The Dad Edge Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Jason Reid — founder of Tell My Story Foundation, producer of the documentary films Tell My Story, What I Wish My Parents Knew, and Shift, author of seven books, Iron Man athlete, and a father who lost his 14-year-old son Ryan to suicide in 2018 while on vacation with his wife.

Jason was back for the second time on Dad Edge, and this conversation went somewhere neither of us expected. We open with AI — why the easy button is robbing kids of the growth that comes from struggle, and why an AI chatbot girlfriend who only says nice things is the most dangerous mental health threat facing kids right now.

We get into the warning signs parents miss, why the most at-risk kids often look like the quarterback or the cheerleader, and the clouds analogy that reframes everything about how you try to help a struggling kid. Jason is direct: stop trying to fix it. Ask about the clouds. Listen longer. And when they're ready to talk, they'll talk on their terms — almost always side by side, never face to face.

We also get into one of the most unconventional but practical parenting conversations this show has ever had: how to teach your kids to fight back with their words. Not their fists. Their words. It's called verbal self-defense — and it may be the most underrated gift a father can give his kid.

And then there's Shift — Jason's newest documentary about kids who protect their mental health by having a passion that's entirely their own. The message is simple and urgent: your kid needs an anchor. Help them find it before they need it most.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:04] Why AI is the new mental health boogeyman — and why the chatbot girlfriend is the most dangerous thing on a kid's phone right now

[4:15] You rob yourself of growth when you take the easy path — Jason's songwriting process and why the journey is the whole point

[7:34] AI will make you smarter or dumber — it's entirely about how you use it

[11:14] Introducing Jason Reid — founder of Tell My Story Foundation, back for the second time on Dad Edge

[12:02] What happened to Ryan — a 14-year-old son lost to suicide in 2018 while Jason and his wife were on vacation

[15:58] The choice Jason made — stay married, stay working, stay focused, and turn the pain into purpose

[16:20] Tell My Story on Amazon Prime, What I Wish My Parents Knew in schools, and Shift — three films born from one loss

[18:31] The warning signs parents miss — and why stopping the shower is often the first one to look for

[19:53] The most at-risk kids look like the quarterback and the cheerleader — not the dark quiet kid in the corner

[20:59] The clouds analogy — why telling your kid the sky is blue makes them stop talking

[21:51] Ask about the clouds. Ask how they look, how they feel, whether they come and go. Don't give advice first.

[23:30] Don't rush to your kid tonight and say "we need to talk about your mental health" — they will shut you out

[24:14] Kids talk on their terms — when it's inconvenient for you, side by side, never face to face

[26:40] Extend the talk — take the long way home, go for ice cream, keep moving so they keep talking

[30:55] Larry's experience being bullied — and what he battles as a dad when his kid faces the same thing

[32:28] Jason's counter-cultural advice: a bully will continue until your kid punches back — verbally or physically

[34:49] Teach your kids verbal self-defense — find the bully's insecurity and make it funny in front of everyone

[37:04] Brad Williams the dwarf comedian — and the greatest gift his dad gave him

[40:21] Coach them on their comeback lines before it happens again — because it will happen again

[45:30] Why kids today are under more pressure than any generation before — war, climate change, college costs, social media

[50:45] Shift — what the film is about and why every kid needs a passion that has nothing to do with school or friends

[53:20] Jason's Iron Man races — came in last every time and didn't care, because it was his thing

[54:14] What did you love doing as a kid that you stopped? — and why that question could change everything

[57:14] Larry and his 18-year-old learning guitar together — and why struggling alongside your kid is the whole point

Five Key Takeaways

1. An AI chatbot that only says nice things to your kid is not a friend — it's a dangerous distortion of reality. The real world is going to push back, and kids raised on pure affirmation won't be ready for it.
2. Don't tell a struggling kid the sky is blue. Ask them about the clouds. Ask how they look, how they feel, whether they come and go. You fix things in this space by listening, not advising.
3. Kids will talk on their terms — side by side, in the car, on a walk, when it's inconvenient for you. When they start talking, extend the moment. Don't race home.
4. Teach your kids verbal self-defense. A bully who gets laughed at stops. A bully whose insecurity gets named in front of everyone goes finds a different target. This is a skill you can practice at home.
5. Every kid needs an anchor — a passion that's entirely theirs, not school, not friends, not a screen. Help them find it before the dark season hits, because the kids who have it are the ones who make it through.

Links & Resources

• Tell My Story Foundation: https://www.tellmystory.org/
• Tell My Story documentary on Amazon Prime: Search "Tell My Story" on Amazon Prime
• Shift documentary — available through schools: https://tellmystory.org
• Songs for the Drive Home album: Available on Spotify and Apple Music — search "Songs for the Drive Home"
• Tell My Story conversation card deck: Available at https://www.tellmystory.org/cardgame
• Jason Reid's previous Dad Edge episode (June 2023): https://thedadedge.com
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1478): https://thedadedge.com/1478

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: your kid needs an anchor — and they need you to help them find it before they need it most.

Jason Reid lost his son Ryan in 2018. He didn't see it coming. And he spent the next seven years turning that loss into the most important work of his life — so other parents don't have to stand where he stood.

Ask about the clouds. Take the long way home. Teach them to fight back with words. And help them find their thing.

Because the kids who have something to wake up for are the ones who make it through.

Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, Larry and Uncle Joe tackle one of the most relatable questions any sports dad has ever asked — what do you do when the environment your kid is playing in is toxic, and it's breaking his spirit?

The question comes from Mike — a dad of two boys whose 11-year-old has recently had his love for baseball crushed by the culture of travel sports. The kid is now telling himself he's not good enough and that quitting is the answer. Mike is doing the work, modeling emotional regulation at home, and feeling like an imposter because none of it seems to be helping.

Larry shares his own story of pushing his son too hard in wrestling, learning to let him lead, and watching him play football for ten years before deciding on his own to walk away. Joe drops an ancient Chinese archery proverb that reframes the entire conversation — and explains why the need to win literally drains a kid of every skill he has. Alliance member Calvin adds a coach's perspective on getting to the root of what's really going on with your son.

This is a short, punchy, deeply practical episode that every sports dad needs to hear — especially if you've ever wondered whether the investment of time and money in travel sports is actually worth it.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:02] Mike's question: my 11-year-old's spirit is being broken by travel baseball's toxic culture — what do I do?

[3:47] Larry's wrestling story — getting excited about a scholarship, pushing too hard, and learning to follow his son's lead

[6:26] Dr. John Delany's take: travel sports is ruining the dinner table of the American family

[7:37] The stats — only 1.5% of kids who play youth sports will play in college

[9:03] How kids start attaching their identity to their performance — and why that's dangerous

[11:47] Whatever you start, you finish — the Hagner family rule and why it matters

[12:32] The hockey coach who got kicked out of games three times — and the son who never played hockey again

[13:41] 82% of kids quit a sport because of the coach — not the sport itself

[15:33] Joe's ancient Chinese archery proverb — when an archer shoots for nothing, he has all of his skill

[16:39] Why travel ball brings out the worst in parents — the lottery mindset and the toxicity that follows

[17:12] If you play for somebody else's approval, you play half the game you would have played

[17:45] Be the anti-venom — how to show up as the most positive presence in the stands

[20:25] Calvin's perspective — get down to his level, ask the real questions, and watch how he shows up at practice

[22:14] Mike's takeaway — finish the season, support his decision, and help him find his football whatever that looks like

Five Key Takeaways

1. Only 1.5% of kids who play youth sports will play in college. Before you invest five figures a year in travel sports, ask yourself who this is really for — your kid or you.
2. When a child's identity gets attached to their performance, and the environment around them is relentless and critical, they don't just quit the sport — they start believing they aren't good enough at life.
3. Whatever you start, you finish. Let your kid know you support whatever they decide when the season is done — but the commitment they made to the team matters and they're going to honor it.
4. The need to win drains a player of every skill they have. When a kid stops playing for the love of it and starts playing for approval, they play half the game they're capable of.
5. You can't insulate your kids from toxic environments — but you can be the anti-venom. Be the most positive person in those stands, speak life into every kid, and let your son see what that looks like.

Links & Resources

• Dad Edge Alliance: https://thedadedge.com/alliance
• Dad Edge Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/boardroom
• Dad Edge Youth Sports Resources: https://thedadedge.com/tag/youth-sports/
• Dad Edge Youth Athletics Resources: https://thedadedge.com/tag/youth-athletics/
• Using Sports to Strengthen Father-Child Bonds: https://thedadedge.com/using-sports-to-strengthen-father-child-bonds-life-lessons
• Coaching Kids: https://thedadedge.com/coaching-kids/
• Greg Olsen Episode — Marriage Under Pressure: https://thedadedge.com/marriage-under-pressure-weathering-lifes-hardest-storms-featuring-greg-olsen/
• How to Build a Non-Anxious Life by Dr. John Delony: Available on Amazon
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1477): https://thedadedge.com/1477

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the goal of youth sports was never the scholarship — it was the lesson.

The kids who look back and love what sports gave them aren't the ones who made it to college or the pros. They're the ones who had a coach who believed in them, a parent who cheered for effort instead of outcomes, and a teammate who made them laugh on the bench eating Big League Chew.

Be the anti-venom. Finish the season. And let your kid find their football.

Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, I sit down with Pierre Mousseau — entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author of From the Ashes: A Father's Journey Through Grief, Grace, and Faith. This is one of the most extraordinary, raw, and spiritually powerful conversations this show has ever had.

Pierre grew up with a severely alcoholic and mentally abusive father, was molested at 11, slept on the streets at 17, and was kicked out of his home at 19. He built himself into an entrepreneur, a husband, and a father. And then his son Parker — sweet, joyful, endlessly loving Parker — was taken from him at 21 years old after a catastrophic bowel emergency, five surgeries, and seven weeks in the ICU. Pierre made the decision to remove him from life support.

Five months later, with his company collapsing and the grief unbearable, Pierre got into his car at full speed aimed at a maple tree. He should have died that day. He didn't.

What follows is one of the most extraordinary stories of faith, forgiveness, and divine intervention you will ever hear — from the church he walked into while still hating God, to the deacon whose homily that Sunday was about losing a child, to the moment in the shower when something held him and everything changed.

This episode will stop you in your tracks. And it will remind you to hug your kids today.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:02] Pierre's childhood — alcoholic and abusive father, bullied at school, Spider-Man comics as his only escape

[5:33] Moving in with a drug-addicted uncle at 17, sleeping on the streets, and nobody noticing he was gone

[7:44] Being molested at 11 — and the family that never did anything about it

[8:31] Driving four hours to see his dying father determined to tell him everything — and what actually happened instead

[10:41] Saying "I forgive you" at his father's bedside — and still carrying the hatred for years after

[15:51] Introducing Pierre — entrepreneur, speaker, and author of From the Ashes

[17:30] Who Parker was — how he loved, what made him extraordinary, and the boy who still believed in Santa Claus at 14

[21:30] The phone call from the hospital — and the doctor who said "I don't know what happened but his bowel is pink"

[23:33] Seven weeks in the ICU, ICU delirium, and the decision Pierre had to make

[25:39] "I felt like I murdered my child" — the guilt that followed Pierre for years

[32:18] The hardest decision he has ever made — and why he couldn't keep Parker alive for himself

[38:02] Five months after Parker's death, the company collapsed — and on a Saturday morning Pierre got in his car to end his life

[39:09] Heading for a maple tree at full speed — and what stopped him

[40:44] Eleven months of hating God — and the Sunday morning he suddenly drove to church

[41:21] Walking into mass on the homily about losing a child — and sobbing until the woman beside him put her hand on his shoulder

[43:52] Meeting Deacon Curtis, the grief retreat, Parker's orange tag, and the text that said "I think Parker is trying to tell you something"

[47:30] In the shower in March 2025 — the purple light, the arms that held him, and the love that changed everything

[51:14] Strength is not pushing through — strength is vulnerability, asking for help, and being willing to say "this sucks"

[52:38] The keynote at the convent and the woman with a cane who walked up at the end without one

[56:47] The man in the steam room bashing his kids — and what Pierre said that silenced the room

Five Key Takeaways

1. Forgiveness is not a feeling — it's a decision you make before the feeling follows. Pierre said the words at his father's bedside before he was ready. The release came years later.
2. Grief and guilt will destroy you if you carry them alone. The bravest thing Pierre did wasn't surviving the worst moments — it was finally saying "I need help" and meaning it.
3. Strength is not pushing through. Strength is vulnerability. Strength is allowing yourself to cry, to feel, to say this is hard, and to ask for another man to come alongside you.
4. You never know when the moments will be gone. Cherish the ordinary ones — the arcade nights, the couch cuddles, the conversations that start after midnight. Parker would tell you that.
5. God meets you in your most broken moment — not when you've cleaned yourself up. Pierre was still hating God when he walked through that church door. It didn't matter.

Links & Resources

• Dad Edge Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/boardroom
• From the Ashes by Pierre Mousseau: Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Books, and Walmart
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1476): https://thedadedge.com/1476

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: hug your kids today. Not tomorrow. Today.

Pierre Mousseau lost the most loving person he had ever known. And what he has done with that loss — the book, the keynotes, the moment in the steam room, the woman who walked without her cane — is one of the most beautiful things we have ever witnessed on this show.

Don't let another day go by without telling the people who matter most that you love them.

Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Leonard Kaufman — board certified urologist and men's health physician with 25 years of experience practicing in South Florida. Dr. Kaufman specializes in urology, hormonal health, sexual health, and preventative men's health care, and he brings a level of warmth, honesty, and clinical depth to this conversation that you won't find anywhere else.

We cover a lot of ground — from why reactive health care is costing men years of quality life, to what erectile dysfunction is really telling you about your cardiovascular health, to the TRT conversation every man in his 30s and 40s needs to hear before he walks into one of those clinics and shuts off his own fertility without knowing it.

But this is not just a clinical episode. Dr. Kaufman is 33 years married, dad of three, and one of the most genuinely human guests we've had on this show. We talk about the deli where he met his wife in medical school, what 33 years of a real marriage actually looks like, how to build a home where your kids feel safe enough to tell you anything, and what his wife's early loss of her mother taught them both about not wasting time.

If you've been putting off that appointment — this episode is the nudge you need.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:02] Reactivity vs. proactivity — why waiting until something is broken is costing men their lives

[2:09] What Dr. Kauffman sees when men come in too late — prostate cancer, ED as a cardiovascular warning sign, and diabetes

[4:14] How Viagra accidentally revolutionized men's health — and why men started showing up to doctors for the first time

[7:27] Dr. Kaufman's background — board certified urologist, 25 years, fellowship in male infertility and andrology, MBA in Health Management

[9:00] How he met his wife Cindy — a deli, a list of phone numbers, and a blind date that turned into 33 years

[11:52] The non-negotiables of a long marriage — trust, transparency, communication, and shared values

[13:49] Seen, heard, and safe — the three things a woman and your kids need to feel in your home

[16:29] Vulnerability is not weakness in marriage — it's the foundation of real trust and real connection

[19:49] What men most commonly come to Dr. Kaufman for — ED, low testosterone, and prostate health

[32:00] ED is the canary in the coal mine — penile arteries are the first to show restricted blood flow, which means something else is coming

[33:36] Diet talk — why extreme diets backfire and what a urologist actually recommends for men's health

[38:45] The labs every man should be getting — ApoB, cholesterol panel, PSA, and why most men aren't being fully evaluated

[42:07] Total testosterone vs. free testosterone — what the current guidelines actually say

[43:15] Why getting a testosterone baseline in your 30s is one of the smartest proactive health moves you can make

[44:17] Clomid as an off-label option — how it helps men produce their own testosterone instead of shutting the system down

[45:06] The risks of walking into a TRT clinic without proper evaluation — fertility, blood thickness, PSA changes, and chasing a number that may not fix anything

[51:10] Prolactin — what it is, why it matters, and what a high level could actually mean for your brain

Five Key Takeaways

1. Proactive health care is not weakness — it's how you stay around for your kids and grandkids. The men who wait until something is broken are the ones who look back and say "I should have come in a year ago."
2. Erectile dysfunction is not just a bedroom problem. It's a cardiovascular warning sign. The smallest arteries in your body are affected first — and that means something bigger is building downstream.
3. Before you walk into a TRT clinic, get a full workup from a qualified urologist. Young men are unknowingly shutting off their sperm production and permanently altering their pituitary axis without realizing it.
4. Stop chasing the number. A man at 500 who feels great doesn't need to be pushed to 1,000. How you feel matters more than the number on the lab result.
5. Safety is the foundation of everything — in your marriage and with your kids. When the people you love feel safe to bring you anything, it changes everything.

Links & Resources

• First Form Microfactor: https://1stphorm.com/products/micro-factor/?a_aid=dadedge
• First Form Level 1 Protein Powder: https://1stphorm.com/products/level-1/?a_aid=dadedge
• Dr. Leonard Kaufman's office: (954) 228-0924
• Find Dr. Kaufman via MVP Men's Health: Search "Dr. Leonard Kaufman" at mvpmensclinic.com https://www.mdvip.com/doctors/leonardkaufmanmd
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1475): https://thedadedge.com/1475

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: your health is not just about you — it's about being around for the people who need you most.

Dr. Kaufman has spent 25 years watching men come in too late. Not because they didn't care, but because they were raised to believe that going to the doctor was weak. It's not weak. It's one of the most important acts of leadership a man can make.

Get the labs. Know your numbers. And build the kind of home where the people you love feel safe enough to tell you the truth — because that's exactly what your doctor needs from you too.

Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, Larry and Uncle Joe are back for another live Wednesday Q&A with real men from the Dad Edge Alliance — and this one hits on two of the most common struggles we hear from men: a marriage in repair mode that's sending confusing signals, and a hot-tempered nine-year-old that nobody knows how to reach.

The first question comes from Jimmy — a man whose wife gave him a 90-day ultimatum, who has been doing the work, and who is now completely confused by what's happening. She's been affectionate. Then she's not. Then she pulls back and says no more physical contact. Is it over? Should he give up? Joe and Larry speak into this with the kind of wisdom that only comes from having lived it — including Joe's own experience with physical contact happening and then the wall going right back up, and Larry's stock market analogy that every man in a marriage repair season needs to hear.

The second question comes from Mark — a teacher and dad of three whose nine-year-old middle child has a hair-trigger temper that seems to come out of nowhere. Joe drops one of the most memorable pieces of wisdom this show has ever heard about what anger in a young boy actually means, what's running underneath it, and how to find the magma before it erupts. Larry adds his own raw, honest story about his ten-year-old Colton — a family meeting he called, the guilt he took full ownership of, and what it means when the softest voice in your family has to fight just to be heard.

Joe closes with a Solomon quote that stops the whole room cold.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:02] Larry and Joe open the Q&A — May is here, and the Alliance Bible study group gets a shoutout

[5:28] Jimmy's question: my wife gave me a 90-day ultimatum, I've been doing the work, she's been affectionate — then suddenly pulled back and said no more physical contact. Is it over?

[8:59] Joe's answer: she doesn't feel safe yet — the narrative justifying the divorce is still running, and physical contact is cracking it open in a way that terrifies her

[11:47] The mistake Joe made — trying to use physical contact to manipulate the situation back to his side

[13:18] It ain't over until you say you're done trying — Joe's message to Jimmy

[16:23] Larry's answer: the EKG pattern — she softens, pulls back, softens, pulls back. This is not failure. This is repair.

[18:00] The stock market analogy — marriage repair is not a straight line, and the only thing that crashes it is when the man stops doing the work

[21:47] Have the clarifying conversation — if you initiate, what do you want from me? Get clear so the lines stop getting blurred

[24:49] Do the work for you, not for her — and don't be needy. That standoffish groundedness is what actually draws her back.

[27:45] Core values as a filter — Awesome's answer on staying congruent when everything feels chaotic

[30:15] Mark's question: my nine-year-old middle child has an explosive temper and I don't know how to reach him

[33:24] Joe's answer: middle kids often don't feel seen or heard — and a hot temper at nine means there is a river of rage running just under the surface. Find out what's feeding it.

[35:47] What drove Joe's youngest son's anger — self-image struggles and the "am I good enough" question that lives in every boy

[37:15] Larry's answer: go in soft, go in curious, and do it shoulder to shoulder — not nose to nose

[39:10] The family meeting Larry called about Colton — taking full ownership and asking everyone to do better

[42:04] Colton is the softest voice in the family and he's always fighting to be heard — and that has to change

[45:07] Joe drops Solomon — the power of life and death is in the tongue. Speak the behavior you want to see.

[47:33] The 45-second greeting rule — and why how you welcome your kid home sets the tone for everything that follows

Five Key Takeaways

1. Marriage repair is not a straight line — it's the stock market. She will soften and pull back over and over. The only thing that crashes it is when you stop doing the work.
2. If she says no physical contact, have the clarifying conversation. Honor her request — and ask what happens if she initiates. Getting clarity is not weakness. It's leadership.
3. Do the work for you, not for her. The groundedness of a man who keeps growing regardless of her response is one of the most attractive things a woman can witness.
4. A hot temper in a young boy is never just a temper. There is something running underneath it — usually tied to self-image, feeling unseen, or something happening at school that he doesn't have the words to explain yet.
5. The power of life and death is in the tongue. If you want a certain behavior out of somebody — speak that behavior into them. Your words become self-fulfilling prophecies.

Links & Resources

• Dad Edge Alliance: https://thedadedge.com/alliance
• No More Mr. Nice Guy by Dr. Robert Glover: Available on Amazon
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1474): https://thedadedge.com/1474

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the softest voice in your family deserves to be heard — and the words you speak over your kids and your wife are either building something or tearing it down.

Joe said it best. Solomon said it first. The power of life and death is in the tongue. Speak the behavior you want to see. Speak life into the people who need it most.

And if you're Jimmy right now — don't give up. It ain't over until you say it is.

Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, I sit down with Brandon Webb — Navy SEAL, former head instructor of the Navy SEAL Sniper Course, New York Times bestselling author of twelve books, and now the author of a brand new parenting book called Puddle Jumpers, releasing May 12th.

Brandon's story starts where most men's don't — kicked off the family sailboat at 16 in the South Pacific after a blowup with his dad, finding a boat headed to Hawaii, and navigating his way into the Navy and eventually SEAL Team Three. But what makes this conversation extraordinary is watching a man who trained the most elite warriors on the planet — including some of the legends you already know — apply that same performance psychology to raising his three kids.

We dig into what performance psychology actually is, why the sniper school's failure rate dropped to nearly zero when they stopped pointing out mistakes and started painting the picture of what to do instead, and how Brandon built that same positive reinforcement framework into how he parents. We also get into the moment his daughter humbled him while he was writing Puddle Jumpers — telling him that because he was their untouchable Navy SEAL hero, she never felt like it was okay to fail.

We swap shoplifting stories, talk about the power of getting to the why before you drop the hammer, why boys between 12 and 15 are standing at a fork in the road that can go either way, and why asking better questions on a one on one trip unlocks conversations that would never happen face to face at home.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:02] Getting kicked off a sailboat at 16 in the South Pacific — and what his dad actually taught him

[3:21] From deckhand at 13 to SEAL Team Three — and the book that made him think he could do it

[7:29] Class 215 — graduating with Mike Ritland and serving with Eric Davis

[9:20] Brandon's full background — SEAL, sniper instructor, NYT bestselling author, and now Puddle Jumpers

[11:12] Why the book is called Puddle Jumpers — the mud puddle moment that became a philosophy

[13:28] What performance psychology actually is — and why Brandon integrated it into the sniper program

[17:22] The three pillars: mental rehearsal, self-talk, and positive reinforcement versus negative reinforcement

[18:41] Why saying "stop flinching" programs failure — and what to say instead

[21:17] The sniper school failure rate dropped to near zero — and what that taught him about his own kids

[22:26] Why Brandon left the SEALs at his peak — and what the broken families around him told him about his own future

[27:23] Consequences without the belt — wall squats, push ups, and eventually the iPhone

[29:52] Owning your mistakes as a parent builds more credibility than never making them

[33:05] What made him write a parenting book — his kids impressing people at Harvard Business School

[34:19] Don't come home with a wallet full of money and a house full of strangers — the billionaire with three kids in addiction

[37:01] The 12 to 15 fork in the road — why boys in that liminal space need a present, intentional dad

[39:23] The seventh grade spiral — selling pot gummies, ordering Uber Eats to the principal's office, and what was really going on underneath

[41:27] Ask why seven times — and the teacher who publicly humiliated his son and started the whole thing

[43:42] Pull him out, take his side, change the environment — and the coach's email that said everything

[44:33] His daughter's answer when he asked what he'd done differently — and why being the untouchable SEAL hero was actually a problem

[48:42] Shoplifting, a Sonic parking lot, and the real reason his son did it — peer pressure and not knowing who his friends were

[54:11] Kids open up in cars, on bikes, on walks — never face to face

[54:41] One on one trips every year — and the two questions at dinner in New York that lasted two and a half hours

[58:40] What his daughter said in Lisbon — and why creating a home they want to come back to is one of the most underrated parenting moves

Five Key Takeaways

1. Stop pointing out mistakes and start painting the picture of what to do instead. Telling a kid what not to do programs them for failure. Tell them where to put their attention — not what to avoid.
2. Owning your mistakes as a parent isn't weakness — it's the most credible thing you can do. Your kids will model ownership and accountability because they watched you do it first.
3. Boys between 12 and 15 are at a fork in the road. If they don't feel supported during that season, you can push them in a direction that takes years to correct. Get to the why before you drop the hammer.
4. Being the untouchable hero in your kid's life can quietly teach them that failing isn't okay. Share your struggles. It gives them permission to have their own.
5. The quality of your relationship with your kids depends on the quality of the questions you ask. "How was your day" is a dead end. Ask something real — and ask it in a car, on a walk, or somewhere that takes the pressure off.

Links & Resources

• Dad Edge Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/boardroom
• Puddle Jumpers by Brandon Webb — releases May 12th: Available on Amazon
• Brandon Webb's website and all socials: https://brandontylerwebb.com
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1473): https://thedadedge.com/1473

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the most dangerous thing you can do as a dad is be so good at everything that your kids are afraid to fail in front of you.

Brandon Webb trained the most elite warriors in the world. He wrote twelve books. He sailed across the South Pacific at 16. And his daughter had to look him in the eye and tell him that his greatness made her feel like failure wasn't allowed.

That's the lesson. Not the SEALs. Not the snipers. The puddle jumper — the kid who jumps in the mud because he hasn't been told yet that he shouldn't.

Raise more of those.

Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, I sit down with Adam Adler — Charleston-based founder, private equity investor, and dad of two — and his ten-year-old daughter Isla, who is not just the inspiration behind their app Wyzly but an active co-founder and integral part of the business. Yes, you read that right. A ten-year-old co-founded a company. And when you hear the idea, you'll understand why.

At seven years old, Isla asked a simple question: what if kids could earn screen time by learning first? That question became Wyzly — a learn-to-earn platform that ends daily screen time battles without punishment, restriction, or power struggles. Instead of ripping the device away, Wyzly locks the apps and gives kids 5 to 10 curriculum-aligned questions to answer — specific to their grade, school, and school district — before the device unlocks. The whole thing takes about five minutes. The bunny runs across the screen, and the apps open back up.

We dig into what too much screen time is actually doing to kids' brains, why the lock-and-block method always fails, and why giving kids the power to earn their own screen time changes everything. We also cover how the parent portal works, how Wyzly compares to Bark, and what's coming next — including avatars, brand partnerships, and Android.

Larry has been using it with his 10 and 12 year old and it's already changing behavior, reducing anxiety, and eliminating the daily battle.

Use code DAD20 when you download Wyzly for 20% off the $6.99 monthly membership.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:02] Meet Isla — ten-year-old competitive gymnast, co-founder, and the brains behind Wyzly

[4:24] Adam's background — private equity investor, founder, and dad of two girls

[8:22] The idea that started it all — a seven-year-old's question that no app had ever answered

[13:06] Why Adam went looking for the app in the App Store first — and what he found

[15:48] Larry's firsthand experience using Wyzly with his 10 and 12 year old — and what changed

[16:21] Two plus years building a category that didn't exist — and thousands of downloads in 60 days

[19:44] How Wyzly actually works — what the device does, how the bunny unlocks the screen, and why kids love it

[21:14] What makes it different — curriculum and school district specific questions powered by their own AI

[23:03] How many questions, how long it takes, and what happens when you get them wrong

[27:45] Why Wyzly flips the script — from power struggle to collaboration

[29:12] Available now for kindergarten through sixth grade — and what's coming next

[31:20] What too much screen time is actually doing to kids' brains — from Isla and Adam's firsthand experience

[35:07] The data Wyzly is collecting on brain breaks and how they're helping kids regulate better

[38:36] How Wyzly compares to Bark — and the key difference in the learn-to-earn model

[41:03] No Family Sharing required — scan a QR code and it works instantly

[47:34] Isla's next big idea inside the app — customizable avatars earned through points, with brand partnerships coming

Five Key Takeaways

1. The lock-and-block method doesn't work. Ripping away a device causes rage and resentment — it doesn't teach kids anything. Giving kids the ability to earn their screen time changes the entire dynamic from power struggle to collaboration.
2. Too much uninterrupted screen time changes your child's behavior, attitude, and anxiety levels — and most parents can see it clearly but don't have a sustainable tool to address it.
3. A five-minute learning break before screen time is not a punishment. It's a speed bump — and kids who earn their time actually look forward to the process rather than resenting the restriction.
4. School district and grade-specific AI-powered questions mean your child is reinforcing exactly what they're learning in school right now — not generic content that may or may not be relevant.
5. Giving kids ownership changes everything. When a child earns their own screen time, they don't need to run to mom or dad and beg. The battle disappears because the child is empowered.

Links & Resources

• Download Wyzly on the App Store: https://www.wyzly.app/ — use code DAD20 for 20% off the $6.99/month membership
• Wyzly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wyzly.app/
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1472): https://thedadedge.com/1472

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the screen time battle in your house doesn't have to be a battle at all.

A seven-year-old saw the problem clearly and asked the right question. What if kids could earn it instead of just have it taken away? Three years later, that question is a real app, changing real behavior in real homes — including Larry's.

Download Wyzly, use code DAD20 for 20% off, and let your kids earn it.

Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, I sit down with Bill and Danielle Beer — a married couple of 20 years, parents of five, and one of the most genuinely connected pairs we've ever had on this show. Bill is a physician and Dad Edge Alliance member of four and a half years. Danielle is a former military spouse, internal processor, and the kind of woman who quietly holds everything together while pushing her husband to go take care of himself.

Their story starts in college — Bill surviving leukemia at 16, making his own treatment decisions to preserve his fertility, and then secretly applying to the cancer camp where Danielle was a counselor. That same dock where they had their first kiss is where Bill proposed three years later. Twenty years and five kids later, they're still building — and they're willing to talk about all of it.

We get into what Bill was actually like before the Alliance — the poking, the picking fights when he needed connection but didn't have the vocabulary, the "happy wife happy life" mentality taken to such an extreme that Danielle stopped sharing hard days because she didn't want to be the reason Bill felt like he was failing. We talk about the weekly marriage meeting, ballroom dancing as a date night game changer, why they go to counseling when nothing is broken, and the moment Bill's 16-year-old daughter looked at him at the grocery store and said "your needs matter, dad."

This one is warm, funny, real, and deeply practical.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:02] What Bill was looking for when he joined the Alliance — and the nudge Danielle gave him

[6:33] Bill's leukemia diagnosis at 16 and the treatment decision he made to preserve his fertility

[11:39] How they met at a cancer camp — and how Bill secretly applied after their first conversation

[12:37] The dock proposal — same spot as their first kiss, fake run, hidden photographer

[15:47] 20 years married, five kids, and a surprise trip to Hawaii Bill planned entirely himself

[24:13] The moment Bill heard something in the group that Danielle had said for years — and why it landed differently

[27:30] What poking and picking fights actually was — Bill seeking connection without the vocabulary to ask for it

[29:51] Happy wife happy life taken too far — how it created pressure on Danielle and closed her off

[33:37] The shift from avoiding divorce to asking "how do I actually want to be married?"

[36:16] The weekly marriage meeting — appreciations, needs, big three, then logistics

[38:07] Larry and Jessica in counseling right now — not because something is broken, but because the season demands it

[40:38] Ballroom dancing as recreational intimacy — and why going even when you're annoyed always works

[44:15] What Danielle finds most attractive about how Bill has evolved

[46:11] Bill's people-pleasing taken to the extreme — and the day his 16-year-old daughter said "your needs matter, dad"

[52:50] What they're most excited about for the next 20 years — and the four-year-old who starts every dinner with appreciations

Five Key Takeaways

1. Your wife can't be your only outlet. When she carries everything you can't process, she runs out of capacity — and eventually stops sharing her own hard days because she doesn't want to be the reason you feel like you're failing.
2. Happy wife happy life taken too far puts undue pressure on your spouse to perform happiness for your peace of mind. Happy spouse, happy house — everybody's needs matter, including yours.
3. The shift from avoiding divorce to intentionally building a marriage changes everything. Stop asking "are we okay?" and start asking "how do I actually want to be married?"
4. Recreational intimacy — doing something physical or creative together before a date — puts connection on steroids. The conversation that follows feels completely different than sitting down cold.
5. Your needs matter. When a man learns to take care of himself, he comes back better every single time — for his wife, his kids, and everyone around him.

Links & Resources

• Dad Edge Alliance & Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/mastermind
• The Men's Forge: https://themensforge.com
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1471): https://thedadedge.com/1471

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: marriage and fatherhood are learnable skills — and it is never too late to start learning them.

Bill Beer survived cancer at 16, spent the first decade of his marriage white-knuckling happiness for everyone around him, and then decided to go do the work. And what Danielle noticed wasn't a different man — it was more of the man she fell in love with on that dock.

That's the goal. Not perfection. Not arriving. Just more of who you actually are, showing up more consistently, for the people who matter most.

Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, I sit down with Doug Boneparth — CFP, founder of Bona Fide Wealth, CNBC and Investopedia financial advisory council member, co-author of Money Together with his wife Heather, and one of the most refreshingly honest voices on money, marriage, and family I've ever had on this show.

We open with a fact that stops most people cold: billionaires get divorced at the exact same rate as everyone else. More money does not solve the problem. The problem is the practice — or the complete lack of one.

Doug breaks down why money fights in marriage are almost never actually about money. They're about the stories, traumas, and scripts we bring into the relationship from our upbringing — the dinner table conversations we absorbed as kids, the financial trauma we never talked about, and the values we've never stopped to examine. He shares his own story of a scarcity mindset rooted in coming home at 16 to find his mom sitting on a bare floor — and how not sharing that story with your spouse quietly poisons your financial partnership.

We get into the quarterly money date, the invisible labor problem, why "just tell me what to do" is not helpful, what fairness really means in a marriage, and how to teach your kids about money through curiosity instead of shame.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:02] Billionaires divorce at the same rate as everyone else — and what that tells us about money and marriage

[6:28] Why financial literacy in schools is still nowhere near where it needs to be

[10:52] "Mom goes on that train every morning so we can have fun on the weekends" — how to explain work to a four-year-old

[14:06] The self work that comes before the teamwork — understanding your own money story first

[18:52] Larry's story — coming home at 16 to a bare floor, a devastated mom, and a scarcity mindset 35 years in the making

[22:51] You don't do this once — financial alignment takes consistent practice, like the gym

[24:46] The quarterly money date — what it covers, how to do it, and why it changes everything

[27:29] If a financial expert and an attorney couldn't get this right without doing the work — what chance does everyone else have?

[31:51] Never bring up money during family rush hour — time and place matter more than you think

[36:37] Teaching kids to spend — why Doug let his daughter buy junk and then got curious instead of critical

[38:47] How a spring break lanyard project turned into a mini business

[43:34] Making space for your partner to learn differently — the whiteboard that finally worked

[45:04] The invisible labor problem — the sock on the stairs that Doug stepped over while laughing at his phone

[46:16] "Just tell me what to do" is not help — own a task beginning to end

[51:33] Where is the US dollar going — and why investing to outpace inflation is non-negotiable

[53:01] The financial foundation: spending awareness, a cash reserve, and consistent asset accumulation

Five Key Takeaways

1. Billionaires get divorced at the same rate as everyone else. More money does not solve misalignment. The practice of communicating about money is what makes the difference.
2. Your money story was formed long before you met your partner. Until you understand where your scripts, fears, and triggers come from, you will keep bringing them into your financial conversations without knowing it.
3. The quarterly money date is not optional. It is how you stay aligned on time, energy, spending, and what's working — before small frictions become big fights.
4. "Just tell me what to do" is not help. Own a task from beginning to end. Taking the mental load off your spouse means they never have to think about that domain — not just execute when assigned.
5. Equal is not fair. Fairness is whatever you and your partner have actually talked about, agreed on, and checked in about consistently. Without the conversation, there is no fairness — just resentment.

Links & Resources

• Dad Edge Alliance & Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/mastermind
• Money Together by Doug and Heather Boneparth: https://readmoneytogether.com
• Bona Fide Wealth: https://bonafidewealth.com
• The Joint Account Newsletter: https://readthejointaccount.com
• Follow Doug on X: @DougBoneparth
• Fair Play by Eve Rodsky: Available on Amazon
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1470): https://thedadedge.com/1470

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the money conversation in your marriage is not about the numbers — it's about the stories you've never told each other.

Doug and Heather are a financial expert and an attorney who still had to do the hard work to get their own financial partnership right. If they needed the practice, so do you.

Start the conversation. Build the practice. Own a domain. Take 30 seconds before you respond.

Because a financially aligned marriage isn't just good for your bank account — it's good for your kids, your partnership, and the life you're actually trying to build together.

Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, Larry opens the doors of a live Dad Edge Alliance Q&A featuring neuroscience expert and brain coach Ashleigh Di Lello. This is a rare look behind the curtain at what actually happens inside the Alliance — real men, real questions, and real breakthroughs in real time.

Ashleigh was told she was going to die at 13. She learned to walk again three times. And when a catastrophic hip surgery in 2017 left her in chronic pain and facing the possibility of never walking again, she decided to stop trying to control her body and start studying her brain instead. What she discovered — and has since spent seven years coaching others through — is a comprehensive, neuroscience-based process for rewiring the patterns, beliefs, and self-critical voices that keep men stuck.

The men in this Q&A ask the questions most of us never say out loud: how do I quiet the inner critic at 61? How do I build resilience when my business is falling apart? How do I help my perfectionist daughter without making it worse? And what does it actually mean to feel your emotions without losing your identity as a man?

Ashleigh answers every one of them — and the conversation goes places you won't expect.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities

[1:02] The quiet, sinister nature of negative self-chatter — and why morning affirmations aren't enough

[3:26] Ashleigh's story — told she would die at 13, three hip surgeries, learning to walk again, and turning it all into a neuroscience-based brain rewiring practice

[5:13] Ashleigh opens the Q&A — the brain's mechanisms are the same for all of us and can become our greatest asset

[8:20] Jason's question: 61 years old, raised to suppress feelings, bullied in school — how do I quiet the inner critic now?

[10:35] You are not either strong or weak — you are both. The human experience is contrast.

[12:15] Self-criticism locks up the neural synapses — why the brain cannot change long-term through shame

[13:47] The writing exercise — ten minutes, throw it away, slow the brain down and finally hear yourself

[16:26] Speaking to your brain instead of letting your brain speak to you — and why micro-action is what changes the operating system

[19:40] Larry shares his own moment — sitting down after his interview with Ashleigh in tears, writing down every cruel thing he was telling himself

[21:09] Chris's question: how does your process actually work from start to finish?

[22:15] The 12-week process — identifying, processing out, then rewiring. You can't skip the first half.

[23:43] What isn't expressed is suppressed — and the brain holds on to it

[28:24] Why men are more prone to addiction — shame activates the brain's alarm system and it will always find an outlet

[31:10] Scott's question: how do I build resilience under prolonged stress as an entrepreneur?

[33:29] Resilience is not a character trait — it's a part of your brain you can grow

[34:36] The win book — why you need a physical record of what's working, not just what isn't

[36:07] When your identity gets attached to not pivoting — and how that keeps you stuck

[40:27] Never make a big decision on a bad day — and give your brain real breaks from stimulation

[42:24] Chris's question: I can already see perfectionist tendencies in my nine-year-old daughter — how do I help her?

[43:38] Share your own struggles with your kids — it gives them permission to struggle too

[45:18] Failure is not a noun — it's how we learn. And the brain can't learn through shame.

[46:31] The win book applies to your kids too — build the evidence of progress, not just the list of what went wrong

[49:08] Practice makes progress, not perfect — and what that means for how you raise your kids

[51:38] Henry's question: how do men navigate the space between survival instincts and actually feeling their emotions?

[52:23] It's not either or — it's and. Feeling doesn't eliminate strength. It creates space for more of it.

[54:13] Let it out to bring it in — what isn't expressed will keep battling for space with everything you're trying to build

Five Key Takeaways

1. Self-criticism doesn't create lasting change. When you shame yourself, the neural synapses lock up. The brain can only rewire through self-compassion, not judgment.
2. What isn't expressed is suppressed — and it doesn't go away. It stays in the brain and body, driving patterns you don't understand and can't seem to break.
3. The writing exercise is one of the most neuroscience-backed tools available. Ten minutes, write what you'd never say out loud, and throw it away. You move it out so you can bring something better in.
4. Resilience is a part of the brain you can grow — by doing what you don't want to do, acknowledging it when you do, and keeping a physical record of your wins.
5. You are not either strong or weak. You are both. Allowing yourself to feel the full human experience doesn't diminish your strength — it creates space for more of it.

Links & Resources

• Dad Edge Alliance & Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/mastermind
• Ashleigh Di Lello's website and free Brain Body Blueprint: https://ashleighdilello.com
• Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1469): https://thedadedge.com/1469

Closing

If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: what you're saying to yourself when no one is listening is either building you up or quietly tearing you apart — and most of us have no idea how cruel we actually are to ourselves.

Ashleigh Di Lello learned to rewire her brain not from a textbook but from necessity. She had no other option. And what she found on the other side was not just recovery — it was a life she built on purpose.

The brain can change. You can change. But it starts with being honest enough to write it all down, compassionate enough to not judge what you find, and brave enough to let it move through you instead of holding it in.

Go out and live legendary.