The Dad Train – Details, episodes & analysis

Brandon Miller is an expert in Strengths-Based Organizational Development, who has helped businesses such as Bank of America and Tesla implement leadership and company culture programs. 

He is also a father of 7, who has co-authored two books about Strengths-Based Parenting.

Brandon believes there are skills we learn as fathers that can help make us better managers and leaders in the workplace. 

In this interview, Brandon shares his story and explains some of the key lessons he has learned along the way. 

What you will learn

• The story behind Brandon’s business, 34 Strong 
• How organisations can apply strengths-based principles
• The three categories of time
  • Grind time
  • Greatness
  • Genius
• Brandon’s fatherhood journey, with 7 kids and 4 grandchildren. 
• How to manage work-life balance at different stages in your career
• Three ways managers (and parents) can be perceived by staff (and kids)
  • Advocate 
  • Adversary
  • Ambivalent  
• Leadership skills we learn as dads, that can also be applied in the workplace
• Why he and his wife decided to write a book about parenting
• What is Strengths-Based Parenting 
• What are some of the strengths we can look for in our kids
• The difference between core and growth strengths
• Unique strengths Brandon identified in his children 
• About Brandon’s organisation: ‘incredible parents’

More information
Show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this interview are available at https://thedadtrain.com/56 

Will McMahon is an Australian comedian and radio personality. He co-hosts the KISS Network’s national drive time show ‘Woody and Will’ with his best-mate Woody Whitelaw.

On-air it’s mostly shits and giggles, as Will’s job is to entertain and make people laugh. But in his personal life, he continues to live with regular bouts of depression.

Depression is a mental illness that affects 1 in 7 people. And typically men are not very good at talking about it. 

This is something Will is trying to change.

Will understands how hard it is for men to let their friends and family know they are struggling, but he also believes it’s the most important thing you can do to help yourself. 

In this interview, Will shares his personal story of living with depression and explains why it’s so important to talk about it.

What you’ll learn

• The Catch-22 of depression – where the best thing you can do is to speak to someone, but it’s also the hardest thing to do
• Why he created the ‘share my mood’ app
• Some lessons from Roman Kemp’s documentary ‘Our silent Emergency’
• Two ways for society to tackle depression
  • Intervention
  • Prevention
• Tips to help guys talk to their mates about depression
  • Shoulder to shoulder activities
  • ‘The 2-okay rule’
• Things Will does to help maintain his mental health
  • Exercise
  • Meditation
  • Diet and lifestyle
• How the symptoms of depression show up in Will
• The power of vulnerability – why telling your friends about your depression is the best thing you can do to help yourself. 
• Resources men can use if they need to get help

More information
Links to resources mentioned in this interview, as well as further information about the guest, can be found at https://thedadtrain.com/55

Need help?
If this topic triggers anything and you need to speak to someone, please call LifeLine on 13 11 14 (in Australia) or an equivalent helpline in your local country. 

Jamie Keeling is a father to seven children in a blended family (yes, he needs a bigger TV). 

He is also a successful entrepreneur, business coach and former world champion in the sport of Taekwando, who once dropped out of college to tour Europe as a long-haired wannabe rockstar. 

So, as you can see, he’s had a diverse life. And he’s learned a few things along the way.

In this interview, Jamie talks about the challenges of raising a blended family and shares his thoughts on what’s really important in life. 

If you are offended by either strong language or strong opinions, then this is not the episode for you  

But if you want to hear someone tell it how it is and share their “no B.S.” philosophies on life, then Jamie is your kind of guy. 

What you’ll learn

• How Jamie ended up with 7 kids
• How being a stepdad is different from having your own kids
• Some hard-to-hear home truths about raising a blended family
• The number one challenge to be aware of
• The three really important questions dads need to ask themselves
• Mistakes he’s made along the way
• The work Jamie does with startup businesses
• How he grew his TickTock account to 30,000 followers in six months

More information
Links to resources mentioned in this episode are available at https://thedadtrain.com/46

This is the third and final episode in a mini-series about life lessons. 

There are lessons to be learned from any experience. And in this episode, Scott shares some of the valuable life lessons he learned from running his first marathon. 

These lessons included:

• A goal without a plan is just a wish
• Small steps will get you there faster
• Taking a rest will improve your performance

These lessons come from an article published on The Dad Train blog. To read the full article including the other 9 life lessons learned, please visit https://thedadtrain.com/45

To listen to the previous episodes in this series, please visit:

• Ep. 43 - Life Lessons From Farming, with Kane Brisco
• Ep. 44 - Life Lessons From Gaming, with Eric Siu

For more information about The Dad Train

please visit: https://thedadtrain.com

Or follow us on social @thedadtrain

Eric Siu is a successful entrepreneur who has founded multiple businesses and worked with leading technology companies such as Amazon, Airbnb, Salesforce and Uber. 

In his youth, Eric was not academically or socially successful, but he was a serious high-level eSports and poker player. 

He ultimately found how to convert his focus and success in gaming into a very successful career in marketing. 

In this interview, Eric shares some of the key concepts he learned from gaming that can be applied to other areas of life. 

What you’ll learn

• Why online gaming appeals to so many young men
• How Eric got into gaming from a young age
• Which online games Eric was involved with 
• The three things you want in life – Contribution, Health and Connection
• How eSports is now one of the top 3 sports in many countries 
• How parents can balance the benefits and risks of gaming
• What he wishes his parents would have done differently to connect with a teenager who likes gaming
• A few key concepts that Eric learned from gaming, such as:
  • The wealth ladder 
  • Thievery 
  • The Newbie Mindset
• How to apply some of these lessons to fatherhood
• What is Eric working on at the moment?
• All about his new book: Leveling Up – How to Master the Game of Life

More Information
Show notes and links to all the resources mentioned in this interview are available at https://thedadtrain.com/44

Life on a farm can be tough, but it also teaches you some valuable lessons about awareness, acceptance and resilience. 

These are all things that can be applied to other areas of life, including your role as a father. 

Today’s guest is Kane Brisco, a dairy farmer from Taranaki in New Zealand, who has founded a business called Farmfit, to help support the mental wellbeing of his local community. 

In the interview, Kane gives a first-hand account of life on a farm and shares some valuable lessons it has taught him. 

Farming, fatherhood and philosophy – this interview covers them all. 

What you’ll learn

• Where the hell is Taranaki?
• A day in the life of a dairy farmer
• Kane’s family life with a wife and three young kids
• The story behind Farmfit – ‘no gym, no worries’
• Why so many farmers suffer from mental health problems
• The importance of community and connections for mental health
• Tools that Kane uses to manage his mental health
• Why he takes cold water trough baths in the middle of winter
• Life lessons he has learned from the farm
• Some of his most popular social videos

More information
Show notes and links to resources mentioned in this interview are available at https://thedadtrain.com/43 

Compared to previous generations, today’s children have more homework, more adult-led activities and less free time to just play. 

According to psychologist Dr Peter Gray, this is a worrying trend that is having a negative impact on society. 

Dr Gray’s research shows that free-play is an important part of child development. It’s where they learn things like courage, creativity and social skills. 

In this interview, Dr Gray explains why it’s important for parents to step back and let their kids play, even (and sometimes especially) if it involves risk.

What you’ll learn

• Why Dr Gray decided to specialise in free-play
• His research into The Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts, where the children design their own curriculum
• What are the key features in the Sudbury education philosophy?
  • Mixing kids of all ages together
  • Staff are voted in by the students
  • All decisions need to be approved by a committee of students and staff
• About Dr, Gray’s book: Free to learn
• How child-led play helps children develop important life skills
• What are the negative impacts of too much adult-led education and play
• Internal versus external locus of control 

More information
Show notes and links to resources mentioned in this interview are available at https://thedadtrain.com/42

“The warrior archetype is a strong, powerful, masculine archetype. He’s a great archetype for just getting shit done!”

Archetypes are universal, inborn personality traits that have been referenced throughout human history.

They were introduced to the field of psychology by Carl Jung, who identified twelve major archetypes, but also believed there was an infinite number of potential archetypes that could exist. 

An example of a masculine archetype is ‘The Warrior’ archetype, which is particularly useful when you need to take action.

In this interview, Nic Tovey explains why the warrior archetype is so powerful and how you can access your inner warrior. 

What you’ll learn

• About Nic’s new book: The (Re)Volutionary Man
• The Pillar of Potency – 4 step model:
  • Presence
  • Power
  • Passion
  • Purpose
• What are archetypes?
• What is the Warrior Archetype and how do we embrace it?
• Joseph Campbell’s formula for the hero's journey
• What are some masculine and feminine archetypes that we can all tap in to
• Why we need polarity in our relationships

More information
Show notes and links to references used in this interview are available at https://thedadtrain.com/41

About Nic Tovey
Nic is a Relationship, Intimacy and Sexuality Coach, who wants to help people experience a rich, joyful and authentic experience of life through their relationships, their love life and their life’s work. He can be found at NicTovey.com 

Nic was previously on The Dad Train Podcast in episode 22 talking about Conflict and Intimacy In Relationships. 

Did you know that at least 1 in 10 dads experience depression or anxiety related to the arrival of a new baby? 

It’s a condition known as PPND – Paternal Post Natal Depression and it’s much more common than most people realise. Unfortunately, many men suffer in silence and never seek help. 

Howard Todd-Collins  is a psychotherapist who helps men deal with the emotional changes that occur when they become fathers. 

In this interview, he explains why so many dads experience PPND, what it looks like and how to deal with it. 

What you’ll learn

• Why Howard started specialising in Men’s mental health issues
• The Active Fathers Group – a men’s group that Howard founded for new dads 
• Why men neglect their mental health once they become fathers
• How your relationship with your dad can impact your fatherhood style
• How men experience hormonal changes during pregnancy and beyond
• What is Paternal Post Natal Depression (PPND)
• How common is PPND
• What are the symptoms and when do they appear
• What to do if you think you are experiencing PPND
• How to be more emotionally present with your kids

More Information
Show notes and links to all the resources mentioned in this interview are available at https://thedadtrain.com/40

Hugh van Cuylenburg is the founder of The Resilience Project, an organisation that provides mental health and wellbeing programs to schools, businesses and individuals. 

In this interview, Hugh explains how the key concepts of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (G.E.M.) can be applied to fatherhood and why being a parent is a great test of your resilience. 

Hugh also shares stories about his family, his relationship with his dad and what’s on the horizon for the Resilience Project. 

This is a fascinating chat with an inspirational person, who is also a passionate father of two young children. 

For any parents out there, I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I did.

What you’ll learn 

• How dad’s become part of a brotherhood
• The challenges of managing a 'threeanger'
• How being a father has tested his resilience. 
• How being a father has changed Hugh’s relationship with his dad
• Hugh’s dad’s story – immigrating from Sri-Lanka to Australia by boat
• How men can either follow in their dad’s footsteps or choose to take a different route
• Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness – the three key tools for resilience  
• How Hugh practices gratitude with his 3-year-old son each night
• The results of the Resilience Project’s schools program 
• The Imperfects Podcast with Ryan Shelton 
• What’s on the horizon for The Resilience Project 
• Hugh’s next book – a sneak preview into what it might be about

More information
Show notes and links to the resources mentioned in this interview are available at https://thedadtrain.com/39