SkilledDad Podcast

Forget worrying about finding the number one parenting book out there. You should check out the No. 2 Parenting Book: Practical Tips For The Pooped Out Parent by Dr. Andrea Mata ! Why? Because this book is a funny and informative guide written specifically to have each chapter read in about five minutes for the average reader. Just enough time, as Dr. Mata says, for a “mom poop. Not a dad poop.” J...

How can you be a thought leader, if you don't take the time to truly stop and think? This was a question that Luke LeFevre asks on this episode of the SkilledDad Podcast. Luke is a creative guru, the founder of HolyWork.com, and a father of four. With a focus on helping creatives and business leaders, Luke shares part of his story as a dad and what he has learned along the way. He also breaks...

We're excited for the year to come and we want to share some of the updates to SkilledDad that you can expect to see in 2024. As SkilledDad grows, we ask you to join us as we drive to help one million dads make a positive impact wherever their feet are, by focusing on the three pillars of soft skills, hard skills, and community. To do this, we are going to be trying new some new things. Join u...

How often do you get to sit down with fun people that you enjoy being around and just take time to talk about life? Hopefully, you are doing it often. If not, this episode is a good reminder of the value of good conversation. I get to do just that on this episode with Brian Lawrence, a dad of four boys and a man focused on helping other leaders win at their business and in their family. Brian shar...

Dads make a difference. Period. Full-stop. What kind of difference they make (positive or negative) is going to depend on the choices we as dads make and how we approach challenges that will come. That's how we grow and then be equipped to teach. Too often this growth is happening alone as lone wolf dads. On this episode Zach sits down with Cam Hall, Founder of Fight the DadBod and host of the Dad...

One of the most important skills we can have as parents is the ability to ask good questions. Asking good questions is key and so is listening carefully to the questions our kids ask us. Sometimes they ask (A LOT) and sometimes it may take something to spur those questions in them. Sometimes we need a conversation starter. On this episode, Zach sits down with Kacy Maxwell, a dad who turned a story...

Finding who we are as individuals is an ever changing and challenging thing. As dads, helping our kids find out who they are is an even bigger task. On this episode Zach sits down with Kris Hammons, who shares his story and how he is moving from presence to purpose. Kris is a motivational speaker and writer who brings a unique and powerful perspective. Using his own experiences, he uses and shares...

When the pressure is one, every second counts! As a dad, every moment we have with our kids is building something, good or bad. What we help instill and build will influence the direction that our kids will go as they grow. When it comes to the power of moments under pressure, when lives are on the line, Chuck Ferry is an authority. As a career firefighter, he understands that each minute that pas...

Imagine stepping into a hospital where someone throws a gown at you and starts telling you what to do in a language you don't understand. And you happen to be there to help bring your first child into the world. On this episode of The Skilled Dad podcast, Zach sits down with Alex Van De Sompele, who lived this very experience. A mid-western native who now lives in Sweden, Alex shares his story and...

When we step into being a Dad, we are stepping into the unknown. Now think about stepping into the unknown with someone with someone who already is several years old and you are coming into their lives. For over 16.5 million men in the United States, stepping in as the "step-dad" is part of their story. This role of Bonus Dad is a powerful one that can leave a powerful impact for those that choose...

On this episode of The Skilled Dad podcast, Zach sits down with Trey Sheneman. A dad of two, Trey has an epic story that exemplifies how you can drive to success by cutting through the noise of adversity. As a leader at home and at work, Trey is a blast to be with and you are sure to walk away inspired, entertained, and left with a pocket full of taglines to use for your next marketing campaign. W...

Father's Day is here and you have probably received all the lists of "What Dad Wants" in your mailbox and inbox. Here's a challenge for a different take for this year's Father's Day and beyond. Share the challenge with other dads you know and let's get after it together. Happy Father's Day to all the Skilled Dads! @SkilledDad SkilledDad.com

On this episode of The Skilled Dad podcast, Zach sits down with the ever smiling man's man, Josh Heerdt. Josh shares his story of being a dad of two awesome kids, as well as his perspective on the beauty and challenges of raising a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). How this has impacted him, his marriage, and his view of the world from a different lens. Josh's story, perspective...

Search and Rescue Paramedic. Mechanical Wizard. The MacGuyver Dad that you want around if you get lost in the mountains. Logan Price. This dad of many talents is like a ninja who quietly approaches, then drops some wisdom bombs on you while pulling you out of the wreckage and then helping you fix your Jeep! A long time friend, Logan sits down with Zach and they have some fun catching up and breaki...

Raising little humans is no task for the faint of heart. And often we are reminded how much of an impact we make on these little humans. And how much we have to learn... As a father of three under three, a skilled musician, and master of the barber's chair and image wizardry, Eli Matteson has learned plenty through his experiences. As the youngest dad to join us thus far on the Skilled Dad podcast...

A Tipping Point, as defined by Malcolm Gladwell, is "A place where the unexpected becomes expected, where radical change is more than possibility. It is - contrary to all our expectations - a certainty." Some call it the "I've had it moment." Whatever you refer to it as, it is the point we hit where we make a choice to do something different. For Cameron Cushman, that tipping point came when his d...

Since launching The Skilled Dad Podcast, we have heard some incredible stories and have been able to view the commonalities that many of us have within those stories. On this abbreviated episode of The Skilled Dad, Zach reflects on some of the things he has learned by sitting down and hearing the stories of other dads. He also sets the table for what to expect over the holiday season and into 2022...

Sometimes date nights are the thing to do. Other times, its sitting down with your wife to do a podcast on her perspective of becoming The Skilled Mom. On this episode of The Skilled Dad podcast, Zach is joined by his wife Sonya. A multi-talented swiss army type of a woman, Sonya sits down with us and shares some of her tips on bucking the seasonal gunk that can make its way into the house, as wel...

Some things are harder than we anticipate. Many things are a lot easier than we think. Sometimes, the best way to find out is to roll up the sleeves, challenge yourself, and dive in to figure it out. In the era of desk jobs and virtual worlds, being able to retain that tangible creative goodness falls to the wayside and we can miss out on learning some great new hard skills or general enjoyment of...

It's easy to stand against something, but often harder to stand for it. As dads and parents, one of the biggest things we are for, is our kids. So what can we equip them with and instill in them to help them walk that road to a healthy future? Some of the pieces may look different for each of us, but there are commonalities that we can both share and learn from others. On this episode of The Skill...

What would you ask your dad if you invited him for a conversation on your podcast? Well, we should have asked you this question before Zach invited his own dad on to The Skilled Dad podcast. On this episode of The Skilled Dad podcast, Zach sits down with Greg Reeser to tap into the opportunity to get his dad behind a mic and learn a different perspective of his story. Greg is an extremely creative...

Many of us are competitive. Competition is healthy and can be a great motivator. Who, however, are you competing against? Whether in dad mode, business mode, or whatever mode you are in, do you find yourself competing against something else? Who or what you are competing against can make a drastic difference in your success and we tap into this idea on this episode. And watch out if you are invite...

Provide. Prepare. Protect. As dads, that's a big part of our duty. Our guest on this episode, Brian Graf, demonstrates that above and beyond at home and in his community as a law enforcement office and member of the S.W.A.T. team. Brian sits down with, Zach and shares some of his stories and learnings both as a dad, veteran, and law enforcement office. He lays out a great perspective and reminder...

Not all of us make it to the Major League, but many of us have spent time on the fields in the Little Leagues. Regardless of the type of field, rink, or court, you have frequented, there are transferable concepts and shared experiences we all share as parents. On this episode of The Skilled Dad podcast, Zach is joined by Payton Junkin, a dad of three who helps impact the world as his day job... on...

Keep calm and dad on! You've probably heard the original phrase, "Keep calm and carry on" which was coined in England and used as a motivational slogan in preparation for WWII. Well, in this episode we are adopting and adapting that slogan and it fits in many ways. In this episode Zach sits down with James Austin, a dad of three boys, who has a thrilling story of being a globetrotter before becomi...