Real Unfiltered Dad Journeys

Mike thought he knew exactly what kind of dad he was going to be. Then Jack came along and blew that whole idea apart. In this raw follow-up episode, Mike returns to talk about fatherhood, rare disease, faith, therapy, marriage, and the brutal beauty of learning that being a dad is not about control. It is not about building the perfect future. It is not about ticking off the milestones society te...

Most people wear a mask. Michael doesn’t. In this episode of Real Unfiltered Dad Journeys, we strip away the polished version of fatherhood and talk about what life actually looks like. From quitting alcohol and being diagnosed with ADHD and autism as an adult, to working in disability support, raising two daughters, dealing with grief, and rebuilding yourself one decision at a time—nothing is off...

Six months into fatherhood, Ben is already asking the big questions: What kind of man do I want my son to remember? From screaming babies and relationship pressure to business stress, burnout, cold showers, routines, and rebuilding yourself — this episode is raw, honest, and deeply reflective. We talk about: * Why fatherhood exposes who you really are * Using kids as fuel instead of excuses * Entr...

Steve reconnects with Gary after more than 20 years—and the conversation gets real fast. Gary doesn’t sugarcoat anything: he became a dad in his mid-20s while serving in the Navy, spent long stretches away at sea, and later disappeared from his kids’ lives for years after a messy divorce. His words, not anyone else’s—“I was a crap dad.” No excuses. They dig into what that actually feels like: guil...

. Three guys. Three decades of life. One brutal truth: if you don’t take care of yourself, life will chew you up. This episode gets real about fitness, discipline, burnout, and the mental chaos most people pretend isn’t there. No polished influencer bullshit—just honest stories from the trenches. From a Bronx upbringing shaped by survival, to lifelong sport and aging bodies, to someone who did not...

What happens to a man when fatherhood doesn’t look anything like he imagined? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Bo, a 33-year-old dad from Kansas City who has spent the last seven years living on high alert. His son Elgin suffered a severe brain injury at birth and requires 24-hour care. Every day, Bo watches oxygen levels. Every night, he sleeps beside a monitor that could change everythi...

In this episode of Real Unfiltered Dad Journeys, I sit down with my longtime friend Phil for one of the most open and honest conversations we’ve ever had. We explore how his understanding of fatherhood has shifted from “protector and provider” to “guide and guardrails,” and how walking, silence, and self-reflection have become essential tools for staying grounded. Phil speaks candidly about trigge...

In this episode, I talk with Aaron — a devoted dad to his seven-year-old son, Noah, who is neurodiverse. Arran opens up about a social-media post he made after a school rejected a child with autism, sparking a powerful discussion on inclusion and the importance of understanding neurodiversity rather than labeling it. He shares how fatherhood has transformed his outlook — teaching him patience, emp...

In this heartfelt conversation, Bryan opens up about his journey as a father of four—Virginia, Dexter, and twins Celia and Ben. From the earliest days of medical challenges, including cancer diagnoses, surgeries, and a liver transplant, to the sudden heartbreak of losing his wife and partner of 25 years, Bryan shares his story with honesty and vulnerability. We talk about what it really means to b...

This is Richie Hardcore…. Richie is a fight coach, personal trainer, and public speaker—but in this episode, he speaks as a dad. We talk about how fatherhood challenged and changed him, from learning patience and playfulness to navigating the mental and emotional weight of raising kids. He opens up about masculinity, the role of fathers in different cultures, and why support networks and honest co...

Almost two years ago, Franky sat down with me for a deeply personal conversation about navigating life as a dad to a child with special needs. Now, he’s back—and a lot has changed. In this follow-up episode, we pick up where we left off, diving even deeper into what it means to grow through fatherhood, not just as a parent, but as a man trying to hold everything together. Franky opens up about ear...

I’m talking to Andrew and it’s 10pm for me in Osaka and 9am for him in the US… We begin talking about the two words which he uses to describe his personal journey - ‘filling’ and ‘grateful’. Andrew has a unique and lovely way with words which I could never do, we talk about his life as dad which is so special. For the last 7 years as caretaker for his youngest, Hadley, it is hard to imagine someti...

I have known Steve for over 16 years and in this episode he shares some really personal experiences. We discuss a very wide range of issues related to being dad which encompasses how he exposes his kids to as much as he can…. One word - bees! We both discuss how to broach the topic of sex education with our kids and how to engage with them about the changes they experience, after all we both never...

This episode I go down-under and talk Rod, who is originally from Brazil, but now lives happily in Australia with his family of 3 including his wife. We have known each other for over 20 years and we reconnected recently, he was keen to share his dad journey. Throughout this episode Rod talks openly regarding his dad journey through the good, the bad and the ugly. As with all these conservations I...

It’s been a few months since I put out an episode because I have not been in a headspace which I think warrants one. Tonight I decided to have a bash and see what came out… it’s just me

Stuart is a father to 3 kids, 2 are identical twins and the 3rd is the eldest, all are girls. I have know Stuart for about 20 years and what he shares here is just amazing. He talks about his journey of becoming dad and how his own dad modeled so much for him. He lost his dad before he became one himself but he has, and still is doing his best. He is also a great storyteller and a book of knowledg...

This is Travis Dales and he shares his dad journey for the first time on a podcast, my podcast! He became a stepdad in 2009 to his wife’s son and found slipping into those stepdad shoes easier than some by becoming his friend first. He and Damen are like best friends and tells me how special it is and how that looks. Three years ago things got really interesting. Jennifer (his amazing wife) had th...

It’s been a journey for me AGAIN since august and here is the goss. I can do this, and I’m feeling like things are different.

Jill Rabin and I have been in contact since January 2023, when Chris a big supporter of Jill was on the show in January, and then Edwin another dad who also spoke highly of Jill. Without these dads, I would have not been able to have this beautiful and real chat with Jill who harbors over 35 years of experience with kids and has seen so much from the other side of the table. She has seen massive s...

This week so talk to Mike who is a dad of 3 lovely kids, however it was a real journey to get to having their first child Mathew due to sad losses of miscarriages. So when Matthew came along is really was a blessing like no other. At his 12 month screening it’s here where things started to look possibly different with the advice to go and see ‘early intervention’ which Mike and his wife took onboa...

Where do I begin to write about what this episode is about because there is so much awesomeness in this episode with Brady. At 29 he became a dad to Nash. He shares vivid memories about how he cried while telling his rockstar wife that Nash had downsyndrome while at her bedside. He is so open about how he can see it was a traumatic experience but he is determined to not let that stop Nash or any o...

Martin is my cousin and he has lived with cerebral palsy which has given him a few big challenges in his life so far. After a very tough arrival into the world, he shares how he would have liked more help at school and was punished for not completing school work at school fast enough..unreal. He now has his drivers license and lives independently. He is just so refreshing to listen to as he gives...

Alan Lawrence from ‘That dad blog’ joins me on the show this week. He’s dad of 6, going on 7 later this year with them adopting another child from Columbia. He loves being dad and loves big families like his wife, Nikki. Nine years ago Wil was welcomed into the world and Alan shares how he did struggle with acceptance of Wil’s downsyndrome diagnosis, and like many dads did envisage things differen...

It’s 1 year since I started- where has the year gone! This episode I reflect on dad chats which really made me think and question myself and my experiences, reactions and more. At the end of the episode you will hear advice from some of the dads I have talked over the last year. Looking forward, I am more pumped, more passionate about hearing from dads and learning more myself but this comes with...

Mark is my first ‘in person’ guest for the show, and it was so amazing. Mark talks about the first days, how the doctor didn’t want to confirm Nina’s diagnosis while trying to be there for his wife and Nina, both who were in serious situations. His northern Irish accent makes his story and journey sound like, something else! He talks about how acceptance came in a strange form but, allowed him to...