Maintaining Connection & Relationships When Life Gets Busy
Release Date: 10/31/2025
Reflecting on Ten Years of Impact and Building What Comes Next
The Dad Edge Podcast
In the final episode of 2025, I take time to reflect, express deep gratitude, and share what’s coming next for The Dad Edge as we head into 2026. This episode is about honoring what this community has built together over the past ten years, celebrating the wins, and casting a clear vision for what’s ahead for men who want to lead their families with intention. I walk you through several major announcements—from the return of Wednesday Q&A with Uncle Joe, to our brand-new Dad Edge Alliance membership platform, upcoming marriage and health initiatives, and powerful in-person...
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The Dad Edge Podcast
What do you do when life changes in ways you didn’t choose—and didn’t see coming? In this deeply emotional and intellectually grounding conversation, I sit down with Dr. Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist, former White House advisor, and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, to talk about change, identity, grief, and uncertainty. Maya shares her powerful personal story of being accepted into Juilliard at a young age, only to have her violin career abruptly end due to a devastating injury. From there, we explore how unexpected change threatens our identity, why the...
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Marriage After Addiction What It Takes to Rebuild Trust featuring Eric Kennedy
The Dad Edge Podcast
In today’s episode, I sit down with Eric Kennedy, founder of Recovery Vow and author of Marriage After Addiction, for one of the most raw and redemptive conversations we’ve ever had on this show. Eric spent 15 years deep in addiction—alcohol, cocaine, crack, jail time, suicide attempts, losing his marriage, and losing himself. This isn’t a story of high-functioning addiction. This is rock bottom in every sense of the word. Eric opens up about growing up with emotional neglect, how unresolved trauma fueled his addiction, and the moments that finally forced him to choose...
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How to Reignite Attraction & Intimacy in Your Marriage
The Dad Edge Podcast
In this Christmas Eve solo episode, I shift gears from our recent focus on online safety and talk about one of the most common—and painful—issues I see in long-term marriages: roommate syndrome. That quiet drift where intimacy fades, connection feels awkward, and marriage starts to feel more like co-parenting logistics than a romantic partnership. If you’ve ever laid in bed next to your wife feeling disconnected, unwanted, or unsure how things got this way, this episode is for you. I share my own experience falling into roommate syndrome after years of marriage, kids, exhaustion,...
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Going All In as a Husband and Father featuring Brent Gleeson
The Dad Edge Podcast
In today’s episode, I sit down with Brent Gleeson, former Navy SEAL, combat veteran, entrepreneur, leadership expert, and author of his newest book All In. But this conversation isn’t about résumés or accolades. It’s about grief, discipline, marriage, fatherhood, and the systems that allow a man to truly live “all in” where it matters most. Brent opens up about losing his father unexpectedly in 2023—a moment that forced deep reflection and radical change. We talk about the three pillars his dad lived by, how eliminating alcohol completely transformed Brent’s...
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Building Lifelong Trust With Your Kids Even Through Crisis featuring Tim Campbell
The Dad Edge Podcast
What if the real scoreboard for fatherhood isn’t your bank account, your job title, or your kids’ trophies—but how much your adult kids actually want to spend time with you? In this deeply moving conversation, I sit down with Tim Campbell, an 82-year-old father, author, and living example of what long-term connection and trust with your kids can look like—even after a lifetime of hardship. Tim shares his journey of being married for 50 years, raising three children—two with significant disabilities—and navigating medical crises, bullying, fear, and exhaustion that would...
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The Dark Reality of Roblox & Online Chat for Kids
The Dad Edge Podcast
In this deeply emotional solo episode, I continue our December series focused on protecting kids from online predators. I walk you through two real and devastating cases that show exactly how grooming, sextortion, and long-term digital harassment happen—often without parents having any idea it’s occurring. These aren’t edge cases. This is the reality of the digital world our kids are growing up in. We break down a Roblox grooming case involving an eight-year-old girl, how predators slowly build trust and move conversations to private apps, and why platform bans don’t actually...
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How Anger Becomes an Addiction & What It Does to Families featuring Dr. James Kimmel Jr.
The Dad Edge Podcast
What if the most dangerous addiction in the world isn’t drugs, alcohol, or gambling—but revenge? In this eye-opening conversation, I sit down with Dr. James Kimmel Jr., Yale School of Medicine researcher, attorney, and author of The Science of Revenge, to unpack what actually happens in our brains when we feel wronged, humiliated, or disrespected. Dr. Kimmel breaks down the neuroscience behind revenge, why it lights up the brain the same way cocaine does, and how seeking retaliation gives us a temporary dopamine hit that ultimately leaves us worse off. We talk about anger,...
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Why 70% of Kids Quit Sports by 13 & How Parents Can Stop Killing the Joy of the Game featuring Jonathan Carone
The Dad Edge Podcast
If you’re a parent with a kid in youth sports—rec, competitive, or full-blown travel—today’s episode will hit home. I sit down with Jonathan Carone, creator of Healthy Sports Parents, for a powerful conversation about what youth sports have become, why burnout is skyrocketing, and how well-meaning parents (including me in the early years) unknowingly make the experience more stressful for their kids. We break down shocking stats—like why 70% of kids quit sports by age 13, why travel leagues are burning families out, and how overtraining is causing injuries in 9-, 10-, and...
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Digital Predators Are Targeting Our Kids, Here's How We Can Protect Them
The Dad Edge Podcast
In this solo December episode, I continue a month-long series dedicated to educating parents about the real dangers our kids face online. After last week’s story about Adam Tate, today I share two more real cases—one involving sextortion and another involving swatting—that every parent needs to understand. These aren’t rare events. They’re happening quickly, quietly, and often right under our noses while our kids sit in their bedrooms playing games like Roblox, Fortnite, and more. You’ll hear the heartbreaking story of 17-year-old Ryan Lass from San Jose, who took his...
info_outlineIn this solo episode, I open up about one of the most overwhelming seasons my family has faced—fall. Between school demands, sports, band, and everything else, our schedule was maxed out and our connection suffered. Jessica and I found ourselves constantly busy but emotionally distant, operating more like teammates than soulmates.
I share how we recognized the symptoms of “roommate syndrome,” what we did to course-correct, and why protecting margin in your life and marriage is non-negotiable. I also introduce my brand-new course launching in January, From Roommates to Soulmates, designed for husbands who are ready to rebuild emotional connection and intimacy.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[0:00] – Introduction
[2:31] – Why fall marks the beginning of chaos for many families
[3:07] – Introducing the From Roommates to Soulmates course
[4:15] – What roommate syndrome looks like and why it’s dangerous
[5:20] – Cultural lies men believe about marriage and fatherhood
[6:45] – The silent struggle of disconnection
[8:06] – Our family’s real-life overscheduling mistake
[10:28] – When joy turns into exhaustion
[10:54] – The “Sunday Night Reset” strategy
[11:27] – How shared calendars and huddles create clarity
[12:13] – Learning to say no with purpose
[13:16] – Protecting margin and prioritizing connection
[14:42] – Why our “Date Days” are sacred
[15:38] – Free gift: Questions for the Car PDF
[16:41] – Start deeper conversations with your kids today
5 KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. Busyness Is the Enemy of Intimacy
Just because you’re doing a lot doesn’t mean you’re connecting. Overscheduling your family can slowly erode the relationships that matter most.
2. Roommate Syndrome Is Real—But Reversible
When you and your partner start functioning as co-managers instead of lovers, it’s time to course-correct. Connection requires intention.
3. Margin Is Not a Luxury, It’s a Necessity
If your calendar is full but your marriage feels empty, it’s a sign you need to guard time for each other and for rest.
4. Clarity and Communication Prevent Chaos
Tools like family huddles and shared calendars aren’t just logistical—they’re emotional anchors that keep the household united.
5. Leading Your Family Starts With Leading Yourself
Recognizing when you’re off-track and initiating reconnection is the mark of strong leadership—both as a husband and a father.
LINKS & RESOURCES
• Free Resource – Questions for the Car: https://thedadedge.com/kidquestions
• Show Notes for this episode: https://thedadedge.com/1395
If this episode resonated with you, rate, review, follow, and share it with another dad who needs it. Let’s lead our families with presence and purpose.
Live legendary.