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A veterinary surgeon who also builds houses, runs companies, and hosts a podcast sounds like the definition of “always on,” but Jason Balara flips that story. He’s obsessed with being home for dinner, being there at bedtime, and building a family culture his kids can actually feel. If you’ve ever wondered whether work-life balance is real or just something people say online, this conversation gives you a grounded, honest look at what it takes.

We get into Jason’s path from growing up with a single mom and moving almost every year to creating the stable home he always wanted his kids to have. He breaks down how an uncle and a few key mentors shaped his work ethic, why getting paid “by the day” taught him to focus on outcomes, and how that same mindset carries into entrepreneurship and parenting. Along the way, we talk about belief as a parenting skill: protecting your kids’ curiosity, refusing to let “I can’t” become their identity, and modeling confidence without turning life into pressure.

We also go deep on patience and emotional control. Jason shares how he tries not to let outside stress spill over onto his kids, why kindness is a competitive advantage that no AI can replace, and the values he hopes his children will be known for when they’re grown. We wrap with a fun lightning round and ways to connect with Jason and his work.

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Your calendar is full, your phone won’t stop buzzing, and your kids are growing up right in front of you. I sit down with David Garson, VP at Advanced Partners and a dad of two, to get honest about what it takes to lead a household with intention when life is busy and work is demanding.

We talk about the values David and his wife are trying to build into their family culture: kindness first, honesty, responsibility, and being the kind of person others want to be around. David shares what he’s seeing in his daughter’s world as soccer ramps up and independence kicks in, and he tells a great story about his son’s “inventor” streak, complete with an idea journal and an entrepreneur camp. We also dig into the underrated power of curiosity and why asking better questions can be a real advantage in parenting and in life.

Then we go straight at the hard part: presence. David calls out his own struggle with always being responsive, and I share the lesson that helped me set boundaries without tanking my career. We also cover what Advanced Partners does for staffing entrepreneurs, why relationships matter more than brand names at work, and how to keep sports in perspective so wins and losses don’t define your kids.

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Your home doesn’t need a “perfect dad” to feel steady, but it does need a present one. Casey sits down again with Colin Henderson for 2nd time as a guest on the podcast.  Today, they have a very candid conversation that moves from co-parenting realities to the daily relationship habits that most of us ignore until things start to break. Colin shares what changed after a major life transition, what he learned while mending a broken heart, and what it takes to keep showing up for your kids with consistency and care. 

We dig into the real mechanics of healthy relationships: why unmet needs turn into resentment, how poor communication creates distance, and how childhood conditioning and attachment styles quietly steer adult conflict. Colin pulls from the Gottman Institute research and lays out the “Four Horsemen” that poison connection, then replaces them with a better system built on empathy, curiosity, and honest check-ins. We also talk about masculinity in 2026, emotional intelligence for dads, and why “strength under control” might be the leadership upgrade families are craving. 

You’ll also hear practical, no-nonsense advice on invisible labor and the mental load at home, plus book recommendations like Black Belt Husband. Colin closes by sharing The Oz Method, his new book on the psychology of influence and behavior change, and why dads and leaders should care about what actually moves people to change. If you got value from this, subscribe, share this with a dad who needs it, and leave a quick review so more families can find the show.

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Most dads do not need another hack. We need a standard we can actually live by when we are tired, stressed, and tempted to check out. That’s why this conversation with Tommy Short hits so hard. Tommy is a former NCAA Division I basketball referee and the author of The Call I Almost Missed, and he joins me to talk about what real leadership looks like at home, not under arena lights. 

We start with youth sports and the sideline behavior that steals the best lessons from kids. Tommy shares what he saw for years as an official, why you should never expect a perfect whistle, and how three honest words can disarm conflict fast: “I missed it.” From there, we get personal: why he walked away from officiating so he could be fully present as a dad, and the simple routines that shape his daughters’ character, like daily kindness reflections and making mistakes safe to admit. 

Then we dig into the tools Tommy is known for: Do Boring Better, Own Your Three Foot Circle, and his “86” personal standard built from missing the NBA. We talk about empathy, authenticity, curiosity, humility, and how “each day is the first day” becomes a reset button for fathers, husbands, and leaders. Finally, Tommy tells the story behind going a full year without a cell phone, what it revealed about performative living, and how to avoid the kind of regret that shows up years too late. 

If you care about intentional fatherhood, parenting, leadership, resilience, and being present in a distracted world, hit play, subscribe, share this with another dad, and leave a review so more families can find the show.

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Time is the one resource fatherhood won’t let us fake. When Jacob Karnes tells the story of losing his dad suddenly, the conversation shifts from productivity tips to something heavier and more useful: how do you build a life where you’re actually there, not just technically “around”? 

We talk honestly about what changes when you hold your first child and realize work can’t be the main scoreboard anymore, even if you’re driven, competitive, and wired to win.

We also rewind to Jacob’s childhood in the Bible Belt and what it’s like growing up with big expectations like “where much is given, much is required.” We unpack the good that comes from that standard, excellence, respect, doing things the right way, and the shadow side too, like fear of mistakes and pressure to be perfect. Then we get practical: protecting meal time, keeping phones off the table, using curiosity and follow-up questions to help kids open up, and why showing affection to your spouse in front of your kids quietly teaches them what healthy love looks like.

Along the way, we hit the real-life dad moments that stick: coaching 3 and 4-year-old soccer, handling chaos with a plan, and learning to relax about mess without lowering the bar on responsibility. Jacob also shares his career path from Chick-fil-A leadership to running his own consulting and coaching business, and how getting told “no” helped him find the work he actually wanted to do.

If you want more grounded fatherhood advice, stronger family values, and leadership lessons you can use at home and at work, listen now, then subscribe, share this with a dad who needs it, and leave a quick review so more parents can find the show.

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One phone choice can shape a relationship, and one hard season can reshape an entire life. I’m joined by Jason “JD” Diliberry, a former Florida State lineman and lifelong leader who has lived through divorce, addiction, sobriety, and the kind of grief that stops you in your tracks. What comes through most is not polish. It’s honesty, accountability, and a deep commitment to showing up for the people in his huddle. 

We talk about JD’s upbringing after his mom moved away, the quiet power of a dad and stepmom who never spoke badly about her, and how hard work became a value before it became a motivational poster. We also get into sports as a training ground for life: starting football late, learning toughness through wrestling, and why “belief” matters so much when your kids face a world that loves to tell them no. If you care about fatherhood, family values, and leadership at home, this part hits hard in the best way. 

Then the conversation turns toward recovery and loss. JD shares his journey to sobriety, the reality of addiction in a family system, and the painful story of losing his daughter Savannah to Fentanyl. We talk about faith, grace, forgiveness, and why being fully present is not a slogan, it’s a decision you make moment by moment. 

If this story helps you, subscribe, share it with a dad who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find these conversations. What’s one way you can be more present today?

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One sentence can change how your kid remembers sports forever, and it usually happens on the drive home. I sit down with Jim Steadman, an exec sales leader for YES, a dad of six, and a grandpa to a fast-growing crew of grandkids, to get honest about what he would do differently and what he is proud to see his kids doing better than he did.

We talk about sports parenting with real nuance: how to stay intense without barking, why sleeping on feedback can save a relationship, and how confidence builds through consistent encouragement. Jim shares the kind of “you never forget it” moments that shaped him, from a tough-minded mom who ran races into her 80s to a quiet, wise dad whose presence mattered more than big vacations. We also connect the dots between parenting values and leadership at work, including a story where integrity looked risky in the moment but paid off in trust.

Health shows up as a leadership issue, too. Jim walks through a doctor’s wake-up call, living with diabetes, and why Spartan Races became his fear-based motivator to train, eat well, and stay disciplined as an empty nester. We close with a timely reminder for modern families: technology is useful, but it cannot replace the human touch of a call, a note, or showing up in the stands.

If you got value from this conversation, subscribe to the Quarterback Dadcast, share it with a dad who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find the show.

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The fastest way to lose your kid after a game is to turn the car ride home into a performance review. That idea kicks off a real, funny, and surprisingly emotional conversation with Griffin Reilly, a Bay Area dad of two and a strategic account executive at Relyance AI, who’s learning in real time how to lead with calm, curiosity, and a little less ego. Griffin also co-hosts The Elite Selling Podcast with Frankie Vignone, so make sure you go an check out their show too!

Griffin takes us inside the “Huddle” while his family is in the middle of a move, then rewinds to a childhood shaped by a tight Irish Catholic family, nonstop sports, and parents who balanced drive with joy. We talk about the values that stick: hard work you can put your name on, relationships that don’t get taken for granted, and the kind of sibling bond you build on purpose. He shares a defining story about painting a house for tuition and getting called out for “skipping steps” and why that lesson still guides how he wants to raise his own kids.

We also connect the dots to career and confidence, from advocating for himself with coaches to handling rejection, taking initiative, and eventually choosing tech sales over commercial real estate culture. If you care about intentional fatherhood, youth sports parenting, family values, and leadership at home, you’ll walk away with practical language and a better way to think about what your kids actually need from you.

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Your kids will teach you leadership faster than any book, if you let them. I sit down with Tom Mitchell, a coach, author, and performance psychologist who has spent decades helping athletes and leaders master the inner game, and we keep the spotlight where it belongs: on Tom as a husband and dad. We start with gratitude and what “success” looks like at home, from healthy adult children to the simple joy of being present for recovery, routines, and the moments you never want to take for granted. 

Tom takes us back to the beginning, including an Oktoberfest story that is equal parts hilarious and honest, and then into the day-to-day choices that helped his two daughters grow into professional performers. We talk parenting values, discipline, and boundaries that protect confidence: limiting negative media, building structure around training, and showing up for the early mornings and long seasons. Along the way, Tom’s childhood stories about loyalty, work ethic, and a family that traveled any distance to support a game add depth to what it means to lead with steadiness. 

The conversation turns into a powerful sports psychology and mindset coaching lesson when Tom shares how his father’s heart attack pushed him into depression and a lifelong search for meaning. That journey shaped his work in leadership development and his latest book, Embrace Your Inner Coach, a message that lands for dads, even if it was not written only for dads: stop outsourcing your strength, trust your inner voice, and pay attention to what your kids reveal about you.  You can also check other books that Tom wrote with famous pro athletes, Chris Mullin and Joe Montana!

If you’re into fatherhood, parenting, leadership, resilience, and the mental side of performance, this one sticks. Subscribe, share this with a dad who’s trying to lead well, and leave a review with the value you most want to pass on to your kids.

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Today marks the 2nd guest we've invited back for another conversation, so thank you, Jed Collins for coming on to tell us what's changed since we last spoke and to also share more about your new book!

In today's conversation, we explore that the hardest part of youth sports isn’t usually the practice or the game, it’s what happens right after. As you might recall, Jed is a former NFL Fullback who will help us unpack how dads can raise confident, resilient kids without turning every weekend into a scoreboard crisis. Jed shares what’s changed in his home as his daughters hit middle school, and why his north star has shifted from chasing wins to building the best human being long term. 

We get practical about intentional parenting and fatherhood habits that actually stick. Jed explains the three phrases he repeats every morning (“Be kind, try hard, I love you”), why presence is a real gift even when you’re exhausted, and how the Bruce Brown “Car Ride Home” concept can protect your relationship with your kid. We also talk about handling big emotions as a girl dad, listening to learn instead of rushing to solve, and why sometimes the best move is to “shut up and give a hug.” 

Then we go behind the scenes on Jed’s new book, Fourth And Goal, built from his daily NFL journal during his final season. We dig into journaling prompts, identity and personal brand, and why writing things down may matter even more in the age of artificial intelligence. We even hit a quick health tangent on creatine and brain function before closing with a lightning round. 

If you get value from the conversation, subscribe, share this with a dad who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find the show.

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