Fatherhood Field Notes

For nearly a decade, Mike Foster has been helping people become stronger physically, mentally, and spiritually. As the owner of CrossFit 1776 in Loomis, California, and founder of the Resolute Life Foundation, Mike’s mission is bigger than fitness—it’s about freedom.

But before CrossFit became his ministry, Mike was fighting a different battle.

Alcohol had become his coping mechanism. He was physically present for his son, but mentally absent. Everything changed ten years ago when sobriety forced him to confront the man he had become—and challenged him to become the father his children deserved.

In this deeply authentic conversation, Mike and Ned discuss addiction, recovery, CrossFit, parenting teenagers, raising resilient kids, and the life-changing difference between simply being around your children and truly being present with them.

Mike shares how sobriety transformed every area of his life, including one unforgettable moment when he realized his son wasn’t upset about losing a video game—he was carrying wounds that needed a father who could finally slow down long enough to listen.

The conversation explores:

• Why freedom—not fitness—is the real mission behind CrossFit 1776.
• How suffering builds connection between fathers and children.
• The hidden cost of coping mechanisms.
• Why reacting less helps fathers hear more.
• Raising teenagers through trust instead of control.
• What it means to become the kind of man your daughter hopes to marry.
• Breaking generational patterns while honoring your parents.
• How physical training develops emotional resilience.
• Why showing up mentally matters more than simply showing up physically.

Mike also shares one of the most practical parenting ideas of the episode: instead of confronting his teenage son immediately after discovering drug use, he took him on a two-and-a-half-mile run before talking. The shared suffering opened a conversation that punishment alone never could have accomplished.

Whether you’re battling addiction, trying to become more present with your family, raising teenagers, or simply wondering how to lead your children through life’s hardest moments, this episode offers hope, wisdom, and practical fatherhood.

1. How can a father become emotionally present after overcoming addiction?
2. What’s the best way to respond when your teenager makes a serious mistake?
3. How can CrossFit and fitness help men recover from addiction and rebuild their lives?
4. How do fathers earn deeper trust with teenage sons and daughters?
5. What does it really mean to become the father your children deserve?

---------

Check Out Mike and Crossfit 1776 at:

• https://www.crossfit1776.com

---------

Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis by Rise Up Kings

• This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
• Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
• Check out the TEDx

----------

• Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?
• www.adventureoffatherhood.com
• www.rebelandcreate.com

Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Follow us:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotes
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Fatherhoodfieldnotes
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate

Few books change how you see yourself.

Even fewer change how you see every relationship in your life.

In this conversation, psychologist, speaker, and bestselling author Dr. Kelly Flanagan returns to Fatherhood Field Notes to unpack the central ideas from his newest book, The Road Less Triggered—a practical roadmap for transforming the moments that usually create conflict into opportunities for deeper connection.

Ned begins with an honest confession. Minutes before recording, Kelly was a few minutes late logging into the call. Almost instantly, Ned noticed an old story awaken inside him—the familiar fear that he wasn’t important enough, that someone else mattered more. Instead of brushing it aside, they use that real-time moment to explore one of the biggest challenges every husband, father, and leader faces: being triggered.

Together they explore why our nervous systems react before our minds do, why our hearts instinctively close to protect us, and why emotional triggers are not signs of weakness—but invitations for growth. Kelly explains that our past isn’t behind us; it’s carried within us, and understanding that reality changes the way we approach marriage, parenting, friendship, leadership, and even our relationship with God.

The conversation moves into practical territory as they discuss the hidden ways men try to control relationships, why boundaries are often misunderstood, and how true strength isn’t found in managing people but in cultivating an open heart that remains present even when life feels unsafe.

For fathers, this episode becomes a masterclass in emotional leadership. Kelly explains why the best father to your twelve-year-old is the healed twelve-year-old within yourself, why children don’t need perfect parents, and why a father’s greatest influence isn’t found in having the right answers but in the quality of his presence.

This isn’t simply a conversation about psychology.

It’s a conversation about discipleship.

About marriage.

About parenting.

About becoming the kind of man whose calm presence creates safety for everyone around him.

If you’ve ever wondered why you react the way you do—or how to stop repeating the same conflicts with your spouse, children, or coworkers—this may become one of the most transformative episodes you’ve ever heard.

1. Why do I get emotionally triggered by small things that shouldn’t bother me?
2. How can I stop reacting defensively in my marriage?
3. What’s the difference between healthy boundaries and emotional walls?
4. How can fathers become emotionally safe leaders for their families?
5. Why does my childhood still affect my relationships today, and what do I do about it?

---------

Check Out Dr. Kelly Flanagan at:

1. Substack: https://substack.com/@drkellyflanagan
2. Youtube: @DrKellyFlanagan

The Road Less Triggered on Amazon:

https://amzn.to/4eGR91r

Podcasts episodes about The Road Less Triggered:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marriage-on-the-daily/id1869106202?i=1000758409682

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-road-less-triggered-turning-conflict-into/id1344850656?i=1000754658658

---------

Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis by Rise Up Kings

1. This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
2. Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
3. Check out the TEDx

----------

1. Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?
2. www.adventureoffatherhood.com
3. www.rebelandcreate.com

Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Follow us:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotes
2. YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Fatherhoodfieldnotes
3. Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate

Mentioned in this episode:

Rise Up Kings Genesis

Joevon Barnes is a plumber, coach, speaker, radio host, and father of two daughters. But more than anything, he’s a man who chose to break cycles, stay present, and become the father his daughters needed.

In this deeply practical and inspiring conversation, Joevon joins Ned Schaut to discuss fatherhood after divorce, raising daughters, healing family wounds, overcoming anger, building generational relationships, and why showing up consistently matters more than being perfect.

Joevon shares the story of growing up as the youngest of seven children, navigating the fallout that followed his parents’ passing, and learning hard lessons about family, legacy, and preparation. He offers a powerful challenge to fathers everywhere: get your affairs in order, communicate your wishes clearly, and don’t leave your children with unnecessary burdens after you’re gone.

The heart of the conversation centers around one remarkable commitment:

For more than 16 years, Joevon has maintained a weekly Daddy-Daughter Night with his daughters. Through divorce, custody changes, career shifts, and every season of life, he never stopped showing up. Today, at ages 28 and 24, his daughters still prioritize that time together.

Joevon and Ned discuss:

• Raising daughters after divorce.
• Why children should never be placed in the middle of parental conflict.
• The importance of being present, even when life gets messy.
• How fathers shape the future relationships of their children.
• Healing from anger and childhood wounds.
• The role of mentors, teachers, and coaches.
• Building friendships with aging parents.
• Preparing for grandfatherhood.
• Financial wisdom and generational legacy.
• Why every child deserves a father who stays.

One of the most moving moments comes when Joevon reflects on his father:

“He may not have been the best of pops, but he was always there.”

This episode is a reminder that fatherhood is not about perfection.

It’s about presence. It’s about consistency. It’s about being there.

1. How do I maintain a strong relationship with my children after divorce?
2. What can fathers do to build lasting relationships with daughters into adulthood?
3. How do I overcome anger and break unhealthy family patterns?
4. What should parents do now to prevent family conflict after they pass away?
5. How can fathers become trusted advisors instead of just authority figures as their children grow older?

---------

Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis by Rise Up Kings

• This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
• Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
• Check out the TEDx

----------

• Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?
• www.adventureoffatherhood.com
• www.rebelandcreate.com

Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Follow us:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotes
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Fatherhoodfieldnotes
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate

Mentioned in this episode:

Rise Up Kings Genesis

This episode focuses on HOPE for an epidemic affecting men (and women) in and outside the church: pornography addiction.

(Ready to get free? Men: go to liberatedkings.com to get started on your journey with Jesus.)

Before founding Liberated Kings, Thomas Bills spent years trapped in the same struggle affecting millions of men today: pornography, shame, secrecy, and the belief that freedom was out of reach. Everything changed when he met Jesus, discovered his true identity in Him, and stopped fighting for freedom and started living from freedom.

In this powerful conversation, Ned and Thomas tackle one of the most uncomfortable—and important—topics facing men, marriages, and families today: pornography, masturbation, shame, identity, and the spiritual battle for the minds of men.

Thomas shares his personal story of addiction, redemption, and transformation, explaining how pornography was never the real problem—it was the cycle he had created to medicate deeper wounds, insecurity, pain, and feelings of inadequacy.

Together, Ned and Thomas unpack:

1. Why pornography is devastating families and marriages.
2. How AI is making the addiction crisis exponentially worse.
3. Why shame keeps men trapped in destructive cycles.
4. The difference between accountability and true transformation.
5. How identity in Christ changes everything.
6. Why most men are fighting the wrong battle.
7. How fathers can protect future generations by doing their own healing work today.

One of the most powerful moments comes when Thomas explains that many Christian men continue to identify themselves as “dirty sinners” rather than saints redeemed by Christ, creating a cycle where their beliefs continue producing the very behaviors they hate.

The conversation also explores the generational impact of a father’s decisions. Ned passionately argues that fathers who refuse to fight these battles today often pass those same struggles to their children tomorrow.

This episode isn’t ultimately about pornography. It’s about freedom. It’s about identity.

It’s about becoming the kind of man who no longer desires the counterfeit because he has discovered the real thing.

1. How can a Christian man break free from pornography and masturbation?
2. Why does shame keep men trapped in addictive behaviors?
3. What does the Bible actually say about identity and freedom in Christ?
4. How should fathers talk to their children about pornography and online temptation?
5. Why are accountability groups often not enough to create lasting freedom?

1. Liberated Kings

---------

Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis by Rise Up Kings

1. This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
2. Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
3. Check out the TEDx

----------

1. Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?
2. www.adventureoffatherhood.com
3. www.rebelandcreate.com

Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Follow us:

1. Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotes
2. YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Fatherhoodfieldnotes
3. Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate

Mentioned in this episode:

Rise Up Kings Genesis

Before becoming a creator, author, and founder of Sonjoy, Michael Leonardini spent decades wrestling with the same questions many fathers quietly carry: Why do I do the things I do? Why do I react the way I react? How do I become the man, husband, father, and son God created me to be?

In this deeply reflective conversation, Ned sits down with Michael to discuss identity, recovery, suffering, vulnerability, fatherhood, marriage, grief, and the lifelong journey of becoming aligned with God’s love.

Michael shares lessons learned from raising two sons, navigating childhood wounds, overcoming shame, recovering from unhealthy coping patterns, caring for his aging father, and ultimately losing his wife after 32 years of marriage. Through it all, he discovered a powerful truth:

The conversation explores why many men struggle to receive love, why suffering often becomes the doorway to growth, and how fathers can avoid competing with their children and instead help them stand on their shoulders.

Michael also introduces Sonjoy, a beautiful collection of 52 reflective cards designed to help men examine identity, loss, suffering, addiction, coping, faith, and purpose through guided reflection and journaling.

This episode isn’t about becoming perfect.

It’s about becoming authentic.

It’s about learning to trust God, receive love, finish strong, and lead your family with an open heart.

• Why protecting children from all pain may actually hurt them.
• How unresolved wounds can create competition between fathers and sons.
• Why shame quietly destroys a man’s ability to lead.
• How vulnerability and trust work together in marriage.
• Why finishing strong matters more than finishing perfect.
• How to move from coping to healing.
• Why every man is ultimately on a journey of discovering who he truly is.

• Kickstarter Campaign for Sunjoy
• Sonjoy Cards
• Romans 8
• Sonjoy Website
• Michael Leonardini on Instagram

---------

Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis by Rise Up Kings

• This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
• Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
• Check out the TEDx

----------

• Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?
• www.adventureoffatherhood.com
• www.rebelandcreate.com

Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Follow us:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotes
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Fatherhoodfieldnotes
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate

Mentioned in this episode:

Rise Up Kings Genesis

Eric Collins is a California entrepreneur, tax strategist, and business owner who has built and sold companies while navigating major physical adversity, including breaking his neck in five places and surviving multiple spinal fusions.

In this episode, he and Ned go deep into discipline, certainty, emotional stability, fatherhood, business ownership, marriage, and the kind of intentional leadership most men want but rarely see modeled clearly. Eric shares practical systems he’s built into his home life — from making breakfast for his sons every morning for nearly a decade to helping lead an 80-man “Dad’s Club” at his sons’ school that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for families and students.

This is one of those conversations that quietly sneaks up on you. It starts with stories about fishing trips, school fundraisers, and parenting struggles, but underneath it is a serious conversation about becoming the kind of man your family can trust.

Eric talks openly about growing up around abuse, wrestling through ego and unhealthy habits, learning to control his reactions, and realizing that discipline without emotional connection was damaging his relationship with his son. Rather than doubling down in pride, he humbled himself, sought wisdom, and changed course.

Fathers will walk away from this episode challenged to think differently about leadership in the home. Eric’s idea that a father should be “the oak tree, not the thundercloud” is one of the strongest themes in the conversation. He explains why certainty and consistency matter so deeply to children, how routines create emotional safety, and why many men unintentionally sabotage the very outcomes they want most. There’s also a powerful discussion around mentorship, growth-mindedness, replacing destructive habits with healthier pursuits, and learning to accept feedback from your wife without defensiveness.

A few standout takeaways from the episode:

• Your children need certainty more than perfection.
• Discipline without relationship eventually creates distance.
• Men need community and purposeful involvement outside of work.
• Most growth comes through pain, humility, and repeated course correction.
• You become a better father by intentionally becoming a better man.

---------

Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis by Rise Up Kings

• This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
• Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
• Check out the TEDx

----------

• Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?
• www.adventureoffatherhood.com
• www.rebelandcreate.com

Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Follow us:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotes
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Fatherhoodfieldnotes
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate

Mentioned in this episode:

Rise Up Kings Genesis

In this Friday Craft of Fatherhood episode, Ned processes through the realization that he's been transactional at home with his family like he is at work. What does it take to be present instead?

Best takeaway:

Check yourself and see if you're showing up responsive to your family, rather than expecting them to just do what you say, like a boss.

---------

Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis by Rise Up Kings

• This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
• Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
• Check out the TEDx

----------

• Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?
• www.adventureoffatherhood.com
• www.rebelandcreate.com

Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Follow us:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotes
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Fatherhoodfieldnotes
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate

Mentioned in this episode:

Rise Up Kings Genesis

Jason Vallotton is a pastor on staff at Bethel Church in Redding, California as well as a founder of BraveCo, a ministry dedicated to the healing and development of men as a means to healing and developing the world.

Jason joins Ned Schaut for a deeply honest conversation about masculinity, healing, discipleship, and the kind of fatherhood that changes generations.

This episode goes far beyond surface-level parenting advice. Jason shares openly about growing up with a father who created a home where confession was safe, truth mattered, and failure did not equal rejection. He talks candidly about struggling with pornography as a teenager, walking through divorce and betrayal, seasons of depression, and learning how to process pain instead of avoiding it.

At the center of the conversation is one powerful idea:

Jason and Ned unpack why men often pour themselves into work, business, hobbies, or achievement while quietly feeling lost in marriage and family life. Business has clear targets. Family often doesn’t. Most men were never discipled into emotional health, intentional fatherhood, or biblical masculinity.

The conversation explores:

1. why men need mentors and spiritual fathers, * how unresolved pain becomes bondage,
2. why vulnerability and strength are not opposites,
3. how fathers shape a child’s understanding of God,
4. and why no young man should have to stumble blindly into manhood.

One of the standout moments comes when Jason describes his father in a way that we all strive to have our kids say about us:

“My dad’s not perfect. He’s just the best man that I know.”

This episode is for fathers, husbands, leaders and men who are tired of isolation, tired of pretending, and ready to intentionally become the kind of man their family can depend on.

Mentioned in this episode:

Rise Up Kings Genesis

This Friday Craft of Fatherhood short is finds Ned thinking through the epic role that Zechariah played in the identify and name of John the Baptist.

Do we have the same responsibility as modern dads?

What about getting our kids to do things with us... like go to the gym? Do we ask them to, or do we tell them they're going and bring them along?

Chew on these things with us on this short episode.

Best takeaway:

As a father you have influence and the responsibility leave and give your kids a name, and even reveal to them their identity.

---------

Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis by Rise Up Kings

• This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
• Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
• Check out the TEDx

----------

• Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?
• www.adventureoffatherhood.com
• www.rebelandcreate.com

Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Follow us:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotes
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Fatherhoodfieldnotes
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate

Mark Stiles joins Ned Schaut for a grounded, honest conversation about raising a large blended family, building intentional family culture, and redefining what strong fatherhood really looks like.

Mark and his wife are raising eight children ranging from ages 3 to 19—including biological, step, adopted, and special-needs children. What unfolds in this episode is not polished parenting theory. It’s real-life fatherhood: chaotic dinners, Sunday family traditions, hard conversations with teenagers, caring for a daughter with Down syndrome, and learning how to stay deeply present through it all.

At the center of Mark’s philosophy is a simple but powerful goal:

Raise kids who are happy, healthy, and productive.

But as this conversation unfolds, those words become much deeper than surface-level comfort or success. Mark and Ned unpack:

• Why involvement matters more than perfection
• How dads can break unhealthy generational cycles
• Why boys need intentional preparation for adulthood
• The importance of one-on-one time with older kids
• How adoption and special-needs parenting can reshape an entire family culture
• Why the goal isn’t controlling your kids—but creating a home they’ll still want to come back to

This episode is especially powerful for:

• Fathers in blended families
• Dads raising teenagers
• Men navigating busy, high-demand family life
• Fathers trying to be more present than the example they received

One of the strongest moments in the episode:

When Mark says his greatest hope is simple:

“I want my kids to want to come to family dinner when they’re adults.”

That’s legacy.

---------

Check Out the Program Talked About: Genesis by Rise Up Kings

• This episode is sponsored by Genesis - a Rite of Passage by Rise Up Kings
• Order The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book here
• Check out the TEDx

----------

• Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?
• www.adventureoffatherhood.com
• www.rebelandcreate.com

Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Follow us:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotes
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Fatherhoodfieldnotes
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate

Mentioned in this episode:

Rise Up Kings Genesis