Better Husband, Father, And Man

Too all our listeners, we are so sorry it took us so long to do this episode. We sincerely apologize from the bottom of our hearts, and we hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive us. What can we do to make it right? In this episode, we discuss the a book by one of our beloved authors, Dr. Gary Chapman, which talks about the five languages of apology. It is inevitable that you will encounter conflict or hurt your spouse. That makes it supremely important for you to know the proper way to apologize to your spouse.

Do you remember Valentine's Day as a child? You would pass out candy and cards to all the kids in your class. As time progresses, we tend to focus all of our Valentine's Day affection on a single individual instead of showing love to all those around us. In this episode, we discuss showing love to individuals other than our spouse on this special day. We also talk about the importance of fathers saying, "I love you" to their children, and we issue a special "love challenge" to all our listeners. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

It was estimated that Americans spent almost $19 billion for Valentine's Day in 2015. And yes, while advertisers and retailers have taken advantage of this day, that doesn't diminish the expectations your wife probably has of it. Valentine's Day is not just a day to overspend on flowers and candy. It's a day to let your wife know how special she is to you and how much you value her. In this episode we discuss why Valentine's Day is not only special for your wife, but why it should be special for you as well. We recount some of our favorite Valentine's Day memories, and share some tips on how to start planning a special Valentine's Day before February 13th. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

For many people, the simple fact of where they were born and raised played an integral role in their future success. For one person, he may credit his childhood of being raised on a farm in a small town as the reason for his strong work ethic. For another, living in a bustling, big city created a drive and passion to stand out from the masses. For many of us, we are products of our environments. It is because of this important point that we as husbands and fathers take into careful consideration the environments we expose our children to. In this episode, we begin our discussion referencing a recent article in which a former professional football player shares lessons he's learned from watching NBA MVP Stephen Curry. We then branch off to discuss how the Vance family came to settle in Huntsville, AL. Michael Sr. shares some of the considerations and sacrifices he made when choosing this location. Michael Jr. also shares some of the considerations he made when choosing a home church in Houston, TX. This episo

The average American household carries almost $130,000 in debt. Whether it be from credit cards, student loans, mortgages, or car loans, debt seems to be a standard part of most people’s lives. While many people view debt as an ordinary part of life, carrying a large amount of debt can place an extreme amount of stress and pressure on a individual or family. In part two of this series, we discuss the mindset needed to get out and stay out of debt, as well as some of the practical tools Michael Sr. and Ardella used in their journey. We talk a bit more about the share cropper's mindset, discuss what the debt snowball is, and explain the reasoning behind having an emergency fund.

The average American household carries almost $130,000 in debt. Whether it be from credit cards, student loans, mortgages, or car loans, debt seems to be a standard part of most people's lives. While many people view debt as an ordinary part of life, carrying a large amount of debt can place an extreme amount of stress and pressure on a individual or family. In part one of this series, Michael Sr. discusses his motivations and mindset when attempting to tackle the $70,000 in debt that plagued his life. He shares some of the strategies he employed before endeavoring on this journey, and some of the considerations he was mindful of while on the journey. He also discusses the differences between a sharecropper's mindset and a steward's mindset, and explains how important getting out of debt is for weathering the storms of life. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

Kwanzaa is a unique holiday celebrated primarily in the African-American community from December 26 to January 1. While it is a celebration of African principles, culture and history, it can be celebrated by anyone and anywhere. In this episode we give a brief overview of Kwanzaa as well as discuss our motivations for why we celebrate it. Whether you've never heard of this holiday, or you have been interested in it but never knew how to begin your own celebrations, this episode is for you. This isn't a comprehensive analysis of the holiday, but we hope to give you a starting point in which you can conduct your own exploration into it. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

Scrum is a software development methodology that many leading companies use to organize and execute their product development. The principles of scrum can also be used to facilitate the planning and execution of your goals and resolutions. In this episode we discuss four principles of scrum: planning, implementation, communication, and reflection, and how by following them you can easily and effectively meet your goals. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

This week I received an email that described how stressful it can be raising a young child. While I know that raising a young child is challenging and occasionally overwhelming, I also know that is not the entire picture. When we begin to lose site of the blessings that being a father or being a husband is, we begin to only see our children or wives as challenges or obstacles in the way of our happiness. In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite memories as husbands, fathers, and as sons. We wanted to use this episode as a way to encourage you to reflect on the positive moments you have shared with your spouse or children. Listen as we reflect on our good times and then do the same with your family. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

Dealing with drama and stress starts with taking care of yourself first. In this episode we discuss four areas to maintain to reduce the drama and stress in your life, how low self-esteem can put/keep us in stressful situations, and how to communicate with your spouse to help keep the stress down at home. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

Nearly all families have traditions that have been passed down for generations. Traditions can range from how you open presents on Christmas day to having an annual family vacation. Traditions are important because they are a way for families to pass down their values and beliefs. Sadly, we can sometimes go our whole lives and never know the meaning or reasoning behind some of the traditions we take part in. In today's episode, we discuss the idea of starting traditions in your family and how to make them memorable and valuable. We also share some of our favorite family traditions and childhood memories surrounding them.

Many people use the holidays as an excuse to bust their budgets and make unwise purchases. This week we discussed Michael Vance Sr.'s most recent post on his Stewardship of Wealth blog about wisely spending money during this holiday season. We discuss five tips (taken from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class) you can apply to your spending plan that will help you combat the Black Friday spending mania. We also discuss the journey from financial bondage to financial freedom. This is an episode you don't want to miss. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

With the weather getting colder, there being less daylight out, and the holidays approaching this is often the time that people think the least about their health. In an effort to combat that reality, we discuss the merits of living a healthy lifestyle, the challenges that come when making the decision to be healthy, and tips on how to make that quest easier. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

As the holiday season approaches, we wanted to take the time to discuss the idea of visiting relatives for the holidays. For some this is a highly emotional and stressful time of year. We all celebrate the holidays a little differently so, it is important that we consider the values and traditions of our spouse and their family when making holiday plans. In this episode we discuss how to discuss holiday plans with your spouse, how to share those plans with your family, and any other considerations to keep in mind. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

Nehemiah Mabry is an engineer by trade and an entrepreneur by heart. Ever since seeing a normal everyday guy run his own company and do business with NASA, he has been passionate about learning more about entrepreneurship. This passion led him to start his own company, STEMedia, a media company that uses the creative arts to motivate individuals pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) disciplines. He is also the host of the NSBEpreneur podcast, a weekly podcast that produces interviews and information for minorities looking to break into the world of entrepreneurship. I sat down with Nehemiah and discussed how he handles the challenge of balancing work, growing his company, and making time for his wife. We also discuss a host of other practical issues that face young entrepreneurs. This will be an enlightening episode for anyone looking to branch out into the world of entrepreneurship. Contact Info: Nehemiah@stemedia.org

Recently, we experienced a death in the family. In this episode we reflect on our loved one, share our thoughts on the grieving process, and discuss the importance of preparing for end of life events. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.

Ask Me Anything (AMA) interviews are one of the most popular ways to learn about someone. In these interviews, you can ask an interviewee anything and they'll do their best to answer every question. In this episode my father and I take a similar, but modified, approach to the AMA interview. Using a list of 100 questions as our source, we selected five or six questions to ask one another as a way to get to know one another better. The results were both enlightening and hilarious. Make sure to listen to both parts of this episodes to hear the answers to questions such as Michael Sr.'s worst bad habit, Michael Jr.'s favorite joke, and who considers themselves a good dancer. Listen. Learn. Enjoy. http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/random/articles/134150/title/100-questions-ask-parents

Ask Me Anything (AMA) interviews are one of the most popular ways to learn about someone. In these interviews, you can ask an interviewee anything and they'll do their best to answer every question. In this episode my father and I take a similar, but modified, approach to the AMA interview. Using a list of 100 questions as our source, we selected five or six questions to ask one another as a way to get to know one another better. The results were both enlightening and hilarious. Make sure to listen to both parts of this episodes to hear the answers to questions such as Michael Sr.'s worst bad habit, Michael Jr.'s favorite joke, and who considers themselves a good dancer. Listen. Learn. Enjoy. http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/random/articles/134150/title/100-questions-ask-parents

In America, turning 18 signifies the transition from childhood to adulthood. With that transition there accompanies more responsibility, but also different expectations. Interacting with your parents as an adult requires that both parties view themselves in a different light. In the final episode of this series, we discuss many of the expectations that parents have of adult children and how adult children can respond to those. We also discuss tips for how to respectfully disagree with your parents when they still think they are in charge of you and how to properly set boundaries in your relationships. This is an episode not just for the adult children but for parents as well. Listen. Learn. Enjoy.