Working Dads

In this episode, we sit down with a dedicated father and entrepreneur to explore his remarkable life journey. After surviving cancer three times, he shares how these life-altering experiences reshaped his perspective on fatherhood, family, and business. From navigating unexpected parenthood to building and scaling multiple successful businesses, he offers candid insights on leaning on community, effective leadership, and prioritizing what truly matters. 

Three things you'll learn: 

1. How overcoming severe health challenges can transform your approach to parenting and personal resilience. 

2. The importance of building and leaning on a strong support network in both family life and business. 

3. Strategies for stepping back, delegating, and leading with empathy as an entrepreneur and a dad. 

What we cover: 

00:00 - Introduction and Welcome 

00:08 - Meet the Guest: Fatherhood Journey Begins 

00:50 - Navigating Cancer Diagnosis and Unexpected Parenthood 

02:55 - Overcoming Cancer Three Times and Finding Resilience 

04:36 - Candid Conversations with Family During Difficult Times 

06:24 - Facing Life-Threatening Illness While Raising Young Children 

08:03 - Starting and Scaling a Business Amidst Personal Challenges 

08:41 - The Importance of Community and Support Systems 

09:44 - Leadership, Teamwork, and Delegation in Entrepreneurship 

11:12 - Transitioning from the Restaurant Industry to Consulting and Tech 

13:54 - Building Problem-Solving Businesses That Scale 

16:38 - Separation of Emotion and Logic in Business Decisions 

17:31 - Overcoming Small-Town Business Mindsets and Expanding Reach 

19:09 - Balancing Entrepreneurship, Family, and Work-Life Flexibility 

21:26 - Challenging Workplace Norms and Working Smarter 

24:15 - ADHD, Systems, and Staying Organized in Business 

26:55 - Parental Influence, Financial Wisdom, and Home Exchanges 

29:00 - Passing On Life Lessons and Experiences to Children 

30:35 - Key Advice for New and Existing Fathers 

31:39 - Closing Thoughts and Appreciation 

About Alex Foulkes 

Alex Foulkes is the host of the Working Dads Podcast, where he engages in insightful conversations with fathers navigating the intersections of career, family, personal growth, and entrepreneurship. 

About Working Dads 

Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either. 

🎙 New episode every week 

📩 Subscribe to Built During Bedtime — our weekly newsletter for working dads 

💬 Join the community — Slack and Facebook group Subscribe & Connect 

🎧 Spotify: Working Dads 

🎧 Apple Podcasts: Working Dads 

📺 YouTube: @workingdadsco 

👥 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/workingdadsco/ 

🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/working-dads-co/ 

🌐 Website: workingdads.co

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nick Howe sat in a room staring at his newborn son. And knew he couldn't do it anymore. Not the marriage. Not the version of himself he'd been performing for everyone else. Not the cycle he'd watched his parents and grandparents repeat for decades. So at six months old, his son Cam became the reason Nick asked for a divorce — and the reason he started rebuilding everything from the ground up. In this episode Nick — single dad, founder of Hugs, and one of the most emotionally raw guests we've had on the show — gets honest about breaking a generational cycle, the weekly ritual he started with Cam at age four that his son's teacher is now raving about, and how that same ritual became a company built to help couples do what Nick and his son figured out between them. This one is different. And it might stay with you.

Three things you'll learn:
The weekly six-question ritual Nick started with his son at age four called Cups and Spoons — what it is, why he built it, and what it's doing for a ten-year-old that most adults still can't do at thirty
Why Nick says the microsecond between when your emotions heat up and when you explode is the most important moment in fatherhood — and how he trained himself to find it
How Nick turned a bedtime ritual into a platform for couples and therapists — and why the best company he ever built started as a conversation with a four-year-old

About Nick Howe
Nick Howe is the founder of Hugs, a relationship-building platform that helps couples and therapists deepen emotional connection and communication between sessions. He is a single dad to Cam, ten years old, and the creator of Cups and Spoons — a weekly ritual that started between a dad and his four-year-old son and grew into a company. He is based in the US and is one of the most emotionally transparent founders we've had on this show.

About Working Dads
Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either.

🎙 New episode every week
📩 Subscribe to Built During Bedtime — our weekly newsletter for working dads
💬 Join the community — Slack and Facebook group

Subscribe & Connect
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aicwtpAEKrXfeViWeCESn?si=sP-QFbZETneBRIGUuoXC1w
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/free-ideas/id1082216467
📺 YouTube/Tiktok/Instagram: @workingdadsco
👥 Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/workingdadsco/
🌐 Website: workingdads.co

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Steve’s episode of the Working Dads Podcast premieres on YouTube October 4. Stay tuned!

Steve and his wife were both from LA. Then he took a job in New York. Packed up his one-year-old son. Moved across the country away from every friend and family member they had. And just figured it out. New Jersey. San Francisco for fifteen years. Back to New York. Back to the Bay. San Diego. And eventually back to California where it all started. In this episode Steve — C-suite tech marketing executive, husband, and dad to a son who is now out of college — gets honest about what years of travel and relocation actually does to a marriage, why he and his wife made a conscious decision to never pressure their son in areas he didn't have a passion for, and the one thing his son said to him recently that told him everything he needed to know about how it all turned out.

Three things you'll learn:
How Steve and his wife managed unexpected travel, relocation, and career pressure without losing each other — and why communication wasn't just important, it was everything
The parenting philosophy Steve and his wife applied from day one — knowing what your kid is actually good at, setting realistic expectations, and never projecting your own ambitions onto them
What Steve's adult son recently said back to him that he never remembered saying out loud — and why it's the clearest sign that the values actually stuck

About Steve
Steve is a C-suite marketing executive with a career rooted in tech and advertising. He and his wife grew up in LA, raised their son across multiple cities including New Jersey, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego, and have recently settled back in California. His son is out of college and — by every measure that matters — turned out exactly right.

About Working Dads
Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either.

🎙 New episode every week
📩 Subscribe to Built During Bedtime — our weekly newsletter for working dads
💬 Join the community — Slack and Facebook group

Subscribe & Connect
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aicwtpAEKrXfeViWeCESn?si=sP-QFbZETneBRIGUuoXC1w
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/free-ideas/id1082216467
📺 YouTube/Tiktok/Instagram: @workingdadsco
👥 Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/workingdadsco/
🌐 Website: workingdads.co

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Three things you'll learn:

What we cover:

00:00 — Introduction

00:00 — The secret to 22 years

00:00 — Wife of ten siblings, husband of two

00:00 — She quit her job when the kids were born

00:00 — Daycare and social work

00:00 — Sales at the dinner table

00:00 — Ordering their own food at age five

00:00 — Kids living on their own

00:00 — Don't shield them

About Chris Yeager

Chris Yeager is a real estate professional and lifelong sales veteran based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been married for twenty-two years, is the father of a 21-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter, and has spent his career in sales and sales management across multiple industries. He is a former college athlete, a competitive by nature, and a working dad who believes the dinner table is the best sales training ground there is.

About Working Dads

Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either.

No gurus. No highlight reels. Just real talk.

🎙 New episode every week

Subscribe & Connect

🎧 Spotify: [link]

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Three things you'll learn:

What we cover:

00:00 — Introduction

00:00 — The layoff that broke him

00:00 — His wife calling him out

00:00 — Getting out of the rut

00:00 — Four layoffs and counting

00:00 — The income stream question

00:00 — I'd take a pay cut to be present

00:00 — The bedtime routine

00:00 — Phones in the car

00:00 — Date night and staying connected

00:00 — Parting words

About Joe

Joe is an IT professional with 18-plus years of experience, a stepfather to an 11-year-old, and a father of two young children. He is also building a side business with ATR Payroll and previously launched a fitness coaching brand. He is a husband, a bowling league regular, and a working dad who has been laid off four times and come back every single time.

About Working Dads

Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either.

No gurus. No highlight reels. Just real talk.

🎙 New episode every week

Subscribe & Connect

🎧 Spotify: [link]

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Three things you'll learn:

What we cover:

00:00 — Introduction

00:00 — Building a business with your wife

00:00 — Survive and advance

00:00 — Knowing your lane

00:00 — The mortgage industry timing

00:00 — Coaching both kids in flag football

00:00 — Holding kids accountable vs. holding employees accountable

00:00 — Teenagers seeing the struggle

00:00 — The acquisition conversation

00:00 — The professor quote

00:00 — The legacy

About Bernard Nasouli

Bernard Nasouli is the co-owner of iEmergent, a data and forecasting company serving the mortgage industry. He grew up in Maryland, has lived in Iowa for twenty years, and has been with the company through three separate stints spanning from its founding in 2000 to today. He is a husband, business partner to his wife, flag football coach, horse show dad, and father of two teenagers.

About Working Dads

Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either.

No gurus. No highlight reels. Just real talk.

🎙 New episode every week

Subscribe & Connect

🎧 Spotify: [link]

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Three things you'll learn:

What we cover:

00:00 — Introduction

00:00 — The family picture

00:00 — The moment outside the apartment

00:00 — His dad locking the door at 11:30pm

00:00 — The relapse in 2020

00:00 — What he missed and what he's getting back

00:00 — What a man actually is

00:00 — Why men suffer in silence

00:00 — The generational shift

00:00 — Parting words

About Doug Wenz

Doug Wenz is a commercial lines property and casualty insurance professional with eight years of experience and the founder of a new company he's building from the ground up. He is a husband, stepfather, and father of four — with his fifth child on the way. He lives in Prospect, Connecticut.

About Working Dads

Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either.

No gurus. No highlight reels. Just real talk.

🎙 New episode every week

Subscribe & Connect

🎧 Spotify: [link]

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Three things you'll learn:

What we cover:

00:00 — Introduction

00:00 — Becoming a dad at 25

00:00 — Working from home with kids

00:00 — The Dadgood launch that almost cost him his marriage

00:00 — One to two kids

00:00 — The routine that runs the household

00:00 — The personal trainer

00:00 — Moving to Charleston knowing nobody

00:00 — Three best friends he's never met in person

00:00 — Advice for dads in the trenches

About Gui Groscos

Gui Groscos is the co-founder of Dadgood, a community built for ambitious dads who want to win at home and at work. He is a father of two boys — with a third due in December — a husband approaching his five-year anniversary, and a recent Boston-to-Charleston transplant who joined a softball team within his first week in town.

About Working Dads

Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either.

No gurus. No highlight reels. Just real talk.

🎙 New episode every week

Subscribe & Connect

🎧 Spotify: [link]

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Three things you'll learn:

What we cover:

00:00 — Introduction

00:00 — Finding out he was going to be a dad

00:00 — The first three months

00:00 — From one kid to two

00:00 — The 5:30 to 7:30 rule

00:00 — The wake up call

00:00 — Staying organized with ADHD

00:00 — High school sweethearts

00:00 — Moving from California to the Midwest

00:00 — The Dadgood community

00:00 — Letting go of relationships that don't serve you

About Matt Campbell

Matt Campbell is the Business Development Director at Advertise Purple, co-creator of the Dadgood community, Division One baseball alum, husband to his high school sweetheart, and father of a four-and-a-half-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. He lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

About Working Dads

Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either.

No gurus. No highlight reels. Just real talk.

🎙 New episode every week

Subscribe & Connect

🎧 Spotify: [link]

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Three things you'll learn: 

What eight years of cross-country travel actually costs you — not just in miles but in your marriage, your presence, and your own mental health — and what Mike would do differently if he could go back 

The ego moment in a Dallas lunch that made Mike realize he could never be an employee again — and what it taught him about identity, entrepreneurship, and knowing how you're wired T

he one piece of advice Mike got from a stranger at a golf tournament that changed how he shows up as a dad — and why he says never say no when your kid wants to join you 

What we cover: 

00:00 — Introduction Mike Mosel, founder of Polarity, twenty-plus years as a business owner, and girl dad to a rising college senior and a fresh high school graduate

00:00 — The decision that cost him Moving his four-month-old daughter and wife from California back to the East Coast for the business. Eight years on planes. And what his wife said in a personal improvement class that stopped him cold. 

00:00 — Coming home off a red eye Landing at 5am on Thursday night. Three hours of sleep. Up with the kids. Grocery shopping with his girls. And the mental weight of a business that never fully left his head. 

00:00 — The moment he knew something had to change Waking up in the middle of the night to check if Verizon had wired the invoice payment. Payroll runs twice a month. And the realization that there had to be more to life than this. 

00:00 — Selling the business Five and a half years in. An investment banker. A publicly traded buyer. And two daughters who were three and six when he finally walked away. 

00:00 — The Dallas lunch The waitress hands the bill to his boss. She says you must be the big guy in charge. And Mike realizes in that moment — he can't do this. 

00:00 — Reimagining himself From CEO to employee to consultant to founder again. What the entrepreneur's sickness actually feels like. And why once you've hunted your own food you can never go back to being fed. 

00:00 — Street smart over academic smart What Mike is proudest of in his daughters. The resourcefulness he learned from his mother. And why he's sitting alongside his youngest as she follows her faith and figures out her calling. 

00:00 — Teaching money the right way Spreadsheets. Cell phone bills. Car insurance. Gas money. And why the lesson doesn't land until the money is physically leaving their bank account. 

00:00 — Advice for new dads Never say no when your kid wants to join you in what you love. The golf story that changed Mike's approach to fatherhood forever. 

00:00 — Advice for where he is now Lean into your faith. And tell your kids you love them every single day. Because a lot of kids never hear it from their dads. 

About Mike 

Mosel Mike Mosel is the founder of Polarity, a consulting business focused on understanding human behavior and how people are naturally wired. He spent twenty-plus years as a business owner including founding and selling a construction company that managed cellular tower work for the major carriers. He is a man of faith, a girl dad to two daughters, a golf lover, and one of the most self-aware guests we've had on the show. 

LinkedIn: [Mike's LinkedIn] 

Polarity: [link] 

About Working Dads 

Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either. 

🎙 New episode every week 

📩 Subscribe to Built During Bedtime — our weekly newsletter for working dads 

💬 Join the community — Slack and Facebook group 

Subscribe & Connect 

🎧 Spotify: [link] 

🎧 Apple Podcasts: [link] 

📺 YouTube: [link] 

📩 Newsletter: [link] 

💬 Slack: [link] 

👥 Facebook Group: [link] 

🔗 LinkedIn: [link] 

🌐 Website: [link]

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.

Nobody prepares you for this.

Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything.

I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone.

So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there.

We've also got Built During Bedtime — my weekly newsletter for working dads. The one thing I write after my daughter goes to sleep. Straight to your inbox. No fluff.

And we've got a community. Slack channel and Facebook group full of dads who get it. The kind of guys you can be honest with. The kind of friendships that actually go somewhere.

Come find your people.

Working Dads. For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between.