The Dads Project Podcast

In this episode of the Dad's Project Podcast, Nick Mann interviews Jonathan Sharp, a father of three boys, discussing the unique challenges and joys of parenting. They explore the importance of keeping kids engaged during summer break, the lessons fathers learn from their children, and the significance of repairing relationships.

Jonathan shares his approach to exposing his boys to challenges, creating meaningful rites of passage, and the power of community support in parenting. The conversation emphasizes the importance of encouragement and legacy in fatherhood, highlighting how fathers can intentionally shape their children's experiences and beliefs.

Positive Behaviors Discussed:

1. Demonstrating Emotional Intelligence & Vulnerability Through the Act of Repair
2. Communicating Encouragement & Support For Your Kids

Chapters

00:00 Navigating Summer Break with Three Boys

01:14 Lessons from Fatherhood: Emulating Positive Traits

02:28 The Importance of Repairing Relationships

07:09 Exposing Kids to Harder Challenges

11:18 Leading by Example: A Father's Influence

17:14 Rites of Passage: Creating Meaningful Experiences

17:43 Creating Meaningful Rites of Passage

25:36 The Power of Community in Fatherhood

30:47 Encouragement and Repairing Relationships

36:24 Legacy of Fatherhood: Passing Down Values

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🔗 Connect with Jonathan

LinkedIn

🔗 Connect with Nick:

⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠

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In this episode of the Dad's Project Podcast, Adam Halberstadt shares his insights on the importance of prioritizing family over career success, the journey of personal transformation from corporate life to coaching, and the significance of building resilience in children.

Adam emphasizes the need for fathers to reflect on their life choices, embrace change, and be present for their families.

Adam's story is one of overcoming challenges, finding balance, and redefining what it means to be successful in both work and family life.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Context of the Conversation

02:50 The Importance of Prioritizing Family Over Career

05:32 Redefining Success: The Greatest of All Time

08:19 Lessons from Scotty Scheffler for Everyday Dads

11:03 The Power of Reflection and Mindset

13:56 Adam's Journey: From Corporate to Coaching

22:38 Taking Action: First Steps for Overwhelmed Dads

25:41 Investing in Yourself: A Necessary Shift

30:16 The Importance of Presence in Parenting

35:44 Building Resilience in Children

41:07 Mindset and Coaching: Transformative Journeys

46:43 Messages for Dads: Living in the Moment

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🔗 Connect with Adam

⁠Website⁠

⁠LinkedIn

🔗 Connect with Nick:

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠Instagram

In this episode of the Dad’s Project Podcast, Nick Mann sits down with Russ Kimura, founder of Fathers With Daughters and a dad to three girls. Russ shares the heart behind his mission to help dads build intentional, lasting connections with their daughters through events, coaching, and everyday presence.

Topics:

- Why Russ started Fathers With Daughters

- The power of holding space instead of “fixing” emotions

- How he uses events like father–daughter proms to spark connection

- Practical ideas for dating your daughter in ways she will never forget

- How circling back and owning mistakes strengthens trust

This is a conversation full of humility, wisdom, and actionable steps for dads who want to show up better every day.

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🔗 Connect with Russ

Website

Coaching Information

FWD - Instagram

Personal Instagram

🔗 Connect with Nick:

LinkedIn

Instagram

In this episode of the Dad's Project Podcast, Nick Mann is joined by Knight Campbell, Navy veteran, mountain guide, father of three, and founder of Cairn Leadership. Together, they explore the messy, beautiful terrain of fatherhood, leadership, and what it means to truly be present.

Knight shares real, hard-earned lessons from guiding in the mountains and raising kids under one very active roof, including:

• The mindset shift that makes outdoor adventures with kids meaningful (even when exhausting)

• Why it’s better to “prepare for change” than expect to be comfortable with it

• How mountain climbing taught him to value the journey over the summit

• What parenting has taught him about letting go of control and slowing down

• Why his top family values are courage, kindness, and curiosity, and how to pass them on

• A warning about the effect of AI on learning and critical thinking, and what we can do about it

  
  

This is an honest, insightful episode packed with humor, wisdom, and practical takeaways for dads who want to raise intentional, grounded kids in a fast-changing world.

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🔗 Connect with Knight:
LinkedIn: Knight Campbell
Website: www.cairnleadership.com

🔗 Connect with Nick

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Dads Project On Instagram⁠

In this episode of the Dad’s Project Podcast, Nick sits down with Freeman Beals, a lifelong river guide, dad to a toddler, and certified NLP practitioner, to talk about real fatherhood, the kind that makes you face yourself.

Freeman shares how growing up on the river taught him to adapt, how fatherhood reshaped his emotional reactions, and why breaking old patterns requires rewiring, not just willpower.

They explore everything from spontaneous travel, mental load, and value shifts to how dads can reframe frustrating moments (like a toddler launching a milk cup) using neuro-linguistic programming.

Topics Covered:

- What rafting teaches us about adapting in life and parenting- How to shift your reactions using NLP (live on the show!)

- Why dads need to rewrite the playbook—not follow an outdated one

-The battle between provider guilt and presence at home

- Healing old patterns with self-forgiveness and curiosity

- A simple daily gratitude hack that rewires your brain

- The value of male vulnerability and why you’re never alone

Freeman’s 3 Dad Principles:

1️⃣ Rewire, Don’t Repeat

2️⃣ You’re Not Alone

3️⃣ We’re Writing the Playbook Now

💬 Quote of the Episode: “You’re not reacting that way because you don’t care, you’re reacting because you do.”

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🔗 Connect with Freeman:

freemanbeals.com

NLP Audio Tool

LinkedIn

🔗 Connect with Nick

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dads Project On Instagram

What if you treated “Dad” like the most important title on your LinkedIn profile?

In this episode, Nick sits down with Warren Devarennes, co-founder of the rapidly growing Dadgood community, to unpack what it means to lead with love, live with purpose, and show up fully for your family.

From the daily discipline of 75 Hard to middle-of-the-night snuggles with his daughters, Warren shares how fatherhood cracked him open, reshaped his priorities, and sparked a global movement to connect and empower modern dads.

This conversation is a masterclass in presence, purpose, and building a legacy.

In This Episode:

• Why Warren is doing 75 Hard and what’s hard about it

• Launching Dadgood and building a global community for dads

• Balancing hustle with presence in fatherhood

• What a four-year-old can teach us about curiosity and time

• The “legacy builder” mindset and redefining success

• Why real fatherhood has no room for gurus or pretending

Benji Donhardt’s life didn’t start easily, but that didn’t stop him from becoming a joyful, passionate, and powerful father.

In this raw and inspiring conversation, Benji shares the story behind his energy, how trauma shaped his approach to parenting, and how he leads his blended family of five kids with discipline, resilience, and love.

From hiding under his childhood home to now running a global marketing company and leading his household with intention,

Benji’s story is proof that you can break the cycle and lead with strength and heart.

Topics Covered:

• Turning childhood trauma into fatherhood fuel

• Blending families and building unconditional love

• Discipline vs. punishment: what kids really need

• Why fitness is non-negotiable for modern dads

• Leading your family through your actions

In this episode, Nick sits down with Major John McCormack, USMC, to talk about living a life of service, how military leadership translates into fatherhood, and the emotional growth required to be present with your family.

From tactical pauses to ice cream after hard days, John shares practical ways he’s learning to lead at home with the same intention he brings to his career.

Topics Covered:

• What does living a life of service mean as a dad?

• Using the “add up to 10” tool to communicate better with your partner.

• Helping young kids navigate emotional transitions like moving.

• Applying military tools (like tactical pauses) to fatherhood.

• Why being authentic and vulnerable matters at home and work.

• • Letting kids see the full range of your emotions and why it matters.

  
  

  John’s Dad Leadership Principles:

  1. Be Genuine & Authentic

  2. Have & Seek Out Perspective

• 3. Be Deliberate With Your Time & Energy

“You deserve better. Your family deserves better. And you deserve a guide who will help get you there.” — Miles Davis

In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Nick is joined by Miles Davis, father of two daughters and successful fitness business owner, to explore what it truly means to lead at home.

Miles shares wisdom on balancing career and fatherhood, the emotional growth required of modern dads, and how the lessons we model are often more impactful than the words we speak.

Together, they explore what it means to show up fully, not just as a provider, but as a present, emotionally available, and intentional leader in your family.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

“Present > Perfect”

• Why your kids don’t need you to be perfect, they need you to be there.

• The power of eye contact, attention, and phone-free connection.

  
  

Emotional Availability as a Father

• How Miles grew from a task-oriented provider to a dad who holds emotional space.

• Tactical tips for creating open communication with your kids as they grow.

  
  

Disarming the Overwhelmed Dad

• How to remove the mental blocks that keep men from taking action on their health.

• Why you don’t need a gym to start building a better you.

  
  

Balancing Business and Fatherhood

• Why stepping back from work to lean into family helped Miles’ business grow.

• The importance of peer groups and choosing your inner circle wisely.

  
  

Dad 3.0

• Miles introduces his new program, Dad 3.0, designed to help busy dads regain their health, clarity, and confidence, without sacrificing family time.

  
  

1. Always Lead by Serving – Model servant leadership at home and work.

2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First – You can’t carry the load if you’re running on empty.

3. Show Your Work – Let your kids see the process, the struggle, and your growth.

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🔗 Connect with Miles:

• Miles on Instagram

• Miles’ Gym

  
  

⁠🔗 Connect with Nick

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠Dads Project On Instagram

In this episode, Nick explores a critical leadership insight:
👉 Your greatest strengths, when overused, can become your biggest weaknesses.

Drawing from his personal leadership experience, Nick dives into how awareness, humility, and intentional adjustment are key to balancing your natural talents, both as an executive and as a dad.

🔑 Key Points from the Episode:

1️⃣ Overused Strengths Turn Into Blind Spots

• Decisiveness can become overbearing control.

• Creativity can lead to a lack of focus and execution.

• Communication skills can morph into talking over others instead of listening.

  
  

2️⃣ Leadership at Work and Home

• In business, unchecked strengths can alienate your team or slow growth.

• At home, they can create a disconnect with your spouse and kids.

  
  

3️⃣ How to Keep Strengths in Check

• Self-awareness is the first step; notice when your strength is becoming a liability.

• Seek feedback from those around you at work and home.

• Adjust your leadership style based on the needs of the moment, not just your default strengths.

  
  

4️⃣ The Path to Sustainable Leadership

• Great leaders are flexible, not rigid.

• They refine their strengths to serve their teams and families, rather than overpower them.

💬 Reflection Prompt: Where might one of your greatest strengths be slipping into a weakness, either at work or at home?

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🔗 Connect with Nick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedInExecutive Dad on Instagram⁠⁠