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

What does it mean to succeed at work without missing the moments you never get back?

Eddie Torba has spent decades in retail execution and operations, helping major brands adapt, rebuild, and evolve through massive industry change. Along the way, he made intentional career decisions to stay present for his family, from working nights and weekends early on, to shifting into remote corporate roles, to building a small consulting practice on the side.

Eddie shares how to:

• Design a career around family instead of fitting family into leftover time

• Choose flexibility and stability without treating them as opposites

• Build trust at work by delivering results, not logging hours

• Protect family dinners, school events, and everyday moments that matter

• Set boundaries that prevent burnout and protect mental energy

• Create morning and weekly routines that support focus and balance

• Explore a side path without overwhelming yourself or your family

• Be honest about capacity before taking on extra work

• Help kids understand the human effort behind convenience and consumption

• Teach responsibility, work ethic, and perspective by example

• Measure success by presence, not titles or constant availability

Eddie’s story is a reminder that careers evolve, seasons change, and showing up consistently for your family is a choice you make again and again. His approach is practical, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in the belief that work should support life, not replace it.

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Ad Populum

EWS Consulting

Party City

Duck Tales

Duck Tales theme song

Knee Deep by Zach Brown Band

Jimmy Buffett

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What does it actually take to feel grounded, confident, and present as a dad when anxiety is rising, expectations are shifting, and the world feels louder than ever?

AJ Rich is a licensed marriage and family therapist, practice owner, and doctoral candidate who works almost exclusively with men. After nearly 20 years in corporate leadership, AJ transitioned into clinical work and now helps dads navigate identity, emotional intelligence, anxiety, and growth without losing themselves or their families in the process.

In this conversation, AJ shares how men can move beyond coping and toward real psychological wellbeing, even while juggling work pressure, parenting, and constant change.

You will hear AJ break down how to:

• Understand anxiety as a signal, not a failure

• Build emotional intelligence without losing strength or credibility

• Develop the language to describe what you are actually feeling

• Shift from survival mode into sustainable growth

• Redefine success beyond titles, income, or external validation

• Identify what is holding you back when you feel stuck

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Feelings wheel

Brené Brown

Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart on HBO Max

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown (book)

PERMA Theory of Well-Being

Doc McStuffins

Sofia the First

Subway Sandwich Artist

Food Avenue in Target

This is How We Do It by Montell Jordan

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AJ Family Therapy, Inc.

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How do you rebuild your life when everything breaks at once and you still have kids who need you every minute of the day?

After a devastating spinal injury and years of recovery, Paul Terrell became a stay at home dad who had to relearn how to walk, talk, type, and parent with new physical limitations. Later he returned to work and eventually became a top performing enterprise account executive in PropTech and FinTech. His story is one of grit, patience, perseverance, and a deep commitment to family.

Paul shares how to:

• Relearn everyday life while caring for two young kids

• Parent with physical limitations and find creative ways to adapt

• Build mental toughness when progress feels painfully slow

• Return to the workforce with confidence after years away

• Use AI, systems, and prep work to compete at a high level again

• Navigate the emotional shift from being the primary caregiver to traveling constantly for work

• Strengthen a marriage through shared effort, support, and role changes

• Turn stay at home parenting into quantifiable wins on a resume

• Carry lessons from parenting into sales, negotiation, and leadership

• Protect health, energy, and family time in a metrics driven role

• Help kids understand work, money, teamwork, and responsibility

• Break big goals into smaller ones and use data to track personal progress

Paul’s story is honest, inspiring, and packed with practical wisdom for any dad rebuilding after a tough season or trying to figure out what comes next.

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Yardi

REIT

Plaud

Bohemian Rhapsody

Nuthin' but a "G" Thang

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What happens when you realize the real work of your life is happening at home, not at your job?

Sean Waldron returns for a deeper conversation about creativity, fatherhood, and the stories that shape us. He shares how filming with his son became a doorway into connection, why every dad has creative gifts even if they do not see themselves as creative, and how bringing your work skills into your home can strengthen the bond with your kids.

Sean opens up about:

• Entering his child’s world and why validation matters so much

• How creativity shows up in everyday parenting

• Using the skills you practice at work to build connection at home

• The danger of tying your worth to your job

• Why every dad carries a creative spark

• How good is built in small moments inside your home

• Growing up with fractured support and transforming that pain into purpose

• The heart behind ROAR and the documentary Silly Cannonballs

• The healing conversation he needed to have with his father before he could tell this story

• Building habits and protecting your morning to stay grounded

• Navigating perfection, mastery, and the pursuit of honesty

This conversation goes deeper into purpose, identity, generational patterns, and the kind of dad you want to become. It is raw, thoughtful, and full of clarity about what truly matters.

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ROAR Dads

Silly Cannonballs

The Jetsons

MacGyver

John Mayer

Japanese Joinery

Gap to Gig Episode 6: Sean Waldron on Purpose, Creativity, and Becoming a Present Dad

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How do you hold onto your creative identity while trying to be the parent you want to be?

Sean Waldron has built a life around creativity from music to video production to brand storytelling. He has freelanced, gone in-house, flipped houses, and wrestled with the tension between purpose and practical responsibilities. Becoming a dad pushed him to rethink all of it.

Sean shares how to:

• Blend creative skills with fatherhood in a way that builds connection
• Separate who you are from what you do after layoffs, pivots, or burnout
• Navigate the pull between purpose, mastery, and paying the bills
• Pursue creative work without letting perfectionism take over
• Find meaning in seasons of uncertainty
• Recognize early signs that you are on the right path even without results
• Carry ambition into parenthood without letting it overshadow your home life
• Create simple moments of delight using the skills that light you up
• Explore the stories you learned growing up and how they shape the dad you want to become

If you have ever felt torn between your creative passions, your responsibilities, and the desire to show up well for your kids, this conversation offers clarity, grounding, and a reminder that purpose is built one small moment at a time.

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ROAR Dads

Silly Cannonballs

Girl Above

Set Your Mind

Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture by David Murray

Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy

Bluey

Red Hot and Blue Pit Barbecue

Jason Mraz

My Humps

Baby Got Back

The Roost Stand

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What does it really take to be present as a dad while juggling work, pressure, and your own mental health?

Kristian Leavell, a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and dad, brings both clinical insight and lived experience to this honest conversation about the weight many fathers carry and how to navigate it with clarity and compassion.

Kristian shares how to:

• Be truthful about what you feel and what you need

• Understand the voice behind internal pressure and self doubt

• Redefine what it means to provide for your family

• Manage guilt around work, parenting, and expectations

• Let go of perfectionism and the anxiety under it

• Reset when you feel disconnected from yourself or your family

• Build routines that protect your mental health

• Model emotional honesty for your kids while keeping boundaries

• Build real community even when adult friendships feel difficult

• Cross the swamp of discomfort to become the parent you want to be

If you feel stretched thin, quietly anxious, or simply trying to show up better for yourself and your family, this episode offers grounded guidance and a way forward.

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Kristian’s video about being a girl dad Instagram | TikTok

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls by TLC

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes

The Man Who Sold the World by Nirvana

Texas State

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TherapyTokWithKris on TikTok

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DistinctApproachCounseling.com

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What happens when the chapter you spent years chasing finally ends and you’re left asking what comes next?

In this episode of Gap to Gig, host Michael Jacobs talks with Erin Aldrich Shean, a former Olympic and professional athlete who has reinvented herself multiple times across sports, corporate strategy, and now career coaching. Erin helps people navigate life and work transitions using her LAND method, a framework built around learning, alignment, networking, and delivery.

Erin shares how to:

Redefine success when life shifts and old identities fall away

Find clarity before rushing into the next job or direction

Ask for support instead of trying to figure everything out alone

Balance ambition with the life you want at home

Navigate seasons of grind and seasons of rest

Align your values with the work you choose

Keep your network warm and active after you land

Take care of yourself so you can show up fully for your family

Whether you’re returning to work, pivoting into something new, or simply trying to make sense of the season you’re in, this conversation offers perspective, honesty, and practical ways to move forward with more clarity and less pressure.

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LAND Method

Ikigai

Ascension Coaching and Consulting

Ascension Coaching and Consulting on LinkedIn

I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor

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What really happens behind the scenes in hiring and how can dads returning to work stand out?

In this episode of Gap to Gig, host Michael Jacobs talks with Jacob Stone, HR consultant and founder of WorqTap, who’s spent over a decade helping companies hire smarter and helping people land roles that actually fit their lives.

Jacob shares what most job seekers never hear:

• What’s really going on inside hiring teams (and how to stand out).

• Why soft skills like adaptability and communication matter more than technical ones.

• How parenting builds the exact qualities employers need.

• How to reframe career gaps with confidence.

• Why networking, not algorithms, gets you hired.

Whether you’re reentering the workforce, changing careers, or just trying to build meaningful work around family life, this episode will help you bring your full story to the table.

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WorqTap

Paul Revere by Beastie Boys

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In this episode of Gap to Gig, host Michael Jacobs talks with Jesse Holmes, a performance coach who helps entrepreneurs and parents make measurable progress in just 10 minutes a day.

Jesse shares how to:

• Build clarity and confidence through small, consistent actions.

• Find your focus when life feels chaotic.

• Apply “deep work” principles to parenting, relationships, and self-care.

• Turn daily 10-minute wins into lasting momentum.

• Balance business growth with family life — without burning out.

Whether you’re rebuilding your career, starting something new, or simply trying to stay present at home, this conversation will help you take the next step toward growth that feels sustainable.

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Jesse’s Breakout Planner

Fergalicious by Fergie

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What happens when your career suddenly stops fitting your life?

In this episode of Gap to Gig, host Michael Jacobs talks with John Tarnoff, an executive coach who rebuilt his career after the tech bubble burst and now helps mid-career professionals rediscover purpose and confidence.

John shares how to:

• Navigate uncertainty and rebuild resilience.

• Reframe “returning to work” as moving forward, not backward.

• Turn personal experiences — even parenting — into professional strengths.

• Rebuild confidence by acting before you feel ready.

• Create community instead of just “networking.”

If you’re a dad redefining success, shifting careers, or searching for meaningful work that fits real life, this episode will help you take the next step with clarity and confidence.

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Pema Chödrön https://pemachodronfoundation.org

Gampo Abbey https://gampoabbey.org/

Comfortable with Uncertainty https://amzn.to/4oNRCTc

Julia Cameron https://juliacameronlive.com/

The Artist’s Way https://amzn.to/4hClP5h

Ikigai https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2022/03/ikigai\_japanese\_secret\_to\_a\_joyful\_life.html

Ikigai Venn diagram https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai#/media/File:Diagramo\_de\_Ikigajo\_-en.svg

You’ve Got a Friend by Carole King https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAR\_Ff5A8Rk

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John Tarnoff on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntarnoff/

Mid-Career Lab community https://midcareerlab.com/

John Tarnoff website https://johntarnoff.com/

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