Dawson and James dive into “Why Managing Expectations Is the Key to Surviving Life: Part One,” exploring how our outlook on life, love, fatherhood, and success has evolved with age. As Gen X dads, we unpack the truth about managing expectations to defeat disappointment—mixing honesty, humor, and a touch of nostalgia to remind men they’re not alone in navigating divorce, dating, and midlife struggles. This candid conversation sheds light on the emotional side of being a man today, while offering women valuable insight into the male perspective. Join us for a real, relatable talk about growing up, growing wiser, and keeping your sanity along the way.

00:00 - Introduction, the pains of banking and healthcare expectations

11:26 - Our expectations of pay, raises and jobs

29:58 - Expectations of collage, its not what it used to be

36:24 - Expectations of companies, how companies Disney have zero loyalty.

49:03 - Who do we shift our paradigm of expectations

55:13 - In transition, we lead into next weeks conclusion of expectations with how do we teach our kids to manage their expectations.