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Today, we welcome Robert Paylor to the podcast with an amazing and inspiring story!

A national championship match. A broken neck. In a few violent seconds, Robert  went from Cal rugby standout to a young man hearing he’d never walk or move his hands again. 

What happened next wasn’t a neat comeback—it was a decision repeated every day: control the mindset, fight the fight, and build a life anchored in faith, family, and purpose.

We invited Robert to unpack the full arc—growing up on humility and service, finding identity in elite sport, then losing it in an instant and choosing to rebuild from the inside out. He shares the exact moment a spiritual mentor reframed his power, how his mom and dad went “beast mode” to secure lifesaving rehab, and why forgiveness became his most demanding discipline. Robert explains how a GoFundMe turned into a global community, why fear and burnout can be as paralyzing as injury, and how practical routines, visible reps, and top 1% effort create momentum when odds say quit.

You’ll also hear the love story that steadied him—meeting Carson after the injury, embracing vows that mean something, and becoming a dad against long odds. Robert talks candidly about identity, faith under pressure, and being the man he wants his son to become: pray, plan, put the phone down, love well, and work with intent. Today he walks 500 yards with a walker, speaks to teams and companies, and wrote Paralyzed to Powerful to turn pain into tools anyone can use.

If you’re searching for a mindset reset, a model of leadership at home, or a reason to forgive and move forward, this conversation will stay with you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review telling us the one choice you’ll make differently today.

#FCA

#athletes in action

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What if the fastest route to a meaningful life is slowing down for the people at home?  Today, we welcome the founder and CEO of Arena Staffing, Dave Kooiman.

In our conversation, Dave opens up about small-town roots, a painful college cut, getting fired, and the surprising breakthroughs that followed. The result isn’t a hustle story; it’s a playbook for building a family culture with clear values, humble leadership, and daily presence.

We start with gratitude and the simple joy of being together—church, school, coaches, and late-night game watching. Dave introduces us to his family’s world: a long love story with his wife and three kids on different paths—golf, cheer, flag football, and baseball. When his daughter lost the spark for club soccer, he didn’t double down. He listened. That choice reframed attitude and effort at home and became the seed for the “Kooiman Compass,” a visible set of family values—Kindness, Obedience, Opportunity, Initiative, Mission, Appreciation, Non-judgment—posted in the kitchen to guide everyday behavior.

From there, we head into the hard stuff. Dave relives getting cut from college soccer for being “not all-in,” a lesson in commitment that stung for a year but forged resilience. Later, a corporate firing pushed him to launch Arena, a skilled trades staffing and headhunting firm in the AEC space. We unpack risk, personal guarantees, and the early years of living lean. The quiet hero is his wife—steady belief, tightened budgets, and a simple charge: “I’ve got the kids. Figure out what’s next.” Her support didn’t just save a business; it safeguarded a family.

The throughline is presence. We talk about guarding evenings, coaching golf, and choosing a family Scotland-Ireland dream over a buddies-only trip. We confront ego, set boundaries, and remember that happy homes make better teammates at work. If you care about faith-driven leadership, parenting with purpose, or practical ways to build character at home, you’ll find tools you can use tonight—questions to ask your kids, values to post on the wall, and a calendar that finally reflects what matters most.

If this conversation nudged you to put family first, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more dads find the courage to lead at home.

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What if the best leadership training you’ll ever get happens at your kitchen table? We sit down with Michael Clark—CRO of Asymbl, former Salesforce leader, TEDx speaker, and proud dad of three—to unpack a practical, heart-forward playbook for leading a family with the same intention you’d bring to a high-performing team.

Michael shares the simple structure that guides him: a personal why statement and three values—authenticity, accountability, and action. You’ll hear how honest check-ins with his daughters build real trust, why delivering on promises lays a foundation for hard conversations, and how “big speak-ups” like ordering their own food help kids practice courage in everyday life. We trade stories about vulnerability—teens seeing their dad admit fear or shed tears—and how those moments shape emotional fluency. We also explore the language shift from “need to” and “should” to “I will,” a small change that lowers anxiety and raises ownership for both parents and kids.

The conversation reaches beyond home into work and purpose. Michael reframed sales as outcome-driven service—less about pushing products, more about solving human problems. From pharma to Salesforce to his role at Assemble, he shows how aligning work with values makes impact sustainable. We dig into workforce orchestration and how human-plus-digital teams free people for empathy, creativity, and relationship building—skills that win at home and in business. Along the way, we cover modeling independence without overhelping, protecting sleep as a leadership habit, and using curiosity to guide teens through team dynamics and identity.

You’ll leave with tools you can use tonight: ask one better question, keep one small promise, and take one action that reflects your family values. If the message resonates, share this episode with a friend, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a quick review so others can find the show.

 What’s the one “A” you’ll lead with this week?

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What if leading at home wasn’t about fixing every problem, but about showing up with curiosity, clear standards, and follow-through you can keep? We sit down with Thomas Miller—therapist, coach, and host of the Four Peaks Parent podcast—to explore how dads can guide teens through injury, identity shifts, and big feelings without swinging to extremes.

Thomas shares the hard-won lessons that shaped his approach: art school beginnings, building programs for LGBTQ youth, and running a wilderness therapy team responsible for 62 high‑risk teens. Layer in profound personal loss and years of clinical work, and you get a grounded, no-nonsense playbook for family leadership. We unpack why “Do it right, do it once” is more than a motto, how to transform rehab into purpose, and why small, consistent wins beat grand speeches every time.

We get practical about mental health. Instead of chasing labels, Thomas returns to ADLs—sleep, movement, hygiene, purposeful work, connection—and Freud’s simple barometer: work, love, play, and laughter. He maps the two pitfalls he sees most often: parents who minimize obvious issues until a child “gets sicker” to be seen, and parents who pathologize every wobble. The middle path uses clear assessment, heart-centered language, and boundaries you’ll actually enforce. You’ll also hear how couples’ communication styles—head-on versus avoidant—leak into parenting, and what it takes to co-write a healthier family culture.

If you’re a dad juggling a demanding job, teen sports, and rising anxiety at home, this conversation hands you a framework: lead with curiosity, set standards you model, and let kids own outcomes. Less rescuing, more guiding. Less reacting, more discernment. Subscribe, share with a dad who needs it, and leave a review with the one standard you’re committing to this week.

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What if the most important leadership lessons don’t come from the boardroom but from late-night talks at the kitchen table? 

A HUGE thank you goes out to Mark Krahe for making today's episode possible.  Today, we sat down with Sunbelt Golf CEO Mike Beverly—who leads the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail—to unpack the habits, values, and hard-won insights that guide him as a father and as a leader. It starts with gratitude for a strong partner in a demanding industry and widens into a blueprint for raising very different kids with empathy and clarity.

Mike opens up about early prenatal fears, the emotional whiplash of uncertain diagnoses, and the patience it took to later understand his son’s discalculia. That shift—from assuming to asking—became the foundation of his parenting. He connects those same principles to team leadership across 11 golf properties: you tailor your coaching, you take blame when things go wrong, and you celebrate your people when they get it right. The thread is humility, not as a brand but as a discipline you practice daily.

We also dig into stress management and the small rituals that keep the home safe from work fallout. Mike uses drive time to decompress, chooses words carefully when emotions run hot, and returns to the simple rules his parents taught him: respect, accountability, and love spoken out loud. Along the way, he shares what makes the RTJ Golf Trail special—meticulous course conditions, service that feels human, and a mission to elevate Alabama’s communities. It’s hospitality as leadership, and leadership as love.

If you’re a parent, coach, or people leader, you’ll find practical takeaways on advocating for your kids at school, creating decompression routines, and building cultures where people remember how you made them feel. And if you’re a golfer, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at a destination defined by excellence and heart. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a lift, and leave a review with the one insight you’ll put into practice this week.

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What if the fastest way to connect with your child wasn’t advice, but better questions? Casey Jacox sits down with Shelby Stephens—dad of three, AI founder of Snacker, and lifelong learner—to explore how curiosity, calibrated vulnerability, and learner-led education can transform family life. From swapping “How was school?” for targeted T.E.D. questions to telling honest stories that don’t overburden kids, we map out a practical toolkit any parent can adopt.

Shelby opens up about choosing Acton Academy for his daughters, a model that replaces grades and homework with mastery badges, adaptive learning apps, and a studio contract kids write and sign. The outcome is powerful: children set their own goals, self-assess progress, and learn to hold themselves accountable. We talk through a pivotal moment—his daughter giving herself Xs on missed goals—and what it reveals about discipline, ownership, and intrinsic motivation. We also dig into EQ: why collaboration, boundary-setting, and healthy tech use might matter more than memorizing facts in a world rapidly reshaped by AI.

Beyond school, we lean into the inner game of parenting. Shelby shares small, durable habits—meditation, gratitude, micro-commitments—that improve presence and lower reactivity. We round out with Snacker.ai’s mission to remove friction from sharing knowledge on video, and a nod to Shelby’s music as another outlet for creative expression.

If you’re curious about raising self-directed kids, making vulnerability safe, and becoming a more present parent, this conversation delivers clear steps you can try today.   You also can follow Shelby's music on Spotify here!

Listen, share with a friend, and tell us: what question gets your child to truly open up? Subscribe, leave a review, and join us for more conversations that help us lead at home.

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The most honest leadership lessons rarely come from a boardroom—they happen in the kitchen, the carpool line, and the sideline before a fourth-grade basketball tryout. Casey sits down with Andy Hutsell to explore how a dad builds a resilient home through faith, kindness, and unapologetic intentionality. 

From the joyful chaos of an open-concept house to the quiet courage required to navigate KBG syndrome, Andy shares the hard-won habits that keep his family connected: pause before you preach, celebrate effort as much as outcomes, and repair quickly when you get it wrong.

We trace Andy’s journey from failing out of college to rebuilding his identity with grit on a Texas farm, then channeling that growth into a meaningful career in staffing and leadership at Randstad Digital. He explains why permanent placement is about more than a paycheck—how career matching, culture fit, and long-term stability can transform people’s lives. Along the way, we talk about the power of apology, catching survival mode before it hijacks your evenings, and why consistent presence beats perfect plans.

You’ll hear practical insights on parenting through rare medical uncertainty, modeling real faith without performance, and raising kids who default to kindness even when life gets loud. It’s a conversation for anyone who wants to lead at home with more grace and less guilt, and to carry that same clarity into work. If you’re craving a playbook built on humility, humor, and hope, you’ll find it here.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a rating or review so more dads can find us. Your support helps grow this community of leaders at home and at work.

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What if the best ability as a dad is availability—and the fastest way to build it is with a circle of men who meet you at 5:30 a.m., rain or shine? Today, Casey Jacox sits down with sales leader and father of four, Matt Brownlee, for a conversation that blends vulnerability, practical habits, and a whole lot of heart. We talk about guiding kids through injury and adversity, why gratitude can be a competitive advantage, and how a free, peer-led group like F3 can change your mornings and your mindset.

Matt brings candid stories from a home where lights get left on, shoes pile up, and love wins anyway. He shares the values he learned from his teacher mom and service-driven dad: be present, finish what you start, and write more by hand. Those simple habits show up everywhere—from apology notes to kids that mend fences, to thank-you letters that unexpectedly close deals months later. We get honest about patience, the power of saying “I’m sorry,” and how to turn the tense car ride home into a coaching moment that sticks.

Youth sports pressure is real, so we tackle the specialization question with clarity and nuance. The answer isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan; it’s listening. Let kids chase what lights them up, protect recovery, and measure success by effort, attitude, and how they treat people. Along the way, Casey and Matt compare notes on building belief—at home, on the course, and in business. Matt’s leap from a 15-year corporate career to founding MPH, a sales leadership and coaching firm, reminds us that “go for it” can be a quiet, steady practice: build playbooks, reinforce skills, write the note, show up tomorrow.

If you’re craving a conversation that leaves you with concrete tools and renewed resolve—say thank you, apologize quickly, find your crew, and keep going—press play. Then tell us: what habit will you practice this week to lead your family better? Subscribe, share with a dad who needs it, and leave a review to help more parents find the show.

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The pace of family life can turn even the best intentions into frayed nerves and short fuses. We sat down with Dr. Kate Lund—psychologist, author, TEDx speaker, and host of the Resilient Parenting Podcast—to unpack a practical path back to calm leadership at home. Her core idea is refreshingly doable: step away to step in. By carving out a few minutes to regulate stress and reflect, we show up steadier, more patient, and more connected with our kids.

Dr. Lund opens up about her family, including supporting one twin’s choice to attend a boarding school that fits his learning style and rowing goals while his brother thrives locally. The message: there’s no single right path. When we stop comparing and start scouting for the right environment, kids gain confidence and momentum. She also shares her own story of childhood hydrocephalus, the role of her parents in focusing on possibility, and how those lessons shaped her clinical work with families navigating anxiety, burnout, and big transitions.

We dig into two small habits with outsized impact. First, the relaxation response: a five-minute breathing practice, morning and night, anchored by a calming word. It lowers your baseline stress so difficult moments don’t spiral. Second, the daily wins exercise: three to five things that went well each day to retrain your attention toward progress. One dad’s journey from burnout to renewed joy in sport and family connection shows how tiny, repeatable steps rebuild identity and trust. Along the way we talk patience, gratitude rituals, journaling you’ll actually use, and the power of two words to reset the room: breathe and think.

If you’re balancing career, parenting, and the invisible load, this conversation offers tools you can use tonight. Grab Dr. Lund’s book Step Away: Keys to Resilient Parenting, subscribe to the Resilient Parenting Podcast, and share this episode with a friend who could use a calmer game plan. If it resonated, leave a review and tell us: what’s one daily win you’ll write down today?

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What does it take to lead at home when your day job means leading a locker room under stadium lights? We sit down with Coach, Mike Holmgren—legendary coach of the Packers, 49ers, and Seahawks—to talk about love, honesty, and what it really means to leave work at the door. From meeting his wife at 12 to raising four daughters and now cheering for nine grandkids, Coach Holmgren opens up about rhythms that kept his family grounded through late nights, missed holidays, and cross-country flights.

Coach shares vivid stories: walking through Lambeau’s tailgates, learning to respect a whole state’s passion without letting it rule the household, and choosing faith over a city tennis final as a teenager. He breaks down the “coach-to-dad” switch with simple practices—family dinners, a five-minute huddle with his wife before the kids pile in, and a commitment to listen without turning feedback into pressure. We dig into youth sports, the infamous car ride home, and a better script: “I love watching you play.” Along the way, we revisit the sting of injuries and the quiet courage of getting back up when dreams bend, not break.

If you’re a parent trying to juggle ambition and presence, this conversation gives you a clear playbook: lead with love, tell the truth, ask better questions, and let your kids choose their passions. 

We also highlight causes close to Coach Holmgren's heart—the Salvation Army’s community work and Circlewood’s blend of faith and care for the land on Camano Island. Enjoy the stories, steal the habits, and pass them forward. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more families find tools that work.

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