DadAwesome

"A man who can't regulate his emotions forces his wife and kids to do it for him."
Seth Dahl back for a 5th conversation on DadAwesome.
He breaks down what's actually happening when dad loses it and what it takes to change.
✅ Why emotional dysregulation is an identity issue, not just a temper problem
✅ The loaded gun analogy that will change how you think about anger at home
✅ Teen boundaries, the Wise Phone, and how to give freedom without losing your mind
 
SUMMARY
A man who can't regulate his emotions forces his wife and kids to do it for him. That's the hard truth Seth Dahl drops early in this conversation, and it only gets more honest from there. This is a raw, alumni-only Zoom call that turned into something worth sharing with every dad who's ever lost it over something stupid and wondered why.
 
Takeaways:
If you can be triggered, you're identifying with something more than your role as a dad. That's an identity issue, not just a temper issue.
Unprocessed emotions don't disappear. They show up as anger, porn, checked-out dads, and kids walking on eggshells.
God's model in Genesis wasn't control. It was influence with a boundary. That's the parenting theology most of us are missing.
For teenagers, the online world is the living room. Know who they're talking to, just like you would if they came to your house.
The Wise Phone gives kids what they need without what gets them in trouble.
 
GUEST:
 
Seth Dahl is an author, speaker, grief recovery specialist, and emotional health coach. He and his wife have three kids and have developed a deep framework around completing past emotions, processing present emotions, and shaping future ones. Seth is a longtime friend of DadAwesome and is featured in the DADAWESOME book.
 
LINKS
Text MOM to (651) 370-8618 // or click here
Emotionally Skilled Fatherhood Course with Seth Dahl (Interest Form)
Wise Phone
Radiant Mobile 
DADAWESOME Book:dadawesome.org/book

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort

Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

7-Day Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

DadAwesome Podcast: dadawesome.org/podcast

Free Chapter + Intro Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

SETH DAHL

Jay Heck of Being Sons flips the mic and digs into the DADAWESOME book with some really honest questions.
 
✅ The prayer counseling session that broke a 15-year lie Jeff had been living under
✅ Why parenting from scarcity makes your voice smaller (and what changes when you don't)
✅ The black pen blue pen journaling exercise that helps you actually hear from God
✅ Three things every father can bring to their kids: proximity, placing hands on, and prayer
 
Get the 7-Day DADAWESOME Video Series - 
 
SUMMARY
Most dads are trying to figure out the right strategy. But what if the thing holding you back isn't a lack of tactics, it's a lie you've been believing about whether you're even loved? In this mic flip episode, Jay Heck of Being Sons turns the tables and interviews Jeff about the Dad Awesome book, and the conversation gets honest fast. You'll hear about the prayer counseling session that changed everything, what it means to set the scoreboard to infinity, and how a dad who's operating from fullness becomes the most compelling voice in the room.
 
TAKEAWAYS
Your kids need to see you pause and point to what God has done, not just celebrate the mountaintops but name the hard stuff too.
When you stop trying to earn love and start receiving it as a son, things like dancing, crying, laughing, and gentleness just start coming out of you naturally.
You are not behind. Whatever season of fatherhood you are in, God is not disappointed. He's inviting you to turn toward him, not catch up.
The three P's of intentional fatherhood are pursuing your kids, praying for your kids, and being present with your kids.
Fathers who operate from abundance naturally draw their kids, their kids' friends, and other families in. Scarcity thinking is contagious, and so is thankfulness.
GUEST
Jay Heck is the founder of Being Sons, a fatherhood ministry focused on dad and daughter and dad and son adventure experiences. He hosts the Being Sons podcast and is passionate about helping men step into the father heart of God so they can lead their families well.
QUOTES
"Your heavenly father has set the scoreboard to infinity. You can't add to it. You can't subtract from it."
"As I learned more about my identity as a loved son of God, I danced more, cried more, laughed more."
"Gratefulness and fear can't live simultaneously. When we are grateful, we move toward more vision and more hope."
"Fathers who operate from abundance naturally become the most compelling voice in the room."
"You are not behind. God in heaven is not disappointed. He is loving this moment that you are turning."
LINKS
21 Day Prayer Team - surrounding the DADAWESOME book launch.

DADAWESOME Book:dadawesome.org/book

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort

Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

7-Day Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

DadAwesome Podcast: dadawesome.org/podcast

Free Chapter + Intro Video Series: dadawesome.org/book

BEING SONS Ministry (Jay Heck)

Wild At Heart - Head of Household Prayer (John Eldredge)

Ruthless Trust (book)

What do you do when your schedule is maxed out and you feel like you're failing at the very thing you preach? In this episode, Jeff gets honest about dropping the ball on dad-daughter dates, shares three raw discoveries from book launch week, and tells the story of a flaming ball of toilet paper on a frozen lake that never made it into the book — for good reason.
Without a concrete accountability loop, even your highest priorities will quietly slip off the calendar.

In your fullest, most pressured seasons, adding one stabilizing anchor — not removing things — might be the wisest move you make.

Daily prayer with other men isn't just spiritual discipline; it's a stabilizing force that steadies you when everything else is swinging.

Bringing two simple questions to a dad-daughter date can surface honest feedback and spark some of the most important conversations you'll have with your kids.

Fatherhood grows through friendships and focus — those two things, compounded over years, change everything.

 
DADAWESOME BOOKhttps://www.dadawesome.org/book

It's LAUNCH WEEK - the DADAWESOME book is available to the world!
https://www.dadawesome.org/book
In today's episode, Jeff shares what actually happened on book launch day (confetti, a four-year-old, and one very close call with a pair of white shoes), reads Chapter 18 of DADAWESOME live, and honors the grandpa whose legacy made this whole thing possible.
✅ The upstream generational moves Jeff's grandpa made that are still changing lives today
✅ The Crashing Cabinet — a chapter about the $2 wall strap that changes how you think about fatherhood systems
✅ Why your family needs a free dad, not a perfect one
SUMMARY:
The Christmas card version of fatherhood isn't real life — and Jeff Zaugg isn't pretending otherwise. In this book launch episode, Jeff reads Chapter 18 of the DADAWESOME book, shares the upstream legacy moves his grandpa made that are still bearing fruit today, and tells the story of what actually happened on launch day (hint: it involved confetti, a four-year-old, and a pair of white shoes that almost didn't survive).
TAKEAWAYS:
Thinking generationally means asking what moves you make today will still be bearing fruit with your grandkids and great-grandkids.
Small, preventative systems — like a $2 wall strap — protect your family before the pressure hits, not after the crash.
Your inadequacies as a father create space for God's strength to work through you, not around you.
Unresolved pain is like hidden glass — sharp, waiting, and causing damage until it's fully addressed.
Your family doesn't need a perfect dad. They need a free one.
GUEST
Jeff Zaugg is the founder of DadAwesome, host of the DadAwesome Podcast (400+ episodes, 8+ years), and author of the newly released book DADAWESOME. He and his wife have four daughters and are based in Northeast, Florida.
 
QUOTES
"Your family doesn't need a perfect dad. They need a free one."
"Small choices prevent big disasters. Asking for help before the crash is wisdom, not weakness."
"Unresolved pain is like hidden glass — sharp, waiting, cutting us when we least expect it."
"Our inadequacies as fathers create space for God's power to work through us."
"Brotherhood isn't a luxury for fathers who have margin. It's oxygen for fathers who are drowning."
 
Links:
21 Day Prayer Team - surrounding the DADAWESOME book launch.

DADAWESOME Book:dadawesome.org/book

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort

Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

Troy Magnum — Episode 184 (referenced in chapter)

🗣️ "Every king who takes over a territory changes the language first — because language determines culture."
Pastor Tim Timberlake is back for Part 2, and it does NOT disappoint.
In today's episode, you'll hear:
✅ Why the words you speak are literally shaping your child's world
✅ How to steward your kids' speed in a culture moving way too fast
✅ The powerful truth about grief — you won't get over it, but you will remember more
✅ Why you can't lead your kids somewhere you've never been
Don't father from your wounds. Father from your scars.
 
Join the 21-Day PRAYER TEAM (surrounding the book launch)
WATCH the DADAWESOME book Trailer >> 
GET THE DADAWESOME BOOK >> 
SUMMARY:
Every king who takes over a territory changes the language first — because language shapes culture. In Part 2 of this conversation with Pastor Tim Timberlake, you'll hear why the words you speak over your kids are literally forming their world. Plus, Tim gets real about grief, the little deaths that come with every new season of your child's life, and why the only way to be a great father is to remain a son of God first.
 
TAKEAWAYS
Language shapes culture — what you speak over your kids is forming their world, for better or worse.
Boundaries aren't restrictions; they're what make the game worth playing. Your kids thrive within them.
You won't "get over" the loss of a loved one, but you will grow stronger — and you'll remember more, not less.
Every new season of your child's life requires mourning who they were so you can fully enjoy who they are.
Don't father from your wounds. Father from your scars.
 
GUEST
Tim Timberlake is the lead pastor of Celebration Church, an author, and a speaker known for his passionate, scripture-rooted teaching. He and his wife, Jen, have a son, Max. Tim is the author of several books including The Art of Overcoming and Bumpy Road to Better.
 
LINKS
DADAWESOME Book:dadawesome.org/book

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

Apply to join the next DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort

Subscribe to DadAwesome Messages: Text the word "Dad" to (651) 370-8618

Send a Voice Message to DadAwesome

The Power of 1440 by Tim Timberlake

The Art of Overcoming by Tim Timberlake

Celebration Church — Jacksonville, FL

Tim Timberlake on Instagram: @ttimberlake

 
QUOTES
"Every king who takes over a territory changes the language first — because language determines culture." — Tim Timberlake
"Don't father from your wounds. Father from your scars." — Tim Timberlake
"If you remain a son to God, you'll be a better father to your kids." — Tim Timberlake
"We can only take people to the last place we've been." — Tim Timberlake
"You won't get over it — but you will grow stronger, and you'll remember more." — Tim Timberlake