying on formulas. Chris shares his unconventional journey from construction work and pastoring to raising support as a missionary, ultimately redefining what it means t...

In this Friday short episode of The Craft of Fatherhood , Ned dives into a powerful but often overlooked concept in parenting: perspective . As kids grow into teens and young adults, fatherhood shifts from simply making decisions to guiding thinking and shaping character . Ned challenges dads to move beyond just asking for their child’s “opinion” and instead seek to truly understand their perspect...