February 20, 2025 • 22 mins
🚀 Fatherhood, Leadership, and Laughing Through Chaos!
🚀 In this episode of Dad Mode Activated, we sit down with Matthew Crossley, the creator of Dad Mode Activated, to talk all things fatherhood, parenting, leadership, and navigating the chaos of dad life. From hilarious dad moments to real talk about balancing work, family, and personal growth, this episode is packed with dad wisdom, humor, and practical advice for parents everywhere.
🔹 Topics Covered:
✅ How Dad Mode Activated is changing the conversation about fatherhood
✅ The biggest challenges dads face today, and how to handle them
✅ Balancing family, work, and personal growth like a pro
✅ The funniest (and most embarrassing) dad moments
✅ Leadership lessons from being a dad & how they apply to business
✅ The ultimate dad hacks, dad fails, and dad jokes
👊 Subscribe for more dad-focused content: @dadmodeactivated7
📲 Follow Matthew Crossley on Social Media: Tiktok @dmactivated
🎙 Listen to the Dad Mode Activated Podcast:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dad-mode-activated-fatherhood-unfiltered/id1794134273
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ENgFmpB0uQihentA3Lo5v?si=jPXOzJRYQ1W0yP744X2oeA
💬 What’s the best dad joke you’ve ever heard? Drop it in the comments! 👇 🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more epic dad content!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi, welcome back to Dad Mode Activated. I'm Cassie. I'll be your host today. With us, I have Mr. Dad Mode himself, Matt Crossley. We have a few questions for you, Matt. So let's jump right into it. For this first segment, what inspired you to start Dad Mode Activated?
(00:27):
That's a good question. I have my own microphone. Thank you. Oh, geez. Thankfully, I have a beautiful co-host. But what started Dad Mode Activated was a conversation I had with somebody I work with. He had recommended, you know, I really want to get into public speaking. He's like, why don't you start a podcast? And then I came home and I talked to this this lady. And she was like, where would you even talk about? I was like, well, that's a good question. I have no idea.
(00:56):
But things I'm really passionate about our business and being a dad. So being a dad, it is. And that's really how we ended up here.
Okay. What's your personal story as a dad and how has fatherhood shaped you?
That's a good question. Whoever wrote these is a genius, by the way. It was me. Personal story as a dad. My oldest son was born when I was 20 years old. And I didn't know anything at that time, or what it took to be a dad for that matter.
(01:30):
And really along the way, you know, my, my daughter came along, my youngest son came along, and I learned more and more progressively throughout that journey. So I don't know. That's kind of how it started.
I was a young kid when I was 20.
You're a baby yourself. How do you balance being a dad and a husband?
(01:54):
I don't. She does it all for me. No, I'm kidding. Balancing a dad and a husband is tough because on one side, I got somebody who I'm going to live with forever. I'm sorry.
And then, you know, kids who really just thrive on our influence and how well we can teach them. So it's a constant flip back and forth, you know, from playing around and joking with somebody who's going to have to deal with this for a very long time and still trying to do that and teach and develop, you know, our kids at the same time.
(02:33):
So it's pretty tedious, actually.
Were there any dad fails that hurt into valuable lessons?
Yes.
Okay, so the best story would be with my daughter a long, long time ago. And she probably still remembers the story, but we were just hanging out at home.
(02:57):
She came around the corner from like the kitchen area and was balling her eyes out at that point. So I'm panicking, trying to figure out what I need to do.
I ended up taking her to the car, putting her in her car seat.
And as soon as I'm about to pull out of the driveway, I realized I didn't buckle the car seat to the car. You can't really drive like that. So I get back out. I go to buckle her in or attach the car seat to the car.
(03:27):
And as I put my hand through the back, hopefully you know what I'm talking about. One of those booster seat type of things. Put my hand through the back to run the seatbelt through there and ripped my fingernail off. So then I got to drive with my hand bleeding all over myself, the toddler screaming in the back seat,
and then walk into a doctor's office and explain that I injured myself while driving to the doctor's office. For something that I learned later on was nurse maids, although if you haven't heard what that is, look it up. It's interesting and different.
(03:58):
But it is a thing.
Okay. For this second segment, what makes Dad What Activated Different from other dad focused content?
Kind of, yeah, I mean, really, it's more about the title of the whole thing, Dad Mode Unfiltered. I don't have any issue with sharing the true facts around being what a dad looks like.
(04:25):
And I'm sure we'll talk about it a little bit later with the questions I didn't write. But the real fact of the matter is, is there's a lot to share and I just don't feel like it gets talked about enough.
And so I'm trying to talk about it, bring people together. I've already gotten a ton of feedback and comments, a lot of subscribers to the YouTube show and podcast in general.
(04:50):
So yeah, I would say I'm a bit more engaging than other folks. I'm not in it for the watch me's. I'm in it for the let me help you.
What's been your favorite episodes so far and why?
Oh, yep. Yep. Man, that's a good question. We already know.
The best one I've done so far was about divorced dads, single dads, things like that. Unfortunately, you know, when I was sitting in my room when I was a kid, I never planned on having as much experience with that as I do.
(05:22):
And I've only been through once, but it was quite it was it was a lot of experience to be had.
Yeah, I would say that was my favorite one. And I got a lot of folks reaching out right after that to talk through how I dealt with different circumstances, how I keep everything organized, all kinds of stuff.
I would say that's my favorite one.
(05:46):
What are some of the biggest challenges dads face today?
Oh, this. Yeah, so for dads today, stop laughing at me.
For dads today, the biggest thing that we deal with is those stereotypical type of things where it's, you know, you can't act a certain way.
(06:09):
You can't talk a certain way. You can't bring things up that are bothering you. You can't say that you're tired.
You can't say that you want to take a nap.
It takes lots of those.
You can't be overwhelmed. I do take lots of naps, but you can't be overwhelmed.
You've always got to be ready to make a decision all the time, even when it comes down to what's for dinner.
(06:33):
It's still going to be up to you. That's a lot of pressure.
How's your podcast help build a community for dads?
Well, we talked about that a little bit. It's because I don't, I have nothing to hide there.
I think that talking about all of this stuff is important.
(06:54):
And, you know, you could do a quick Google search right now about parenting support.
And I'll let the results be a surprise to you.
But when you look that up, see how many of those resources and topics are about dads.
It's very small.
So I'm trying to make it a little bit bigger than that because it is important.
(07:17):
Have you had any listener feedback that has really stuck with you?
Yes. His name is also Matt. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that, but he reached out and actually recently, as I've been launched into this,
gave me some feedback about my YouTube stuff and said, you know, you should put a little thing up in the corner or something that says,
(07:39):
you can watch me on YouTube.
Did you on you did?
You can watch me on YouTube. It's late. It's a fake light.
But kind of linked to where you can follow me on those things.
TikTok, Spotify, Apple, Apple podcasts, YouTube.
There's a number of different places where all of this stuff is getting published.
(08:03):
So I thought that was really great.
And I'm going to continue doing that. It was an awesome idea.
Okay, so we're going to start this third segment.
What are the top three lessons fatherhood has taught you?
Oh, patience. A lot of patience.
And on top of being patient collaboration is another big piece to that.
(08:27):
And I would say understanding.
So patience is going to be number one every time because, you know, again, fitting into those stereotypes, dad get dads get looked at as,
you know, things might set them off at any moment, you know, they're, they're so busy, they're so overworked and overwhelmed that they can't handle normal everyday things,
(08:51):
which isn't true.
So you kind of learn how to have that patience and understanding, not just with your kids, but with everyone else.
The collaboration is important because kids are people too.
And listening to what they have to say, even sometimes when they aren't saying it, I think is important.
And the understanding pieces, putting your own feelings aside and just trying to understand where they are coming from,
(09:18):
where your family's coming from in general, I think is, I would say those are the biggest three things.
Sorry, lost my place.
How do you think being a dad prepares you for a leadership in business?
Oh, yeah, I do leadership stuff in business.
(09:39):
And really, it goes back to those same three things.
A lot of folks that have worked for me in the past and even currently now would understand those three things, patience, collaboration and understanding.
What's been really eye-opening for me going all the way back to when I was 20 years old and my son being born is I didn't have any of those things.
(10:00):
And as I've come along, I really operate on a daily basis just that way.
I'm very patient and understanding.
I'm not afraid to collaborate and ask for feedback or work with others.
So, yeah.
What's your best advice for dads who feel overwhelmed?
(10:21):
Take naps, clearly.
That is something that I do.
Now, I actually did an episode about this, you know, dad's being overwhelmed.
It's one of the most recent ones I've done.
And I talk about, you know, finding coping mechanisms that are healthier than, you know, being angry or lashing out or shutting down.
(10:46):
There's so many different ways you can go about it, namely therapy.
So that's something that doesn't get talked about often enough, especially for dads.
Go to therapy.
It will help you.
And take a nap.
What's a myth about fatherhood?
You wish people would stop believing.
(11:08):
That while we are the rocks for our family, we're definitely not made of stone.
We have feelings and it's important for other dads to understand that having those feelings is okay.
I've shared my feelings a lot.
I feel like, and I have a lot of them.
(11:29):
They're buried deep down behind my handsome appearance, but I keep them all tucked in under the hat.
But when they do come out, they do exist.
And I think that's something that really goes, you know, or is really undervalued for a lot of dads.
They'll just kind of breeze through and say, we're going to push through.
It'll be fine.
I'll figure it out.
(11:51):
But in reality, it's okay to not figure it out sometimes.
So.
Okay.
How do you encourage dads to stay present in their kids' life despite busy schedules?
You have time when you make time.
I actually did an episode on this too.
Really, it's breaking things down.
I even mentioned something to the effect of my wife and I have had a conversation.
(12:17):
Don't tell her I said that.
You know, I don't want to sit and watch Netflix all the time.
We still do it.
And that's okay.
But what can I do that's productive with that time?
So right now, for instance, we could be watching Netflix, but we're talking to you people.
Prioritize your time.
(12:38):
So for segment four, what's the funniest thing your kids have said to you?
And they say a lot.
There's a lot.
It's not safe for the video, but I would say two of them come to mind right off the bat.
My oldest son was really young when it happened.
(13:02):
Came downstairs in his underwear and proceeded to explain or to ask the question, you know,
why do I have an underwear pocket?
So, yep, having to explain what that is actually used for was difficult.
And then not long ago, my stepson, it's really cold outside.
(13:26):
It's winter right now.
And I had shorts on, just got out of bed, just drinking coffee.
I went outside, I think, to start the truck or something.
And I came back in and he was sitting here.
I was like, oh, man, it's cold.
And he's like, yeah, you had on what did he say?
Short sleeve pants.
I had on short sleeve pants.
So of course I'm going to be cold.
And I just kind of looked at him for a second like, I have what?
(13:52):
I did have on short sleeve pants.
But yeah, those are those are the safe ones, I would say that I can share.
There's very few of those.
How would you know?
Don't tell my wife.
I won't.
For sale.
What's your go to dad joke?
She also tells a lot of.
I do have a lot of those stored in my database, but I had to figure out
(14:18):
what to work that in the.
That's your feet.
Actually, we just had one tonight.
So we had these fancy like lettuce wrap things and egg salad and bacon.
And it was super healthy and a lot of protein.
Eat bacon.
Yeah.
Yeah, turkey bacon.
And somebody, I forget who said it, but somebody said, would you like a wrap?
(14:41):
Or would you like a?
Would you like to wrap is what I thought I heard.
And I said, well, I can't do that.
I can't put words together in that way.
And I got the craziest look and it's like, no.
Silly.
You silly goose is really what was said.
You can't.
That's not what I meant.
(15:02):
It's like I meant bread.
You could have a bread wrap and I was like, well, I've never seen bread wrap.
So.
Like we get oldie and moldy.
Oh, I can wrap.
I just made a rhyme.
Are there any other ones you want to add on to the next question?
Hey, if you could give your younger dad self one piece of advice, what would it be?
(15:29):
Oh, yeah.
Well, it would be difficult because younger me thought people like me were old and didn't know anything.
And while I am old and I still think I know a lot.
I don't know nearly as much as I did when I was 20.
That's for sure.
And really it would just be trying to get through and talk about those three things that patients collaborating and understanding.
(15:52):
I would probably be a lot further ahead in life if I had just done things like that.
Certainly could have learned a lot from other folks, but you know, hindsight being 2020.
Okay, what's your favorite dad hack that every parent should know?
So there's there's three things that you're always going to carry with you as a dad forever, forever, forever.
(16:17):
And it's wet wipes, lice all wipes or money.
So there are different stages in a kid's life where all three of those things are going to be applicable sometimes at the same time.
Sometimes not at the same time when they're infants, toddlers, probably wet wipes.
Not having those is scary, especially when you have to change a diaper.
(16:42):
When they're, you know, in that adolescent stage, I guess it was infant toddler for the first one, adolescent for the next stage.
You're going to want wet wipes or I'm sorry, lice all wipes because they're going to wipe their nose on their hand and then touch every single thing.
Imagine I mean, it's going to happen.
You're going to wipe off doorknobs more than you've ever done it your entire life.
(17:06):
And then the money part is when they become teenagers because really that's all they're ever going to ask you for is money and more money and then money again.
And then you can just chase them around with lice all wipes because they hate being clean.
So that's a teenager for you.
Okay, if dad activated how to slogan, what would it be?
(17:27):
Well, it would be leading with love and laughing through chaos because in reality, being a dad, you know, you can't, you can't just fly off the handle at every little thing.
You have to do everything that you're doing with love and understanding and patience and collaboration.
(17:48):
It's weird. It's like it's common theme.
But then also being comfortable laughing at the incredible amount of ridiculousness that you're going to be surrounded by on a daily, daily basis.
They're cute and cuddly right now, but it gets interesting and we have a lot of interesting.
Yes, we have a lot of kids too.
Yes.
(18:09):
We should have stopped at one.
Well, we didn't meet until later in life.
So, okay.
We have five.
Yes.
Okay. So for segment five, what is the next thing for dad not activated any exciting plans?
Really, it's just to continue expanding the podcast, trying to get in more into public speaking and all of that.
(18:39):
Also working on, we tested out some things like clothing. This is cool. Look at that.
I have somebody make that.
I like it.
It's super comfy.
So yeah, really just experimenting right now, finding out what works, what doesn't work, what resonates with other people because really we just want to talk about it.
Hey, where can people find and support your podcast?
(19:03):
All over the place.
If you watch the YouTube, YouTube, YouTube, the YouTube, the tiktok, showing our age.
If you watch the YouTube or the tiktok, I'm on both of those.
I also have the LinkedIn.
That's more like my professional stuff.
(19:24):
What else?
Oh, Apple podcast, Spotify.
Most of the podcasting, everything.
Dad mode activated is what it's under.
Should be super easy to find.
The logo looks really, you know, just looks like something.
(19:45):
Okay, next question.
How can listeners connect with you online?
Well, just like we said, you could go to the podcasting stuff.
Go to what, tiktok, social media.
Excuse me, super sick.
If you stumble across dad mode activated, really you can reach out to me on any of those platforms, comments, any of those things.
(20:07):
I'll respond back.
I do on a pretty regular basis.
So I would say those are the best things.
Okay, that's all the questions I have for you tonight.
Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?
Yes.
Thank goodness I had a super hot co-host.
But thank you for watching.
I do want to make sure everyone knows and I'll add a link down at the bottom of the video, maybe in the comments.
(20:32):
I don't know how to do that yet, but we're going to find out.
She also does her own social media stuff.
What's a few more mini farm all over the place, mainly Instagram and tiktok.
I have more followers, but she's on those platforms and you can find her there.
It's actually quite funny.
Facebook as well.
(20:53):
I forget, I don't have the Facebook, but you should check that stuff out.
You know, we're really trying to get bigger into this kind of space and she does a lot of cool stuff there.
So goats, chickens, dogs, animals in general.
Do you want to talk about it?
Yeah, we've got a lot of fun things coming up this spring.
We have some new animals that will be joining our farm.
(21:15):
Right now, we just, like he said, we have some goats, some very funny goats, actually,
some baby goats.
We've got some new baby goats that will be joining our farm.
We're hatching out lots of baby chickens and breed silkies.
So we'll be hatching out those here in the next month or two.
(21:36):
Lots of pretty eggs, lots of fun chaos just kind of adds to the chaos.
All right, awesome.
So I guess that I'll share that down in the comments or however that works.
I just want to make sure that everybody see the shirt.
Yes, dear.
They also like that.
The strings are in the way.
(21:58):
That's better.
Thanks for watching, everybody.
We'll see you next time.
Hi, welcome back to Dad Mode Activated. I'm Cassie. I'll be your host today. With us, I have Mr. Dad Mode himself, Matt Crossley. We have a few questions for you, Matt. So let's jump right into it. For this first segment, what inspired you to start Dad Mode Activated?
(00:27):
That's a good question. I have my own microphone. Thank you. Oh, geez. Thankfully, I have a beautiful co-host. But what started Dad Mode Activated was a conversation I had with somebody I work with. He had recommended, you know, I really want to get into public speaking. He's like, why don't you start a podcast? And then I came home and I talked to this this lady. And she was like, where would you even talk about? I was like, well, that's a good question. I have no idea.
(00:56):
But things I'm really passionate about our business and being a dad. So being a dad, it is. And that's really how we ended up here.
Okay. What's your personal story as a dad and how has fatherhood shaped you?
That's a good question. Whoever wrote these is a genius, by the way. It was me. Personal story as a dad. My oldest son was born when I was 20 years old. And I didn't know anything at that time, or what it took to be a dad for that matter.
(01:30):
And really along the way, you know, my, my daughter came along, my youngest son came along, and I learned more and more progressively throughout that journey. So I don't know. That's kind of how it started.
I was a young kid when I was 20.
You're a baby yourself. How do you balance being a dad and a husband?
(01:54):
I don't. She does it all for me. No, I'm kidding. Balancing a dad and a husband is tough because on one side, I got somebody who I'm going to live with forever. I'm sorry.
And then, you know, kids who really just thrive on our influence and how well we can teach them. So it's a constant flip back and forth, you know, from playing around and joking with somebody who's going to have to deal with this for a very long time and still trying to do that and teach and develop, you know, our kids at the same time.
(02:33):
So it's pretty tedious, actually.
Were there any dad fails that hurt into valuable lessons?
Yes.
Okay, so the best story would be with my daughter a long, long time ago. And she probably still remembers the story, but we were just hanging out at home.
(02:57):
She came around the corner from like the kitchen area and was balling her eyes out at that point. So I'm panicking, trying to figure out what I need to do.
I ended up taking her to the car, putting her in her car seat.
And as soon as I'm about to pull out of the driveway, I realized I didn't buckle the car seat to the car. You can't really drive like that. So I get back out. I go to buckle her in or attach the car seat to the car.
(03:27):
And as I put my hand through the back, hopefully you know what I'm talking about. One of those booster seat type of things. Put my hand through the back to run the seatbelt through there and ripped my fingernail off. So then I got to drive with my hand bleeding all over myself, the toddler screaming in the back seat,
and then walk into a doctor's office and explain that I injured myself while driving to the doctor's office. For something that I learned later on was nurse maids, although if you haven't heard what that is, look it up. It's interesting and different.
(03:58):
But it is a thing.
Okay. For this second segment, what makes Dad What Activated Different from other dad focused content?
Kind of, yeah, I mean, really, it's more about the title of the whole thing, Dad Mode Unfiltered. I don't have any issue with sharing the true facts around being what a dad looks like.
(04:25):
And I'm sure we'll talk about it a little bit later with the questions I didn't write. But the real fact of the matter is, is there's a lot to share and I just don't feel like it gets talked about enough.
And so I'm trying to talk about it, bring people together. I've already gotten a ton of feedback and comments, a lot of subscribers to the YouTube show and podcast in general.
(04:50):
So yeah, I would say I'm a bit more engaging than other folks. I'm not in it for the watch me's. I'm in it for the let me help you.
What's been your favorite episodes so far and why?
Oh, yep. Yep. Man, that's a good question. We already know.
The best one I've done so far was about divorced dads, single dads, things like that. Unfortunately, you know, when I was sitting in my room when I was a kid, I never planned on having as much experience with that as I do.
(05:22):
And I've only been through once, but it was quite it was it was a lot of experience to be had.
Yeah, I would say that was my favorite one. And I got a lot of folks reaching out right after that to talk through how I dealt with different circumstances, how I keep everything organized, all kinds of stuff.
I would say that's my favorite one.
(05:46):
What are some of the biggest challenges dads face today?
Oh, this. Yeah, so for dads today, stop laughing at me.
For dads today, the biggest thing that we deal with is those stereotypical type of things where it's, you know, you can't act a certain way.
(06:09):
You can't talk a certain way. You can't bring things up that are bothering you. You can't say that you're tired.
You can't say that you want to take a nap.
It takes lots of those.
You can't be overwhelmed. I do take lots of naps, but you can't be overwhelmed.
You've always got to be ready to make a decision all the time, even when it comes down to what's for dinner.
(06:33):
It's still going to be up to you. That's a lot of pressure.
How's your podcast help build a community for dads?
Well, we talked about that a little bit. It's because I don't, I have nothing to hide there.
I think that talking about all of this stuff is important.
(06:54):
And, you know, you could do a quick Google search right now about parenting support.
And I'll let the results be a surprise to you.
But when you look that up, see how many of those resources and topics are about dads.
It's very small.
So I'm trying to make it a little bit bigger than that because it is important.
(07:17):
Have you had any listener feedback that has really stuck with you?
Yes. His name is also Matt. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that, but he reached out and actually recently, as I've been launched into this,
gave me some feedback about my YouTube stuff and said, you know, you should put a little thing up in the corner or something that says,
(07:39):
you can watch me on YouTube.
Did you on you did?
You can watch me on YouTube. It's late. It's a fake light.
But kind of linked to where you can follow me on those things.
TikTok, Spotify, Apple, Apple podcasts, YouTube.
There's a number of different places where all of this stuff is getting published.
(08:03):
So I thought that was really great.
And I'm going to continue doing that. It was an awesome idea.
Okay, so we're going to start this third segment.
What are the top three lessons fatherhood has taught you?
Oh, patience. A lot of patience.
And on top of being patient collaboration is another big piece to that.
(08:27):
And I would say understanding.
So patience is going to be number one every time because, you know, again, fitting into those stereotypes, dad get dads get looked at as,
you know, things might set them off at any moment, you know, they're, they're so busy, they're so overworked and overwhelmed that they can't handle normal everyday things,
(08:51):
which isn't true.
So you kind of learn how to have that patience and understanding, not just with your kids, but with everyone else.
The collaboration is important because kids are people too.
And listening to what they have to say, even sometimes when they aren't saying it, I think is important.
And the understanding pieces, putting your own feelings aside and just trying to understand where they are coming from,
(09:18):
where your family's coming from in general, I think is, I would say those are the biggest three things.
Sorry, lost my place.
How do you think being a dad prepares you for a leadership in business?
Oh, yeah, I do leadership stuff in business.
(09:39):
And really, it goes back to those same three things.
A lot of folks that have worked for me in the past and even currently now would understand those three things, patience, collaboration and understanding.
What's been really eye-opening for me going all the way back to when I was 20 years old and my son being born is I didn't have any of those things.
(10:00):
And as I've come along, I really operate on a daily basis just that way.
I'm very patient and understanding.
I'm not afraid to collaborate and ask for feedback or work with others.
So, yeah.
What's your best advice for dads who feel overwhelmed?
(10:21):
Take naps, clearly.
That is something that I do.
Now, I actually did an episode about this, you know, dad's being overwhelmed.
It's one of the most recent ones I've done.
And I talk about, you know, finding coping mechanisms that are healthier than, you know, being angry or lashing out or shutting down.
(10:46):
There's so many different ways you can go about it, namely therapy.
So that's something that doesn't get talked about often enough, especially for dads.
Go to therapy.
It will help you.
And take a nap.
What's a myth about fatherhood?
You wish people would stop believing.
(11:08):
That while we are the rocks for our family, we're definitely not made of stone.
We have feelings and it's important for other dads to understand that having those feelings is okay.
I've shared my feelings a lot.
I feel like, and I have a lot of them.
(11:29):
They're buried deep down behind my handsome appearance, but I keep them all tucked in under the hat.
But when they do come out, they do exist.
And I think that's something that really goes, you know, or is really undervalued for a lot of dads.
They'll just kind of breeze through and say, we're going to push through.
It'll be fine.
I'll figure it out.
(11:51):
But in reality, it's okay to not figure it out sometimes.
So.
Okay.
How do you encourage dads to stay present in their kids' life despite busy schedules?
You have time when you make time.
I actually did an episode on this too.
Really, it's breaking things down.
I even mentioned something to the effect of my wife and I have had a conversation.
(12:17):
Don't tell her I said that.
You know, I don't want to sit and watch Netflix all the time.
We still do it.
And that's okay.
But what can I do that's productive with that time?
So right now, for instance, we could be watching Netflix, but we're talking to you people.
Prioritize your time.
(12:38):
So for segment four, what's the funniest thing your kids have said to you?
And they say a lot.
There's a lot.
It's not safe for the video, but I would say two of them come to mind right off the bat.
My oldest son was really young when it happened.
(13:02):
Came downstairs in his underwear and proceeded to explain or to ask the question, you know,
why do I have an underwear pocket?
So, yep, having to explain what that is actually used for was difficult.
And then not long ago, my stepson, it's really cold outside.
(13:26):
It's winter right now.
And I had shorts on, just got out of bed, just drinking coffee.
I went outside, I think, to start the truck or something.
And I came back in and he was sitting here.
I was like, oh, man, it's cold.
And he's like, yeah, you had on what did he say?
Short sleeve pants.
I had on short sleeve pants.
So of course I'm going to be cold.
And I just kind of looked at him for a second like, I have what?
(13:52):
I did have on short sleeve pants.
But yeah, those are those are the safe ones, I would say that I can share.
There's very few of those.
How would you know?
Don't tell my wife.
I won't.
For sale.
What's your go to dad joke?
She also tells a lot of.
I do have a lot of those stored in my database, but I had to figure out
(14:18):
what to work that in the.
That's your feet.
Actually, we just had one tonight.
So we had these fancy like lettuce wrap things and egg salad and bacon.
And it was super healthy and a lot of protein.
Eat bacon.
Yeah.
Yeah, turkey bacon.
And somebody, I forget who said it, but somebody said, would you like a wrap?
(14:41):
Or would you like a?
Would you like to wrap is what I thought I heard.
And I said, well, I can't do that.
I can't put words together in that way.
And I got the craziest look and it's like, no.
Silly.
You silly goose is really what was said.
You can't.
That's not what I meant.
(15:02):
It's like I meant bread.
You could have a bread wrap and I was like, well, I've never seen bread wrap.
So.
Like we get oldie and moldy.
Oh, I can wrap.
I just made a rhyme.
Are there any other ones you want to add on to the next question?
Hey, if you could give your younger dad self one piece of advice, what would it be?
(15:29):
Oh, yeah.
Well, it would be difficult because younger me thought people like me were old and didn't know anything.
And while I am old and I still think I know a lot.
I don't know nearly as much as I did when I was 20.
That's for sure.
And really it would just be trying to get through and talk about those three things that patients collaborating and understanding.
(15:52):
I would probably be a lot further ahead in life if I had just done things like that.
Certainly could have learned a lot from other folks, but you know, hindsight being 2020.
Okay, what's your favorite dad hack that every parent should know?
So there's there's three things that you're always going to carry with you as a dad forever, forever, forever.
(16:17):
And it's wet wipes, lice all wipes or money.
So there are different stages in a kid's life where all three of those things are going to be applicable sometimes at the same time.
Sometimes not at the same time when they're infants, toddlers, probably wet wipes.
Not having those is scary, especially when you have to change a diaper.
(16:42):
When they're, you know, in that adolescent stage, I guess it was infant toddler for the first one, adolescent for the next stage.
You're going to want wet wipes or I'm sorry, lice all wipes because they're going to wipe their nose on their hand and then touch every single thing.
Imagine I mean, it's going to happen.
You're going to wipe off doorknobs more than you've ever done it your entire life.
(17:06):
And then the money part is when they become teenagers because really that's all they're ever going to ask you for is money and more money and then money again.
And then you can just chase them around with lice all wipes because they hate being clean.
So that's a teenager for you.
Okay, if dad activated how to slogan, what would it be?
(17:27):
Well, it would be leading with love and laughing through chaos because in reality, being a dad, you know, you can't, you can't just fly off the handle at every little thing.
You have to do everything that you're doing with love and understanding and patience and collaboration.
(17:48):
It's weird. It's like it's common theme.
But then also being comfortable laughing at the incredible amount of ridiculousness that you're going to be surrounded by on a daily, daily basis.
They're cute and cuddly right now, but it gets interesting and we have a lot of interesting.
Yes, we have a lot of kids too.
Yes.
(18:09):
We should have stopped at one.
Well, we didn't meet until later in life.
So, okay.
We have five.
Yes.
Okay. So for segment five, what is the next thing for dad not activated any exciting plans?
Really, it's just to continue expanding the podcast, trying to get in more into public speaking and all of that.
(18:39):
Also working on, we tested out some things like clothing. This is cool. Look at that.
I have somebody make that.
I like it.
It's super comfy.
So yeah, really just experimenting right now, finding out what works, what doesn't work, what resonates with other people because really we just want to talk about it.
Hey, where can people find and support your podcast?
(19:03):
All over the place.
If you watch the YouTube, YouTube, YouTube, the YouTube, the tiktok, showing our age.
If you watch the YouTube or the tiktok, I'm on both of those.
I also have the LinkedIn.
That's more like my professional stuff.
(19:24):
What else?
Oh, Apple podcast, Spotify.
Most of the podcasting, everything.
Dad mode activated is what it's under.
Should be super easy to find.
The logo looks really, you know, just looks like something.
(19:45):
Okay, next question.
How can listeners connect with you online?
Well, just like we said, you could go to the podcasting stuff.
Go to what, tiktok, social media.
Excuse me, super sick.
If you stumble across dad mode activated, really you can reach out to me on any of those platforms, comments, any of those things.
(20:07):
I'll respond back.
I do on a pretty regular basis.
So I would say those are the best things.
Okay, that's all the questions I have for you tonight.
Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?
Yes.
Thank goodness I had a super hot co-host.
But thank you for watching.
I do want to make sure everyone knows and I'll add a link down at the bottom of the video, maybe in the comments.
(20:32):
I don't know how to do that yet, but we're going to find out.
She also does her own social media stuff.
What's a few more mini farm all over the place, mainly Instagram and tiktok.
I have more followers, but she's on those platforms and you can find her there.
It's actually quite funny.
Facebook as well.
(20:53):
I forget, I don't have the Facebook, but you should check that stuff out.
You know, we're really trying to get bigger into this kind of space and she does a lot of cool stuff there.
So goats, chickens, dogs, animals in general.
Do you want to talk about it?
Yeah, we've got a lot of fun things coming up this spring.
We have some new animals that will be joining our farm.
(21:15):
Right now, we just, like he said, we have some goats, some very funny goats, actually,
some baby goats.
We've got some new baby goats that will be joining our farm.
We're hatching out lots of baby chickens and breed silkies.
So we'll be hatching out those here in the next month or two.
(21:36):
Lots of pretty eggs, lots of fun chaos just kind of adds to the chaos.
All right, awesome.
So I guess that I'll share that down in the comments or however that works.
I just want to make sure that everybody see the shirt.
Yes, dear.
They also like that.
The strings are in the way.
(21:58):
That's better.
Thanks for watching, everybody.
We'll see you next time.
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