That Dope Dad

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Everybody talks about red flags in relationships. But before you start judging someone else’s, you better take a hard look at your own.

In this episode of That Dope Dad, we talk about what it means to become a disciplined, accountable, reliable man—and why the quality of your relationships often reflects the standard you live by. We also break down some of the red flags to watch for when choosing a woman to build a life with, from lack of accountability and constant chaos to disrespect and emotional instability.

This isn’t about finding someone perfect.

It’s about becoming the kind of man who recognizes character, protects his peace, keeps his word, and is ready to build something real.

Before you look for the right person, make sure you’re becoming the right person too.

IG:

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST:

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/

Tism Talk | A Monthly Segment of That Dope Dad Podcast

Some parents are living a version of parenthood they never expected.

The appointments. The questions. The stares. The sleepless nights. The small victories that feel absolutely enormous. The fear of what happens when you're not there to protect them anymore.

And sometimes—the loneliness of wondering if anyone truly understands.

Tism Talk is for those parents.

Once a month, Michael Hedgecock and Will Adams sit down for raw, unfiltered conversations about autism, fatherhood, family, and the realities that don't always make it into the conversation.

We're not here because we have all the answers.

We're here because these families deserve to be heard. These parents deserve support. And these children deserve a world that works harder to understand them.

The hard days. The beautiful days. The breakthroughs. The battles. The love.

Nothing is off limits.

This is Tism Talk.

Because sometimes the most powerful thing you can hear is:

“We understand. You're not alone.”

Connect with Will:
https://linktr.ee/ThaVillagePodcast

Follow Us:

IG:

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST:

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/

Don Singleton’s story is one of survival, redemption, and fatherhood.

Growing up surrounded by violence in New Orleans, Don’s life eventually led him to prison, where he became a father for the first time at just 21 years old. That moment began a journey of becoming more—not just for himself, but for his children.

Now 51, Don is a father, grandfather, entrepreneur, athlete, and men’s mental health advocate. But behind the success is a man who has faced absent fatherhood, felonies, broken relationships, and now the painful reality of divorce and co-parenting.

In this episode of That Dope Dad, Don opens up about his past, the influence of his mother, raising three sons, rebuilding after mistakes, and why he believes he was born to be a father.

This is a conversation about redemption, presence, grace, and becoming the man your children need—even when your own story didn’t start that way.

IG: Don Singleton

https://www.instagram.com/donmega24/

IG: That Dope Dad

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST: Michael Hedgecock

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/

What happens when the little kids who once ran into your room for a hug suddenly don’t need you in the same way anymore?

In this episode of That Dope Dad, I sit down with Jeff Walker — Rhymecologist, father of 13-year-old twins, author, and creator — for a conversation about fatherhood, mindset, music, and one of the hardest parts of being a dad: watching your kids grow up.

The hugs aren’t as automatic. Dad isn’t always the first person they want to talk to. And Jeff is learning that sometimes being a father means loving your kids enough to give them room to become who they’re supposed to be.

We also get into Jeff’s belief that “Everything works out well for the Walkers,” the affirmations he spoke over his children every night, and the surreal experience of watching lyrics he wrote years earlier seemingly come to life — from his son hitting his first home run to his daughter earning a 4.0.

Because as Jeff puts it, the days can feel like a lifetime…but the years disappear in the blink of an eye.

This one is about presence, perspective, letting go, and appreciating the chapter you're in before the page turns.

Jeff Walker Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/rhymecology/

IG - That Dope Dad:

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST - Michael Hedgecock:

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/

In this episode of That Dope Dad, Michael sits down with Evans Pham — husband, runner, content creator, and new dad to his one-year-old son, Neo.

Evans opens up about growing up in a close-knit Vietnamese family, becoming a father, breaking generational patterns, and learning how to balance marriage, work, and being present at home. He also shares how losing his bulldog, Caesar, during the early months of fatherhood strengthened his family through an incredibly difficult season.

A conversation about fatherhood, consistency, sacrifice, and becoming the man you want your child to grow up watching.

IG - Evans Pham

https://www.instagram.com/ranwiththepham/

IG - That Dope Dad:

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST - Michael Hedgecock:

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/

Do Your Kids Know Their Way Home?

We grew up staring out the car window, learning the streets, watching the world go by, and figuring out how to be bored. Today, our kids can ride across town without ever looking up from a screen.

In this episode of That Dope Dad, we talk about what might be getting lost as technology becomes the entertainer, the teacher—and sometimes even the parent. Are we giving our kids incredible tools, or taking away some of the simple experiences that taught us awareness, imagination, patience, and independence?

Maybe it’s time to put the screens down, look out the window, and make sure our kids still know their way home.

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IG:

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST:

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/

What if becoming a father isn’t just about raising your child… but allowing your child to change you?

In this episode of That Dope Dad Podcast, Michael sits down with Austen Gravett for a raw conversation about fatherhood, identity, addiction, ambition, healing, and redefining what it means to be a strong man.

For years, Austen chased strength through fitness, business, achievement, and success. But after battling burnout, overcoming addiction, facing financial struggles, and becoming a father during one of the hardest seasons of his life, his definition of strength began to change.

Fatherhood taught him that his daughter doesn’t need the most successful version of him.

She needs the safest version of him.

A father who is present. A father who can regulate his emotions. A father who puts down the phone, gets on the floor, and understands that the ordinary moments may someday become the ones that mattered most.

We talk about breaking generational patterns, the pressure men feel to perform and provide, nervous system healing, walking away from status to choose family, and the powerful realization that our children often inherit how we make them feel long before they understand what we tell them.

Austen’s story is a reminder that our children don’t need perfect fathers.

They need fathers willing to heal. Willing to grow. Willing to be present.

And strong enough to become a safe place for the people they love.

This is fatherhood. This is growth. This is That Dope Dad.

IG - Austen Gravett

https://www.instagram.com/grav_fitt/

IG - That Dope Dad:

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST - Michael Hedgecock:

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/

Tism Talk | A Monthly Segment of That Dope Dad Podcast

Some parents are living a version of parenthood they never expected.

The appointments. The questions. The stares. The sleepless nights. The small victories that feel absolutely enormous. The fear of what happens when you're not there to protect them anymore.

And sometimes—the loneliness of wondering if anyone truly understands.

Tism Talk is for those parents.

Once a month, Michael Hedgecock and Will Adams sit down for raw, unfiltered conversations about autism, fatherhood, family, and the realities that don't always make it into the conversation.

We're not here because we have all the answers.

We're here because these families deserve to be heard. These parents deserve support. And these children deserve a world that works harder to understand them.

The hard days. The beautiful days. The breakthroughs. The battles. The love.

Nothing is off limits.

This is Tism Talk.

Because sometimes the most powerful thing you can hear is:

“We understand. You're not alone.”

Connect with Will:
https://linktr.ee/ThaVillagePodcast

Follow Us:

IG:

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST:

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/

Your family should feel stronger because you’re in their life—not drained by your presence.

In this episode of That Dope Dad, we talk about what it means to be a fountain: to pour encouragement, love, confidence, patience, and strength into the people who need you most.

Because as dads, our energy carries into our homes.

Pour into your family. Fill their cup. Be the fountain—not the drain.

Follow Us:

IG:

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST:

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/

Fatherhood has a way of bringing old wounds back to the surface—and giving us a chance to do something different with them.

In this episode of That Dope Dad Podcast, Michael sits down with Caleb Scott, father to Cohen, entrepreneur, and founder of the men’s outreach program ManDays, for an honest conversation about the man he came from and the dad he’s choosing to become.

Caleb opens up about growing up with a father whose incredible work ethic he admired, but whose volatility kept the family walking on eggshells.

He shares how his parents’ separation and his father’s infidelity shook him, how becoming a dad forced him to confront wounds he thought he had buried, and why he intentionally built his career around something more valuable than money: being present for his son.

Caleb also gets real about becoming a father unexpectedly during COVID, not feeling an immediate emotional connection with his newborn son, becoming a single dad, navigating a painful custody battle, and the difficulty of giving his son back every week.

But this isn’t a story about bitterness. It’s about breaking cycles, keeping your word, extending grace, and becoming the kind of father you wish you’d had.

Caleb Scott:

https://www.instagram.com/lift_heavy_love_heavier/

IG - That Dope Dad:

https://www.instagram.com/thatdopedad_podcast/

HOST - Michael Hedgecock:

https://www.instagram.com/michael_hedgecock/