After sharing the story about my son’s pink sparkly Vans, I thought I was done talking about it—but turns out, I’m not. In this follow-up, I dive deeper into where all this fear around colors and self-expression really comes from. I talk about protection, insecurity, parenting, and the moments that still mess with me as a dad. And yeah, I bring up those pastors and dude bros who keep pushing the same tired messages. But more than anything, this is about choosing presence over fear, and building kids up from the inside. Especially with Father’s Day around the corner, it felt right to keep this conversation going.

If today’s conversation stirred something in you—whether you’re a parent, a former kid who got teased for wearing the wrong color, or someone just trying to unlearn the fear you were handed—just know you’re not alone.

These stories matter. Your story matters.

And I’m grateful you’re here, doing the work with me.

You can reach me at [email protected] or shoot me a DM on Instagram at the Clemenz With a Z podcast page.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to rate and review. It helps more people find their way to these conversations, and maybe find a little peace, too.

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