
The Company of Dads Podcast
Paul Sullivan, former NY Times columnist, explores the lives, stories, joys, and challenges of Lead Dads – fathers who lead in raising children, supporting their partner, and balancing their career. New episode drops every Tuesday.
Latest episodes

Jul 4, 2023 • 27min
EP76: What's It Mean To Be DadAwesome?
Interview with Jeff Zaugg / Advocate For Fathers And The FatherlessHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANJeff Zaugg is the founder of DadAwesome, a nonprofit that’s all about helping fathers embrace their role as dads and be more present. Why? Because kids are watching us and they know when we are loving being their dad - and when we're distracted. Jeff also started Fathers for the Fatherless – a nonprofit that stages a series of 100-mile bike rides to bring fathers together to raise money for children who don’t have fathers. Listen and be inspired.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

Jun 27, 2023 • 34min
EP75: What Does An Epic Life Mean For Dads?
Interview with Justin Breen / Entrepreneur, Lead Dad, Date Night ProHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANJustin Breen is a communications innovator from Chicago and the author of Epic Life: How To Build Collaborative Global Companies While Putting Your Loved Ones First. The book details what makes entrepreneurs not just great but happy and fulfilled. (Hint: it's not more stuff.) He is also a marathon level romantic – having orchestrated 52 dates in 52 weeks with his wife Dr. Sarah Breen - and without their kids. Listen for his insight.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

Jun 20, 2023 • 37min
EP74: How To Get Clarity As a Dad
Interview with Brooks Barron / The Inheritance of Good Fatherhood ExamplesHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANBrooks Barron was destined for a high-achieving corporate life. He graduated from Princeton University as his father had and went on to Stanford's business school. Enormous wealth and professional accolades were his for the taking. But there was something about his Colorado childhood, its inspiring lessons, that called to him. He took a different path, working outdoors in teaching and leadership roles built around the natural world. A young father, Brooks has thoughts on how to help visionary leaders discover their soul's purpose and unleash their full aliveness.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

Jun 13, 2023 • 32min
EP73: Fatherhood Is Funnier Than You Think
Interview with Todd Detwiler / Illustrator and Author of How To DadHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANThere is no shortage of books on parenting but they're written for mothers - only to be read by the rare father. Todd Detwiler set out to change this with his illustrated - and funny - book: How To Dad. It begins with his own Covid parenting stumbles as he worked to figure out what he should do, and when and how to do it. Of all the dadding advice, the section on air travel with kids is worth the price! Listen to how new and experienced dads can learn something new this Father's Day.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

Jun 6, 2023 • 31min
EP72: How Two Baseball Dads United for Men's Mental Health
Interview with Shawn Lesser and Brent Herd / Men's Mental Health AdvocatesHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANShawn and Brent are fathers who have had professional success and family success. But like many men, they’ve also had mental health struggles. Brent’s came first. Shawn, who was bringing together investors in some of the nicest places in America, had his crisis last year. When it happened, Shawn's wife reach out to Brent. They'd been youth baseball buddies but that light friendship was enough for Brent to help Shawn through a dark period. From that experience of openness and caring came the creation of The Real, a mental health advocacy group aimed at fathers who are suffering. Listen to how they plan to remove the stigma around getting treatment and help Dads get the help they need.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

May 30, 2023 • 34min
EP71: How To Save Your Child
Interview with Kevin Olmsted / Author and Advocate for Anorexia AwarenessHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANKevin Olmsted wrote the book "Scared Dad Feeding: How My Daughter’s Anorexia Took Me To Hell and My Guidebook for How I Got Back" about his family's experience. But he was moved to write it to help other dads get through what his family is still navigating: helping a child who lost 30 pounds in 60 days and is still working through the mental health struggles of anorexia. To get her the care she needed, Kevin left his career in the wine business and became a Lead Dad who devoted all of this time to his family. Listen to what he learned and how it can help Dads in a similar situation.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

May 23, 2023 • 48min
EP70: Smile More? How To Dismantle Gender Bias At Work
Interview With The Band of Sisters / Advocates For ChangeHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANThe Band of Sisters are six senior female executives who have seen it all and not all that they’ve seen has been good. They've written “You Should Smile More: How to Dismantle Gender Bias in the Workplace" - the title a phrase all six women were told in their careers. Listen to two of the sisters, Angelique Bellmer Krembs and Lori Tauber Marcus, give actionable ways to eliminate the lazy bias of corporate America.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

May 16, 2023 • 37min
EP69: What Working Couples Need To Know To Make It Work
Interview with Jaclyn Wong / Expert on Career, Relationship & Family DecisionsHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANBalancing the competing pressures of modern work and caregiving roles is hard for everyone. Professional couples fall into three categories that may not be good for them long term. Consistent compromises. Autonomous actors. Tending traditional couples. Learn what each one means for you and also understand how far you can go to change this dynamic when there are structural and cultural issues aligned against couples switching up roles.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

May 9, 2023 • 30min
EP68: How Dads Get Support for Parental Burnout
Interview with Kelly McGinnis / President of the Working Parent InstituteHOSTED BY PAUL SULLIVANParental burnout is only recently a topic that is getting talked about openly. All parents can struggle with it but Lead Dads and Working Moms are juggling working, parenting, living, being a spouse and a friend every day. Kelly McGinnis is leading a reevaluation as the president of Incredible Family, which supports working parents and aims to prevent parental burnout, and the Working Parent Institute, which is a resource for companies looking to do better. Learn some actionable actionable tips to reduce burnout and get aligned as working parents.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/

May 6, 2023 • 19min
[BONUS] GDC EP6: Why Isn't Work More Open to Men Being Dads?
(This is part 6 of a 6 part mini-series: The Global Dads Council.)How do you unlock dads at work and allow them to be full parents? Research shows it makes workers more productive, and builds loyalty and engagment with the company. Yet companies have been slow to adapt to the post-pandemic world of work. It's easy to blame Boardroom Dads for being out of touch but it's a problem that rapidly needs to be solved for companies and communities. Listen to the Global Dads Council off tips on how to coach men to be fully engaged Dads at Work.---Get our free newsletter covering all things fatherhood delivered straight to your inbox: https://thecompanyofdads.com/thedad/