DA403 | Building the Overcome Muscle, Morning Rhythms with Your Kids, and Why Play Matters (Zac Ernst)
Release Date: 10/09/2025
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...
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🏋️ Want to become a stronger dad? It starts with doing hard things—together.
✅ How to stay emotionally strong when your teenager isn't in the mood to talk
✅ Why opposition is actually a gift (even when it feels impossible)
✅ The power of gamifying life and creating playful memories with your kids
✅ How a simple bike ride and croissant can become a weekly rhythm your son will remember forever
OVERVIEW
What if the obstacles you're facing right now are exactly what you need to grow stronger as a dad? In this episode, Zac Ernst shares how opposition builds your overcome muscle, why emotional strength matters more than ever with teenagers, and how a simple Tuesday morning bike ride can change everything. Plus, he opens up about losing half his income the month after doubling his mortgage—and the moment God broke through his fear with joy.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Emotional strength means staying steady through your kids' ups and downs rather than riding their emotional roller coasters.
- Opposition and hard things aren't obstacles to avoid—they're opportunities to fortify your faith muscle and show your kids what trust looks like.
- Play isn't optional for dads. It connects you to childlikeness, creates lasting memories, and reminds you that joy is found in pointless moments without outcomes.
- Three out of five men have no one to call in crisis. Finding your tribe and suffering together breaks isolation and builds unshakeable bonds.
- Your worry as a dad is like a five-year-old worrying about taxes—God's got this, and freedom comes when you open your hands and trust Him.
LINKS
- Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome
- Learn about the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort
- Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org
- Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618
- Pursuit Official Website https://joinpursuit.co/
- Zip Chip (favorite toy for play)
- Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
QUOTES
- "Your fear and worry right now is equivalent to your five-year-old worrying about taxes."
- "For a child, 15 minutes can be a lifelong memory. For us, it's a blink—but for them, it's forever."
- "The most vulnerable man on the sand is the strongest. Let's eliminate shallow conversation and get to the heart quickly."
- "Play isn't pointless—it's for joy. Men forget to have moments with no responsibility, no outcome, just pure fun."
- "Every time we go through something challenging, we fortify something in our minds that tells us: I have what it takes. Jesus will get me through this."