71 | RECHARGED

Recharge Your Battery: Finding Joy in Fatherhood

Explore how to keep your energy up as a dad and find joy in everyday moments.

In today’s episode, Sean Patrick shares his journey toward transforming the podcast into a platform for meaningful conversations rather than just content creation. This shift is aimed at fostering genuine connections, especially among fathers navigating the challenges of parenting.

From Content to Conversations

Sean reflects on the pressures of performing for an audience and highlights the importance of engaging in authentic dialogues. He emphasizes that the podcast will focus on keeping joy alive in various aspects of life, including parenting, work, and personal hobbies.

The Importance of Recharging

The central theme of this episode is about recharging our personal "batteries." Sean candidly discusses his experiences with fitness, particularly his struggles with aerobic capacity after a break from training. He draws parallels between physical and emotional energy, urging listeners to reflect on what recharges them in their daily lives.

"I am the Ryobi mower, the battery. I forget to charge it. I think you know what? I don’t need a hobby or I don’t need the free time or I don’t need this. I’ll be fine. And then all of a sudden I’m like the Ryobi mower and I’m just done."

What Charges You?

He encourages listeners to identify their sources of energy. Is it podcasting, training, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee? Sean shares that while conversations energize him, they can also drain him, depending on the context.

Finding Your Own Recharge

Sean advises against adopting someone else’s method of recharging. Instead, he suggests being mindful and communicative about one’s own needs. He shares various activities that help him recharge, from podcasting to engaging in creative projects like music.

Simple Takeaways

- Engage in activities that genuinely recharge you. Whether it's exercising, spending time with family, or pursuing hobbies, recognize what lifts your spirits.

- Don’t let recharging become another performance. Enjoy the process for its own sake, rather than feeling pressured to meet external expectations.

- Try new things. Whether it's a fitness program or a creative project, explore what works for you without the stress of competition.

As Sean wraps up the episode, he reminds listeners that recharging doesn’t always mean taking a break; sometimes it’s about engaging in fulfilling activities.

Reflecting on the journey ahead, he is committed to bringing more guests onto the podcast and fostering conversations that enrich our experiences as dads.

Thanks for tuning in to this new chapter of the Just Call Dad podcast. Let’s keep the joy in our lives and recharge together!

September 1st. There was something different in the air.

Sitting outside early in the morning, I caught that familiar smell of fall—the kind that brings back memories and reminds you that seasons change whether you're ready for them or not.

And it made me realize something: maybe the goal isn't to stop striving. Maybe it's to learn how to strive lighter.

For the last two and a half years, Just Call Dad has been about making the call, starting conversations, and reminding dads that they don't have to figure everything out alone. But eventually, after you make the call, you have to get back to living.

In this final episode of Just Call Dad, I reflect on Ecclesiastes, finding joy in the work, slowing down enough to notice what's already around us, my faith, fatherhood, and why chasing more isn't necessarily the answer.

Sometimes we spend our lives chasing the next accomplishment, dollar, view, connection, or opportunity—striving after the wind—when some of the things that matter most are already sitting right in front of us.

So this isn't really an ending.

It's the next step.

Just Call Dad taught me to make the call.

Now it's time to take everything I've learned and Strive Light(er).

Slow down, son. See the sunrise.

Then get back to work.

summary

Sean Patrick shares personal insights on perseverance, identity, and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right support to overcome life's challenges.

keywords

motivation, perseverance, identity, support system, self-improvement, resilience, personal growth, mental toughness

key topics

The importance of perseverance and effort

The role of self-identity in personal growth

The significance of a supportive community

Lessons learned from sports and life

The concept of 'carry water' and doing small things well

takeaways

Persistence is key, even when outcomes are not immediately visible

Your core identity is more than your achievements or failures

Surround yourself with positive influences and a supportive crew

Small consistent actions lead to meaningful progress

Embrace challenges as opportunities to discover your superpower

sound bites

"Your core identity is more than your achievements"

"Do the small things really well"

"Surround yourself with the right crew"

Chapters

00:00 The feeling of not being good enough after training

02:04 The importance of self-identity beyond achievements

03:54 The resilience of winners and the importance of persistence

05:04 The concept of 'carry water' and doing small things well

06:07 The power of surrounding yourself with the right people

07:05 Encouragement to rely on your support system and stay positive

68 | Find your crew ft. Evan Bush

Evan Bush — More Than the Game

What does professional sports teach you about being a dad?

In this episode, I sit down with Columbus Crew goalkeeper Evan Bush to talk about much more than soccer.

We talk about longevity, adversity, family, identity, leadership, and what happens when the game you’ve spent your life playing becomes something your kids get to watch you do.

Evan’s career has taken him from Ohio to the University of Akron and through more than a decade of professional soccer. Along the way, he’s become a husband, a father, a veteran teammate, and someone younger players can look to for guidance.

This conversation is about staying the course.

It’s about learning that your value isn’t always determined by whether you’re the one getting the start.

It’s about coming back when life knocks you down.

And it’s about figuring out who you want your kids to see when they look past the uniform.

In this conversation:

• Fatherhood and professional sports

• Separating performance from identity

• Staying committed when the path gets difficult

• Coming back from injury and adversity

• Leadership when you’re not in the spotlight

• Being a veteran and mentoring the next generation

• What our kids learn from watching how we handle success and failure

• Defining success beyond wins, statistics, and accomplishments

Learn more about Evan:

Columbus Crew — Evan Bush

University of Akron — In Their Own Words: Evan Bush

Columbus Crew — Evan’s return from injury

A question worth thinking about after this episode:

When the accomplishments, job titles, wins, and losses are stripped away — who do your kids know you to be?

Because eventually the game ends.

Being Dad doesn’t.

67 | NOTES & PLANS

Would You Take Your Own Advice?

As dads, we give a lot of advice.

Keep going.

Be kind.

Tell the truth.

Put the phone down.

Don’t worry about what everyone else thinks.

Take care of yourself.

Have courage.

Say you’re sorry.

Be present.

But here’s the harder question:

Are we listening to our own advice?

In this episode, we talk about the gap between the things we tell our kids and the way we actually live. Not from a place of perfection—but from the realization that our kids are learning from what they see in us every day.

Maybe being a dad isn’t about having all the answers.

Maybe sometimes it’s about finally taking some of the advice we’ve been giving everyone else.

Questions to think about:

• What advice do I give my kids most often?

• Where am I struggling to follow it myself?

• What are my kids learning from watching me?

• When I mess up, do they see me own it and make it right?

• If my kids followed my example instead of my advice, where would it lead them?

Dig deeper:

American Psychological Association — Dads as positive role models:

Dads can be positive role models

Harvard Center on the Developing Child — responsive relationships and the importance of everyday back-and-forth connection:

A Guide to Serve & Return

Harvard’s Brain Architects episode on building relationships through everyday interaction:

Listen: Serve and Return — Supporting the Foundation

This week’s challenge:

Think of one piece of advice you regularly give your kids.

Then live it yourself.

Your best conversation might be the one you need to have with yourself.

66 | Nick DeMarinis 

Episode Title: Chasing Greatness Without Losing Yourself | Nick DeMarinis on Fatherhood, Anxiety & Competing with Purpose

Episode Description

What does it look like to chase excellence without sacrificing what matters most?

In this episode of the Just Call Dad Podcast, Coach Sean Patrick sits down with Nicholas DeMarinis (Nicky Buckets)—father of twin boys, corporate executive, Guinness World Record holder, and one of the top Pop-A-Shot competitors in the country.

From leading through pressure in the corporate world to competing on ESPN's The Ocho, Nick shares what he's learned about balancing ambition, fatherhood, anxiety, and the importance of having fun along the way.

This conversation is a reminder that being a great dad isn't about having all the answers—it's about continuing to grow, asking for help, and showing your kids what it looks like to pursue meaningful things.

• Why conversations matter more than advice

• Balancing fatherhood, work, and personal passions

• The story behind competing in the Pop-A-Shot National Championship

• Breaking a Guinness World Record

• Managing anxiety while pursuing excellence

• Learning to take care of yourself before serving others

• Why healthy competition makes better dads

• Showing your kids it's never too late to chase a dream

• Lessons from failure, pressure, and perseverance

• Why vulnerability is one of a father's greatest strengths

• The power of knowing who to call when life gets hard

• Your identity should start with being a dad—not your career.

• Excellence and joy can exist together.

• Anxiety doesn't disappear; you learn how to manage it.

• Your hobbies matter because your children are watching what brings you life.

• Small conversations often lead to life-changing relationships.

• Don't try to carry everything alone.

• The strongest men know when to ask for help.

Nick DeMarinis 

• LinkedIn: Nicholas DeMarinis

• Instagram: @nickybucketz 

Follow Nick's journey as he competes nationally in Pop-A-Shot, shares life as a dad, and proves you're never too old to chase something fun.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with another dad who needs to hear it.

Remember: Advice is cheap. Connection changes lives. Because no one dad has all the answers. We just need to know who to call.

Call to Action

If this conversation meant something to you, send one text or make one phone call today.

Someone in your life may need it more than you know.

It just takes ONE call.

In This EpisodeKey TakeawaysConnect with Today's GuestConnect with Just Call Dad

65 | CONNECT

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I found myself in one of those moments that reminds you what really matters.

I watched a group of young men—guys I've coached and invested in over the years—playing with my daughters. They weren't just entertaining them. They were protecting them, encouraging them, and caring for them because years ago someone cared enough to invest in them.

That's when it hit me.

The greatest return on investment isn't money. It's people.

As I watched families celebrating Independence Day and millions of people around the world unite around the World Cup, I was reminded that people are wired to belong to something bigger than themselves. We all long for connection, purpose, and community.

That's exactly why Just Call Dad exists.

Not because we have all the answers.

Because no one should have to face life alone.

Relationships aren't built in one conversation.

They're built through years of showing up.

Whether you're raising kids, coaching athletes, leading at work, or simply being present for a friend, every small act of consistency compounds over time.

Keep showing up.

One of the unexpected gifts of this podcast has been meeting incredible men from around the world.

Sometimes those conversations inspire me.

Sometimes they tempt me to compare.

But comparison steals the very thing connection is supposed to give us.

You don't need another dad's life.

You need to faithfully live yours.

Winning as a father isn't having the biggest house, the best body, or the largest platform.

Winning is becoming more present with the people God has already entrusted to you.

Whether it's a workout group, a Bible study, a coaching staff, a neighborhood coffee group, or simply a weekly phone call with another dad...

Don't consume community.

Build it.

Encourage someone.

Check in.

Log the workout.

Send the text.

Make the call.

Those small moments become the foundation for someone's hardest day.

This week, reach out to one person you've been meaning to connect with.

Not because you need something.

Because they matter.

A five-minute phone call, a text, or grabbing coffee could become the conversation they didn't know they needed.

Someone is always just a call away.

"Our effort is the win. The community reminds us we don't have to carry life alone."

The vision for Just Call Dad has never been about becoming the biggest podcast.

It's about building a network of dads, coaches, teachers, mentors, and everyday men who are willing to answer the phone.

If one conversation creates another conversation...

If one dad encourages another...

If one young man grows into the kind of father someone can call...

Then we're building exactly what we set out to build.

Because every great dad needs someone to call.

Until next week,

Coach Sean Patrick

Just Call Dad Podcast

NEWSLETTER: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bUbidfXnwi4hKy_5rdNN3D7vfvXp0ZATvbXhKvEENAg/edit?usp=sharing

What if becoming a better dad isn't about having better answers—but knowing who to call?

In this episode, Sean reflects on the unexpected conversations the Just Call Dad Podcast has created with world champions, mental health professionals, educators, and everyday dads. Through those experiences, he explores one simple truth: none of us were meant to figure fatherhood—or life—out alone.

Sean dives into the psychology of the space between a stimulus and our response, why lived experience is one of our greatest teachers, and how every dad has the opportunity to become a generational gatekeeper for his family.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• ​Why connection is more valuable than having all the answers
• ​The power of learning from other dads' lived experiences
• ​Becoming a generational gatekeeper for your family
• ​The psychology behind stimulus and response
• ​How conversations can strengthen your mental health without "fixing" everything
• ​Why the first step isn't having a plan—it's knowing who to call

If this episode resonates with you or someone you love, share it with another dad who could use the reminder that he doesn't have to carry everything alone.

Resources mentioned:

• ​Anxiety Recovery – Learn more about Dr. Kelly Ritter's work, anxiety recovery resources, and practical tools for understanding and overcoming anxiety.

Remember: You don't have to have all the answers. You just need someone to call.

63 | DAD WIN | ft. JC Ingels

You Have Permission to Win

Most dads are losing a war they don’t even know they’re in.

This week, Sean sits down with JC Ingels — F-16 fighter pilot, Air Force Special Warfare veteran, husband, and father — for a raw conversation about what it actually means to stay in the fight when life is coming at you from every direction.

JC brings a framework that hits different: Name it. Anchor it. Relock. One step. It’s not just theory — it’s battlefield-tested mental performance that applies directly to dad life, whether you’re flying jets or just trying to keep your patience at the dinner table.

In this episode:

* Why fatherhood expands your capacity instead of depleting it

* The difference between chasing pain and finding purpose in it

* How “comfort addiction” is quietly costing you your edge

* Why community isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s how you get enduring victory

* What it means to be an Honorable Savage

JC is the founder of the Honorable Savage brotherhood — a 90-day covenant community built specifically for men of faith who are done losing and ready to win.

First 34 days are completely free.

👇 Join the brotherhood

here

Stay lethal.

62 | NEW SEASON | ft. Sean

Four years ago, Sean sat alone in a Tim Hortons atrium at Riverside Hospital — breakfast sandwich, coffee, and a camera pointed at himself — just trying to process.

His wife was in a high-risk pregnancy room. His daughter was growth restricted. Nobody was watching. Nobody needed to be.

That moment is where the Just Call Dad Podcast was born.

This week, Sean gets real about why he's closing one chapter and stepping fully into the next. No guest. No agenda. Just a dad with a coffee, a new *Dad Pace* hat from Slow Dad Run Co, and something he needs to say.

In this episode:

- Why the work nobody sees is often the most important work you do

- What 4 years of building behind the scenes actually looks like

- How a NICU waiting room became the birthplace of a podcast

- Why you don't have to reach the destination to share your story

- What's coming next for Just Call Dad — and why the mission is bigger than ever

Eight years into fatherhood. Four years into this podcast. One thing is clear: dad life was never meant to be done alone.

This is the reset. New season. Same mission. Let's go.

Happy 4th birthday to the little one who started it all — small and mighty.*