Fathering Excellence

Our guest for this episode Larry Meyers, father of Josh & Seth Meyers.

Josh Meyers is an actor, writer, and comedian whose many credits include: That 70s Show, Red Oaks, The Awesomes, and MADtv. While on MADtv, Josh co-wrote and co-starred in one of the biggest viral hits of the entire series – a sketch called “A Football Thing.” Josh is also well known for his impressions, including Owen Wilson, Matthew McConaughey, & California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Seth Meyers is an actor, writer, comedian, and talk show host. One of Seth’s first big breaks was Saturday Night Live, where he eventually became co-head writer and anchor on Weekend Update. His tenure on SNL was one of the longest in the history of the show. Subsequently, Seth became the host of Late Night with Seth Meyers where his A Closer Look segments have become viral sensations. In addition, Seth has won an Emmy Award for his writing, hosted various award shows (Emmy’s Golden Globes, ESPYs), and has his own Netflix stand-up comedy special: Lobby Baby (absolutely hysterical).

Josh & Seth are fortunate to have Larry Meyers as their father. In this episode, Larry and I talk about the method Larry employed to get Seth to wear his orthodontic headgear, why Larry put two beds in each of his sons’ rooms, and a story about a rabbit named Petey.

Enjoy the episode!

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Josh on the Web & Social

• IMBD: www.imdb.com/name/nm0583570
• Instagram: @joshdmeyers
• Twitter: @TheJoshMeyers

Seth on the Web & Social

• IMBD: www.imdb.com/name/nm1024878/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
• Instagram: @sethmeyers
• Twitter: @sethmeyers
• YouTube (Late Night with Seth Meyers): http:/bit.ly/LateNightSeth

Fathering Excellence

• Instagram: @FatheringExcellence
• Website: FatheringExcellence.com
• Email: [email protected]

Our guests for this episode are Bill Cox and his daughter Jessica Cox.  Jessica is a motivational speaker and life coach and is most well-known for being the first armless pilot in aviation history. That’s correct – despite being born with no arms, Jessica overcame a multitude of obstacles to become the first person with no arms to get her private pilot license. The power of Possible Thinking (check out her website: JessicaCox.com)

We’re thankful to have both Bill and Jessica joining us on this episode, starting out with Jessica and then transitioning to Bill roughly halfway through.

Included among the many topics we discuss are:  

• How Jessica’s parents instilled a sense of confidence
• The “lap” talks that young Jessica had with her father Bill
• Some of the hurdles that Jessica had to overcome to become a pilot
• And, many of Jessica’s other accomplishments

Enjoy the episode!

Please consider taking a moment to provide a rating and review on Apple Podcasts - it truly helps the podcast. Here’s a brief YouTube tutorial: https://youtu.be/RWtAQ025zl4

Jessica on the Web & Social

Web: https://www.jessicacox.com/

Twitter: @jess_feet

Facebook: @JCMSofficial

Fathering Excellence

Instagram: @FatheringExcellence

Website: FatheringExcellence.com

Email: [email protected]

Our guest for this episode is Stephan Hecox, father of YouTuber and actor, Ian Hecox.

Ian, along with his friend Anthony, was the co-founder of the sketch comedy YouTube channel Smosh. Smosh is among the most successful channels in the history of YouTube. It launched less than a year after the debut of YouTube itself, it grew into a brand with associated channels, including: Smosh Pit, Smosh Games, and SmoshCast. Collectively, the Smosh brand has accumulated over 24 million subscribers and over 8 billion views.

In addition to his massive success with Smosh, Ian also has many acting, writing, and producing credits to his name, including: Smosh the Movie, Ghost Mates, and the blockbuster Angry Birds movie where he was the voice for Bubbles.

Ian’s father, Stephan, is a terrific guy. In this episode, Stephan and I cover a lot of ground, including: the value of reading to your kids, instilling a value of integrity, and how Stephan guided Ian during his first negotiation for a corporate sponsorship opportunity.

Enjoy the episode!

Please consider taking a moment to provide a rating and review on Apple Podcasts - it truly helps the podcast. Here’s a brief YouTube tutorial: https://youtu.be/RWtAQ025zl4

Ian on Social Media

• Instagram: @ianhecox
• Twitter: @SmoshIan
• Facebook: @smoshIanH

Smosh Website & Select YouTube Channels

• Website: smosh.com/
• Smosh: youtube.com/user/smosh
• Smosh Games: youtube.com/user/SmoshGames
• Smosh Pit: youtube.com/user/IanH

Fathering Excellence

• Instagram: @FatheringExcellence
• Website: FatheringExcellence.com
• Email: [email protected]

Our guests for this episode are Boyd Gittins and his daughter Renee Gittins – the Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), an organization that supports and empower game developers around the world in achieving fulfilling and sustainable careers.

In addition to leading the IGDA, Renee is also the CEO and Creative Director of her own indie game studio “Stumbling Cat” where she is leading her team in the creation of a new video game “Potions: A Curious Tale.” Renee is also a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree.

We’re excited to be experimenting with a slightly different format in this episode by hosting both the father and his daughter. The episode starts with the conversation with Renee and then transitions to a conversation with her father, Boyd.

Topics we discuss include: 

• Renee’s perspectives on personal leadership
• How Boyd helped Renee to learn how to push through difficulties
• Boyd’s focus on encouraging effort more so than results
• And, a story about how Renee and her parents responded when Renee asked her elementary school teacher for extra math work and was told “girls don’t need to know more math”.

Enjoy the episode!

Please consider taking a moment to provide a rating and review on Apple Podcasts - it truly helps the podcast. Here’s a brief YouTube tutorial: https://youtu.be/RWtAQ025zl4

Renee on Social

• Twitter: @RikuKat
• Facebook: @ Renee-Gittins
• LinkedIn: @renee-gittins-46195343

Links to the IGDA

• Webpage: https://igda.org/
• Twitter: @IGDA
• Facebook: @IGDA.org

Fathering Excellence

• Instagram: @FatheringExcellence
• Website: FatheringExcellence.com
• Email: [email protected]

Our guest for this episode is Duane Bennet, father of the bestselling author Brit Bennett. Brit’s latest bestseller is a book called The Vanishing Half – a #1 New York Times Best Seller.

In addition to being one of my favorite books, The Vanishing Half has also been named as a Best Book of 2020 by Time Magazine, NPR, Vanity Fair, and many others. After a bidding war that involved 17 media companies, HBO has optioned The Vanishing Half and plans to develop it a limited series (Brit will be Executive Producer!).

Brit Bennett’s first book, The Mothers, was also a thought-provoking page-turner. In addition to being a bestseller, The Mothers has by optioned by Warner Brothers & Kerry Washington with the intent to produce a feature film.

Brit and her sisters, Jynna & Brianna, are fortunate to have Duane as their father. Duane and his wife were always extraordinarily supportive of their girls and created an environment that helped all of them to realize their potential.

In this episode, Duane and I talk about a variety of topics, including: how to foster closeness between siblings, instilling a love of learning, the role of a father (what it is & what it isn’t), and why being right is overrated.

Enjoy the episode!

Please consider taking a moment to provide a rating and review on Apple Podcasts - it truly helps the podcast. Here’s a brief YouTube tutorial: https://youtu.be/RWtAQ025zl4

Brit Bennett on the Web & Social Media

Web: https://britbennett.com/

Instagram: @britrbennett

Twitter: @britrbennett

Facebook: @britbennettwrites

Brit’s Books

The Vanishing Half: www.amzn.com/0525536299

The Mothers: www.amzn.com/B01BD1SSO4

Fathering Excellence

Instagram: @FatheringExcellence

Website: FatheringExcellence.com

Email: [email protected]

Our guest for this episode is Dennis Erokan, father of actress D’Arcy Carden, best known for her Emmy nominated role as Janet on the smash-hit television series, The Good Place – one of my favorite sitcoms.

In addition to The Good Place, D’Arcy has appeared in many other TV shows and movies, including: Broad City, Bonding, Other People, and the HBO series Barry. She will also be co-starring in the upcoming comedy series “A League of Their Own” which is based on the 1992 classic film of the same name and will be available on Amazon.

D’Arcy and her three siblings – Miranda, Laney, and Will – are fortunate to have Dennis as their father. Dennis is an incredible guy. He was the founder of several magazines, including the Bay Area Music magazine (aka BAM), and he is a dedicated family man and father.

In this episode, Dennis and I cover a lot of ground, including: how to instill confidence in your children, how to talk to them when they fall short of reaching their goals, considerations for raising children who are interested in acting, and the importance of stretching the spaghetti.

If you like the episode, please take a moment to provide a rating and a review. It truly helps the podcast. Here's how to rate & review a podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://youtu.be/RWtAQ025zl4

Enjoy!

D’Arcy on Social Instagram: @darcycarden Twitter: @DarcyCarden Facebook: @DArcyCarden

Fathering Excellence Instagram: @FatheringExcellence Website: FatheringExcellence.com Email: [email protected]

Enjoy the episode!

Our guest for this episode is Mark Hevesh, father of Lily Hevesh, the #1 Domino Artist in the world.

She’s done projects for TV, film, the music industry, brand partners, and corporate partners – including Jimmy Fallon, James Corden, Katy Perry, The Today Show, Disney-Pixar, several Fortunate 100 brands, and the 2016 hit movie Collateral Beauty.

Lily holds the Guinness Book of World Record for most dominoes in a circle field and was a major contributor to the American Domino Record which included 250,000 dominoes. Her work has been viewed on social media over one billion times and she has over three million followers.

If you haven’t seen Lily’s YouTube videos, you’re really missing something special – there is no equal to the domino creations that Lily makes. And, if you’re inspired to purchase a kit of high-quality toppling dominos you can buy a set that Lily just launched called “H5 Domino Creations.” Just visit her website at: www.Hevesh5.com/buydominoes.

Lily and her siblings, Matthew & Elissa, are fortunate to have Mark Hevesh as their father. Mark is a wonderful guy and has been an important contributor to the success that Lily’s had with making a business out of her domino art.

In this episode, Mark and I cover a variety of topics, including some of the background on how Lily’s Hevesh5 grew from a small YouTube channel into the well managed and growing business that it is today, why she maintained her anonymity, and the importance of learning from your kids.

Enjoy the episode!

How to rate & review a podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://youtu.be/RWtAQ025zl4

Lilly on the web

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/Hevesh5

Instagram: @Hevesh5

Website: www.hevesh5.com

Link to buy a set of H5 Domino Creations: www.hevesh5.com/buydominoes

Fathering Excellence

Instagram: @FatheringExcellence

Website: FatheringExcellence.com

Email: [email protected]

Our guest, David Fineman, is the father of three accomplished daughters: Leka, Chloe, & Emma Fineman.

Leka Fineman is a CrossFit Champion and Fitness, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Coach. Her CrossFit accomplishments include, in her age group:

• Northern California Classic Champion in 2019
• NorCal Masters Champion in 2015, 17, & 18
• National CrossFit Games: 7th, 8th, & 11th place in 2017, ’18, & ’19 respectively

Incredible, especially considering that Leka couldn’t do a single pull-up ~12 years ago

Chloe is a comedian, actor, and impressionist most well-known for her role as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, where she is starting her second season on the show. Her impressions include Drew Barrymore, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet, Britney Spears and many others. You can find many of her impersonations, clips from SNL performances, and other great content on her Instagram feed, @ChloeIsCrazy. 

Emma is an artist who does much of her painting is oil on canvas, but also works with other mediums such as charcoal and gold leaf. And, she’s done some photography and sculpting as well, including at the revered Porthmeor Studios in St. Ives. Her many exhibitions include Bloomberg New Contemporaries, the Federation of British Artists Futures show and two recent solo shows in London.

Leka, Chloe, & Emma are fortunate to have David Fineman as their father. David and I had a wide-ranging and interesting conversation. In this episode, he shares some terrific stories, parenting advice, and philosophies on a variety of topics, including some acting advice that Steve Martin gave to Chloe when she was a teenager, the importance of being a person of your own self-invention, and the Japanese concept of Ikigai.

Leka can be found at:

• Instagram: @lekafineman
• Website: lekafineman.com

Chloe can be found at:

• Instagram: @ChloeIsCrazy
• SNL Bio: nbc.com/saturday-night-live/credits/featured-player/chloe-fineman

Emma can be found at:

• Instagram: @emmafineman
• Website: emmafineman.com

Our guest for this episode is Mr. Christopher Rogers, father of his namesake son: Christopher John Rogers, the accomplished Fashion Designer.

Christopher John Roger’s designs have been worn by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Cardi B., Zendaya, Tracee Ellis Ross, & Michelle Obama – to name just a few.

He also recently won the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), American Emerging Designer of the Year Award. For those of you less familiar with the fashion scene, the CFDA Award is an enormous honor – it’s like winning an Oscar or a Grammy.

Christopher John Rogers, and his sister Sariah, are fortunate to have Christopher as their father. In this episode, we talk about the importance of listening to your children, supporting them in the endeavors that they are passionate about, and encouraging them to finish what they start.

Enjoy the episode!

Instagram: christopherjohnrogers

Store: https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-us/shop/designer/christopher-john-rogers

Website: https://christopherjohnrogers.com/

Our guest for this episode is Pete Wentz, father of his namesake son: Pete Wentz, bassist & lyricist for the Grammy-nominated multiplatinum rock band Fall Out Boy.

Their long list of hit songs include: Sugar, We're Goin Down, Dance, Dance, Thnks Fr Th Mmrs, Centuries, Uma Thurman, and a song that has a fatherhood theme to it, called She’s my Winona.

They’ve won a list of awards too long to name, but among them are:

• People’s Choice Award for Best Alternative Rock Band
• American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Rock Band
• Tons of MTV Awards, including wins for Best Group & Best Rock Video

Pete, and his siblings Hilary & Andrew, are fortunate to have Mr. Pete Wentz as their Father. Pete, the father, is a terrific guy. He’s a family man and a working man. Currently, he works at APCO Worldwide, a leading independent public relations firm that has a focus on public affairs and crisis communications.

In this episode, we talk about a variety of topics, including managing tv screen time, providing kids with the latitude to be individuals & express their personalities, and we talked a bit about some of the distinguished friends and relatives of the Wentz family.

Enjoy the episode! And, if you like it, please consider helping the podcast by leaving a rating and review!

Pete & Fall Out Boy

Instagram: @petewentz

Twitter: @petewentz

Fall Out Boy Website:  https://falloutboy.com/

Fathering Excellence

Instagram: @FatheringExcellence

Twitter: @FatheringE

Website: FatheringExcellence.com