Hey Podcast, in this episode I sit down with Rob Taylor who’s started a number of businesses, including 0114 Marketing, Plan Grow Do, and - Dads in Business. We talk about starting a business from redundancy, how having 3 boys is off-the-charts, and how Rob found himself hosting a global dad’s event at Amazon. I also ask Rob the million dollar question: Are dads our own worst enemy? I hope you enjoy.

Make sure to check out www.careerdad.co.uk for the latest articles on all things dad and work.

Content

• Starting a business from redundancy
• Doing what I felt a dad should be doing
• The Dad Gap
• A different business model for smaller businesses 
• The power of digital advertising
• Can dads be our own worst enemy?
• Running a dad’s event at Amazon
• The importance of “me time”
• The plan for Dads in Business

Check out Dads in Business: www.dadsinbusiness.co.uk

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Hey Podcast, in this episode I catch up with Leigh Spatcher, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist - or CBT - based in Northampton. Leigh shares his route to becoming a therapist, including bankruptcy and a relationship breakdown, as well as navigating being a therapist whilst also being a dad.

Oh, Leigh was also my therapist, which makes for an interesting chat. Hope you enjoy

Chapters

• Becoming a therapist: guilt and anxiety
• Opening a health club for kids
• Dealing with bankruptcy 
• Retraining, and being a “weekend dad”
• Being a therapist in the NHS
• The three types of therapists
• Three reasons I didn’t want to have therapy
• How being a therapist has impacted my parenting
• How to access therapy

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Meet Sam Avery - AKA The Learner Parent. Sam's an award-winning comedian, best-selling author, podcast host and - of course - Facebook Sensation, who is about to start his second UK Tour: Toddlergeddon.

Sam and I talk about finding humour in failure, how at 17 he found himself touring with Motorhead, his new UK comedy tour Toddlergeddon, and why Sam is passionate about passing on happiness to others. Enjoy.

You can find out more and buy tickets to Toddlergeddon, too.

Content

• The Learner Parent was born
• From touring with Motorhead to working in a NatWest branch
• The life of a stand-up comic
• Toddlergeddon
• Health and exercise on tour
• Passing on happiness
• What’s next?

Make sure to also check out www.careerdad.co.uk for the latest articles, podcasts and news.

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Shared Parental Leave - where the mum is able to give up some of her maternity leave to her partner - became a legal right in 2015. In theory, this made it much easier for dads to take additional leave from work and spend time with their child.

5 years on, and the take-up rate is pretty low. Like, 2% low. So if dads want to spend more time with their kids (hint: they do), and the law has changed to allow this (it has), and employers are offering it (they are)... what's the problem?

In this episode, Joe Young - Associate at Pinsent Masons - talks about his experience of taking 6 months Shared Parental Leave. As a high-flying litigation lawyer in The City, I wanted to find out how difficult it was for him to make this decision. How did the firm take it? What about his clients? And - most importantly - how did it go?

Make sure to check out Dad on SPL for more on Joe!

Contents

1. The ins and outs of Shared Parental Leave
2. Companies winning in this space
3. Equality in the workplace
4. Filling the time for 6 months
5. Being the only dad in the class
6. Stopping work for 6 months
7. Clients' reaction to SPL
8. How businesses need to adapt to stay relevant

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Hey Podcast! In this season wrap-up episode I thank everyone who’s supported the podcast, with a special shout out to my Patreon supporters. The fact people pay monthly just to show their appreciation for this podcast is amazing. You guys are awesome.

I also give a sneak peak into Season Two, talk about the #2020FlipChallenge, and also use my own experiences to cover the most common theme throughout the season: guilt. I hope you enjoy.

Contents

• Thank you
• A preview of Season 2
• #2020FlipChallenge and a love for flipping
• My experience with guilt
• Dealing with advice and judgement
• 2020: The year of happiness

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In the final episode of Season 1, Ian Moyse joins me to talk about the impact social media and technology is having on kids. What happens when the children grow up and may not want their image online? Could we see kids suing parents for data breech?

This is a really interesting episode, not least because Ian and I have different views on this. We also talk about whether the art of conversations between two humans is dying, and the importance of personal brand.

Contents

• Kids and technology: what do we do?
• Business etiquette: laptops in meetings
• The dying art of writing
• Communication and switching platforms
• Our kids' images are on social media because of us
• Personal branding

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The life of a contractor can sound really appealing. After all, some of those day rates are insane. But what about time off for family? Or holidays? Or sick leave? How do you find balance when you're paid a day rate... and those days may not be 9-5.

In "Contracting and 2 kids under 2", I speak with Ade who opens up what it's really like being a contractor, as well as having 2 boys under 2 years old. He's got some amazing advice on how to plan as a contractor, as well as for those thinking of making the leap from permanent employment.

Discussion

• 2 kids under 2
• Life of a contractor
• Being promoted in the contracting world
• Future planning: the 3-5 year strategy
• Working round the clock vs work-life balance
• Want to progress? Get the face time
• Making the jump from permanent to contracting
• At the base of the first summit with gender equality

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Ho Ho Ho... Merry Christmas! 'Tis the season of giving, and giving we shall: Ashley (from Episode 1) and Rowan (from Episode 6) join me for an un-edited hour of Dad Chat. Rowan is incredibly sceptical that anyone is going to listen to this over Christmas, so please help prove him wrong and give it a listen. It's great background noise for preparing a roast to. Caveat: there are some expletives... not one for the kids!

If you like Dad Chat please do let me know, as it's a format I'm keen to do more of in the future. In this Dad Chat we talk about:

- Co-sleeping: Sleep training, or buy a bigger bed?
- Discipline: How to get one-up on the little darlings
- Christmas: Surviving the family visits
- Activities: How many is too many?
- Gender-neutral toys?
- Musical instruments and sports

Enjoy!

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We've made it to episode 10! And who better to celebrate with than Michael.

When his daughter, Charlie, was 2 years old, Michael was waiting at the drop off point to meet Charlie's mum. She never turned up. For the last 6 years, Michael has been bringing up his daughter on his own. Oh, and did I mention Michael was 51 when this happened, and is an ex-bouncer, body builder and personal trainer?

Michael delves in to what it was like raising his daughter, fighting stereotypes, and also turning into a campaigner and reformer after being banned from Charlie's ballet school.

In this episode

• Raising my daughter as a single dad
• Purposefully staying single for 5 years
• Being really ill puts everything into perspective
• Sunday = Charlie’s Day
• How do you manage being a single dad? As a man?
• Going international: Getting banned from Charlie’s ballet concert
• Solo dad to public speaker, equality campaigner and reformer
• Setting kids up for success
• Hopes for the future

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Rich Jepson is a full time digital performance manager at On the Beach. He's also a published author. And a full time dad. In this episode, we talk about what it's like managing your side hustle alongside a 9-5, and making the decision to quit "the day job" to pursue dreams.

Rich also talks about his 18 month old son, Casey, who was 4 weeks premature and how he dealt with the uncertainty. This is a great episode looking at work, work, family, emotions and... hand puppets?

Overview

• Digital marketer by day, author by night
• Becoming a dad 4 weeks early
• Our issue with antenatal classes
• Full time job, full time side hustle, full time dad
• Wanting to be “happy go lucky”, and not being able to
• Talking about emotions
• Man 2.0: Are we ready for it?
• Taking the leap: quitting the 9-5

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