Startup Dad Finding Peace in the Dopamine Desert | Dr. Emilio Galán (Dad of 2, Founder turned Stay-At-Home-Dad)
Dr. Emilio Galán is a former medical student, entrepreneur, and now a full-time stay-at-home dad. He took a drastic turn in his career, moving from building a successful AI-driven company to focusing on family life after stepping away from the startup world. Dr. Galán shares how he navigated autoimmune health challenges, the difficult decision to leave his medical career behind, and the challenges of being a stay-at-home parent to his young children. We discussed:
- The pivot from entrepreneurship to fatherhood: Dr. Emilio Galán’s decision to leave his startup career behind and become a stay-at-home dad after stepping away from his company.
- Balancing health challenges with career demands: How Dr. Galán manages four autoimmune conditions and the toll his previous career took on his body.
- Building a family-first life: The struggles and rewards of becoming a full-time parent to two young children and how this shift allowed him to reconnect with his family.
- The philosophy of “Wipe the Butt”: Dr. Galán explains his approach to parenting, teaching responsibility, and maintaining boundaries while staying emotionally available to his kids.
- Finding contentment in the "dopamine desert": How Dr. Galán adjusted to life without the constant hustle of the startup world and learned to find joy in small, everyday moments.
- Self-care as a priority: How Dr. Galán incorporates practices like flexibility exercises and the Happy Body method to manage his physical and mental well-being while raising his kids.
Where to find Dr. Emilio Galán
Where to find Adam Fishman
- FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Welcome Dr. Emilio Galán, former co-founder of Robin Healthcare, now a stay at home dad
(03:03) Early life and aspirations of becoming a doctor
(06:12) The struggles and realities of medical school
(09:04) Founding Robin: the start of his entrepreneurial journey
(12:51) Transitioning from startup life to stay-at-home dad
(17:26) Finding balance: self-care, family, and health
(21:16) Navigating parenthood, resentment, and expectations
(31:51) Advice for founders who are parents
(37:43) The long-awaited family project: creating meaningful work
(38:49) Understanding emotions, needs, and communication
(39:34) Creative expression and setting requests in parenting
(42:21) Celebrating personal growth and change as a dad
(43:55) Contrarian take: why shyness doesn’t exist
(47:08) Contrarian take: the “Wipe the Butt” philosophy
(50:51) The taco episode: a parenting breakdown moment
(58:21) Lightning round: parenting insights and funny dad moments
Resources From This Episode:
The Happy Body Method: https://thehappybody.com/the-happy-body-program/
Jordan Peterson: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/
Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/
Gabor Maté: https://drgabormate.com/
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy: https://www.selfleadership.org/
Nonviolent Communication: https://www.cnvc.org/
Alexa: https://alexa.amazon.com/
Google Home: https://store.google.com/us/product/google_home
Land Before Time (Fil): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100507/
Jumanji (1995) (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113497/
Dead Poets Society (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097165/
Patch Adams (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129290/
Frida Baby (Butt Frida): https://www.fridababy.com/products/windi-the-wind-reliever
Frida Baby (Nose Frida): https://www.fridababy.com/products/nosefrida-the-snot-sucker
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