The Dad Edge Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Jason Reid — founder of Tell My Story Foundation, producer of the documentary films Tell My Story, What I Wish My Parents Knew, and Shift, author of seven books, Iron Man athlete, and a father who lost his 14-year-old son Ryan to suicide in 2018 while on vacation with his wife.
Jason was back for the second time on Dad Edge, and this conversation went somewhere neither of us expected. We open with AI — why the easy button is robbing kids of the growth that comes from struggle, and why an AI chatbot girlfriend who only says nice things is the most dangerous mental health threat facing kids right now.
We get into the warning signs parents miss, why the most at-risk kids often look like the quarterback or the cheerleader, and the clouds analogy that reframes everything about how you try to help a struggling kid. Jason is direct: stop trying to fix it. Ask about the clouds. Listen longer. And when they're ready to talk, they'll talk on their terms — almost always side by side, never face to face.
We also get into one of the most unconventional but practical parenting conversations this show has ever had: how to teach your kids to fight back with their words. Not their fists. Their words. It's called verbal self-defense — and it may be the most underrated gift a father can give his kid.
And then there's Shift — Jason's newest documentary about kids who protect their mental health by having a passion that's entirely their own. The message is simple and urgent: your kid needs an anchor. Help them find it before they need it most.
 
Timeline Summary
[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities
[1:04] Why AI is the new mental health boogeyman — and why the chatbot girlfriend is the most dangerous thing on a kid's phone right now
[4:15] You rob yourself of growth when you take the easy path — Jason's songwriting process and why the journey is the whole point
[7:34] AI will make you smarter or dumber — it's entirely about how you use it
[11:14] Introducing Jason Reid — founder of Tell My Story Foundation, back for the second time on Dad Edge
[12:02] What happened to Ryan — a 14-year-old son lost to suicide in 2018 while Jason and his wife were on vacation
[15:58] The choice Jason made — stay married, stay working, stay focused, and turn the pain into purpose
[16:20] Tell My Story on Amazon Prime, What I Wish My Parents Knew in schools, and Shift — three films born from one loss
[18:31] The warning signs parents miss — and why stopping the shower is often the first one to look for
[19:53] The most at-risk kids look like the quarterback and the cheerleader — not the dark quiet kid in the corner
[20:59] The clouds analogy — why telling your kid the sky is blue makes them stop talking
[21:51] Ask about the clouds. Ask how they look, how they feel, whether they come and go. Don't give advice first.
[23:30] Don't rush to your kid tonight and say "we need to talk about your mental health" — they will shut you out
[24:14] Kids talk on their terms — when it's inconvenient for you, side by side, never face to face
[26:40] Extend the talk — take the long way home, go for ice cream, keep moving so they keep talking
[30:55] Larry's experience being bullied — and what he battles as a dad when his kid faces the same thing
[32:28] Jason's counter-cultural advice: a bully will continue until your kid punches back — verbally or physically
[34:49] Teach your kids verbal self-defense — find the bully's insecurity and make it funny in front of everyone
[37:04] Brad Williams the dwarf comedian — and the greatest gift his dad gave him
[40:21] Coach them on their comeback lines before it happens again — because it will happen again
[45:30] Why kids today are under more pressure than any generation before — war, climate change, college costs, social media
[50:45] Shift — what the film is about and why every kid needs a passion that has nothing to do with school or friends
[53:20] Jason's Iron Man races — came in last every time and didn't care, because it was his thing
[54:14] What did you love doing as a kid that you stopped? — and why that question could change everything
[57:14] Larry and his 18-year-old learning guitar together — and why struggling alongside your kid is the whole point
 
Five Key Takeaways
An AI chatbot that only says nice things to your kid is not a friend — it's a dangerous distortion of reality. The real world is going to push back, and kids raised on pure affirmation won't be ready for it.
Don't tell a struggling kid the sky is blue. Ask them about the clouds. Ask how they look, how they feel, whether they come and go. You fix things in this space by listening, not advising.
Kids will talk on their terms — side by side, in the car, on a walk, when it's inconvenient for you. When they start talking, extend the moment. Don't race home.
Teach your kids verbal self-defense. A bully who gets laughed at stops. A bully whose insecurity gets named in front of everyone goes finds a different target. This is a skill you can practice at home.
Every kid needs an anchor — a passion that's entirely theirs, not school, not friends, not a screen. Help them find it before the dark season hits, because the kids who have it are the ones who make it through.
 
Links & Resources
Tell My Story Foundation: https://www.tellmystory.org/
Tell My Story documentary on Amazon Prime: Search "Tell My Story" on Amazon Prime
Shift documentary — available through schools: https://tellmystory.org
Songs for the Drive Home album: Available on Spotify and Apple Music — search "Songs for the Drive Home"
Tell My Story conversation card deck: Available at https://www.tellmystory.org/cardgame
Jason Reid's previous Dad Edge episode (June 2023): https://thedadedge.com
Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1478): https://thedadedge.com/1478
 
Closing
If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: your kid needs an anchor — and they need you to help them find it before they need it most.
Jason Reid lost his son Ryan in 2018. He didn't see it coming. And he spent the next seven years turning that loss into the most important work of his life — so other parents don't have to stand where he stood.
Ask about the clouds. Take the long way home. Teach them to fight back with words. And help them find their thing.
Because the kids who have something to wake up for are the ones who make it through.
Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, Larry and Uncle Joe tackle one of the most relatable questions any sports dad has ever asked — what do you do when the environment your kid is playing in is toxic, and it's breaking his spirit?
The question comes from Mike — a dad of two boys whose 11-year-old has recently had his love for baseball crushed by the culture of travel sports. The kid is now telling himself he's not good enough and that quitting is the answer. Mike is doing the work, modeling emotional regulation at home, and feeling like an imposter because none of it seems to be helping.
Larry shares his own story of pushing his son too hard in wrestling, learning to let him lead, and watching him play football for ten years before deciding on his own to walk away. Joe drops an ancient Chinese archery proverb that reframes the entire conversation — and explains why the need to win literally drains a kid of every skill he has. Alliance member Calvin adds a coach's perspective on getting to the root of what's really going on with your son.
This is a short, punchy, deeply practical episode that every sports dad needs to hear — especially if you've ever wondered whether the investment of time and money in travel sports is actually worth it.
 
Timeline Summary
[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities
[1:02] Mike's question: my 11-year-old's spirit is being broken by travel baseball's toxic culture — what do I do?
[3:47] Larry's wrestling story — getting excited about a scholarship, pushing too hard, and learning to follow his son's lead
[6:26] Dr. John Delany's take: travel sports is ruining the dinner table of the American family
[7:37] The stats — only 1.5% of kids who play youth sports will play in college
[9:03] How kids start attaching their identity to their performance — and why that's dangerous
[11:47] Whatever you start, you finish — the Hagner family rule and why it matters
[12:32] The hockey coach who got kicked out of games three times — and the son who never played hockey again
[13:41] 82% of kids quit a sport because of the coach — not the sport itself
[15:33] Joe's ancient Chinese archery proverb — when an archer shoots for nothing, he has all of his skill
[16:39] Why travel ball brings out the worst in parents — the lottery mindset and the toxicity that follows
[17:12] If you play for somebody else's approval, you play half the game you would have played
[17:45] Be the anti-venom — how to show up as the most positive presence in the stands
[20:25] Calvin's perspective — get down to his level, ask the real questions, and watch how he shows up at practice
[22:14] Mike's takeaway — finish the season, support his decision, and help him find his football whatever that looks like
 
Five Key Takeaways
Only 1.5% of kids who play youth sports will play in college. Before you invest five figures a year in travel sports, ask yourself who this is really for — your kid or you.
When a child's identity gets attached to their performance, and the environment around them is relentless and critical, they don't just quit the sport — they start believing they aren't good enough at life.
Whatever you start, you finish. Let your kid know you support whatever they decide when the season is done — but the commitment they made to the team matters and they're going to honor it.
The need to win drains a player of every skill they have. When a kid stops playing for the love of it and starts playing for approval, they play half the game they're capable of.
You can't insulate your kids from toxic environments — but you can be the anti-venom. Be the most positive person in those stands, speak life into every kid, and let your son see what that looks like.
 
Links & Resources
Dad Edge Alliance: https://thedadedge.com/alliance
Dad Edge Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/boardroom
Dad Edge Youth Sports Resources: https://thedadedge.com/tag/youth-sports/
Dad Edge Youth Athletics Resources: https://thedadedge.com/tag/youth-athletics/
Using Sports to Strengthen Father-Child Bonds: https://thedadedge.com/using-sports-to-strengthen-father-child-bonds-life-lessons
Coaching Kids: https://thedadedge.com/coaching-kids/
Greg Olsen Episode — Marriage Under Pressure: https://thedadedge.com/marriage-under-pressure-weathering-lifes-hardest-storms-featuring-greg-olsen/
How to Build a Non-Anxious Life by Dr. John Delony: Available on Amazon
Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1477): https://thedadedge.com/1477
 
Closing
If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the goal of youth sports was never the scholarship — it was the lesson.
The kids who look back and love what sports gave them aren't the ones who made it to college or the pros. They're the ones who had a coach who believed in them, a parent who cheered for effort instead of outcomes, and a teammate who made them laugh on the bench eating Big League Chew.
Be the anti-venom. Finish the season. And let your kid find their football.
Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, I sit down with Pierre Mousseau — entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author of From the Ashes: A Father's Journey Through Grief, Grace, and Faith. This is one of the most extraordinary, raw, and spiritually powerful conversations this show has ever had.
Pierre grew up with a severely alcoholic and mentally abusive father, was molested at 11, slept on the streets at 17, and was kicked out of his home at 19. He built himself into an entrepreneur, a husband, and a father. And then his son Parker — sweet, joyful, endlessly loving Parker — was taken from him at 21 years old after a catastrophic bowel emergency, five surgeries, and seven weeks in the ICU. Pierre made the decision to remove him from life support.
Five months later, with his company collapsing and the grief unbearable, Pierre got into his car at full speed aimed at a maple tree. He should have died that day. He didn't.
What follows is one of the most extraordinary stories of faith, forgiveness, and divine intervention you will ever hear — from the church he walked into while still hating God, to the deacon whose homily that Sunday was about losing a child, to the moment in the shower when something held him and everything changed.
This episode will stop you in your tracks. And it will remind you to hug your kids today.
Timeline Summary
[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities
[1:02] Pierre's childhood — alcoholic and abusive father, bullied at school, Spider-Man comics as his only escape
[5:33] Moving in with a drug-addicted uncle at 17, sleeping on the streets, and nobody noticing he was gone
[7:44] Being molested at 11 — and the family that never did anything about it
[8:31] Driving four hours to see his dying father determined to tell him everything — and what actually happened instead
[10:41] Saying "I forgive you" at his father's bedside — and still carrying the hatred for years after
[15:51] Introducing Pierre — entrepreneur, speaker, and author of From the Ashes
[17:30] Who Parker was — how he loved, what made him extraordinary, and the boy who still believed in Santa Claus at 14
[21:30] The phone call from the hospital — and the doctor who said "I don't know what happened but his bowel is pink"
[23:33] Seven weeks in the ICU, ICU delirium, and the decision Pierre had to make
[25:39] "I felt like I murdered my child" — the guilt that followed Pierre for years
[32:18] The hardest decision he has ever made — and why he couldn't keep Parker alive for himself
[38:02] Five months after Parker's death, the company collapsed — and on a Saturday morning Pierre got in his car to end his life
[39:09] Heading for a maple tree at full speed — and what stopped him
[40:44] Eleven months of hating God — and the Sunday morning he suddenly drove to church
[41:21] Walking into mass on the homily about losing a child — and sobbing until the woman beside him put her hand on his shoulder
[43:52] Meeting Deacon Curtis, the grief retreat, Parker's orange tag, and the text that said "I think Parker is trying to tell you something"
[47:30] In the shower in March 2025 — the purple light, the arms that held him, and the love that changed everything
[51:14] Strength is not pushing through — strength is vulnerability, asking for help, and being willing to say "this sucks"
[52:38] The keynote at the convent and the woman with a cane who walked up at the end without one
[56:47] The man in the steam room bashing his kids — and what Pierre said that silenced the room
Five Key Takeaways
Forgiveness is not a feeling — it's a decision you make before the feeling follows. Pierre said the words at his father's bedside before he was ready. The release came years later.
Grief and guilt will destroy you if you carry them alone. The bravest thing Pierre did wasn't surviving the worst moments — it was finally saying "I need help" and meaning it.
Strength is not pushing through. Strength is vulnerability. Strength is allowing yourself to cry, to feel, to say this is hard, and to ask for another man to come alongside you.
You never know when the moments will be gone. Cherish the ordinary ones — the arcade nights, the couch cuddles, the conversations that start after midnight. Parker would tell you that.
God meets you in your most broken moment — not when you've cleaned yourself up. Pierre was still hating God when he walked through that church door. It didn't matter.
Links & Resources
Dad Edge Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/boardroom
From the Ashes by Pierre Mousseau: Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Books, and Walmart
Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1476): https://thedadedge.com/1476
 
Closing
If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: hug your kids today. Not tomorrow. Today.
Pierre Mousseau lost the most loving person he had ever known. And what he has done with that loss — the book, the keynotes, the moment in the steam room, the woman who walked without her cane — is one of the most beautiful things we have ever witnessed on this show.
Don't let another day go by without telling the people who matter most that you love them.
Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Leonard Kaufman — board certified urologist and men's health physician with 25 years of experience practicing in South Florida. Dr. Kaufman specializes in urology, hormonal health, sexual health, and preventative men's health care, and he brings a level of warmth, honesty, and clinical depth to this conversation that you won't find anywhere else.
We cover a lot of ground — from why reactive health care is costing men years of quality life, to what erectile dysfunction is really telling you about your cardiovascular health, to the TRT conversation every man in his 30s and 40s needs to hear before he walks into one of those clinics and shuts off his own fertility without knowing it.
But this is not just a clinical episode. Dr. Kaufman is 33 years married, dad of three, and one of the most genuinely human guests we've had on this show. We talk about the deli where he met his wife in medical school, what 33 years of a real marriage actually looks like, how to build a home where your kids feel safe enough to tell you anything, and what his wife's early loss of her mother taught them both about not wasting time.
If you've been putting off that appointment — this episode is the nudge you need.
 
Timeline Summary
[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities
[1:02] Reactivity vs. proactivity — why waiting until something is broken is costing men their lives
[2:09] What Dr. Kauffman sees when men come in too late — prostate cancer, ED as a cardiovascular warning sign, and diabetes
[4:14] How Viagra accidentally revolutionized men's health — and why men started showing up to doctors for the first time
[7:27] Dr. Kaufman's background — board certified urologist, 25 years, fellowship in male infertility and andrology, MBA in Health Management
[9:00] How he met his wife Cindy — a deli, a list of phone numbers, and a blind date that turned into 33 years
[11:52] The non-negotiables of a long marriage — trust, transparency, communication, and shared values
[13:49] Seen, heard, and safe — the three things a woman and your kids need to feel in your home
[16:29] Vulnerability is not weakness in marriage — it's the foundation of real trust and real connection
[19:49] What men most commonly come to Dr. Kaufman for — ED, low testosterone, and prostate health
[32:00] ED is the canary in the coal mine — penile arteries are the first to show restricted blood flow, which means something else is coming
[33:36] Diet talk — why extreme diets backfire and what a urologist actually recommends for men's health
[38:45] The labs every man should be getting — ApoB, cholesterol panel, PSA, and why most men aren't being fully evaluated
[42:07] Total testosterone vs. free testosterone — what the current guidelines actually say
[43:15] Why getting a testosterone baseline in your 30s is one of the smartest proactive health moves you can make
[44:17] Clomid as an off-label option — how it helps men produce their own testosterone instead of shutting the system down
[45:06] The risks of walking into a TRT clinic without proper evaluation — fertility, blood thickness, PSA changes, and chasing a number that may not fix anything
[51:10] Prolactin — what it is, why it matters, and what a high level could actually mean for your brain
 
Five Key Takeaways
Proactive health care is not weakness — it's how you stay around for your kids and grandkids. The men who wait until something is broken are the ones who look back and say "I should have come in a year ago."
Erectile dysfunction is not just a bedroom problem. It's a cardiovascular warning sign. The smallest arteries in your body are affected first — and that means something bigger is building downstream.
Before you walk into a TRT clinic, get a full workup from a qualified urologist. Young men are unknowingly shutting off their sperm production and permanently altering their pituitary axis without realizing it.
Stop chasing the number. A man at 500 who feels great doesn't need to be pushed to 1,000. How you feel matters more than the number on the lab result.
Safety is the foundation of everything — in your marriage and with your kids. When the people you love feel safe to bring you anything, it changes everything.
 
Links & Resources
First Form Microfactor: https://1stphorm.com/products/micro-factor/?a_aid=dadedge
First Form Level 1 Protein Powder: https://1stphorm.com/products/level-1/?a_aid=dadedge
Dr. Leonard Kaufman's office: (954) 228-0924
Find Dr. Kaufman via MVP Men's Health: Search "Dr. Leonard Kaufman" at mvpmensclinic.com  
https://www.mdvip.com/doctors/leonardkaufmanmd

Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1475): https://thedadedge.com/1475
 
Closing
If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: your health is not just about you — it's about being around for the people who need you most.
Dr. Kaufman has spent 25 years watching men come in too late. Not because they didn't care, but because they were raised to believe that going to the doctor was weak. It's not weak. It's one of the most important acts of leadership a man can make.
Get the labs. Know your numbers. And build the kind of home where the people you love feel safe enough to tell you the truth — because that's exactly what your doctor needs from you too.
Go out and live legendary.

In this episode, Larry and Uncle Joe are back for another live Wednesday Q&A with real men from the Dad Edge Alliance — and this one hits on two of the most common struggles we hear from men: a marriage in repair mode that's sending confusing signals, and a hot-tempered nine-year-old that nobody knows how to reach.
The first question comes from Jimmy — a man whose wife gave him a 90-day ultimatum, who has been doing the work, and who is now completely confused by what's happening. She's been affectionate. Then she's not. Then she pulls back and says no more physical contact. Is it over? Should he give up? Joe and Larry speak into this with the kind of wisdom that only comes from having lived it — including Joe's own experience with physical contact happening and then the wall going right back up, and Larry's stock market analogy that every man in a marriage repair season needs to hear.
The second question comes from Mark — a teacher and dad of three whose nine-year-old middle child has a hair-trigger temper that seems to come out of nowhere. Joe drops one of the most memorable pieces of wisdom this show has ever heard about what anger in a young boy actually means, what's running underneath it, and how to find the magma before it erupts. Larry adds his own raw, honest story about his ten-year-old Colton — a family meeting he called, the guilt he took full ownership of, and what it means when the softest voice in your family has to fight just to be heard.
Joe closes with a Solomon quote that stops the whole room cold.
 
Timeline Summary
[0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities
[1:02] Larry and Joe open the Q&A — May is here, and the Alliance Bible study group gets a shoutout
[5:28] Jimmy's question: my wife gave me a 90-day ultimatum, I've been doing the work, she's been affectionate — then suddenly pulled back and said no more physical contact. Is it over?
[8:59] Joe's answer: she doesn't feel safe yet — the narrative justifying the divorce is still running, and physical contact is cracking it open in a way that terrifies her
[11:47] The mistake Joe made — trying to use physical contact to manipulate the situation back to his side
[13:18] It ain't over until you say you're done trying — Joe's message to Jimmy
[16:23] Larry's answer: the EKG pattern — she softens, pulls back, softens, pulls back. This is not failure. This is repair.
[18:00] The stock market analogy — marriage repair is not a straight line, and the only thing that crashes it is when the man stops doing the work
[21:47] Have the clarifying conversation — if you initiate, what do you want from me? Get clear so the lines stop getting blurred
[24:49] Do the work for you, not for her — and don't be needy. That standoffish groundedness is what actually draws her back.
[27:45] Core values as a filter — Awesome's answer on staying congruent when everything feels chaotic
[30:15] Mark's question: my nine-year-old middle child has an explosive temper and I don't know how to reach him
[33:24] Joe's answer: middle kids often don't feel seen or heard — and a hot temper at nine means there is a river of rage running just under the surface. Find out what's feeding it.
[35:47] What drove Joe's youngest son's anger — self-image struggles and the "am I good enough" question that lives in every boy
[37:15] Larry's answer: go in soft, go in curious, and do it shoulder to shoulder — not nose to nose
[39:10] The family meeting Larry called about Colton — taking full ownership and asking everyone to do better
[42:04] Colton is the softest voice in the family and he's always fighting to be heard — and that has to change
[45:07] Joe drops Solomon — the power of life and death is in the tongue. Speak the behavior you want to see.
[47:33] The 45-second greeting rule — and why how you welcome your kid home sets the tone for everything that follows
 
Five Key Takeaways
Marriage repair is not a straight line — it's the stock market. She will soften and pull back over and over. The only thing that crashes it is when you stop doing the work.
If she says no physical contact, have the clarifying conversation. Honor her request — and ask what happens if she initiates. Getting clarity is not weakness. It's leadership.
Do the work for you, not for her. The groundedness of a man who keeps growing regardless of her response is one of the most attractive things a woman can witness.
A hot temper in a young boy is never just a temper. There is something running underneath it — usually tied to self-image, feeling unseen, or something happening at school that he doesn't have the words to explain yet.
The power of life and death is in the tongue. If you want a certain behavior out of somebody — speak that behavior into them. Your words become self-fulfilling prophecies.
 
Links & Resources
Dad Edge Alliance: https://thedadedge.com/alliance
No More Mr. Nice Guy by Dr. Robert Glover: Available on Amazon
Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1474): https://thedadedge.com/1474
 
Closing
If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: the softest voice in your family deserves to be heard — and the words you speak over your kids and your wife are either building something or tearing it down.
Joe said it best. Solomon said it first. The power of life and death is in the tongue. Speak the behavior you want to see. Speak life into the people who need it most.
And if you're Jimmy right now — don't give up. It ain't over until you say it is.
Go out and live legendary.