Pappy Hour

A night in Key West, a lost email address, and a little luck. That’s where Paul Ramos’s family story starts. Paul joins Lucas and Eric to talk about two very different arrivals into fatherhood: a son born early and another welcomed through adoption. Along the way, there’s a hastily assembled family photo book, a new appreciation for his own dad, and the familiar feeling of being a grown-up who’s s...

At 19, Eric Ryant left college to help his sick father run the family business. Six months later, his dad was gone, and Eric was running the company at just 20 years old. This week on Pappy Hour, we're joined by Eric, a Lafayette, Colorado, businessman, father of three, and grandfather who's lived through more than a few unexpected turns. Eric talks about growing up in Florida, taking over...

We're pouring another round with rabbi, stand-up comedian, and longtime dad Bob Alper! Bob has been a father for more than 50 years, and he's got the stories to prove it. From meeting his wife, Sherry, to raising two kids who are now in their fifties, Bob shares hilarious memories, surprisingly tender moments, and some hard-earned wisdom about knowing when to let your children become their...

We’ve actually had this conversation with Ryon Tracy before. You just never heard it. The first time Ryon sat down with us, we had a technical problem and lost the episode. Which is a pretty fitting Pappy Hour lesson: sometimes you do everything right, something still goes sideways, and you try again. So Ryon came back. This time we talk about becoming a dad to twins, Carter and Cameron, their tim...

TJ Smith is the youngest of five boys, raised by a single mom. He saw what he didn’t have growing up, and that became a big part of why he wanted to be a dad. Now he’s got a two-year-old son, Callum, and a daughter who was just 14 days old when we recorded. We talk about the blue cake at his wife’s 30th birthday, meeting Callum for the first time, driving home twenty under the speed limit, and fin...

Roger Bate joins Pappy Hour to talk about growing up in England, building a career around research and writing, moving to America, and becoming an older dad to two boys. Roger shares what it felt like to become a father after years of travel and work, how he tries to show up differently than his own dad did, and why sports became one of the ways he connects with his sons. He also opens up about hi...

One year. Fifty episodes. A whole lot of dads. In this special Sappy Pappy episode, Lucas and Eric look back at the first year of the Pappy Hour podcast, the fathers and father figures who trusted them with their stories, the friendships that have grown out of those conversations, and some of the lessons they’ve carried into their own lives as dads. They also look ahead to Pappy Around the World,...

Dr. Binyamin “Ben” Rothstein joins Pappy Hour to talk about raising eight kids, rebuilding his life after losing his medical career, and the experiences that eventually led him to helping other men become more intentional fathers. Dr. Ben talks about becoming a dad before he felt an immediate emotional connection, the moment that connection finally clicked, what he learned about showing affection...

Aaron Ostrovsky joins Pappy Hour to kick off Season Two. Aaron talks about raising three boys, going from a spontaneous “do it live” mentality to the responsibility of fatherhood, and learning how important it is to give each kid space to become their own person. From hockey and science to Uno, grocery-store runs and one-on-one time, Aaron shares what’s working for him as he tries to stay present...

For Episode 50, Lucas brings on his older brother Tim Budde — dad to three daughters, including twins. Tim talks about wanting to be a rock star before fatherhood showed up, navigating fertility treatments, learning on the fly with his first daughter, and then adjusting all over again when twins entered the picture. Now that his girls are teenagers, the challenge has changed: support their dreams,...

Episode Description “Pizza Pete” Krause has spent most of his life in Broomfield, built businesses alongside his family, raised four children and lived through the loss of his son, Andrew. Pete talks candidly about becoming a father young, throwing himself into work, raising independent kids, building iPIE with his daughter Katie and why his family lives by the idea “Infinite Us” — we can do anyth...

Storyteller and improviser Nick Ross joins us live at Flipside Theatre for a fatherhood story that becomes an improv show in real time. Nick talks about chasing identity in New York and Los Angeles, surviving cancer, letting go of an old version of himself, meeting his wife, and becoming a dad to Lula and Maisie. From a frightening first birth to a second baby who basically announced, “I’m here,”...

Alfred Hopton has lived enough lives for several episodes: Alabama cheerleader, Hollywood publicist, radio personality, Parkinson’s boxing coach and proud father to his daughter, Stella. He joins Pappy Hour for a loud, funny conversation about music, movies, long drives through Los Angeles and the unexpected ways fathers connect with their kids. Know a father whose story deserves to be told? Nomin...

Rabbi and stand-up comedian Bob Alper joins Pappy Hour for a conversation packed with sharp jokes, marriage stories, teenage chaos, and the moments that make family life feel sacred. Bob talks about raising two kids, staying connected as they grew up, and learning when a parent has to step back and let a child become their own person. Learn more about Bob, watch his comedy, and find his upcoming s...

Dr. Bo Babenko brings big energy, quick humor, and plenty of hard-earned perspective to Pappy Hour. We talk about self-awareness, dad groups, marriage, physical health, and the idea that discipline creates freedom . It is a lively conversation about showing up, figuring it out, and trying not to be the asshole. Learn more about Bo and his physical therapy work at FitCare Physiotherapy .

Eric Brown always knew he wanted to be a dad—but wanting it and living it proved to be two different things. In Episode 44, Eric talks about freedom, the heartbreak of feeling unwanted in the early days of fatherhood, and learning to “have a relationship with your reaction.” Honest, funny, and grounded in the daily work of showing up. If you are in the area and need a massage and great convo go to...

Bryan Sauve always knew he wanted to be a dad. In this episode, Bryan talks about the family that shaped him, the bond he built with his own kids, getting through the hard years, and what it means to become a lifeline for the people you love. A story about family, perseverance, and being the kind of dad your kids still want to have coffee with when they’re grown. Listen to the full episode now and...

Mike Rogers joins Pappy Hour to talk about growing up fast, becoming a dad, learning to step away before anger takes over, and building the kind of home his kids would always feel safe coming back to. From emergency C-sections to colic, softball fields, dad mistakes, and the quiet work of showing up, Mike’s story is honest, funny, and deeply human. Listen to the full episode now, and if this conve...

What happens when you put three dads, a live audience, and a rock band on stage together? For our first-ever live Pappy Hour, the members of Doc Haze share stories about becoming fathers, the wild choices they made before kids, the mistakes that still make them laugh, and the moments that changed everything. Part concert, part storytelling, part dad therapy session, this one is pure Pappy Hour.

Another check in with the Fam. Eric, Kristin, Lauren and I sit down and talk about how we keep going even when things get tough.

This week on Pappy Hour Les Thompson tells the story of silicon valley before that was even a thing, adopting our very own Pappy Eric Thompson, and the importance of trusting your kids. Please enjoy Les Thompson. Cheers!!

Raised in a strict Orthodox Jewish world, married at 20, father by 22, Daniel Katz went from living by the rules to questioning everything. This episode gets deep, fast. Faith, miscarriage, identity, conscious parenting, leaving community, and what it means to choose your own life instead of the one handed to you. Daniel shares the wild story of raising his son Aya while traveling farm-to-farm acr...

Joseph Greenslade thought he knew what kind of dad he wanted to be. Then life hit, infertility, a 10-day-old baby not breathing, deployments, and a moment that forced him to choose love over everything else. This one covers chaos, fear, resilience, and what it actually looks like to show up for your kids, no matter what. If this hits, help us keep telling stories like this. Donate, share, and supp...

Ben Scott thought he could plan fatherhood. Then came years of infertility, loss, and a moment no parent is ready for. They stayed in it. From IVF to twins, NICU chaos, and a surprise third kid, this one is equal parts brutal and funny, including a story you won’t forget about silence, diapers, and a very bad idea. Listen now. Follow Pappy Hour and share it with a dad who needs it.

Tommy Serak comes in a little nervous and leaves proving how simple this can be. He shares how becoming a dad started with his stepson Daniel, a connection built over something as small as getting him to eat real food, and grew into a deep bond that shaped the kind of father he’d become. From there, Tommy walks through the shift from thinking he’d be a strict dad like his own father to realizing h...