DA394 | Moving From Dictator Dad to Friend Dad & Creating Multi-Generational Impact (Lance Welch)
Release Date: 08/07/2025
DA419 | Don't Long for Someday, The Discipline of Gratitude, and Becoming the Best Version of You as a Dad (Bart Scharrer FROM THE VAULT)
DadAwesome
🚴 FROM THE VAULT BOOK >> recieve the book 5-weeks early >> join the ADVANCE TEAM: Bart Scharrer has walked through some hard seasons with his daughters. Health crises. Uncertainty. Plans that didn't go the way he expected. But here's what he's learned: Gratitude isn't just a nice idea. It's the way through. ----------------------------------- ✅ Why longing for "someday" can cost you today ✅ How to set the temperature in your home (for better or worse) ✅ A simple practice that taught his daughters confidence and connection ✅ What it looks like to trust God day...
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DA418 | Celebrating 8 Years of DadAwesome: Minivan Miracles, Ripping Out Fences, and the Power of Unlikely Friendships (Craig Allen Cooper)
DadAwesome
🎉 8 YEARS OF DADAWESOME! We're celebrating with an incredible conversation with Craig Allen Cooper, the man behind Walker Hayes' song "Craig." ✅ The minivan miracle that softened an atheist's heart ✅ Why Craig's kids are PRAYING for friendships like their parents have ✅ The 5 P's of fatherhood: Provide, Protect, Prepare, Propel, Present ✅ Tables vs. Tablets and real connection with your kids DADAWESOME Book >> join the Advance Team: SUMMARY After eight years and 418 episodes of DadAwesome, we're celebrating with a conversation that captures...
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DA417 | From Control to Influence, Eradicating the Child-Centered Home, and the Love Jug (Ted Cunningham)
DadAwesome
🏠 Is your home revolving around your kids? Ted Cunningham joins us to explain why eradicating the child-centered home is one of the best things you can do for your family. ✅ The "Love Jug" illustration that will change how you think about your source of life ✅ Why parenting is a journey from control to influence ✅ How honor bombardments and honor lists create close-knit families ✅ The "princess to queen" conversation every dad of daughters needs to hear DADAWESOME BOOK (join the advance team!) SUMMARY Parenting is a journey from control to influence—and...
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DA416 | Vision, Will, and Community: Standing Against a Culture That Wants to Destroy Your Family (Jeremy Pryor PART 2)
DadAwesome
🔥 What if going with the flow is the most dangerous thing you can do as a dad? Jeremy Pryor is BACK for round four, and this conversation will challenge everything you thought about provision, legacy, and multi-generational family. ➡️ Why vision, will, and community are your only defense against a culture trying to exploit your kids ➡️ The biblical case against "Labanism" and lifetime wage-earning ➡️ How your son-in-law becomes your SON in a multi-generational family ➡️ Why family at 55 should be FAR better than family at 35 SUMMARY If you...
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DA415 | Your Superpower Is Hurting Your Kids, Creating Emotional Warmth at Home, and Why Attachment Is Everything – Part 1 (Jeremy Pryor)
DadAwesome
🚨 If you just go with the flow, it will destroy your family. Jeremy Pryor is BACK on the podcast with a wake-up call for dads everywhere. In Part 1 of this powerful conversation, he's sharing: ➡️ Why your ability to emotionally detach is hurting your kids ➡️ The difference between "Do I love my kids?" and "Do they FEEL loved?" ➡️ How to become a warmer, more emotionally available father ➡️ What ancient Hebraic families understood that we've forgotten SUMMARY If you just go with the flow in today's world, it will destroy you and your family. In this episode, Jeremy...
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DA414 | The Most Important 9 Minutes of Your Kid's Day, Choosing Contentment, and Lessons from Sourdough (Dan Tinquist)
DadAwesome
What if the secret to connecting with your kids wasn't more time—but better minutes? ✅ The See, Hear, Know framework for becoming a student of your kids ✅ Why over-teaching actually backfires (and what to do instead) ✅ How to plan your family's year WITH them, not just for them SUMMARY: What if the most impactful moments with your kids are just nine minutes a day? In this episode, fatherhood coach Dan Tinquist shares how morning, afternoon, and evening connection points can transform your relationship with your kids. You'll also hear why over-teaching actually backfires, how to...
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DA413 | Forgiveness Fridays, Throwback Tuesdays, and Building a Close-Knit Family on Purpose (Michael DeAquino)
DadAwesome
➡️ How yearly family vision summits (with a hot tub!) shape your family's direction ➡️ The power of tying your kids' names to your family's core values ➡️ Why pre-parental counseling removes the shame that keeps dads stuck later SHOW NOTES SUMMARY What if you could prepare for fatherhood before the chaos even begins? In this episode, Michael DeAquino shares how he and his wife are helping expecting parents get on the same page before baby arrives—and why that window of time matters so much. You'll also hear how Michael's family runs themed dinner nights every single...
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DA412 | A 3-Year Journey to Launch Your Kids, 30 Skills Every Teen Should Learn, and Moments That Impact All of Time (Matt Hanson)
DadAwesome
📍 When did you become a man? Most guys can't answer that question clearly—because they never had a defining moment. Matt Hanson is on a mission to change that. In this episode, he shares the Ion Path—a 3-year Christian rite of passage for dads and their 12-16 year olds. You'll hear: ➡️ Why Dad is "LeBron James" in the faith transfer game (50-60 points!) ➡️ How 30 conversations in 30 days can transform your relationship ➡️ The simple framework for teaching your kids 30 life skills before they launch ➡️ Why it's more important to be IN the conversation than to be...
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DA411 | The Daily 15, Brain Science Behind Morning Routines, and Why Sabbath Is Your Family's Secret Weapon – Part 2 (Chris Cirullo)
DadAwesome
🕐 What if 15 minutes could change your entire life? ✅ The brain science behind why your morning and evening routines matter more than you think ✅ How to build a sustainable Daily 15 practice that actually sticks ✅ Why Sabbath might be the most Christ-like (and kid-favorite) rhythm your family is missing ✅ The one thing 93% of men said they want to grow in SHOW NOTES SUMMARY What if the first thing you did each day was sleep—and trust God with it? In this episode, Chris Cirullo unpacks the brain science behind why your morning and evening routines carry...
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DA410 | Why Dads Are Called to Bring Order, Solving Family Friction Points, and Setting Impossible Goals – Part 1 (Chris Cirullo)
DadAwesome
✅ The biblical reason dads are called to bring order to their homes ✅ How to train your kids like a football coach (M&Ms included!) ✅ The power of a weekly family meeting to solve your biggest friction points ✅ Why setting "impossible" goals actually works SUMMARY Chaos doesn't have to be the norm in your home. In Part 1 of this conversation, Army Ranger turned fatherhood coach Chris Cirullo unpacks the biblical call for fathers to bring order—and shares the practical systems he's built to lead his five sons with both fun and discipline. You'll also hear why setting...
info_outline✅ How to avoid creating performance identities in your kids
✅ Why "consistency compounds" in parenting just like investing
✅ The 4 legs of legacy (hint: wealth is only 25% of it!)
✅ How to have intentional family vision meetings that actually work
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FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.dadawesome.org/blog/394
SUMMARY
What if the words you speak as a dad today become your child's inner voice for decades to come? In this episode, Lance Welch—dad of three adult entrepreneurs and grandfather of two—shares how he moved from being a "dictator dad" to a "friend dad" while building intentional multi-generational impact. You'll discover the four stages of fatherhood, why creating performance identities in our kids backfires, and how to transition from survival-mode parenting to legacy-building leadership in your family.
Takeaways:
- There are four distinct stages of fatherhood: dictator dad (young kids), consultant dad (asking "what would you do?"), advocate dad (letting them make mistakes), and friend dad (adult relationships)
- Consistency compounds—whether in finances or fatherhood, small intentional actions over time create massive impact
- Avoid creating performance identities in your children by celebrating the "gain" (progress made) rather than focusing on the "gap" (falling short of perfection)
- Choose your inconvenience: invest time teaching skills on the front end rather than being constantly inconvenienced doing everything yourself
- The four legs of legacy are vision, values, knowledge, and wealth—with wealth being only one-fourth of what you pass down
- Empty nest doesn't have to mean relationship decline—40% of couples divorce during this transition, but it can be your greatest season yet
Guest:
Lance Welch is a legacy navigator, leadership coach, and author of "Legacy Navigator: Creating Intentional Multi-Generational Impact." Along with his wife, he hosts the "Beyond the Nest" podcast, helping couples thrive during the empty nest transition. After spending decades in corporate leadership at a Fortune 100 company, Lance now coaches business leaders and families on creating intentional impact. He and his wife have been married for 37 years, have three adult sons who are all entrepreneurs, and are proud grandparents of two. They live in the Nashville area of Tennessee.
Links Mentioned:
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