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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
- Julia Toothacre on Redefining Meaningful Work Through Life’s Seasons
What does meaningful work actually look like once you become a parent?
For many professionals, the answer changes. Priorities shift. Energy changes. The things that once felt exciting or important can suddenly feel disconnected from the life you want to build.
Career strategist Julia Toothacre works with high-performing professionals who look successful on paper but quietly feel stuck, burned out, or misaligned. Her work focuses on helping people take ownership of their careers while navigating the pressures of family, ambition, and changing priorities.
Julia explains why meaningful work is often misunderstood and why the answer usually isn’t a dramatic career overhaul. More often, it comes from understanding the season of life you are in and aligning your choices with what matters most right now.
Julia shares how to:
• Understand why meaningful work means different things to different people
• Recognize when feeling “stuck” is coming from internal pressure rather than external reality
• Think about career risk differently once kids enter the picture
• Identify when a job is temporarily demanding versus fundamentally misaligned
• Manage career transitions without making emotional or reactive decisions
• Spot the early warning signs of burnout before they escalate
Dig Deeper
Bluey
Champagne Supernova by Oasis
Follow Julia
On her website: ridethetidecollective.com
On her podcast, Control Your Career: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridethetidecollective
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RideTheTideCollective
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ridethetidecollective
On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ridethetidecol
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell
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51 min - Alex Tuck on Timeboxing Your Way to Meaningful Work and Present Fatherhood
What if the key to balance is not working less, but working with intention?
Alex Tuck runs a remote-first consulting firm from a farm in Vermont while raising four young kids with his wife. His approach is simple but disciplined: block the time, protect the priorities, and design work to fit life, not the other way around.
From quarterly OKRs to daily timeboxing, Alex has built both a company and a family rhythm around clarity and structure. But beneath the systems is something deeper. A belief that work matters. Health matters. Relationships matter. And none of them should consume the others.
Alex shares how to:
• Use timeboxing to reduce overwhelm and increase focus
• Break big goals into daily commitments that actually get done
• Protect personal time with the same intensity as client work
• Build a remote culture that values flexibility over utilization
• Model boundaries so your team feels safe taking time off
• Create phone free zones that increase connection at home
• Adjust work rhythms when kids, travel, or life get chaotic
• Invite your kids into decision making so they feel ownership
• Replace guilt with intentional tradeoffs
• Design meaningful work that supports, not competes with, family
This conversation is practical, honest, and full of real world examples for dads trying to build something worthwhile without losing the people they are building it for.
Dig Deeper
Timeboxing
Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing at a Time by Marc Zao-Sanders
One Thing at a Time newsletter by Marc Zao-Sanders
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Journey
Follow Alex
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alextuck
On his website: https://www.tuckconsultinggroup.com
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52 min - Merry Korn on Turning Professional Loss into Purpose-Driven Work
What happens when the job you thought would carry you to the finish line disappears overnight?
Two months into what she believed would be her final role, Merry Korn was let go. She was a single parent with two teenagers, college tuition looming, and no clear path forward. The fear was real. The pressure was immediate. Staying in bed was not an option.
What followed was not an overnight success story. It was a series of hard conversations, informational interviews, small courageous steps, and a refusal to surrender. From those early survival decisions, Merry went on to found and scale a for-profit social enterprise that employed more than 1,300 people across 30 states, prioritizing jobs for people with severe disabilities, disabled veterans, and individuals living in the most impoverished communities.
Merry shares how to:
- Move forward when fear feels paralyzing
- Use informational interviews as a career and business growth strategy
- Align work with purpose instead of contorting yourself to fit the wrong environment
- Build a mission-driven company that attracts high-quality talent
- Create simple rituals that protect presence at home
- Lead with values when rebuilding after a professional setback
- Turn survival mode into meaningful, scalable impact
Dig Deeper
Pearl Interactive Network
Bergen-Belsen
Schindler's List
Barney
Crazy by Patsy Cline
Follow Merry
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merrykorn
On X: https://X.com/korn_merry45334
On Instagram: https://instagram.com/mpearlkorn
On Facebook: https://facebook.com/firedtoinspired
On her website, Fired to Inspired: https://firedtoinspired.com
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47 min - Tony Berardo on Redefining Success Around Time, Health, and Fatherhood
What happens when health scares, job loss, and family tragedy collide all at once?
After having part of his lung removed, being laid off during the pandemic, and losing his father-in-law the same day he was discharged from the hospital, Tony Berardo was forced to confront a hard truth: work was taking up too much of the wrong space in his life.
Instead of chasing security, status, and a bigger paycheck, Tony rebuilt his life around something far more valuable: time.
Today, he’s the founder of Human Dad, a content creator, and an entrepreneur who prioritizes presence over prestige. He makes less money than he once did, but he has more clarity, more intention, and more time with his daughter.
Tony shares how to:
• Reevaluate success after health scares and job loss
• Shift from “work-life balance” to protecting time as your most valuable asset
• Build a side hustle before making the leap into entrepreneurship
• Lower financial stress by living below your means
• Model discipline, boundaries, and healthy habits for your kids
• Choose presence over prestige
Tony’s perspective is raw, direct, and deeply practical. For any dad questioning whether the grind is worth it, this conversation offers a clear reminder: your time is the real currency.
Dig Deeper
IVF
Get Ready With Me
Ridiculousness
Moana
Regal Cinemas
Polly by Nirvana
Follow Tony
Website
Humanity and Hashtags Podcast
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Human Dad
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1 hr 4 min - Brad Leeman on Leading at Home Through Presence, Play, and Preparation
What does leadership look like when the mission is your family and the stakes are emotional, not tactical?
Brad Leeman is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, combat aviator, and F-35 test pilot who spent nearly two decades leading in environments where preparation, clarity, and execution were non-negotiable. After transitioning out of the military, Brad became an entrepreneur and founder of SwingSesh, a company built around a simple belief: parents should not be spectators in their kids’ lives.
This conversation explores how elite performance principles translate and sometimes fail to translate into fatherhood. Brad shares why presence matters, how small daily rituals create connection, and why modeling behavior shapes a child’s inner voice far more than lectures ever could.
Brad walks through how he and his wife intentionally design family rhythms, why play is a serious leadership skill, and how dads can rethink fitness, work, and ambition.
Brad shares how to:
- Build daily rituals that anchor presence and connection with kids
- Use play as a tool for bonding, modeling health, and emotional regulation
- Shape a child’s inner monologue through actions, not instructions
- Recognize when to lead and when to follow inside a partnership
- Rethink comfort, resilience, and decision making during hard seasons
Dig Deeper
F-35
U.S. Marine Corps
Ball State University
Harvard Graduate School of Design
How to Build Extreme Willpower | David Goggins & Dr. Andrew Huberman
Hood’s Gardens
Picture by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock
Follow Brad
On his website: https://www.swingsesh.com
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamswingsesh/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwingSesh/
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1 hr 4 min - Danny Brassell on Becoming a Better Communicator at Work and at Home
How do you communicate in a way that builds trust, connection, and confidence with your kids, your partner, and the people you work with every day?
Danny Brassell has spent decades teaching, coaching, and speaking around the world about storytelling, reading, and communication. This conversation explores how communication is not about polish or performance, but about meeting people where they are and staying present in the moments that matter most.
Danny shares how to:
- Use storytelling to build trust instead of trying to impress
- Become a stronger communicator by focusing on failures, not just wins
- Create daily habits that strengthen presence at home
- Help kids love reading without turning it into a battle
- Model curiosity, learning, and humility for your children
Danny’s insights are practical, honest, and immediately usable for dads who want to communicate more clearly, lead more effectively, and show up better for the people who matter most.
Dig Deeper
Do What Matters Most
Becoming Your Best
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lyon
Real Dads Read
Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story
Follow Danny
On his website: https://www.wellcraftedstoryworkshop.com
On X: https://www.x.com/DannyBrassell
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realDannyBrassell
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DannyBrassell
On YouTube: https://youtube.com/DannyBrassell
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/DannyBrassell
Get your free well crafted story blueprint: www.freestoryguide.com
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58 min - Jon Merlin on Building Creative Work Without Sacrificing Family Time
Jon Merlin is a longtime designer who left agency life to start his own creative studio while raising two young daughters. Instead of letting work bleed into every hour, Jon drew a hard line around family time and rebuilt his business around clarity, intention, and values.
This conversation explores what it really looks like to pursue entrepreneurship without losing presence at home, and how letting go of perfection can unlock both better work and better parenting.
Jon shares how to:
- Protect daily family time without derailing client work
- Set non-negotiables in seasons where work pressure is real
- Build a focused business by saying no to the wrong projects
- Navigate the anxiety and ambiguity of starting something new
- Replace perfection with progress at work and at home
- Use small moments with kids to stay connected during busy days
- Model emotional regulation, repair, and growth for children
- Choose work that aligns with values, not just revenue
- Reframe career gaps as runways instead of setbacks
- Define success through legacy, not titles or output
Jon’s perspective is thoughtful, grounded, and deeply practical for dads who want to build something meaningful without missing what matters most.
Dig Deeper
One Club for Creatives (San Diego)
Creative Mornings
Lava Chicken
Dookie by Green Day
Basket Case by Green Day
Follow Jon
Website: https://jonmerlin.com/
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmerlin/
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45 min - Doug Fleener on Making Better Work and Life Choices Without Burning Out
Why does work keep crowding out family time even when no one is explicitly asking it to?
Doug Fleener is an author, coach, and former corporate executive who has lived both sides of the work equation. After years of leadership roles and constant pressure, he intentionally redesigned his work around presence, health, and family. As a dad to grown daughters and a teenager, Doug brings rare perspective on how seasons of fatherhood change what presence really looks like.
Doug shares how to:
- Shift from chasing balance to making clear work and life choices
- Recognize when work is crowding out presence without anyone noticing
- Build daily intention through future focused journaling
- Use physical cues like closing a laptop or putting down a phone to signal presence
- Pause before reacting when pressure spills into family moments
- Find meaningful connection in small, ordinary moments
Dig Deeper
Bose Corporation
Day One
Start With What If by Doug Fleener
Draft Day
Arthur theme song
Turn Style
Piano Man
Follow Doug
Website: https://www.dougfleener.com
On TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@dougfleener
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52 min - Stephanie Cordes on Finding Clarity When Success No Longer Feels Right
What do you do when your career looks successful on paper, but something quietly feels off?
Stephanie Cordes is a career ownership coach who works with people at the exact moment when professional success and the life they want to live stop pointing in the same direction. She knows this moment personally. After building a successful corporate career, Stephanie realized that checking all the boxes did not automatically mean she was building the right life.
Stephanie shares how to:
• Recognize quiet misalignment before it turns into burnout
• Reevaluate work and life goals as seasons and family needs change
• Think beyond job titles and focus on lifestyle, income, and long term direction
• Create a personal North Star that guides decisions without locking you into one path
• Let go of the belief that every career change means failure
• Explore new options while keeping stability for your family
• Involve your partner in career decisions as a true team effort
• Redefine what providing really means beyond a paycheck
Dig Deeper
Ring Camera
Jamie Siminoff, Founder of Ring Camera
Kim Possible
Picture by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock
Aquaphor
Follow Stephanie
Website: https://stephahead.com
On X: https://x.com/stephcordesTES
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On Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stephcordestes.bsky.social
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40 min - Kristian Leavell on Navigating Anxiety, Depression, and the Long Winter Season
Why do anxiety and depression feel heavier during the long winter season, even when nothing is technically “wrong”?
Kristian Leavell, licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and dad, returns to talk about the emotional weight winter can bring, especially for fathers carrying responsibility at work and at home. The focus here is awareness, regulation, and small, realistic ways to stay steady when energy is low and motivation fades.
Kristian shares how to:
• Notice early signs of anxiety and depression by watching patterns, not isolated moments
• Treat emotions as useful signals rather than problems to eliminate
• Separate thoughts from facts and step out of spirals
• Use small, practical actions to interrupt anxiety before it builds
• Apply opposite action when motivation disappears
• Practice mindfulness in real life, not perfect conditions
• Talk with kids about emotions in ways that create trust and safety
• Redefine strength as presence, not endurance
• Check in on other dads without feeling the need to fix them
Dig Deeper
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
Cognitive Fusion
DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)
The Jetsons
How to turn crayons into candles
Crash the Gates by Yellowcard
Follow Kristian
TherapyTokWithKris on TikTok
TherapyTalkWithKris on Instagram
TherapyTalkWithKris on YouTube
DistinctApproachCounseling.com
Email Kris
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56 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…
navigated their own twists and turns, host Michael Jacobs explores fatherhood, work-life balance, meaningful work, parenting, identity, ambition, relationships, and what actually matters most in modern life.
Most of life's biggest decisions don't belong exclusively to work or family. They live somewhere in between, where the challenge isn't simply succeeding at work or showing up at home, but figuring out how all the pieces fit together.
How do you build a meaningful career without losing yourself in it? How do you stay ambitious while remaining present for the people who matter most? How do you navigate career changes, setbacks, uncertainty, and new opportunities while still showing up for your family? How do you know if you're spending your time on the right things?
This show is for working dads who feel pulled between responsibility and fulfillment, ambition and presence, work and the rest of life. The dads who don't want to wake up ten years from now wondering where the time went.
Every conversation is designed to help you make more intentional choices about your work, your relationships, and the life you're building before the years have a chance to pass you by. Along the way, you'll find practical ideas, fresh perspective, and the confidence that comes from knowing you're not the only dad asking these questions.