School For Fathers Podcast

Learning let our QUIRKiness shine through. In today's episode, I'm joined by Patrick Olszowski for a beautifully candid episode exploring self-acceptance, healing past trauma, and fatherhood.

About my guest, Patrick Olszowski:

Patrick is an activist researcher and the CEO of Outrageous Impact. His company powers organisations to rapidly grow profits & tackle injustice through tech-powered research. Their work has raised millions of pounds and changed laws. They're often involved with big issues like Grenfell Tower, the climate emergency, and the migrant crisis. In response to the pandemic, Patrick founded Crisis Connections which connects nearly 100 experienced professionals with charities around the world for free one hr advice sessions. Patrick's also a father of two.

Danusia on The Outrageous Impact Show

How can we LIFT others for the greater good? Patrick Hutchinson joins me for an exploration of an incident that many of us from 2020 that many of us will remember well. On 13th June 2020, Patrick and his friends were compelled to intervene in an incident which would subsequently change the course of their lives and garner worldwide media attention. The image of Patrick lifting and rescuing the Anti BLM protestor from serious harm went viral. We explore how this was a crossroads moment for Patrick, what the movement means in a wider and the work to be done now.

About my guest, Patrick Hutchinson:

Patrick is a Personal Trainer, public figure, author and now co-founder of UTCAI– a proud father of four, with four grandchildren. His book, Everyone Versus Racism: A Letter to My Children, is a poignant letter from Patrick to his children and grandchildren. Writing from the heart, he describes the realities of life as a black man today and why we must unite to inspire change for generations to come.

What does it take to be a Feminist Dad - and why does it matter? Author Jordan Shapiro joins me for an exploration of his upcoming book, How to Be a Feminist Dad. We question "what is manliness?", dive into intersectionality, and consider how the world view is changing, and what's needed for men and fathers.

-

About my guest, Jordan Shapiro:

Jordan Shapiro, PhD is a globally celebrated American thought leader. He's senior fellow for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, and Nonresident Fellow in the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. His Forbes' column (2012-17) on global education, learning through digital play, kids and culture was read by over 5 million people around the world. He is an international speaker and consultant whose fresh perspective combines psychology, philosophy, and economics in unexpected ways. His book, The New Childhood: Raising Kids To Thrive in a Connected World (Little, Brown Spark 2018) changed the cultural conversation about parenting and screen time.

In his upcoming book, Father Figure: How to be a Feminist Dad (Little, Brown Spark 2021), Shapiro offers a norm-shattering perspective on fatherhood, family, and gender essentialism. This thoughtful exploration of dad-psychology—presented from an archetypal perspective—challenges our familiar assumptions about the origins of so-called traditional parenting roles. There are hundreds of books on parenting, but when it comes to books about parenting identity, rather than the nuts and bolts of raising children, nearly all are about what it's like to be a mother. Father Figure fills that gap. It teaches dads how to embrace the joys of fathering while guiding toward an image of manliness for the modern world.

Exploring Muslim heritage in the UK and around the WORLD. My guest this week is author and travel writer, Tharik Hussain. We hear about his family trip exploring European Muslim heritage and the importance of moving beyond a white-centred narrative, in the way and where we travel.

About Tharik Hussain

Tharik is an author, travel writer and journalist specialising in Muslim heritage and culture. His forthcoming book, 'Minarets in the Mountains; A Journey into Muslim Europe' (Bradt; June 2021), is about a road trip he took with his family a few summers back in search of Europe's indigenous Muslim cultures, communities and heritage. It is the first English travel book to explore this topic, and the first written by a Muslim travel writer.

Tharik is also the author of several guides for Lonely Planet, including Saudi Arabia (shortlisted for the 2020 Travel Media Awards), Bahrain and Thailand, and his articles have been published across the globe. In July 2019 he created Britain's first Muslim heritage trails; in 2017 Tharik was named one of the UK's most inspiring British Bangladeshis and in 2016 his BBC World Service radio documentary, 'America's Mosques; a story of integration', was named 'World's Best Religious Program' at the New York Festivals World's Best Radio Programs Awards.

Tharik is a Fellow of the Centre of Religion and Heritage at the University of Groningen (Netherlands), has an MA in Islamic Studies, two decades of experience in media and education, and is a leading consultant on global Muslim culture and travel.

Connect with Tharik on: Twitter - Instagram - Facebook

How to BUILD a new version of masculinity that makes sense in the modern world. My guest this week is Spencer Brown, amongst lots of things he's the author of "The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper" and "The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper". In this episode we explore how exactly to build a new type of masculinity plus building a life around our talents.

Spencer Brown started life as a stand-up. He cut his teeth doing sketches with the Cambridge Footlights, and since then he's performed everywhere from London's Comedy Store to LA's Comedy and Magic Club and UCB Theatre, as well as appearing internationally as far afield as Slovenia and Mumbai. Stand Up then led to presenting and acting. Spencer also writes, both screenplays and novels.

His debut novel The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper ('a joy-seeking missile' Richard Ayoade, 'Philip Roth meets Cold Feet' Helen Lederer) was out last year and became a Kindle top 5 bestseller, and the stand-alone sequel The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper ('so very funny' Jenny Colgan) came out this November to a fantastic reception. To pay the bills, Spencer also works as a freelance creative director for advertising firms and voice over artist.

What will it take to dismantle diet culture for our kids, and for ourselves? I'm so glad to be sharing a gloriously body-positive episode with guest Molly Forbes @mollyjforbes. January's always a stark reminder that there's so much unpicking for us to do with diet culture- considering the impact on our kids is a great place to start! With kids as young as 7 wanting to count calories and PE teachers commenting on weight gain, there's so much work to be done. Molly and I explore having conversations about weight, letting go of vigilance, plus how to raise our kids to accept all bodies as worthy and wonderful.

About Molly Forbes:

Molly Forbes is on a mission to change the conversation around body image, and as a campaigner, writer and speaker she'll do whatever it takes to take the idea we're allowed to like ourselves just as we are, mainstream. The mum-of-two is a consistently popular and relatable voice in the positive body image arena, appearing as a host on Channel 4 body confidence boosting show Naked Beach, and regularly being called to comment on body image in the media, including appearances on This Morning, BBC Breakfast, Sky News, and Radio 1's Newsbeat.

With a passion for positivity, confidence, and body image chat, she is the founder of the #FreeFromDiets campaign, a movement to cancel diet culture around children (and home of the Body Happy Kids workshops for teachers and youth leaders), hosts a hit podcast on body image and has amassed a fast-growing and loyal audience on social media, inspiring her followers to love the skin they're in. Molly is regularly called on as a public speaker, sharing her insights into the subject too.

Finding a MIX that works for you. My guest this week is Hadrien Chatelet, Creative Director of The Wern, a communications consultancy for startups, entrepreneurs, and independents. We explore the gift of dyslexia, the impact of proving yourself constantly, and how to find space for downtime when you're a passionate workaholic and father to young children.

About Hadrien Chatelet: From literally being caught red-handed and commissioned on the spot to create street art for (Agnes-B) a fashion brand in France, to cutting his teeth in London as a junior designer for a wallpaper company. Hadrien has a wealth of experience across the design, art and branding world. His most recent role saw him build and manage the creative department for the European Marketing division of Endeavor. Hadrien is an advocate for shared parental leave and his desire to share the parental load is a contributing factor to him becoming a co-founder with his partner. They work from a garden office in Hackney. When not making things beautiful visually he also bends your ear with French electro/techno mixes under his DJ alter-ego Kiki With Love. As well as launching the strategic branding and design arm of The Wern, Hadrien is developing a range of FREE tools, DIY products, and one-to-one coaching.

The current model of manhood is outdated - do you agree? My guest this week is Andrew Reiner; a writer, healthy masculinity researcher & educator. In his latest book "Better Boys, Better Men - The New Masculinity That Creates Greater Courage and Emotional Resiliency" he explores how modern masculinity is harming and holding back men. In this episode we explore: Trump + toxic masculinity, what grit has to do with this all and how men simply don't have the spaces to explore their emotions *and so much more*

"Normative notions of masculinity don't serve us anymore"

"Men don't trust each other with their emotional lives"

Andrew Reiner is a professor at Towson University, where he offers the seminar "The Changing Face of Masculinity." He has written on masculinity and men's issues for the New York Times, the Washington Post Magazine, and Italy's la Repubblica . His work has been featured on NPR, the Canadian Broadcasting Company, and in Men's Health, Forbes, and The Guardian. He speaks about masculinity regularly at schools and conferences around the world.

What's next for creating diversity and equality? My guest this week is Elliott Rae, founder of music football and fatherhood, the parenting and lifestyle platform for men. We explore the role of "facilitator", how to create safety as an ally and changing the narrative around fatherhood.

Elliott is also a Diversity & Inclusion specialist currently working on Central Government strategy. Elliott's written on diversity issues for established platforms like The Independent, been featured on the BBC, and regularly speaks in the media about issues affecting black men and fathers. In 2019 he won the United Nation's, UN Women UK, 'Change maker of the Year' award.

Solid relationships need TRUST to thrive. Kevin A. Thompson, author of several books including "Friends, Partners and Lovers: What it Takes to Make Marriage Work", joins me to talk all things TRUST. We explore how to intentionally create a healthy marriage through communication and focus. And of course, how to embed trust in a marriage.