Hey, Family Brand community! Have you ever wondered if you're doing too much for your kids—or maybe not enough? That's the question we're digging into this week after Melissa came across a post from another mom that immediately made her think about some of the choices we've made in our own family.

The post shared a few everyday examples: 10-year-olds making their own lunches, a teenager handling her own sports paperwork, and a daughter working through an insurance issue after an accident. The idea was simple: being a supportive parent doesn't always mean doing everything for your kids. Sometimes support looks like cheering, guiding, observing, and loving while still letting them figure things out for themselves. And honestly, that can be hard. As parents, it's so easy to feel guilty and wonder, Should I just do this for them?

We've seen that same tension in our own house. Our kids make their own lunches, do their own laundry, and sometimes pay for things we technically could afford to cover for them. They love reminding us that they're "the only kids" who have to do certain things! But we've started looking at those moments differently. Maybe when our kids say, "I'm the only one who has to do this," it doesn't always mean we're doing something wrong. Maybe sometimes we're giving them a chance to build independence, responsibility, resilience, and confidence.

One of the biggest distinctions we talk about in this episode is the difference between supporting your kids and doing things for them. Challenging a child to make their own lunch doesn't mean leaving them completely on their own. You can buy the groceries, teach them how to make it, have everything available, encourage them, and still let them be the one who actually does it. Sometimes the more loving thing isn't removing the challenge—it's giving them enough support to learn how to handle it.

We also talk about something we've noticed among successful adults who grew up having to figure a lot of things out themselves. Many of them credit those early experiences with teaching them resourcefulness, hard work, creativity, and the belief that they could solve problems. Then they become parents and naturally want to give their kids more than they had. But maybe "more" doesn't have to mean more things or fewer struggles. Maybe it can mean more knowledge, more encouragement, more resources, more connection—and still allowing our children to experience the confidence that comes from figuring something out for themselves.

So here's our challenge this week: look at what you're currently doing for your kids and ask yourself, Is there something here they're ready to start doing for themselves? Then have an intentional conversation about it. Don't just suddenly announce that they're responsible for all their laundry forever! Explain why you're making the change, how you'll support them, and what you hope they'll gain from it. And when you see your kids being resourceful, disciplined, independent, or self-driven, call it out. Help them build the identity of someone who knows, I can figure things out. I can take care of myself. I can make things happen. Hit play to hear the full conversation!

P.S. We're here to help you build your own Family Brand, one episode at a time. So go ahead, hit play, and let's grow together! Or, if you're ready to dive even deeper into our community, follow the links below.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 What's New With Family Brand
• 01:00 The Parenting Post That Started This Conversation
• 02:00 What It Means to Be a "Lighthouse" Parent
• 03:00 "We're the Only Kids Who Have To..."
• 04:00 Don't Raise Kids Who Expect Everything Done for Them
• 05:00 Why Our Kids Do Their Own Laundry
• 06:00 Should Parents Pay for Everything?
• 07:00 Supporting Your Kids Without Doing It for Them
• 08:00 Challenge vs. Support
• 09:00 What Support Actually Looks Like
• 10:00 What Skills Are Your Kids Ready to Learn?
• 11:00 Why Resourcefulness Matters
• 12:00 Giving Your Kids More Without Doing More for Them
• 13:00 Letting Your Kids Struggle a Little
• 14:00 What Can Your Kids Start Doing Themselves?
• 15:00 How to Introduce More Responsibility
• 16:00 Catch Your Kids Being Resourceful
• 17:00 Helping Kids Build an Independent Identity
• 18:00 If It's Going to Be, It's Up to Me

Hey, Family Brand community! This week, we're talking about something that feels a little confronting for us as parents—one of those areas where, looking back, we can honestly say, we wish we had done some things differently.

As our kids get older and closer to leaving home, we've started having those moments where we wonder, Did we teach them this? Did we prepare them for that? Are there life skills we assumed they would just pick up along the way? One of the biggest ones we've been thinking about lately is reliability. Being on time. Following through. Doing what you say you're going to do. Becoming the kind of person other people—and you yourself—can count on.

And here's the part that's hard to admit: reliability is one of those things that's caught much more than it's taught. We can tell our kids all day long that they need to be on time for school or follow through on their commitments, but if they've spent years watching us be late, change plans, or not consistently be our word, they've learned something from that too. Over the last 20 years of raising kids, our own relationship with things like punctuality, dependability, and following through has changed dramatically—and now we're seeing some of the ripple effects of what we modeled earlier on. So instead of just lecturing our kids about being more responsible, we've been experimenting with something different: natural consequences and clear agreements. For example, some of our kids have access to cars and phones that we help provide. Rather than constantly reminding, nagging, or getting frustrated in the mornings, we've created agreements around things like being at breakfast and leaving the house on time. Their car and phone aren't simply something they automatically get—they "rent" them with their reliability. If they keep the agreement, great. If they don't, there is a clear consequence that everyone already understands.

What we've loved about this approach is that it takes a lot of the emotion out of parenting. Instead of hovering over a teenager saying, "It's 7:14! Hurry up!" the agreement gets to do the work. Of course, there's another uncomfortable lesson in that for us too: if we're asking our kids to be their word, we have to be ours. When a consequence is inconvenient for us or we feel bad enforcing it, we still have to follow through. Otherwise, we're undermining the exact principle we're trying to teach.

This isn't really an episode about punctuality. It's about identity. We want our kids to leave home believing, I'm reliable. I'm dependable. I do what I say I'm going to do. Because we've seen over and over—in relationships, work, leadership, and life—that reliability can become one of the greatest differentiators a person has. Talent matters. Ability matters. But if people can't count on you, eventually it costs you.

Hit play to hear the full conversation! We're sharing where we think we fell short, what we're trying now, and why becoming more reliable isn't just about getting somewhere on time—it's about creating a life that works.

P.S. We're here to help you build your own Family Brand, one episode at a time. So go ahead, hit play, and let's grow together! Or, if you're ready to dive even deeper into our community, follow the links below.

LINKS:

All Links: Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 The Parenting Gap We're Trying to Fix
• 01:00 Why Reliability Matters So Much
• 02:00 Are We Running Out of Time to Teach Our Kids?
• 03:00 Kids Learn More From What We Model
• 04:00 Reliability Is Bigger Than Being On Time
• 05:00 The Consequences of Being Chronically Late
• 06:00 What We Wish We Had Modeled Differently
• 07:00 When Parents Send Mixed Messages
• 08:00 Teaching Reliability Without Constant Nagging
• 09:00 Using Natural Consequences
• 10:00 "Renting" the Car and Phone With Reliability
• 11:00 Teaching Kids to Manage Their Time
• 12:00 What Leadership Has to Do With Being On Time
• 13:00 Reliability Is a Skill You Can Build
• 14:00 Natural Consequences for Younger Kids
• 15:00 Letting the Agreement Do the Heavy Lifting
• 16:00 Why Parents Have to Follow Through Too
• 17:00 Reliable Kids Become Reliable Adults
• 18:00 What Unreliability Costs You in Life and Work
• 19:00 Creating a Life That Actually Works

Hey, Family Brand community! We're trying something new on the podcast this week—new chairs, a new setup, and a conversation that started with something Chris wasn't actually planning to do. A couple of months ago, Chris got a new phone and, when he was setting everything back up, decided not to reinstall social media. There wasn't some dramatic social media detox or big declaration behind it. He just felt like he shouldn't put it back on his phone. What happened next surprised both of us.

Chris started noticing that he felt more present—with me, with our kids, with his team, and even with himself. Then he took the experiment a little further. One Saturday, knowing he'd be spending hours doing tractor work, he intentionally left his headphones behind. No podcast. No music. No inspirational content. Just a few hours alone with his thoughts. And strangely enough, that felt uncomfortable at first. It made us wonder: when did being alone with our own thoughts become something we needed to avoid?

That question led us somewhere much bigger. We both love books, podcasts, coaches, mentors, and personal development, and they've absolutely changed our lives. But Chris realized that some of the most profound ideas and breakthroughs he's ever experienced didn't actually come from someone else. They came during the times when he slowed down enough to ponder, pray, ask questions, and listen. Melissa has been experiencing something similar while preparing for an upcoming talk at church. By intentionally creating more quiet instead of immediately filling every empty moment with another audiobook or piece of content, ideas and clarity have started coming naturally. It made us wonder: what if the wisdom and inspiration we're constantly searching for is more available to us than we realize?

And in today's world, this conversation feels especially important. We can outsource our thinking to influencers, podcasts, experts, social media, and now even AI. Those tools can be incredibly useful—we use them too—but they can't replace your own intelligence, intuition, faith, or understanding of your unique life. Sometimes asking someone else to tell us what to do is simply easier than doing the uncomfortable work of getting clear about what we actually want. Maybe we don't always need another answer. Maybe we need enough silence to hear the answer that's already trying to get through.

So we're leaving you with a challenge this week: choose one time when you'd normally reach for stimulation—driving, working out, doing chores, or sitting down at the end of the day—and don't. Skip the podcast. Leave the music off. Put the phone away. Bring one of those questions that's been sitting in the back of your mind and give yourself enough stillness to actually think about it. Pray, ponder, listen, or simply sit with your thoughts and see what comes up. You might be surprised by what you already know.

Hit play to hear the full conversation!

P.S. We're here to help you build your own Family Brand, one episode at a time. So go ahead, hit play, and let's grow together! Or, if you're ready to dive even deeper into our community, follow the links below.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 A New Look for the Family Brand Podcast
• 02:00 The Accidental Social Media Break
• 03:00 What Happened When Chris Deleted Social Media
• 04:00 Being More Present Without Social Media
• 05:00 Learning to Be Alone With Your Thoughts
• 06:00 Why Silence Can Feel Uncomfortable
• 07:00 Experimenting With Less Stimulation
• 08:00 Where Our Biggest Breakthroughs Really Come From
• 09:00 Are We Already Connected to the Answers?
• 10:00 Melissa's Experience Creating More Quiet
• 12:00 Making Space for Inspiration
• 13:00 Is Wisdom Always Available to Us?
• 14:00 Why Do We Outsource Our Intuition?
• 15:00 Trust, Control, and Finding Clarity
• 16:00 Why Thinking for Yourself Is Harder
• 17:00 Social Media, Podcasts, and AI
• 18:00 The Danger of "I Don't Know" and "I Probably Should"
• 19:00 A Simple Challenge for More Clarity
• 20:00 Spend One Moment This Week in Silence

Hey there, Family Brand OGs and newcomers alike! This week, we're joined by our friend Wayde Elliott, who we had the privilege of meeting this summer while cruising through Croatia with our families. We loved getting to know Wayde and his daughter on that trip, and some of the conversations we had together made us realize he had a perspective we haven't shared enough of here on the Family Brand Podcast: what does it look like to intentionally build a strong family when your family doesn't necessarily look the way you originally imagined it would?

Wayde spent 20 years as a dentist before transitioning into real estate, where he now develops and operates self-storage facilities. But at the center of his life is his role as a father of three. Going through a divorce forced Wayde to think deeply about what "family" could look like when it no longer matched the picture he originally set out to build. Throughout that process, his priority was making sure his kids could continue experiencing the best of both their mom and dad, even when that meant setting aside some of his own needs to create greater stability for them. In this episode, we talk about some of the intentional choices he made to preserve his relationship with his ex, communicate openly, and create the best situation possible for everyone involved.

Of course, co-parenting doesn't mean you're always going to agree. Wayde shares what he's learned from navigating two households, different approaches to parenting, and those moments when it would be really easy to react out of frustration. One of the ideas we loved was his belief that it isn't always the experience itself that determines how we feel—it's the meaning we give the experience. We also talk about ego, forgiveness, personal core values, and Wayde's commitment to living in what he calls a "beautiful state," where he can respond intentionally instead of simply reacting in the moment.

One of our favorite parts of this conversation is Wayde's relationship with his kids and his desire to create real, meaningful connection with each of them—not only together as a family, but one-on-one. During our trip to Croatia, Wayde had a powerful conversation with his daughter that reminded him that being a great dad doesn't always mean solving the problem. Sometimes, it means sitting down, being fully present, and listening. Since that conversation, he's been even more intentional about creating individual time with her and making moments together that actually mean something. It's such a good reminder for all of us: the people we love don't always need our solutions. Sometimes they just need our presence.

Hit play to hear the full conversation with Wayde! We talk about divorce, co-parenting, fatherhood, mindset, personal growth, core values, and what it can look like to continue building a beautiful family even when life doesn't go according to the original plan.

P.S. We're here to help you build your own Family Brand, one episode at a time. So go ahead, hit play, and let's grow together! Or, if you are ready to dive into our community, follow the links below!

Wayde spent 20 years as a dentist before transitioning into real estate, where he now develops and operates self-storage facilities.

He's a father of three, and what matters most to him is having a real, meaningful connection with each of his kids, both together as a family and one-on-one. He's intentional about creating experiences with them, not just spending time together, but making moments that actually mean something.

Going through a divorce forced him to think hard about what "family" actually means when it's not the picture he originally set out to build. Through it all, his priority was ensuring his kids received the best of both their mom and dad, during the process and afterward, even if it meant setting aside his own needs to keep things steady for them.

One thing he's tried to instill in all three of his kids is the importance of mindset: he's always told them, "What you think about, you bring about." Watching that idea start to click for each of them, in their own way, has been one of the most rewarding parts of being their dad.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Links For This Episode:

• https://www.instagram.com/waydeelliottdmd?igsh=MTc0emRjMDBxcG1mZA%3D%3D
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/waydeelliottdmd

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 Meet Wayde Elliott
• 01:00 Why Wayde Chose the Family Trip to Croatia
• 02:00 Losing His Career While Going Through Divorce
• 03:00 From Dentistry to a Completely New Career
• 04:18 Choosing an Intentional Divorce
• 05:00 Asking, "What Does Success Look Like?"
• 07:00 Creating a Win-Win for the Entire Family
• 08:00 Preserving a Relationship With Your Ex
• 09:00 Why Communication Matters in Co-Parenting
• 10:00 Parenting Differently in Two Households
• 12:00 The Meaning You Give an Experience
• 13:00 Love and Forgiveness Over Criticism
• 14:00 Deciding What Your Family Will Look Like
• 15:00 Interested vs. Committed
• 17:00 Why Ego Can Destroy Relationships
• 18:00 Responding Instead of Reacting
• 19:00 Living in a "Beautiful State"
• 20:00 Wayde's Personal Core Values
• 22:00 The Conversation With His Daughter That Changed Him
• 24:00 Your Kids Don't Always Need You to Fix It
• 26:00 Staying Present With Your Kids After Divorce
• 28:00 Wayde's Advice for Parents Going Through Divorce
• 30:00 Choosing the Meaning You Give Hard Experiences

Hey, Family Brand community! Have you ever had an idea that just wouldn't leave you alone? Maybe it was starting a business, improving your health, strengthening your marriage, or trying something completely outside your comfort zone. The question isn't whether you've had those moments—we all have. The real question is: what separates the ideas we simply think about from the ones that actually change our lives? That's exactly what we're exploring in this episode.

One of our favorite stories in this conversation comes from Melissa's unexpected "side quest" of starting a vintage business with her sister called Yarn Chasers. It wasn't something they had years of experience doing or a perfectly mapped-out business plan for. They simply decided they were going to do it, rented a booth at a huge market, spent months preparing, and went all in. Whether it lasted forever wasn't the point. The point was that they stopped wondering and started moving. That single decision created opportunities, memories, confidence, and lessons they still carry with them today.

Throughout this episode, we talk about something we've both seen play out over and over in our own lives: there's a huge difference between making a decision and truly deciding. It's easy to say, "Someday I'd like to..." It's much harder—and much more powerful—to commit, take action, and move forward before you have every answer. We've found that once you begin moving, opportunities appear, people show up, and clarity often comes through action rather than before it. You don't have to be certain—you simply have to be willing to take the next step.

One of our biggest hopes is that this conversation encourages you to look back at your own life. Think about the moments that changed everything. Chances are they began with a simple but powerful commitment: "I'm doing this." Whatever season you're in, maybe this is your reminder to stop waiting for perfect certainty. Choose a direction. Commit to it. Trust that you'll learn along the way, even if the path eventually changes. Sometimes the greatest growth doesn't come from making the perfect decision—it comes from becoming the kind of person who isn't afraid to decide.

Hit play to hear the full conversation! We dive into the stories, the mindset shifts, and the powerful quote that inspired this entire discussion—and why we believe commitment often creates the conditions for miracles.

P.S. We're here to help you build your own Family Brand, one episode at a time. So go ahead, hit play, and let's grow together! Or, if you're ready to dive even deeper into our community, follow the links below.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 Chris Surprises Melissa With a Question
• 01:31 Melissa's Yarn Chasers Story
• 03:37 What Happens When You Go All In
• 05:45 The Power of Truly Deciding
• 08:00 Possibility 2.0 and Radical Commitment
• 10:05 A Quote That Changed Everything
• 11:38 From Wishing to Doing
• 13:00 The Difference Between a Decision and Deciding
• 14:17 Why Commitment Attracts Opportunity
• 16:00 The Kitchen Table Analogy
• 17:26 The Hidden Cost of Indecision
• 18:40 Looking Back at Life-Changing Decisions
• 20:32 Expect Miracles
• 22:00 What If You Choose the Wrong Path?
• 24:08 Why Deciding Is Never Wasted
• 25:18 Be a Person Who Commits

Hey, Family Brand community! Have you ever had one of those moments where nothing is necessarily wrong... but something just feels off? That's exactly where we found ourselves not too long ago. On the surface, life was full of good things—work, activities, commitments, opportunities—but somehow we looked around and realized we didn't actually have much time left to simply be a family. That realization eventually led us to create one of our favorite Family Brand exercises: Take Back Your Family's Time.

The truth is, your calendar will always fill itself if you let it. We learned that the hard way. We had said yes to so many good opportunities that there wasn't much room left for the best things—the conversations around the dinner table, family traditions, slow evenings together, or simply doing the things we genuinely love as a family. Sometimes the problem isn't that we're filling our lives with bad things. It's that we're filling them with so many good things that there's no space left for what matters most.

One of the first things we did was ask a simple question: "Our family works when..." We started making a list of the moments when we feel the most connected. Maybe it's eating meals together, camping, turning off devices in the evenings, going to church, reading together, or having a nightly family check-in. Every family will have different answers, but identifying those rhythms gave us clarity about what we wanted to protect. From there, we took an honest look at where our time was actually going. It wasn't always easy, but it gave us permission to say "no" to some things so we could say a much bigger "yes" to our family.

As another busy season approaches, this is the perfect time to pause and do your own family time audit. Involve your kids in the conversation—they often have incredible insight into what makes them feel most connected. You might be surprised by what they remember and what they value. The goal isn't to create a perfect schedule. It's to intentionally create a life where your family has room to thrive instead of simply trying to keep up.

Hit play to hear the full conversation! In this episode, we walk through the entire Take Back Your Family's Time framework, the questions we ask ourselves every year, and the practical exercise you can use with your own family this week.

P.S. We're here to help you build your own Family Brand, one episode at a time. So go ahead, hit play, and let's grow together! Or, if you're ready to dive deeper into our community, follow the links below.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 Why We Needed to Take Back Our Family's Time
• 01:19 When Good Things Become Too Much
• 02:11 The Family Exercise We Shared in Croatia
• 03:14 The Wake-Up Call Our Family Needed
• 04:13 Identifying What Your Family Loves Most
• 05:00 Good vs. Better vs. Best
• 05:46 The Story That Changed Our Perspective
• 06:46 Why Every Family Needs a Time Audit
• 07:46 Rediscovering Family Traditions
• 08:27 Preparing for a Busy Season
• 09:00 "Our Family Works When..."
• 10:00 A Family Tradition That Inspired Us
• 11:06 Give Yourself Permission to Say No
• 11:47 Involve Your Kids in the Conversation
• 00:00 Why We Needed to Take Back Our Family's Time
• 01:19 When Good Things Become Too Much
• 02:11 The Family Exercise We Shared in Croatia
• 03:14 The Wake-Up Call Our Family Needed
• 04:13 Identifying What Your Family Loves Most
• 05:00 Good vs. Better vs. Best
• 05:46 The Story That Changed Our Perspective
• 06:46 Why Every Family Needs a Time Audit
• 07:46 Rediscovering Family Traditions
• 08:27 Preparing for a Busy Season
• 09:00 "Our Family Works When..."
• 10:00 A Family Tradition That Inspired Us
• 11:06 Give Yourself Permission to Say No
• 11:47 Involve Your Kids in the Conversation

Hey, Family Brand community! We are so glad to be back in the studio. It probably doesn't feel like we've been gone since we recorded a few episodes ahead of time, but after spending the last few weeks traveling through Croatia and Turkey, we're excited to sit down and share some of the biggest lessons we brought home with us. Every trip has a way of changing us, and this one was no exception.

Our first stop was Croatia, where we hosted another Family Brand cruise with our good friend Antony and the Solomori team. If Croatia has been sitting on your travel bucket list, consider this your sign to move it to the top. It's absolutely beautiful, but what impacted us most wasn't just the scenery—it was the culture. Everywhere we went, we saw families making time for one another, preserving traditions, sharing stories, and simply slowing down. Meals weren't rushed. Conversations stretched for hours. We even learned a Croatian word that quickly became the theme of our trip: pomalo—which simply means take it easy, slow down, don't rush. It became a reminder that maybe we're not meant to race through life quite as fast as we often do.

Then we landed in Turkey, and talk about a complete shift. Everything felt unfamiliar—in the best possible way. From hearing the call to prayer echo across Istanbul to visiting beautiful mosques, trying a traditional Turkish bath, navigating a language barrier, and experiencing a culture completely different from our own, we found ourselves having conversations as a family that we never would have had otherwise. It challenged some assumptions, expanded our understanding of another faith and culture, and reminded us how valuable it is to step outside what's comfortable. We left with an even greater appreciation for the kindness we experienced everywhere we went and for how much there is to learn simply by being curious.

By the time we made it home, each of us had something different we were bringing back. For some of us, it was a renewed commitment to slow down and prioritize family. For others, it was a deeper appreciation for home, or even a desire to start reading physical books again instead of always listening to audiobooks. More than anything, this trip reminded us that growth doesn't just happen through travel—it happens anytime we're willing to be open to new people, different perspectives, and meaningful conversations. Whether your next adventure is across the world or simply across town, we hope it stretches you in all the best ways.

Hit play to hear the full conversation! We dive much deeper into the stories, the laughs, the culture, and the lessons that simply can't all fit into a blog post.

P.S. We're here to help you build your own Family Brand, one episode at a time. So go ahead, hit play, and let's grow together! Or, if you're ready to dive even deeper into our community, follow the links below.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 Back in the Studio After Three Weeks Away
• 00:41 Our Family Trip Through Croatia and Turkey
• 01:03 The Family Brand Cruise Through Croatia
• 02:18 Why Croatia Should Move Up Your Travel List
• 03:05 From Croatia's Coast to Istanbul, Turkey
• 04:13 A Croatian Village Where Everyone Knows Your Family
• 06:06 Preserving Family Stories and Traditions
• 07:15 What Strong Families and Croatian Culture Have in Common
• 09:28 Pomalo: Slow Down, Relax, and Don't Rush
• 10:33 Experiencing Istanbul and Turkish Culture
• 11:26 What Turkey Taught Us About Faith and Perspective
• 12:30 Stepping Outside Our Comfort Zone as a Family
• 13:12 Helping Our Kids Experience a Different Way of Life
• 15:00 What Each of Us Brought Home From the Trip
• 15:27 Travel, Curiosity, and Learning From Other People
• 16:21 Slowing Down and Prioritizing Family
• 17:05 Rediscovering the Joy of Reading
• 18:13 Here's to the Rest of Summer

Welcome back to the podcast! Today is a fun one because we're recording from an Airbnb in Istanbul with a very special guest—our son, Tate. After spending a week with incredible families on our Family Brand retreat in Croatia, we decided to extend our trip and let our kids help choose the next adventure. Somehow, that led us here to Turkey, which also felt like the perfect place to have a conversation we've wanted to record for a long time: homeschooling, education, and what it looks like to create a learning path that's unique to your child.

Over the last few years, we've had so many parents ask us about homeschooling. Not because they know they want to do it, but because they're wondering if there's another option besides the traditional path. We certainly didn't have it all figured out when we started. In fact, Tate's educational journey has included charter school, public school, homeschooling, a microschool, community college, and plenty of learning that happened outside of a classroom. Looking back, one of the biggest lessons we've learned is that education doesn't have to look the same for every child. Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop asking, "What's normal?" and start asking, "What's right for this child?"

One thing I appreciated hearing from Tate was how honest he was about the experience. It wasn't perfect. There were semesters that went really well and one that went really, really poorly. There were moments where we had to adjust, fill in gaps, and learn alongside him as parents. But that's part of the process. I think so many parents are afraid they'll make the wrong decision and somehow ruin their child's future. This conversation reminded me that kids are incredibly resilient. If there's a gap, it can be filled. If something isn't working, it can be changed. Education doesn't have to be perfect—it just has to keep moving forward.

One of the unexpected gifts of taking a less traditional path was the freedom it created. Tate was able to travel with us, take college classes while still in high school, play sports, explore hobbies like cooking, filmmaking, guitar, and even bird watching, and graduate with an associate's degree before most students graduate high school. More importantly, he developed perspective by experiencing different cultures, meeting entrepreneurs, and seeing that learning happens everywhere—not just inside four classroom walls. Those experiences have shaped who he is every bit as much as his academics.

At the end of the day, this episode isn't really about homeschooling. It's about giving yourself permission to ask better questions. What kind of education will help your child thrive? What environment helps them become curious, confident, and capable? There may not be one perfect answer, and that's okay. Our hope is simply that this conversation reminds you that you have more options than you may realize, and that the best educational path is often the one that's intentionally designed for your family—not the one everyone else expects you to choose.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Recording from Istanbul + introducing Tate
• 03:45 – Why we wanted to have this homeschooling conversation
• 05:00 – Tate's unconventional education journey (K–12)
• 08:00 – Graduating college before high school
• 09:00 – Will homeschooling ruin your kids?
• 10:30 – Tate's biggest academic failure—and what it taught us
• 12:00 – Why kids are more resilient than parents think
• 13:30 – The courage to choose an unconventional path
• 15:00 – The unexpected benefits of homeschooling
• 16:30 – Why travel became part of Tate's education
• 18:00 – There are more educational options than ever before
• 19:00 – Tate shares his biggest regrets and lessons learned
• 21:00 – Chris and Melissa reflect on parenting through uncertainty
• 23:00 – Advice for parents considering homeschooling
• 24:00 – The goal isn't homeschooling—it's finding what works for your child

Welcome back to the podcast. Today's episode is a little different because we're sharing some really exciting—and honestly, emotional—news. If you've been with us for a while, you probably know that Family Brand has been a huge part of our lives for the last seven years. It's been a dream, a calling, a business, and in many ways, something we've grown right alongside our own family. So today, we're sharing that Family Brand has officially been acquired by Libertas. Before we go any further, though, I want you to know this: we're not going anywhere. Chris and I are still very much part of Family Brand, and we're more excited than ever about what comes next.

As we've reflected on this journey, I keep coming back to where it all started. Years ago, I found myself at a crossroads, wondering whether I should return to nursing or pursue this little idea that just wouldn't leave me alone. I couldn't fully explain it, but I felt this persistent impression that I was supposed to help build stronger families. I had no idea what that would look like. I didn't know how to start a podcast, build programs, or run a business. I just knew I needed to take the next step. Looking back now, it's incredible to see what can happen when you simply say "yes" to something that feels bigger than yourself.

When the opportunity came to partner with Connor Boyack and the team at Libertas, I honestly wrestled with it. Family Brand has felt like one of our children. We've poured our hearts into it, celebrated victories, worked through setbacks, and watched it slowly grow. One day while I was journaling, an analogy came to me that brought so much peace. It felt like giving a child up for adoption—not because she wasn't loved, but because she could have opportunities we simply couldn't provide on our own. And the beautiful part was realizing we weren't saying goodbye. We would still get to watch her grow, cheer her on, and continue being part of the story. That perspective changed everything for me.

What makes this transition feel so right is the alignment. From our very first conversations with Connor, it became clear that we shared the same heart: helping families become stronger. We weren't looking to sell Family Brand, but we were looking for ways to reach more people. Seeing Family Brand become part of an organization that already serves families in so many incredible ways feels less like an ending and more like an expansion of the original mission. And already, we're watching ideas we've dreamed about for years begin to take shape with resources and a team that can bring them to life.

If there's one thing I hope you take away from this episode, it's this: don't let not knowing how stop you from saying yes to what you're being called to do. So often we think we need the whole roadmap before we begin, but that's almost never how it works. You take the first step, and then the next one appears. Family Brand exists today because we were willing to start before we felt ready. And now, this next chapter exists because we were willing to trust that sometimes the greatest act of stewardship is letting something you've built become even bigger than you imagined. We truly can't wait to see where this journey goes next—and we're so grateful you've been on it with us from the very beginning.

LINKS:

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – A big Family Brand announcement
• 01:45 – How an introduction to Connor Boyack started everything
• 03:20 – Discovering the alignment between Family Brand and Libertas
• 05:00 – Chris's bold phone call: "Family Brand should be part of Libertas"
• 06:45 – Why this opportunity felt different from the beginning
• 08:00 – Melissa shares the emotions behind the decision
• 10:30 – The journal entry that changed everything
• 11:00 – "It felt like giving my baby up for adoption"
• 13:30 – Why Family Brand found the right home
• 15:00 – Watching dreams become reality with a bigger team
• 16:00 – Looking back on seven years of saying "yes"
• 17:15 – The lesson: answer the call, even when you don't know how
• 18:45 – Chris and Melissa reflect on building Family Brand together
• 19:30 – Family Brand 2.0: what's next and a thank you to the community

Welcome back to the podcast. With Father's Day here, I wanted to have a conversation that would cause all of us to pause and think a little differently about one of the most important relationships in our lives: the relationship we have with our dads. Today's guest is Mick Naples, author of Walking with Grizzlies, a book he wrote after losing his father and realizing there were lessons, conversations, and moments he wished he hadn't taken for granted. What I loved about this conversation is that it isn't really about fatherhood—it's about being a son or daughter and asking what responsibility we have in nurturing those relationships while we still can.

One of the things that stood out to me most was Mick's honesty. He openly shares that while he loved his dad, he didn't always appreciate him. In fact, many of the things he now treasures were the very things he overlooked when his dad was alive. As he reflected on his father's life after his passing, he began to see qualities, sacrifices, and acts of love that had always been there but that he simply hadn't fully recognized. It made me think about how often we focus on our parents' shortcomings while missing the gifts they've given us. And while none of our parents are perfect, that doesn't mean they aren't worthy of honor, gratitude, and intentional connection.

We also talked about something that we discuss often in Family Brand: relationships don't grow by default. They grow by design. As children become adults, the automatic proximity that once existed starts to disappear. We move away, build our own families, get busy with work, and suddenly years can pass without truly investing in the relationship. Mick challenged me to think differently about that. Instead of asking what our parents could be doing differently, what if we asked what role we have in strengthening those relationships? What conversations have we been putting off? What questions haven't we asked? What stories haven't we taken the time to hear?

Another part of the conversation that really stayed with me was the idea that many of the things our parents did that frustrated us as children can look very different through the lens of adulthood. As we become parents ourselves, we start to understand the weight of responsibility, the difficult decisions, and the imperfect ways people try to show love. It doesn't excuse every mistake, but it often creates empathy. And sometimes empathy opens the door to healing, understanding, and deeper connection.

More than anything, this episode felt like an invitation. An invitation to be intentional. To make the call. Ask the question. Write the letter. Schedule the visit. Have the conversation you've been meaning to have. Because one of the hardest lessons Mick learned is that sometimes "later" never comes. And if there's one takeaway I hope you carry from this episode, it's this: don't wait until a relationship becomes a memory to start appreciating it.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand
• familybrand.com/quiz
• familybrand.com/retreats.

Links For This Episode:

• walkingwithgrizzlies.com.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Introducing Mick Naples and Walking with Grizzlies
• 02:30 – Why Mick wrote the book after losing his father
• 04:00 – "If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly"
• 05:00 – The kind of father Mick's dad was
• 07:00 – Losing his dad and the regrets that followed
• 09:00 – Honoring parents despite their imperfections
• 11:00 – Why adult children share responsibility in the relationship
• 14:00 – Building parent relationships by design, not default
• 15:30 – Seeing the value in your dad
• 18:00 – When hard parenting is actually an expression of love
• 20:00 – Why proximity creates connection
• 22:00 – How becoming a parent changes your perspective
• 24:00 – Idolize, demonize, then humanize your parents
• 26:00 – The example we're setting for our own children
• 28:00 – The regret of "I'll talk to him later"
• 30:00 – Conversations worth having before it's too late
• 33:00 – Faith, legacy, and the condition of the soul
• 36:00 – Mick's challenge for every son and daughter
• 37:00 – The Walking with Grizzlies resolution
• 39:00 – Final Father's Day reflections