Front Row Dads - The Show For Dads Who Want To Level Up Their Dad Game

What’s up fellas? I can’t even tell you how pumped I am to share this conversation with you. Today’s guest is a legit badass businessman, Dan Martell. We talked about his new book and how entrepreneurs can buy back their time, meaningful ways to talk to your kids to praise them for their effort, tell them what you love about them and eliminate entitlement and much more. For those that don’t know, Dan is a serial entrepreneur, husband, father of two incredible boys, ironman athlete, best-selling author, and coach to over 1000+ SaaS founders, including clients like ClickFunnels, Proposify, and Carrot. He successfully exited 3 tech companies within 10 years. His new book, Buy Back Your Time, might be the most important book ever written for entrepreneurs, and especially our community at Front Row Dads. If that sounds like hyperbole, I’m not even joking. It’s that good. So let’s get right to it! Here are my favorite moments: The Buyback Principle: You don't hire people to grow your business. You hire people to b

When we watch someone have incredible success, it’s easy to think that that person has life figured out. But as Gino Wickman will tell you, even top achievers carry a ton of baggage and trauma from their past that affects their personal and professional relationships. We often think we can’t succeed without using those traumas as fuel to crush it at work. But until we realize we can remove them and still be successful, fear and ego will keep running the show. Gino learned this the hard way. He saw many high achievers triple the zeroes on their bank accounts but remained miserable. He didn’t want to follow that path, so he worked through his inner demons and came out on the other side as a transformed man. Today, Gino is the founder of EOS Worldwide and is responsible for creating the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) that helps companies achieve greatness. He’s also an award-winning author, including the best-seller, Traction, which has sold over 1 million copies and five other books in the Traction Libr

For any family man and entrepreneur, there are many things (and people) that are asking for your time and attention. But if we get lost in our to-do list, we’ll miss out on those magical moments with our kids and spouse that deepen our connection with them. Taking a few minutes each day to pause and connect with our family can help us to remember why we are working so hard in the first place.  It’s scary to think about letting go of the steering wheel for a bit. But, fellas, there's no way around the fact that we'll spend our entire lives looking back and wondering where the time went if we don't make time for enjoyment and fun intentionally. And I’m excited to share this conversation with Mike Rucker. Mike is a behavioral scientist with a PhD in organizational psychology and a peer-reviewed author who has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. In his new book, The Fun Habit, Mike distills decades of life experience and academic research into a practical roadmap for bringing more fun into your l

The truth is, if we’re crushing it at work but not doing the same at home with our spouse/partner, eventually, it’ll catch up with you, and everything (and everyone) suffers the consequences. Men have been taught that showing vulnerability in relationships is a sign of weakness. So we build walls to shield ourselves from the hurt and pain that can come with opening up to our partner. And when those walls come crashing down, we’re often confused about how to handle the situation. On the flip side, men who acknowledge their vulnerability can foster a deep sense of connection and intimacy with their spouse. That’s why I’m pumped to have Bryan Reeves on the show today. Bryan is an author and relationship coach who helps men, women, and couples create thriving lives and intimate relationships. His Men, This Way blog has been read by over 30 million people worldwide, and his work has been featured in The Good Men Project, Buzzfeed, Allure, Medium, Playboy, and others. In this conversation, we dig into Bryan’s tools

Have you ever thought about writing a book?  I believe every dad should at least consider putting their knowledge, stories, and strategies on paper.  YOU have wisdom, and yes…you should model that for your family and business, AND consider the impact you’d have if you put all this on paper, in an organized way, that could live on forever.  In 2017, I self-published The Front Row Factor for several reasons. First,  I wanted to document some of the most important life lessons for my kids. For my business, I wanted to scale impact.  For our charity Front Row Foundation, I wanted to help more people.  In the FRD community, we have guys like Hal Elrod, Author of The Miracle Morning, Justin Donald Author of The Lifestyle Investor, Ned Schaut Author of The Adventure of Fatherhood – and we have dozens of other examples. I’m blown away by some of our members who’ve written books that are changing the world while creating a legacy for their kids.  My interview today is with Chandler Bolt. He is the founder and CEO of S

“The great plague of the modern man is numbness.” - John Wineland It’s natural for men to be in tune with their masculine energy because we’re wired to win and to provide for our family. But if we’re not integrating our feminine energy, we’re not healing our mind, body, or heart. Lots of people have something that they struggle with. Whether it’s insecurities, anxiety, a fear of failure, or all of the things. And if we’re numbing and distracting ourselves, we’re not healing or improving. So let’s talk about true masculine energy, living your truth, and not just healing ourselves but everyone in our orbit and beyond. And I’m thrilled to be joined by someone with over 30 years of experience to share some of their knowledge with us today. John Wineland is a speaker and teacher who leads men and women in the practices of embodied masculine leadership, spiritual intimacy, and sexual polarity. In his new book, From The Core, he shares a practical guide to redefine, heal and re-embrace masculinity in our world. In t

Gentlemen, we’re changing things up a bit on the podcast today and having a little bit of, shall we say… family fun. Today’s guests are Alyce Dailey, her husband and fellow FRD brother Seth Dailey and their daughter Karissa. We probably could have had all four of their girls for this chat if they weren’t in school… or in Nepal with my son Tiger bungee jumping off a 500-foot bridge! It’s still crazy to think about it. In fact, when Tatyana and I realized that their daughter, Laura, was also going on this youth trip to Nepal, we both breathed a sigh of relief because that’s how awesome these kids are. But that’s a story for another time. Today, we’re talking about entrepreneurs who are raising entrepreneurial daughters. As I mentioned, Alyce and Seth Dailey have four wonderful girls, and I’m thrilled that Karissa could join us for this chat to share her perspective on what it’s been like growing up in the Dailey household with highly motivated and successful parents. We also talked about Alyce’s new book called

As family men with thriving businesses, we’re used to providing our kids with a rich and enjoyable life. Even though I want my kids to have an awesome life, I don’t want them to get too comfortable and get everything they want without earning it. So how do we provide a good life for our kids while teaching them the values and principles to be financially and emotionally independent adults who crush it in life? Allow me to introduce you to today’s guest, Chad Willardson. Chad is a husband and father of five kids and the Founder and President of Pacific Capital. He’s also the best-selling author of Stress-Free Money. He is one of the top wealth management experts in the country who helps 8 and 9-figure entrepreneurs remove their stress about money, increase their cash flow and free up a ton of their time. As a father of five, Chad’s also passionate about showing parents how to teach financial principles to kids. In our conversation, we dig into why it’s important to allow your children to experiment and learn f

One of the reasons that I started Front Row Dads is that I knew I needed to grow and evolve if I wanted to become the best version of myself. Getting out of our comfort zones can be scary because it feels safer to stay where we are. But in reality, we’re robbing ourselves of a life of abundance in every way. Ultimately, we’re responsible for how we show up in life. If we allow ourselves to live on autopilot, there is no growth and we’ll fall short of being the best version of ourselves. Which is a great segue to introduce today’s guest. Josh Painter is a father, husband, coach, philanthropist and author of the new book, Best Version Ever. He also has no problems admitting that he felt trapped in a life others expected him to live. Ultimately, he transformed his life when he saw that he could rewrite the stories he told himself. In our conversation, we go over the importance of scheduling time with your family and guarding that time at all costs, how mindset shapes our life outcomes, and why helping others is

Gentlemen, we are LESS THAN TWO weeks away from the inaugural FRD Live Event. It’s literally almost here and I’m as excited as a kid the week before Christmas. As we approach Thanksgiving, I couldn’t be more thankful and grateful for this community. And today’s episode features 4 members of the FRD brotherhood who will be at the event next month. I thought it would be cool to have a chat with a full “band” and have them share their thoughts about what being in an FRD band has meant to them. Allow me to introduce you to Alex, Nadir, Ben, and Brian. They’ve witnessed the power of being part of a “band of brothers” that inspires and motivates them to be better husbands and dads and follow through on their goals. But they also hold each other accountable and aren’t afraid to dish out constructive criticism. They celebrate each other’s wins and learn from each other’s failures. In this conversation, we’re digging into the benefits of setting goals with men, being accountable to each other, and why it’s crucial to

Gentlemen, we are flipping the script today. I was recently interviewed by my good friend, Josh Trent, on his Wellness + Wisdom podcast and the feedback was incredible so I want to share it with you today. If you haven't checked out his podcast before, I highly recommend that you do. We really opened ourselves up to share our perspectives on a number of topics. We talk about understanding ego, the uncool dad stereotypes, masculine/feminine energy, reforming fatherhood and so much more. Josh will be a guest at the Front Row Dads Live Event in December so if you're a fan and you're going, you'll find him there. Lastly, we'd love to hear your thoughts if this conversation resonates with you. And if you like what you're hearing, don't forget to subcribe to Josh's podcast and YouTube channel.  Get the Full Show Notes Want access to the full show notes, including links to all resources mentioned during today's conversation? Visit WellnessForce.com/jon-vroman-dumbing-down-dad.  Want to learn more about Front Row Dad

The future of humanity depends on men showing up for their families. I realize that’s a big statement, but I genuinely believe that as leaders in our spaces, we have a responsibility to ourselves, our families, our community, and the world. And when hundreds of men pour into their spouses and kids, there’s a ripple effect that can transform lives in our orbit, and beyond. As many of you know, The Front Row Dads Live Summit is bringing 100+ men together from around the world to increase awareness, build brotherhood and ignite action to be better fathers and husbands. I hope you’ll join us on December 2-4 in Austin, TX! To highlight the importance of this event and the impact it can have on your life at home, I’m releasing this special bonus episode of the podcast. I’m speaking with two of my closest friends and Front Row Dads members, Hal Elrod and Justin Donald. My hope is that this conversation inspires more like-minded Dads to join us in Austin, so we can change the world, one family at a time.  Podcast Hig

One of the things that we encourage people to do as often as possible is to get out of their comfort zone, especially in a group setting like an FRD Retreat. We often fall into the trap of thinking that leaving for a few days or weeks to connect with others means we’re not good parents and husbands. The truth is, if we’re doing it for the right reasons, getting away from family can be the most transformational thing you can do for your relationship with your family. And the ultimate goal is that when we get back, we’re returning as better partners to our spouses and better fathers to our kids. That’s why I’m pumped to have Ali Jafarian back on the show today. Ali is a legend in our brotherhood, and he’s the dude who built the Front Row Dad Member Area. He’s spent the last 13 years building web products for start-ups and Fortune 500’s. He’s an amazing husband and father of two and just an epic human being. In today’s conversation, we go deep into how retreats and creating space from family help you to show up

If you’re a family man with a business, the temptation to check up on work projects or emails when we’re home with our kids can be a challenge. But sometimes kids just need us to play with them, or hangout on the couch and watch one of their movies. Even if they’ve seen it dozens of times. If we’re present in those moments, it will make a huge difference and hopefully they’ll have fond memories of those times when they have kids of their own. And as much as they love to run around and test our limits, the reality is:  they actually do crave structure, guidance, and discipline. The biggest challenge is usually finding the time to do it right while still making it fun for them. The good news is that there are awesome folks out there who are making a difference to solve that problem. One of them is today’s guest, Matt Sharp. Matt is the co-founder of KidStrong, an organization that helps kids improve their physical and mental fitness. With KidStrong, Matt has helped thousands of kids grow their confidence and st

For anyone that grew up in a household where the word love was seldom said or shown, it can be the only thing that we remember about our relationship with our parents. Today's guest can certainly speak to that. Brian Ondrako is a father, author, sales consultant and the host of the Just Get Started podcast. In his newest kids' book, The Magically Magnificent Mysterious Mind, he reminds us that the happier we are, the happier it will make others around us feel. As a single Dad, Brian is intentional about the time he spends with his son. He talks about how his grandparents had the biggest impact on him as a child, and now that he's a father, he wants to be that person for him. In our conversation, we talk about how kids are happiest when they’re loved and supported, how he's handling his son's YouTuber aspirations, and the four pillars that Brian says can make or break any relationship. One last thing! Don’t forget our next Online Summit is coming up on November 10, 2022 where we’ll be focusing on the Emotional

Gentlemen, I am absolutely pumped to welcome Dr. Kelly Flanagan back to the show. He is many things to many people, and he's a legendary member of our brotherhood. Kelly has a new book coming out this week titled, The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell, and I can't wait to dig into it. I hope you'll check it out too. One topic that we've discussed many times over the years on the podcast and our Online Summits is how we can all be better at being vulnerable with our friends and especially our family. And we really unpacked that in this conversation as we talked about how we all have a tendency to hide ourselves and our truest thoughts to avoid feeling shame. It's natural to want to hide our crap, our secrets, and the things that we don't like about ourselves. But doing that doesn’t promote and create connection. And when we unhide ourselves, there's freedom to be found there. Kelly shares a fantastic story of someone who gave an advance copy of his new book to their friend's 95-year-old mom. And after reading it, he

When we send our kids to school, are we hoping that they'll only learn the bare minimum? How much more would they learn if they were challenged and encouraged to explore their curiosity and creativity? Imagine sending your kids to a place where they look forward to being there every single day and are encouraged to be the best version of themselves. Today's guests have not only imagined it, but they've created it. Tim Nikolaev and Chris Coggin have reimagined the middle school experience for children through Peak Collective, where they focus on increasing self-awareness and developing self-confidence through rites of passage. It didn't take long to realize how good these guys are by the changes I saw in Tiger's mood and mindset after being part of this group. And it fires me up to see him excited to go to school and learn and willing to bond with other kids. Tim and Chris have created a community of adults and kids built on love, trust, and lifelong learning. Peak's mission is to support kids to become emotio

When times are good, it’s easy to show up as a parent. But it’s a hell of a lot tougher to do that when life throws a few curveballs at you. That’s why we need to cherish every moment we spend with our loved ones. We’re not promised tomorrow, so the best we can do is make today count. Today’s guest, Matthew Christiansen, is someone I look up to as a parent and someone I’m honored to call my friend. Matthew is a father of 3, the CEO of the game development studio Mount Verita and the former CEO of Bright Bridge Web. Matthew and his family recently went through one of the most unspeakable tragedies a family can go through: The loss of a child. His son died a month after birth, leaving a hole that can never be replaced. But Matthew still celebrates his son every day. He does that through his relationship with his three other kids, his work, and his relationship with his parents and wife. Everything he does in life is done with love, kindness, and intention, thus honoring the memory of his lost son. Today, we dis

As businessmen, we'll put a significant amount of thought into the terms we agree to in our professional lives. But do we do the same with our family agreements? When I look at the challenges I have with my kids, especially with screen time or chores, I've come to realize that it's because the agreement isn't clear. What are the boundaries and consequences for not doing what they agreed to? What's really crazy is that less than an hour before recording this interview, I was having a discussion with my wife about why we don't see eye to eye on certain things. Her response was, "It's because we don't trust each other in those areas." I think she nailed it with that answer. That's why the timing couldn't be any more perfect to have this conversation with Daniel Matalon about agreements and trust. Daniel is a social impact producer, the Founder of #IsThereEnough, and co-founder of Impact Launchpad. The universe is definitely speaking to me right now; I just need to listen. In our conversation, Daniel talks about

All right, fellas. It might sound cliché, but it's the truth. I'm back, and I'm better than ever! For those that don't know, I took a mini hiatus from the podcast to attend my first Burning Man festival. All I can say, and I can speak for Tatyana here, too, is we're burners for life. It was that good! To say that it was an incredible and transformational experience would be an understatement. And joining me to try and unpack just what the hell happened with me at Burning Man is my new friend, Joshua Wenner. Joshua is an entrepreneur, speaker, filmmaker, and emotional resilience expert. He is the founder of Emotional Resilience Training (ERT) & co-founder of the K4 School of Menswork & Valor Warrior Resiliency Programs. In our conversation, you'll hear what a true sense of community this place is. Case in point: Joshua stayed with me for a few hours when I was at my most vulnerable (after midnight, no less!) to guide me through how to regulate my nervous system during a fight or flight response to trau