We’re told to chase our dreams, but very few people talk about what that actually looks like.

For Andrew, it’s recording podcasts after the kids go to bed, learning editing software from scratch, posting videos that barely get seen, celebrating small wins, and showing up again the next day anyway.

This episode isn’t about quitting your job or chasing fame. It’s about giving yourself permission to pursue something meaningful alongside the life you’ve already built. Whether it’s a creative project, a business, or simply becoming a better version of yourself, there’s value in doing the work—even when nobody’s clapping yet.

With humor, honesty, and a healthy dose of New Jersey sarcasm, Andrew explores why the journey matters more than the outcome, why it’s okay to be an amateur, and why sometimes the dream is just having something that’s yours.

In this episode:

Why pursuing something doesn’t have to become your identity
Building a podcast from the ground up
Balancing family, work, and creative ambition
Learning to enjoy the process instead of chasing validation
Why “livin’ the dream” isn’t always glamorous—and that’s the point

Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join the conversation. Sometimes the dream looks a lot different than we imagined—and sometimes that’s exactly what makes it worth pursuing.

Two garbage pickups a week. Recycling. Cardboard. Breaking down boxes—or apparently deciding you’re above that. And, of course, the all-important Christmas envelope.

This week on New Jersey Dad, Andrew gets into one of the unsung pillars of suburban life: sanitation.

From the unwritten rules of garbage day to appreciating the people who make sure your house doesn’t stink, it’s an 18-minute trip through one of those mundane parts of adulthood you somehow end up having very strong opinions about.

Because at some point, you stop being a kid who takes out the garbage and become a dad who knows the pickup schedule by heart.

Navigating suburban fatherhood with a wink and a whiskey.

#NewJerseyDad #DadLife #Fatherhood #SuburbanDad #ParentingHumor #NewJersey #GarbageDay #Sanitation

When was the last time you had a real night out?

In this episode, Andrew talks about why dads need an occasional escape, the guilt that somehow comes with it, and why getting together with friends can actually make you a better husband and father.

From planning the night to the inevitable texts home and the next morning’s responsibilities, it’s a funny look at what “going out” means once you’re raising a family.

Pour yourself a drink, settle in, and enjoy Episode 43 of the New Jersey Dad Podcast.

Episode 42: New Dads: What Nobody Tells You 

Andrew talks about what it really feels like to become a new dad: the panic, the bad advice, the lack of sleep, the sudden responsibility, and the strange realization that nobody actually knows what they’re doing at first.

A funny, honest look at early fatherhood, surviving the newborn stage, and learning how to be useful without pretending to have it all figured out.

The New Jersey Dad Podcast with Andrew Parise: navigating suburban fatherhood with a wink and a whiskey.

Finding independence as a dad can be difficult but there are some small bastions of temporary freedom dad's can explore.  Andrew talks about those places and then some on the latest episode of The NJ Dad Podcast. New episodes every Thursday.