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Without Threase Baker, today's episode would never have happened....Thank you!!!!

What happens when the person who commands rooms across continents can’t get a 10-year-old to go to bed? We sit down with a former Reebok and Adidas executive who built categories, led massive teams in Asia, and then walked into the hardest leadership arena of his life: his own home. Stripped of titles and certainty in 2020, he discovered how much of his identity depended on work—and how little that meant to his five kids. The result is a raw, hopeful story about presence, humility, and rebuilding trust one small moment at a time.

We trace his early years—divorced parents, boarding school, ice hockey and lacrosse as a lifeline—and the unlikely break that took him from door-to-door telecom to designing gear, flying solo to China, and launching Reebok Lacrosse. Then comes the undoing: burnout, a marriage in pain, and a “seeing” that shattered his autopilot. He describes mystical flashes of clarity where he could feel the depth of his children’s inner lives and the ache they carried for one simple thing: Dad, do you see me? That question becomes the compass for everything that follows.

This conversation is heavy on practicals and light on buzzwords. We break down a kid-led morning system built on Montessori principles that turned chaos into calm. We talk about divorce with uncommon generosity, including the choice to keep a nesting home so the kids stay rooted while parents rotate. We replace guilt with growth, framing hard seasons as nature’s pruning—painful, purposeful, and profoundly fertile. And we share simple tests you can run today: a 60-second pause when interrupted, capability charts instead of nagging, a nightly “what did you need from me?” check-in, and one wise friend who can tell you the truth.

He now runs Activat8, helping people uncover identity rather than chase another plan. The thesis is bold and freeing: when you know who you are without roles, your presence becomes the safest place in the house. If you’ve ever wondered how to move from performance to connection, or how to lead a family without a title, this one will meet you where you are and nudge you forward.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a dad who needs it, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more families find conversations that actually change how we show up.

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Website: https://activ8myidentity.com/

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Some stories punch through the noise because they’re real, a little rough, and full of heart. Adam Bilinski’s path runs from a single mom’s sacrifice and a grueling work ethic to a flagpole accident that nearly ended his chance to be a dad—then into the high-pressure world of New York tech hiring, where process and people beat buzzwords. Along the way, he learned what actually scales at home: respect for everyone, a clear standard for work, and an attitude that lifts the room without faking optimism.

We dig into the moments that shaped him: summer jobs where five minutes late meant go home, the teacher who told him he belonged in New York after watching him negotiate for a busload of classmates, and the career breakthrough that came from obsessing over value rather than volume. Then we connect those lessons to fatherhood. Adam and his wife raise two very different sons with the same core rules—mutual respect, consistent effort, and financial literacy. When culture clashes with values, they choose values, even if it means changing schools.

The emotional playbook is as practical as it is kind. Adam calls himself a realist with a good attitude, teaches his kids to notice who adds or drains energy, and lives by the saying " This too will pass." He swapped lectures for listening—do you want me to listen or solve?—and watched trust deepen. 

Professionally, he explains how Randstad Digital wins with delivery, talent, and repeatable processes, and why integrity outlasts shortcuts in a crowded market. If you’re a parent, leader, or both, you’ll walk away with simple habits that compound: respect everyone, choose your attitude, save first, serve others, and keep showing up.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more parents and leaders can find us. Your support helps these conversations reach the people who need them most.

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Thank you, Steve Garraty, for making this week's episode possible!  

Today, we welcome Lon Stroschein to the podcast.  Lon's story hit home for me after spending over 20 years in corporate America. He is now an author, a podcast, a coach, and more, and you will hear all about it today.  At Normal 40, his relationship-based process starts by helping you articulate your dream—identifying the bigger life you've been waiting to build. They then organize those dreams into bold, actionable steps, remove the perceived risk, and design a life aligned with your aspirations. This is about betting on yourself, avoiding future regret, and creating an impactful family legacy.

Lon's shares how moments in life will shape a leader at home and at work, and they thread through a conversation about values, courage, and the trade you make when success no longer feels like fulfillment.

The spine of the story is a South Dakota farm and the 1980s crisis that forced his family to make hard choices. Instead of bankruptcy, his family sells land to make debts whole and rebuilds over decades with conservative discipline. That decision burns in a set of values—do what’s right, operate as a team, protect your name—that later guide a midlife shift. We unpack a practical life model: what you inherit, what you build, when you realize your work here is done, and how you turn that into a legacy worth passing on.

You’ll also leave with a simple script that can change your home this week: ask “What do you need more of from me?” and only reply with “What else?” at least four times, then ask “What do you need less of from me?” and keep digging. No defense. No speeches. Just truth and follow-through. And if you’re standing at your own fork in the road, you’ll hear how a public company executive found the courage to step away when his best work wouldn’t happen inside the org chart—and how a spouse’s belief became the push that made his next journey so real.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more parents and leaders can find these conversations. Your next chapter might start with one honest question.

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A putter on a garage shelf became a doorway to memory, legacy, and what it means to lead at home. Coach and author Joe Wessel joins us to trace a winding path from a disciplined Miami childhood and Catholic schools to a walk-on grind at Florida State, summers learning from Miami Dolphins legends, and the day Jack Nicklaus confirmed the “lost” blade in Joe’s bag was White Fang—the putter that won the 1967 U.S. Open. Instead of asking for a shiny new set, Joe asked for something better: a father–son round at Augusta.

We talk about what built him: a mother who showed up at every game, a father who enforced persistence and faith, and a military prep school that hardened habits after loss. Joe shares the reality of earning a scholarship the hard way, becoming a special teams difference-maker, and absorbing leadership from many mentors in his life. The athletic details are rich—technique, timing, depth charts—but the bigger arc lands on fatherhood: discovering that the hero you searched for might have been at your own dinner table all along.

Parents and coaches will find practical wisdom here: don’t specialize your kids at 10, grow athletes, not resumes, protect the joy of play, and let your children write their own story. Say I’m sorry. Say I love you. Keep faith as a daily practice, not a performance. 

We close with the heart of Joe’s book, White Fang and the Golden Bear—a father–son journey that culminates at Augusta and proves that the best trophies are moments shared. If this conversation moved you, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs encouragement today, and leave a quick review so more families can find it.

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A great career means little if you’re not here to enjoy it. This conversation with KellyMitchell’s president, Blaise Bussell, cuts through the noise to what matters most: leading at home, protecting your health, and building a life your kids will remember. Blaise opens up about the values forged in childhood by a gritty mom and a humble coach-dad, the joy and nerves of raising a 13-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, and the choice to put family first—even when work says otherwise. From car-ride questions that spark real talks to celebrating his daughter’s faith decision on her terms, the small moments become the story.

Then comes the jolt: a heart attack with 98% blockage that arrived without a dramatic warning, just jaw pain, nausea, and a stubborn belief it was stress. Blaise walks us through the late-night symptoms, the “go straight to the hospital” call, fast-placed stents, and the quieter recovery that followed. He traded max-effort workouts for sustainable strength, dialed in medication, and learned to live in a safer training zone. The most important lesson may surprise you: LP(a), a hereditary lipoprotein rarely included in standard cholesterol tests. If heart disease runs in your family, you need to ask for it. Fit doesn’t mean safe when your genes stack the deck.

We also get practical about priorities. Blaise shares a simple framework—faith, me, we, family, work—that helps him make cleaner decisions, from delaying projects to catch a child’s tournament to protecting date nights and bedtime rituals. On the career side, he explains how aligning with a company’s culture and protecting your personal brand can turn hard pivots into new momentum, and he offers a look at how KellyMitchell blends IT staffing with solutions to serve innovative enterprises.

If you’re a parent who wants more presence, better health, and resilient leadership at home and at work, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a friend who needs the LP(a) nudge, and tell us the one habit you’ll change this week. If the conversation helps, please follow, rate, and leave a review—it helps more families find the show.

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Today's episode, we welcome Jason Caywood to the podcast!  Jason is the President of Caywood Consulting and is a certified Sandler Sales trainer.

In this episode, we explore how adoption shaped Jason’s identity, how he met his birth mom decades later, and why love adds rather than replaces. We share practical tools for calm leadership at home, from apologies that repair trust to letting kids own their goals.

Additionally, we covered the following:

• adoption as identity, not label
• reunion with birth mom handled through patience and respect
• communicating fears openly with adoptive and birth families
• family-first values and faith expressed as behavior
• repairing after anger and separating stress from discipline
• meeting each child where they are, not one-size-fits-all
• curiosity over judgment in debates with teens
• letting kids fail safely and own their dreams
• quality time over quantity, presence over perfection
• parenting principles mirrored in sales leadership coaching
• mentors, belief, and sending the elevator back down

Excited for you all to listen and share with your network!

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What if the bravest promise a father can make isn’t “I’d die for my kids,” but “I’ll live for them”? That line sits at the center of our conversation with Dr. Jarett Stopforth—a scientist, founder, and devoted dad whose journey runs from Zimbabwe and South Africa to Seattle, with stops in academia, startups, and a few blistering hikes that reset his bond with his kids.

We dig into the values that shaped him—humility from a preacher father, grit from a mother who crossed class lines—and how those roots guide the way he co‑parents with intention and generosity. Jared opens up about reframing divorce as an opportunity to go all‑in on fatherhood, trading convenience for presence, and using travel to teach empathy and gratitude. He also breaks down a practical health blueprint for modern dads: high‑protein nutrition, daily steps, strength training, more sleep and sunlight, and less alcohol. Then we get into men’s health at a deeper level—why testosterone matters, how today’s lifestyle suppresses it, and what it looks like to support your body’s natural systems before considering hormones.

From the origin story of 21 Again to the choice to protect weekends and summers at all costs, this is a story about building a life strong enough to carry the people you love. If you’ve felt drained, distant, or stuck on autopilot, you’ll leave with a clear, doable plan to reclaim energy, show up with patience, and create the kind of memories your kids will remember. 

Hit play, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and if this conversation helps, subscribe and leave a review so more dads can find it.

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What happens when a successful corporate career collides with the deeper priorities of fatherhood? In this candid conversation, John Boney shares the raw journey of finding balance after his 25-year marriage ended, while raising three children who are now thriving adults.

Standing at 6'7", John brings the same thoughtful perspective to parenting that once made him a formidable basketball player. Growing up in the small town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania (famous as Arnold Palmer's hometown), John absorbed values of punctuality, respect, and loyalty that shaped his approach to life. When career ambitions led to moving his family six times in nine years, he eventually reached a pivotal moment—choosing family stability over the next corporate ladder rung.

"I think what I learned was I had to find something that was gonna bring me joy and happiness," John reflects, explaining how prioritizing what truly matters led him to Force Management, where he now helps organizations accelerate sales performance. His story offers powerful lessons about perseverance through challenge, especially as he navigated the complexities of co-parenting after separation.

The conversation takes fascinating turns through practical parenting wisdom, including how using TED-based questions (Tell, Explain, Describe) creates meaningful dialogue with children of any age. John shares how faith became his anchor during difficult times, offering the simple but profound mantra that sustained him: "Let go and let God."

Whether you're facing career transitions, relationship challenges, or simply seeking to be more present with your children, John's journey demonstrates how maintaining core values of commitment, loyalty, and character can help raise well-adjusted adults even through life's most difficult seasons. His pre-game message to his children—"Have fun, work hard. I love you."—stands as a testament to how consistency and authentic love create the foundation children need to thrive.

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What happens when a rebellious teenager receives a life-altering cancer diagnosis at 18? 

In this powerful conversation, Steve Garraty shares his extraordinary journey from self-destructive partying to profound purpose after doctors discovered a grapefruit-sized tumor in his neck on July 4th, 1986.

Steve candidly reveals his spiral into reckless behavior after moving to Atlanta as a teen – drinking before school, wrecking five cars while intoxicated, and causing tremendous stress for his family. Just after high school graduation, everything changed with three devastating words: "you have cancer." Through nine grueling months of chemotherapy, Steve kept a journal that would eventually become his book "Greatfruit: How Cancer Led to Living a More Fruitful Life."

The heart of this episode explores how facing mortality at such a young age transformed Steve's approach to fatherhood. With doctors warning he might never have children due to his treatments, each moment with his two children became a profound gift. Now a grandfather and successful sales leader at companies like Salesforce, Oracle, and Workday, Steve reflects on how his cancer journey cultivated deep empathy, gratitude, and perspective – qualities that shaped both his parenting and professional leadership.

Most compelling is Steve's insight about extracting meaning from life's hardest moments. "We all go through stuff," he shares. "It may have a different face for you than for me, but we all go through moments or events that change us." His message to parents: be resilient through challenges, lean on your support network, and look for opportunities to grow through adversity.

Whether you're facing your own struggles or simply seeking perspective on what truly matters in parenting, Steve's story will inspire you to embrace each day with intention and appreciation. Listen now to discover how life's greatest challenges can become the foundation for our greatest strengths.

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What does it mean to be truly present as a father while building a successful career? Brad Bialy, head of marketing at Haley Marketing and host of the Secrets of Staffing Success podcast, tackles this question head-on in this refreshing conversation about modern fatherhood.

Brad opens up about his greatest parenting challenge: being intentional with his time while juggling professional responsibilities from his home office. "The hardest part for me is making the change from work mode to dad mode," he admits, highlighting the difficulty many remote-working parents face without the traditional commute serving as a transition buffer. His wife's mantra—"be present where your feet are"—has become his guiding principle.

The conversation dives deep into how Brad's own upbringing shaped his parenting philosophy. Raised with the core belief that "everything is earned and nothing is owed to you," Brad aims to instill this same blue-collar Buffalo work ethic in his young children. When asked what values he hopes his children embody fifteen years from now, his answer is beautifully straightforward: "I want them to be good people, respectful, and hardworking."

Perhaps most fascinating is Brad's perspective on integrating work and family life. Rather than keeping these worlds separate, he embraces their overlap—even starting client presentations by acknowledging his children might make an appearance on the call. This authentic approach reflects his belief that being the best marketer requires being the best version of himself as a father and husband, too.

Whether you're a new parent navigating work-from-home challenges or a seasoned dad looking to be more present, Brad's insights offer practical wisdom for striking that elusive balance. His journey reminds us that parenting isn't about perfection but intention—and sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply be where our feet are.

Listen now to gain valuable perspective on finding meaning in both professional success and everyday parenting moments. Then share your own experiences on social media—we'd love to hear how you're balancing these worlds in your own life.

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