Gap to Gig – Working Dads' Guide to Fatherhood, Meaningful Work, & Finding Balance in Life

By Michael Jacobs - Working Dads & Fatherhood ExpertBusiness Parenting Kids & Family Careers

Gap to Gig – Working Dads' Guide to Fatherhood, Meaningful Work, & Finding Balance in Life episodes

June 02 Faisal Ensaun on Taking Ownership of Your Life and Redefining Success as a Dad
What if the life you’re building is the very thing draining you?
Faisal Ensaun’s journey spans survival, addiction, reinvention, and ultimately building a life rooted in purpose, ownership, and alignment. From immigrating out of a war-torn country to hitting personal rock bottom, he rebuilt his life by asking harder questions than most people are willing to face.
Today, as a coach, entrepreneur, and father, Faisal works with high performers who look successful on the outside but feel disconnected underneath.
Faisal’s perspective is intense, honest, and grounded in lived experience. Especially for dads trying to navigate fatherhood, meaningful work, and the pressure to provide without losing themselves in the process.
Dig Deeper
Gabor Maté
Naraka
Pink Panther
Tom and Jerry
Wonderland
Scare Away the Dark by Passenger
Follow Faisal
On his website: https://www.faisalensaun.com/
On his podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2IhYB1waklQjJWPkDKeU66
On X: https://x.com/faisalensaun
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faisalensaun/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faisalensaun1
On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@faisalensaun
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faisalensaun
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faisalensaun/
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
59 min
May 26Anthony Kuo on Escaping the Success Trap and Building a Career That Actually Fits
What happens when you do everything right on paper… and still feel like something is off?
Anthony Kuo knows that feeling firsthand. From performing at Carnegie Hall at 17 to climbing the corporate ladder after graduating from NYU Stern, he checked every box most people chase. But underneath the external success, something never quite clicked.
Now a career satisfaction coach and founder of Untamed Career, Anthony helps high achievers untangle the gap between success and satisfaction and build careers that actually align with who they are.
This conversation explores what many working dads quietly wrestle with. The tension between providing and feeling fulfilled. The pressure to keep going even when something feels misaligned. And the challenge of figuring out what you actually want when the answer is not obvious.
Anthony shares how to:
Understand the difference between success and satisfaction and why both matter
Recognize when your work is draining energy instead of fueling it
Break down the overwhelming question of “what do I want?” into something actionable
Avoid burnout by paying attention to the process, not just the outcome
Navigate career changes without blowing up your life or risking stability
Understand how your career choices impact your presence as a parent
Dig Deeper
NYU Stern School of Business
Carnegie Hall
ADHD
The Song That Never Ends from Lamb Chop
Follow Anthony
On his website: https://untamedcareer.com
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untamedcareer/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.c.kuo
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@untamedcareer
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/untamedcareer/
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
52 min
May 19Shaun Dawson on Fatherhood, Identity, and Redefining Work-Life Balance for Dads
What does it really mean to succeed as a dad when work, ambition, and identity are all pulling in different directions?
Shaun Dawson, tech leader, father of two, and host of the Raising Men podcast, challenges the idea that success is defined by output alone. He shares a more grounded perspective on fatherhood, work life balance, and what working dads often get wrong when they focus too heavily on providing financially while overlooking emotional presence.
Shaun shares how to:
Redefine success beyond income and external achievement
Build emotional security for your kids, not just financial security
Separate identity from output and rethink what actually gives your life meaning
Recognize when ego is shaping your parenting decisions
Stay present during everyday moments that are easy to overlook but impossible to get back
Navigate the tension between guiding your kids and letting them become who they are
This is a thoughtful and honest conversation for working dads trying to build a life that balances fatherhood, meaningful work, and a deeper sense of identity.
Dig Deeper
Conan the Barbarian
Raising Men by Eric Davis
Bluey
Dairy Queen
Piano Man
Follow Shaun
On his website and podcast: https://raising.men/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisingmen_podcast/
On Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/raisingmen_podcast/
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaisingMen_Podcast
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/raising-men/
On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@raisingmenpodcast
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
55 min
May 12Paul Comfort on Finding Meaningful Work and Work-Life Balance as a Dad
What if the reason work feels off is not the job itself, but a lack of clarity about what you are actually built to do?
Paul Comfort has spent decades helping people identify their strengths, align their careers with purpose, and build lives that feel both successful and meaningful. His work centers on the idea that most people never take the time to understand what they are uniquely wired to do.
For dads trying to navigate fatherhood, career decisions, meaningful work, and work-life balance, lack of clarity can lead to frustration, burnout, and a constant feeling of being pulled in too many directions.
Paul shares how to:
Identify your natural strengths and use them to guide career decisions
Recognize when you are in the wrong role versus the wrong season
Align your work with your values, personality, and long-term goals
Make better decisions about transitions, promotions, and opportunities
Help your kids think about their own strengths and future paths
Dig Deeper
Command & Conquer
PEG Channel
DiSC Profile
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Barney
Free Fallin’
Follow Paul
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On his show, Transit Unplugged TV
On his podcast, Transit Unplugged
Check out his book, Find Your X Factor, and take the assessment
Pre-order his book from B&N
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
54 min
May 05Antwaun Thompson on Raising Confident Kids Through Better Parenting and Coaching
What if the way you show up after the game matters more than the game itself?
After more than three decades coaching and mentoring young people, Antwaun Thompson has seen a clear shift. Kids today are facing more pressure, less confidence, and more noise than ever before. And for many parents, especially working dads trying to navigate fatherhood and work-life balance, it's not always clear how to support them the right way.
This conversation focuses on what kids actually need from their parents, not just in youth sports, but in everyday life.
Antwaun shares how to:
Build confidence in your kids through connection instead of constant correction
Give feedback that helps growth instead of creating pressure
Understand the hidden pressure kids feel from parents, coaches, teammates, and themselves
Involve your kids in decisions so they build ownership and responsibility
Create an environment where kids contribute instead of just participate
Dig Deeper
Dean Smith
The Flintstones
Let’s Stay Together by Al Green
Follow Antwaun
On his non-profit, JLT Fieldhouse
On his website
On Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders with Coach T
On TeenSpeak - Empowering Today’s Youth
On Instagram
On Facebook
On YouTube
On TikTok
On LinkedIn
Check out his book, S.E.A. of Success
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
55 min
April 28 David Shar on Passion, Burnout, and Work-Life Balance for Working Dads
Why does work that once energized you start to feel like something you can’t turn off?
Dr. David Shar studies what happens when people fall out of love with their work and why that shift often happens long before anyone notices. His research shows that for working dads, the challenge is not just workload. It is how work connects to identity, purpose, and the life you are trying to build at home.
This conversation reframes passion in a way most people never consider. Not all passion is healthy. Some of it quietly creates burnout, tension, and distance from the people who matter most.
David shares how to:
• Understand the difference between healthy passion and the kind that leads to burnout
• Recognize when guilt at home or at work is a signal of misalignment
• Identify when your work is integrated into your identity versus competing with it
• Shift from obsessive work habits to a more sustainable, balanced approach
• Influence culture and energy at work even without a leadership title
• Align your impact at work with who you are as a parent
• Create meaningful work without sacrificing presence at home
We talk about fatherhood, identity, and work-life balance that actually holds up under real pressure. Not less ambition, but better alignment between who you are, how you work, and how you show up at home.
Dig Deeper
University of Maryland
Cold Stone Creamery
The Crips and Bloods
Safeway
ChatGPT
Wicked
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Dinosaur Train
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Follow David
On his website: http://www.davidshar.com
On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshar
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
54 min
April 21 Alan Lazaros on Meaningful Work, Work-Life Balance, and Living from the Inside Out
What if the biggest gap between your work and your life is not your schedule, but how you define success?
Alan Lazaros built what most people would call a successful life. High income, fast growth, and clear upward momentum. But after a near-fatal car accident at 26, he was forced to confront a harder question. Was any of it actually meaningful?
For working dads trying to balance ambition, work-life balance, and presence at home, this conversation reframes what meaningful work really means and how easily success can drift away from what matters most.
Alan shares how to:
• Shift from chasing external success to building a life from the inside out
• Recognize when your goals are driven by validation instead of values
• Avoid building a life that looks successful but feels empty
• Focus on long-term growth instead of short-term approval
• Close the gap between your intentions and your daily actions
• Redefine meaningful work in a way that actually fits your life
This conversation is not about abandoning ambition. It's about aiming it in the right direction so your work, your values, and your life are moving together instead of pulling you apart.
Dig Deeper
Agfa
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Adverse Childhood Experiences Score
Pride Rock
Hey Arnold
Ice Ice Baby
Follow Alan
On his website: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com
On Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/alazaros88
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc
On his podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NextLevelUniversity
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
40 min
April 14 David Marcus on Fatherhood, Emotional Presence, and Raising Kids in a Stressed World
Why do so many working dads feel disconnected from their kids even when they are physically present?
Modern fatherhood comes with pressures that did not exist a generation ago. Constant work demands, two-income households, packed schedules, and technology that never turns off have pushed many families into reactive mode. And when stress builds, connection is often the first thing to break.
Dr. David Marcus, a clinical psychologist with over 40 years of experience working with families under stress, explains what is really happening beneath those moments of disconnection and how dads can show up differently.
David shares how to:
• Become a calming, steady presence when your child is overwhelmed
• Understand why kids fear their emotions will push parents away
• Avoid reactive parenting patterns that get passed down unconsciously
• Help children develop an emotional language instead of acting out
• Respond in a way that allows your child to open up rather than shut down
• Handle conflict without damaging trust or connection
• Repair moments when you lose your temper and rebuild respect
• Stay emotionally present even when work stress is high
• Recognize when you are “filled up” and shifting into reaction mode
• Create a home environment where kids feel safe expressing themselves
This conversation is for working dads trying to balance fatherhood, work, and emotional presence in a world that rarely slows down.
Dig Deeper
My Big Fat Greek Wedding: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259446/
Michael Jordan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan
The Waltons: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068149/
Cats in the Cradle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u-KWa3tL-0
Father & Son: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6zaCV4niKk
Sunrise, Sunset: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBJeF_Lav2o
Follow David
On his website: https://parentrx.org
Email: [email protected]
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
54 min
April 07Scott Maderer on Aligning Work, Fatherhood, and What Matters Most
What happens when you realize the career you built doesn’t actually align with the life you want?
Scott Maderer built a successful career in finance, checked the right boxes, and did the things ambitious professionals are supposed to do. But eventually he realized something important was missing. The work that once looked impressive on paper no longer felt connected to his values, his purpose, or the kind of impact he wanted to make.
That realization led Scott to step away from corporate finance and build a new path helping leaders and entrepreneurs align their work with what truly matters.
Scott shares how to:
Recognize when external success no longer matches internal fulfillment
Navigate the uncertainty that comes with major career shifts
Design work that supports family, relationships, and long term priorities
Avoid chasing titles, money, or status that don't bring real satisfaction
Dig Deeper
Barney
Sears
Sweet Caroline
Brodie the Goldendoodle
Follow Scott
On his website: inspiredstewardship.com/gaptogig
On his podcast: https://inspiredstewardship.com/podcast/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stewardcoach/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredStewardship
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Inspired_Stewardship
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csmaderer/
Read his book, Inspired Living: https://amzn.to/472IjZ7
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
52 min
March 31 Loren Silverman on Reclaiming Your Identity Beyond Productivity
What happens when your self-worth quietly becomes tied to your output?
After nearly two decades leading digital transformation work for major brands, Loren Silverman realized that success on paper didn’t equal fulfillment in real life. The titles, the grind, the constant responsibility all looked right from the outside. But underneath, something felt off.
That realization didn’t lead to a dramatic overnight reinvention. It led to something much simpler and far more powerful: pause, awareness, and small, repeatable shifts.
Today, Loren helps high-responsibility professionals untangle identity from productivity, align actions with values, and build healthier boundaries without losing ambition.
Loren shares how to:
• Recognize when your reaction is bigger than the moment
• Separate your identity from your professional output
• Align daily actions with personal values
• Protect energy, not just time
• Use small, consistent changes instead of heroic life overhauls
• Practice active listening to improve presence at home
• Create boundaries that actually hold under pressure
• Reframe slowing down as strength rather than weakness
• Catch burnout before it becomes depletion
• Pause long enough to make better decisions
This conversation is thoughtful, grounded, and practical for any dad who feels stretched between responsibility and presence, and wants a steadier, more intentional way forward.
Dig Deeper
S.M.A.R.T. Tasks
Baskin-Robbins
House of the Rising Sun by The Animals
The Doors
Follow Loren
On his website: https://www.silvermancoach.com
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loren.silverman/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loren.silverman
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorensilverman/
Follow Gap to Gig
On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig
On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig
On X: x.com/gaptogig
On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg
On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/
Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com
Follow Michael
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
44 min

About Gap to Gig – Working Dads' Guide to Fatherhood, Meaningful Work, & Finding Balance in Life

From the publisher's feed

Gap to Gig explores the life in between who we are, what we do, and the life we want to build as working dads.

Through honest conversations with dads, experts, leaders, and people who have…

Share Gap to Gig – Working Dads' Guide to Fatherhood, Meaningful Work, & Finding Balance in Life

Sign up to save your podcasts

Gap to Gig – Working Dads' Guide to Fatherhood, Meaningful Work, & Finding Balance in Life

Gap to Gig – Working Dads' Guide to Fatherhood, Meaningful Work, & Finding Balance in Life episodes

About Gap to Gig – Working Dads' Guide to Fatherhood, Meaningful Work, & Finding Balance in Life