Pulp, Prayer, and Plot Twists: Inside Jack LaFountain's World - EP 230
Release Date: 05/16/2025
From Fixing to Connecting with Mike Elliott EP - 280
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
Show Notes Learn how grandfathers can move beyond fixing and providing to build deeper relationships through presence, connection, listening, and intentionality with Mike Elliott. A Question for Every Grandpa Think about the people who matter most to you. If your grandchildren were asked years from now, "How did Grandpa make you feel when you were around him?" what would you hope they would say? And more importantly, what could you do today to help make that answer true? Key Takeaways 1. Success can't substitute for connection. Mike's own story is a powerful example. He pursued...
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Stop Fixing, Start Facilitating: The Secret to Being a Great Grandpa: With Perry Solomon EP - 279
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
What if one of the most important things a grandfather can do for his grandchildren is stop telling them what to do? On this episode of The Cool Grandpa Podcast, I sit down with Perry Solomon, author of , to talk about intentional grandfathering, following children's interests, building grit, and helping grandchildren become confident, independent problem solvers. Perry brings more than 20 years of grandfathering experience to the conversation. His approach is simple but powerful: be attentive, listen, provide opportunities, facilitate experiences, and let grandchildren make decisions for...
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The Bridge to Your Grandchildren: Neil Taft on Building Family Relationships EP - 278
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
The Bridge to Your Grandchildren: Why the Path Runs Through Their Parents What if the best way to build a stronger relationship with your grandchildren is to start with their parents? Neil Taft returns to The Cool Grandpa Podcast to talk about his new book, The Bridge to Your Grandchildren: What Their Parents Want You to Know. Neil is a longtime grandparenting author, speaker, founder of Caring Grandparents, and a returning guest on the podcast. His work focuses on helping grandparents build meaningful relationships across generations while navigating the complicated dynamics that can come...
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Grandfathers Raising Young Women: Building Confidence, Resilience & Character EP - 277
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
What if one of the most important things you can give your granddaughter isn't advice, money, or even wisdom? What if it's simply becoming the person she knows she can call when life gets hard? In this episode of The Cool Grandpa Podcast, I explore the unique role grandfathers can play in helping their granddaughters become confident, capable, and resilient young women. From listening instead of fixing, to teaching practical skills, to showing her what a good man looks like, Grandpa's influence may be far greater than he realizes. And for the grandfathers who aren't simply involved in...
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When the Door Is Closed, Go Through the Window: With "LT" Lu EP 276
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
Shownotes What do you do when the door is closed? Do you keep pushing against it? Walk away? Or look for another way in? For LT Lu, the answer is simple: When the door is closed, go in through the window. On this episode of The Cool Grandpa Podcast, I talk with LT Lu, author of In Through the Window: On Forging Your Own Path to Success, about resilience, overcoming obstacles, finding your own path, and helping the next generation develop the confidence to solve problems for themselves. LT's story is remarkable. Born in China in the 1960s during the Cultural Revolution, LT grew up in...
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When Dad Isn't There: How Grandfathers Can Help Raise Good Men EP 274
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
When Dad Isn't There: How Grandfathers Can Help Raise Good Men When a father isn't actively involved in a boy's life, many grandfathers wonder what role they should play. Should they step in? How much influence is appropriate? How can they support their grandson without replacing his father or unintentionally undermining his mother? In this episode of The Cool Grandpa Podcast, I explore the unique opportunity grandfathers have to become steady, trustworthy men in the lives of boys growing up without an active father. Whether you're the father of the absent dad or the father of the child's...
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Best Of: The Legacy We Leave Behind | with Sylvia Liu EP - 274
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
Show Notes Can grandparents influence our lives even if we never really knew them? Author and former environmental attorney Sylvia Liu believes the answer is yes. In this fascinating conversation, Sylvia shares the remarkable stories of her two grandfathers, both generals in Nationalist China whose lives intersected with some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Although Sylvia met one grandfather only once and never met the other, their courage, sacrifice, commitment to service, and love of family profoundly shaped the generations that followed. Sylvia and I also discuss...
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The 3 Biggest Challenges Grandparents Face Today EP - 273
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
The 3 Biggest Challenges Grandparents Face Today (And What the Research Says) Grandparenting is one of life's greatest blessings—but it isn't always easy. In this episode of The Cool Grandpa Podcast, Greg Payne explores three of the biggest challenges facing grandparents today, backed by current research and years of conversations with grandparents across the country. You'll discover why family estrangement has become one of the fastest-growing emotional challenges for grandparents, why millions of grandparents are unexpectedly raising grandchildren, and how relationships with adult children...
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America's First Grandfathers EP - 272
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
Show Notes: As a six-year-old boy in Louisville, Kentucky, I celebrated America's Bicentennial in 1976 with parades, flags, and neighborhood celebrations. Fifty years later, that little boy is now a grandfather himself, reflecting on what it means to leave a lasting legacy. In this special Independence Day episode, we look at a side of America's Founding Fathers that rarely makes it into the history books: their roles as grandfathers, mentors, and family men. What can Thomas Jefferson teach us about being present with our grandchildren? What does George Washington show us about family by...
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The Biggest Aging Myths with Eileen Kopsaftis EP - 271
The Cool Grandpa Podcast
What if most of what we've been told about aging is simply wrong? In this episode of The Cool Grandpa Podcast, I sit down with wellness expert, physical therapist, educator, and author Eileen Kopsaftis to discuss why decline is not an inevitable part of aging. Drawing on decades of experience helping people improve mobility, reduce pain, and restore function, Eileen shares practical strategies that grandparents can use to stay active, independent, and fully engaged with their families. From nutrition and hydration to movement, mindset, and community, this conversation challenges the...
info_outlineIn this engaging conversation, Jack LaFountain shares his unique journey to becoming an author later in life, reflecting on his diverse experiences from military service to nursing and ministry. He discusses the joys and surprises of becoming a grandfather, the challenges of maintaining family relationships over distances, and the creative inspiration he draws from his family, particularly his grandson Brian.
Jack elaborates on his writing process, the evolution of his book series, and the themes that resonate throughout his work, including the Man of God series, which offers a fresh take on the Western genre. He also touches on the influence of his childhood and local history on his storytelling.
In our conversation, Jack shares his love for classic B-Sci-Fi movies and discusses how they influenced his writing. He delves into his writing process, distinguishing between 'pantsers' and 'plotters', and shares insights on character-driven storytelling. Jack also reflects on the challenges of maintaining consistency in supernatural narratives and the importance of satisfying endings in literature. As a proud grandfather, he expresses the joys and challenges of this role while also providing listeners with information on where to find his work.
What You'll Learn:
- How Jack transitioned from military service and nursing to full-time writing
- The touching story of how his grandson inspired a novel trilogy
- The difference between "pantsers" and "plotters" in writing
- Behind-the-scenes insights into his Moon Series, Man of God Series, and Red River Death Series
- How being a grandfather continues to influence his work
Links & Resources:
- 🔗 Jack LaFountain's Website
- 📚 Books by Jack LaFountain on Amazon
- 🎧 House of Honor Books
- 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/author.jacklafountain
- You can watch this conversation on YouTube by using this link: https://youtu.be/sBRXfLD9TdA