The Dad Edge Podcast

Jeff Pelizzaro, owner of 18Strong.com, entrepreneur, and all-around awesome dad, gives his perspective on living your passion, taking risks, and balancing fatherhood. Jeff Pelizzaro On Making Your Dreams a Reality Let's dream for a minute. Wouldn't it be great if that "crazy" idea for a new business really became a reality? You could do what you really want to do and provide even more for your family. Maybe, just maybe, that idea would grow exponentially and help you realize even bigger dreams. Oh, but you just don't have the time and that dream really sounds great, but it's so out there. Is it? Over our last 61 (yes, 61) podcasts, we've heard from very successful men about becoming your best self and achieving your greatest potential as an individual and a father. Jeff Pelizzaro is no different: he's taken his "day job" and turned it into a focused, value-added revenue stream by targeting a very specific niche audience-golfers. Jeff Pelizzaro on Taking the Leap and Pursuing His Passion Jeff Pelizzaro's podcast and business, 18 Strong, helps golfers at all levels achieve their greatest game on and off the course. Through nutrition and physical training, Jeff shows golfers how to tweak their nutrition and fitness to fit their particular needs. Sounds like a dream job, right? It wasn't always birdies and double eagles, though. Jeff Pelizzaro started as a physical therapist, working long hours and eventually becoming burned-out; he had the opportunity to change his entire focus to, well, golf. In doing so, however, it meant a big change and a risk for his family. After all, changing from serving a variety of clients to an incredibly niche-based business is risky. In the end, he made the leap and now helps golfers from amateurs to pros perfect their game. Sacrificing Money to Enjoy What Money Can't Buy It wasn't overnight, though. As always, these great ideas take sacrifice and identifying a balance between home life and work life. Jeff has days, he says, when he's playing with his kids and a thought about a client crosses his mind. He says it's definitely not easy, but he's able to refocus and make sure he is present with his family when he spends time with them. With the help of his wife, Jeff is able to balance the time he needs for his unique business with the time he wants to spend with his family. YOUR DREAM – GO DO IT!!!! Back to your dream. Maybe you have a great idea for the current business you're in or maybe it's something new all together. Whatever it is, though, if you want to do it and it adds value for others, give it a shot. Sure, taking a risk can have its scary moments, but not taking that risk can mean regret. Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Jeff Pelizzaro Links: Jeff Pelizzaro 18 Strong Jeff Pelizzaro Facebook Jeff Pelizzaro Twitter Jeff Pelizzaro Google Plus Jeff Pelizzaro The 18 Strong Podcast Jeff Pelizzaro #1 Amazon Bestselling Book: The Golfer's Guide to a Bogey Proof Workout

Forging Strength in your darkest hour! I have gotten a ton of feedback from our last podcast on "How to Discover Daily Grit and Gratitude." From what I have heard, most people were surprised that my family went through such a life altering event by losing my son Gabriel. I have had a lot of emails, texts, and communication through the GDP community about how much the last episode effected them personally. What I am finding is that there is a vast majority of families out there who are afflicted with miscarriage or death of an infant. I have even had questions asking why I have opened my life up so much about what happened during that six weeks and how it ended. The bottom line is this…I shared it for several reasons. It's Healing When we go through something that is literally life altering it changes us forever. It's easy to fall into a mindset up anger. It's also very common that an event like what our family went through can easily tear the strongest families apart. When we share the events of our life to give strength to others, we heal. Simple as that. When we heal, we help heal others through our own struggles. Forging Strength of the Family Losing my son not only effected me, but it also effected my entire family. My wife and two older sons took the loss of our son very hard. To be honest, I underestimated how much it would effect my two oldest boys (Ethan 10 and Mason 8). I can tell you without a doubt a ten year-old and an eight-year old child feels the devastating effects of loss when something like this happens. However, here we are eighteen months later and I can tell you without a doubt our family is stronger now than it ever has been. Forging Strength through Gratitude My family learned firsthand the power of the right perspective even in our darkest hour. Our family literally went through six weeks of hell that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Knowing you are going to lose your son will rattle even the strongest man. However, I learned the power of having the right perspective in the midst of absolute uncertainty. I kept a daily gratitude journal during this six-week long process and I believe it literally saved me from insanity. Take 5 Minutes of Gratitude Every Morning Every morning during that six-week journey, I wrote down three things that I was grateful for every morning. I can tell you without a doubt, that most mornings it was very hard to see the positive aspects in my life. However, I can tell you without a doubt that there were several things in my life that were positive. It took a great deal of discipline to decide to focus on the right things in my life despite the chaos. I would write down things like: "I'm grateful I have a job." "I'm grateful my three boys and my wife all have their health." "I'm grateful we have a roof over our head." I will admit, on some days I stretched to find gratitude. However, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, it was the best thing I did every morning. My Hope for You I share this story and this daily routine of: Morning Gratitude – write down 3 things you are grateful for Your Power Statement – write down your statement that you will use when the fear wolf starts to whisper in your ear. Your Mission of the Day – what will you do today. Come hell or high water, what will you accomplish today? Evening Gratitude – write down 2-3 highlights through the day. Get back into the mindset of gratitude. The highlights are there every day if we decide to reflect on them. Eradicate Regret from your Life – What was the lowest point of your day? Write it down. Get it out there. Now, instead of focusing on how deeply you regret that low point, ask yourself "what is the lesson?" Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Thanks for checking out this week's Five Minute Thursday Episode on Forging Strength in our Darkest Hours.

Gratitude is the Secret Sauce to a fulfilled life and is the fuel that develops our grit. It takes Grit to Climb to the Top Some of us look at a mountain and immediately think, "Eh-there's no way I'm climbing that thing." Others of us will look at the mountain and think, "I'm climbing it. It's not going to be fun or easy, but I'm climbing it." To climb that mountain takes grit-the stuff that separates those who do from those who simply watch. Of course, having grit is not necessarily something we inherently have. Sometimes, we have to develop it. What do you do with Adversity? Shawn and Larry share their stories of how they developed grit. Both share the pivotal moments where they had a choice: give up or face the mountain. The essence of their stories is this-developing grit is a process, it's getting up every day and knowing there is a choice. This choice is to live with gratitude, even in the face of extreme adversity. Why Morning Gratitude is a MUST Easier said than done, but if we choose to wake up every morning and look at what lies ahead of us with a grateful heart, challenges will seem easier. Larry suggests making daily gratitude deliberate. In other words, one of the first things he suggests doing each morning is writing down what you are grateful for. (He even includes his kids in on the practice and they look forward to doing it!). What is your ONE MISSION OF THE DAY? With this in mind, he then suggests creating a daily mission statement. Think about it-when you know what you are going to do, you have a better chance of actually doing it. This mission statement doesn't have to be profound, it can be something as simple as, "Today I am going to read a book to my kids before bed." There. Done. And guess what? Mission accomplished. YOUR POWER STATEMENT! If you happen to see your day getting off track, your mission statement in jeopardy of being derailed, Larry says he uses his "power statement" to bring him back to home base. This "power statement" is the phrase that you utter to yourself when you feel fear keeping you from climbing up that proverbial mountain. It's the same thing the Navy Seals use when they face a challenge (for more on this, listen to Episode 28 with Mark Divine. Oh! And he's coming back!). Choose something simple like, "I've got this" or, really, whatever speaks to you. Eradicate Regret from Your Life with EASE Even when you have done all of this, there will be times when we won't be the best versions of ourselves. But, instead of allowing the regret to take over, embrace it. Yep, that's right, embrace regret (sounds oxymoronic, but stay with us here). Regret can be a great teacher; it can show us where we need to improve. So, when we embrace regret, we not only learn from what we did wrong, but we also know how to improve in future events. This way, you really are eliminating regret from your life by absorbing its lesson. Back to Gratitude Finally, when the day is done and you have a chance to reflect on all you have accomplished, look back at two of your most positive moments that day and one regret. Be grateful for each of them, but take a lesson from them as well. Once we learn to master our failures as well as our successes, climbing our many life mountains won't seem so impossible. Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Thank you for checking out our show on How to Discover Daily Grit and Gratitude.

Work Ethic: The Ultimate Lesson We had an awesome guest this past week on the Good Dad Project Podcast featuring Joe De Sena, founder of the Spartan Races and New York Times Bestselling author of "Spartan Up!" Shawn and I have been trying to find the perfect guest to come on the show and talk about work ethic. Joe not only talked about work ethic but also how to teach work ethic to our kids. Work Ethic and Purposeful Suffering Joe shared several ways he teaches work ethic to his own kids. Some parents listening to this week's show might cringe at some of the things he said as it relates to "purposeful suffering." However, I think his theme on this point was solid! Parents today can be so incredibly over protective that we shelter our kids from any type of growing pains. No parent likes to see their kids experience failure, loss, or even really hard work. However, what we don't realize is that we are robbing them of critical life lessons that teach work ethic and grit. If we don't allow our kids to go through any type of pain and suffering and we throw them a life line at every twist and turn, what are we teaching them? I think it's safe to say when we shield them too much from a lesson of grit and failure, we are doing them a disservice. Teaching Work Ethic Through Example It's been said time and time again that kids learn the best lessons from the example we teach. If we want to help our kids understand the value of hard work, we have to show it to them and teach them how to work hard. Desire and work ethic is one of the most difficult lessons we can instill. However, we have several opportunities to teach it. For example, the next time our kid wants something (a new bike, a new video game, an expensive toy, a car, etc.) we have the opportunity to show them how to work for it vs. give it to them. For example, my eight-year old loves football cards, baseball cards, and gum. Instead of just buying him whatever he wants, he has learned to work for things so he can buy them himself. He will sell candy, rice krispy treats, wash cars, or even help with yard work to make a few bucks so he can buy what he wants. It may sound tough to make him do certain things for simple things like games, baseball cards, and gum, but it's an excellent way to teach him these lessons now. Plus, I have noticed that when he buys something with his own money, he takes much better care of it. Talking Work Ethic on the MFCEO Project Podcast I was recently on the MFCEO Project Podcast with Andy Frisella and Vaughn Kohler (aka "The Pastor of Disaster). On that episode Andy and I talked about ways we can leverage our kids failures to teach work ethic and grit. For example, I can't stand that kids today get trophies and medals for participation. Awards are meant to be earned and not given. Don't get me wrong, we should always point out the effort our kids put out through communication and encouraging words. However, we should never give out trophies for just showing up. Awards, trophies, and medals keep kids hungry to keep striving and keep pushing themselves. If awards like this are just given for showing up, what's the point in trying your best? Asking Empowering Questions Teach Work Ethic and Grit When our kids fail, we have a great opportunity to ASK QUESTIONS and not lecture. For example, if your kid participates in a karate tournament and finishes last, it's a perfect opportunity to ask them questions to get them thinking about solutions to be better. You can ask your kid: What did you think of the tournament? If you had it to do over again, what would do different? If you could be better at something specifically with karate, what would be? Your kicks? Punches? Speed? What place would you like to finish in the next tournament? What do you think we should do to prepare for the next one so you feel confident? Questions like this get a kid (and adults) thinking about solutions. It also helps identify what needs work and what is needed to get better. Work Ethic and Grit come from knowing what we need to improve and putting in the time and effort to be better. Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Connect with Joe De Sena Joe De Sena Book Spartan Up! Joe De Sena Podcast Joe De Sena Website Spartan Races Thanks for checking out this week's podcast on How to Teach Work Ethic.

Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan Race, bases his company on the foundation that we, as humans, cannot really reach our full potential until we have gone through struggle. It's what he calls "purposeful suffering". Coming from a childhood where he had to learn, on his own, how to make it, Joe De Sena firmly believes his success has come from this purposeful suffering philosophy. As we've seen many times before on the GDP, some of the greatest success stories have come out of a poor upbringing or incredibly challenging circumstances. But there are lessons to be learned from these situations. Joe De Sena on an "Attitude of Gratitude" We are the creator, not just the product of our environment. Teaching your kids that their circumstances do no define them empowers them to face obstacles they will certainly come across in their adult lives. Instead of being a victim of circumstance, help your child, and yourself, adopt an attitude of gratitude. While the situation may be difficult, find the growth opportunity. Joe De Sena on the value of "Delayed Gratification" Delayed gratification. Joe tells a great story of how his desire for greater things helped him turn down opportunities for instant gratification, and thankfully, his actions paid off. By showing our kids that putting off an immediate want for something greater, we are giving them the gift of patience and teaching them to plant the seeds for their future goals. Perseverance Enough said. The success stories on the GDP are not from overnight successes-those are few and very far between. The true successes, the ones that get to the marrow, are those that are had from great sacrifice and tenacity. When we teach kids that they can conquer obstacles they did not think they were capable of conquering, we provide opportunities to build their self-confidence and lay the foundation for them to reach their full potential. Of course, these lessons take time to teach, and we may need to learn them ourselves, first, but they are critical for survival in this world. Instead of handing our kids everything they desire and protecting them at every turn, give them something greater: the inner power to reach the best version of themselves. Resources: GRAB A COPY OF THE DAD'S EDGE HERE Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Connect with Joe De Sena Joe De Sena Book Spartan Up! Joe De Sena Podcast Joe De Sena Website Spartan Races Thanks for checking out this week's podcast on How to Teach Our Kids Work Ethic and Mental Toughness with Joe De Sena.

Anger Management Tip #1: Forget Perfection First and foremost, we need to forget about being the perfect father, because in all honesty, it doesn't exist. Being a dad is extremely rewarding, but it is also a tough business. As men, we take a lot of pride in providing for our families and sharpening our craft in the workforce. We are wired to hunt and problem solve. Being a father is a dynamic that constantly sharpened and we can be humbled at every turn. Keep in mind, perfection is a myth. If you want true happiness, focus on progress and not perfection. Anger Management Tip #2: Know your Triggers Being proactive in our mindset will set us up for ultimate success. Most of us men have the lowest amount of patience when we first wake up in the morning, come home from work, and right before bed. Why is that? In the morning, we are just trying to clear the cobwebs before taking on the day. Not taking time to wake up 15-30 minutes early (before the kids) is like going for a 3 mile sprint without a warmup. When we come home from work, we are usually exhausted, overloaded, and "hangry" (hungry and angry). Late at night we are usually pretty spent, exhausted, the kids can be fighting us in every way possible to go to bed. Solution for the morning Get up early, shower, pray (if you are spiritual), meditate (if that is your thing), listen to a podcast (if you are more of an audio person), etc…you get it. Do something for yourself to warm your mind and patience up. Solution for the ride home from work Grab a snack to get that blood sugar up and listen to something empowering (podcast, audiobook, your favorite workout music, etc). The point is get the blood sugar in check and your mind in the right place. Solution for late at night Keep in mind that your evenings are meant to make the best memories, so don't blow it. Set the evening up for success by doing something (other than watching TV) as a family. Also, spend time with each kid before bed (pray together, talk about the day, ask questions that bring our gratitude, etc.) This will honestly propel your evening and experience into a new orbit. Anger Management Tip #3: Calm through the Breath Even the greatest dads have bad moments. We all have been moment no matter how hard we try. We all have the knee jerk reaction when we blow up and explode. After we react like that there is a ton of guilt, shame, and defeat that follows. Want to know the secret to staying calm, cool, and collected? Here it is: you have to create some "mental space" between your knee jerk reaction and your response. Meaning, think before you act. We can all achieve this by doing the most natural thing that we do unconsciously…breathe. We can use the breath to calm ourselves. Three deep breaths is all you need in the heat of the moment to calm yourself just enough to respond versus react. Go check out our interview with Mark Divine on How to Create an Unbeatable Mind - Episode 28, for more information on breath control. Resources: Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Thanks for checking out this week's podcast on Optimal Anger Management for Dads.

Ah, Clark Griswold; the preeminent example of a father and husband with the best of intentions, but reaction challenged when it comes to dealing with life's hurdles and controlling his temper. Of course he wants the best for his family: from great vacations to Wally World to finding the biggest Christmas tree. Unfortunately, on his quest to be the "perfect father", he tends to respond in anger and frustration when things don't go the way he plans. Sound typical? Ok, so maybe Griswold is a bit extreme (or maybe not), but you have more than likely had a moment or two when frustration has gotten the best of you. Larry and Shawn provide 5 easy ways to keep your anger and frustration at bay. Your Temper and the "Perfect Father Myth" Before we go any further, let's dispel the "perfect father" myth; there is no perfect father, doesn't exist. We're human, have emotions and sometimes, those emotions get the better of us and that's okay. As Larry says, "great fathers have bad moments", it's what you do in those moments that build your character and provide a positive example for those around you, specifically your children. Controlling our Temper Means Knowing our Triggers So, what's a guy to do when it seems like the world is pushing all of your buttons? Know your triggers. Maybe it's repeating yourself to get your kids to pick up after themselves or you've just come home from a full day of work and you are barraged with requests to help with homework and the kids. Whatever your triggers, identify them so that you can do what you need to do to prepare yourself ahead of time and following these 5 ideas might just help diffuse your response: Temper Tip #1: Breathe Be able to take a breath. Not just that little hyperventilating breath, either. This breath needs to be a nice, long, drawn breath, enough to calm you and bring you back to a state of peace. It should allow you to reset yourself and prepare you to deal with the situation at hand in a rational manner. Temper Tip #2: Walk Away Walk away. In the heat of the moment, our adrenaline may make us want to stay in the situation and argue. But cooler heads do prevail, walking away when we feel our blood boiling will keep us from saying things we may later regret. Not only that, walking away gives us a chance to get perspective on the situation. Adrenaline only muddies the waters. Temper Tip #3: Stay Active Stay active. If there's one concept that is driven home on a regular basis on the GDP, it's the benefits of exercise and overall health. In the case of anger and frustration, physical activity can also help us to channel this aggression into something more positive. So, there's really a dual benefit: your anger remains at bay and you stay fit! Temper Tip #4: Surround Yourself with the RIGHT People Surround yourself with positive, supportive people. Enough said. You need a sounding board that has been through similar experiences and can give you either advice or a simple listening ear. Temper Tip #5: When you do Lose your Cool, Apologize Finally, when you do lose your cool, apologize. Even if it goes against everything you feel like doing, an apology goes a long way in repairing a bridge that may be a little singed. Apologies disarm people and pave the way to build a relationship into a stronger force. Forget about Perfection Forget the "perfect father" myth. Let it remain just that: a myth. We are human, prone to the same emotions of all other humans; it's what we do with those emotions that make us who we truly are. Free Resources: Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Thanks for checking out this week's podcast on Five Ways to Control Our Temper as Dads.

Teach GRIT! The Good Dad Project Podcast with Frankie Edgar was a game changer for so many reasons. The coolest thing about the GDP and having a dad podcast is that no matter fame nor fortune, men jump at the chance to share their views, their journey, and even their struggles. For this week's five minute Thursday, I wanted to recap some highlights from the interview with Frankie. When under pressure, be calm, cool, and collected When the UFC Octagon cage doors close…anything can happen. The secret to a successful outcome in the octagon is being prepared for anything because anything can happen. Frankie shares that being calm, cool, and collected is absolutely necessary to be able to think rationally. Being calm, cool, and collected is a skill that transfers from the cage to the family. Through our journey of fatherhood, there will be situations that test us under pressure. When we respond calmly and avoid a knee-jerk panic reaction, it illustrates our emotional resiliency. How to teach GRIT Teaching grit is probably one the most difficult lessons to teach our kids. Our instinct is to protect them from anything that is difficult. Our society also puts such an emphasis on winning at all costs. Frankie mentioned that he loves leveraging sports to teach his kids grit. For example, he doesn't really care if his kids win or lose a wrestling match. What he wants to see if how hard they fight for the win. If there isn't a desire and a fire in the belly to win, that is a bigger problem. None of us can coach desire. Desire is either there or it's not. However, we can teach how to leverage our desire to win to tap into our grit. We can even leverage our losses to teach us lessons on how to win in the future. Finally, we can teach grit through losing and failure. A victory is even sweeter when we have to work at it extremely hard. Lessons of grit are learned through sports and as parents we can use situations like losses to teach these lessons. For Parents of Youth Sports: Take a Seat and Enjoy Frankie had some excellent advice for parents of youth sports and that's "take a seat and enjoy." Be the silent voice of love and support when it comes to sports. Its extremely difficult to not get emotionally wrapped up in our kids sports performance. I am speaking from a father who is a parent and a coach of my kids sports teams and I see it all the time. Parents can be extremely tough on their kids even when they think they are helping. I didn't really get this mentality until I read The Matheny Manifesto by Mike Matheny, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. If you really want to see your child love sports and if you want to see peak performance…take a seat, enjoy, and let the coaches do their jobs. Free Resources: Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Connect with Frankie Edgar: Frankie Edgar Website Frankie Edgar Twitter Frankie Edgar UFC Profile

Frankie Edgar comes on the Good Dad Project Podcast and shares amazing insight with our listeners on work ethic, family, and grit. This interview is EPIC on so many levels. About Frankie Edgar Frankie Edgar is a professional MMA fighter in the UFC. Frankie started his successful fighting career with a solid foundation of wrestling. Two-time State Place Winner for New Jersey, 2nd in HS Nationals in 2000, 4x Division 1 National Qualifier for Clarion University and College Freestyle All-American in 2004. He currently fights in the 155LB weight class in the UFC with 18 wins, 4 losses, and 1 Draw. Frankie has 3 kids – 2 boys and 1 girl. Frankie Edgar's Upbringing We are responsible for what we do, or for that fact, do not do. Frankie Edgar, UFC Champion fighter knows this very well. Growing up in New Jersey in a working class family, Frankie's father showed his kids a life template for how to get through the good and rough times in life. Through his sacrifices for his family, Frankie learned from his own father that even when life doesn't deal you a fair hand, it is up to the individual to do what is necessary to make the situation right. Extreme Ownership and Life Lessons of Wrestling Frankie took this mindset to the mat as a wrestler as well. Frankie says the sport is different from other sports in that when you lose a match, the blame falls solely on your shoulders. There's no one else to point the finger at. You either pinned your opponent or you didn't. And so it goes in life: those who are successful are willing to take the blame for their mistakes and also know how to take a lesson from those mistakes. Life Lessons Learned from the Cage In the cage, Frankie says, even when he is faced with mind-wrecking punches, he has to remain "cool, calm and collected and make rational decisions." Demonstrating this in the ring and in his life, he is able to set the example for his children that even in the most trying conditions, a calm mindset will help to fully understand the situation and make the best decision. Take a Seat and Enjoy Even when it comes to his own children, and those he coaches, he says he "take a seat and enjoy." He gives the same advice to parents of athletes. Instead of forcing your own desires on your kids, give them a choice so they feel empowered and know that they can make the decisions that impact their lives. (This seems to be a pervasive theme among all elite athletes we've spoken with). Frankie Edgar on Teaching Grit Overall, Frankie Edgar wants to make sure his kids learn to have grit, be good people and have a sense of culture. When it comes to his kids, Frankie says, he goes with his gut. Free Resources: Check out our Dad Edge Group on Facebook Request Entry Here We have new Dad Edge T-Shirts! Grab one HERE Check out a free chapter from: THE DAD'S EDGE on UNLIMITED PATIENCE HERE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR SPOUSE Check out this free resource on: CONNECTION WITH YOUR KIDS Links Amazon Bestselling Book: The Dad's Edge - 9 Simple Ways to Have: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's New Course: The Dad's Edge - 6 Strategies to Achieve: Unlimited Patience, Improved Relationships, and Positive Lasting Memories Larry's Twitter Page Larry's Facebook Page Larry's Instagram Page Shawn's Website Shawn's Twitter Page Shawn's Facebook Page Shawn's Instagram Page Connect with Frankie Edgar: Frankie Edgar Website Frankie Edgar Twitter Frankie Edgar UFC Profile Thanks for checking out this week's Good Dad Project Podcast Episode featuring Frankie Edgar. Other Shows Mentioned in this Episode Good Dad Project with Carlos Condit on Grit and Gratitude Good Dad Project with Jake Herbert on the Gold Medal Mindset Good Dad Project with Charlie Brenneman on Driven for Excellence Good Dad Project with Jim Miller on Living a Life without Regret

Hey guys for this week's "Five Minute Thursday" I wanted to highlight a few takeaways from our interview with Jason Mackenzie, founder of the The Book of Open. Empowerment through Vulnerability For most men, we associate vulnerability with weakness. To be honest, even hearing the word "vulnerable" my first thought is "unwanted exposure to weakness." However, vulnerability is a strength. Vulnerability is empowerment through authenticity, which is being true to one's self. I have been working with men/fathers for the past three years, and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that if men are going to be "vulnerable" with each other, it has to be in an atmosphere or situation where it "cool thing." I can tell you from experience that men will check out when you start talking about sensitive stuff like "let's share our feelings." Men simply don't respond to that when in the presence of another man. In fact, it's even hard for us to do this with our wives for the most part. However, men are good at one thing…problem solving. We love to problem solve. We feel empowered when we share our wisdom and give advice. To be honest, being vulnerable is sharing a struggle or an obstacle and simply asking for input. The way to kick start a "cool atmosphere" of vulnerability is to ask for advice from a friend. Here's an example that will really hit this home…If you are sitting across that table with a friend and he says: "Hey Mike, I am struggling in my marriage and I need to share my feelings with you about it." OR "Hey Mike…man…so check this out, Jen and I are having some tough times lately. There is a ton of tension between Jen and me. I can't really figure out how to get things back in the groove. Have you and Becky been through this? If so, how can you help me out man?" Which one of those sounds better and would be received better? It's the same dilemma and situation…just teed up better. Abundance versus Scarcity Jason hit upon a great topic that is powerful for all of us and that is having the right mentality. Our brains are wired up to default to fear and keep us from danger. This part of our brain is the amygdala and it has been a part of our hardwired DNA since the beginning. This is the part of our brain where we hear the voice of fear and consequences. It's the same part of your brain that will talk you out of risks and tells you are not good enough. It's not our fault; it's just part of our hardwiring. It takes a trained and disciplined mind to look at our lives with abundance vs. scarcity. Successful people don't think about what they are going to lose by taking a calculated risk. Successful people consider what they will lose if they don't take a calculated risk and move forward. So, the next time that fear voice starts to bend your ear, remember the words of wisdom from Jason Mackenzie on this subject. It's all about perspective and reframing. No One Relates to Perfection I grew up in the 80's and I was a die-hard WWF professional wrestling fan. Hulk Hogan, Rick Flair, Jimmy Superfly, and so-on were my heroes. The most hated guys in that sport at that time was "Mr. Perfect and Mr. Wonderful." Want to know why? It's because no one can relate to inflated egos and perfection. People relate to real-life authenticity and transparency. Our greatest human need is the need for community and relationships. It's impossible for us to relate to others that view themselves as superhuman or "perfect." The big lesson here is there is connection and empowerment through being authentic, vulnerable, and transparent. People relate to us better in that mindset and we are more willing to accept ourselves. Guys, thanks for checking out this week's "Five Minute Thursday." See you next week and have an awesome weekend!