Happy new year! In the spirit of renewal, I wanted to give you something to challenge your notions of fatherhood by sharing a talk with someone you probably don't often think to ask "what makes you a father"?

In this talk, I am joined by Dr. Samaad Keys (check out A Sip with Samaad), who along with his husband, are exploring becoming fathers via surrogacy. It's a process I knew nothing about, and it made me ask the question "why are you choosing to become fathers?".   His answers will teach you a lot about what it takes to be a man, a father, and a leader.  

We cover:

• Why they chose to pursue becoming fathers?
• What does fatherhood represents to him?
• Why don't more gay men pursue fatherhood?
• How he and his husband think about teaching their kids about masculinity.
• How fathers can create safety for their kids to communicate (and the dangers of not providing that safety).

Open your mind and give a listen. I am convinced that there is a lot of learning from people who actively choose to be a fathers.

How many of you have end of year performance reviews at your jobs? Do you do the same with your family?

I sat down with my daughter to ask her how I'm doing as a father.  We covered:

• What she thinks a father is supposed to do
• What things I do that make her feel good
• How it feels when I travel and am not around
• How she describes her dad to her friends
• How she envisions me as a grandfather in her life
• How she's adjusting to having a baby brother
• What thing she would like me to do more of in the coming year

I hope this gives you some inspiration to seek feedback from your children. 

See you in the new year!

I did a cross country trip with my 2 kids, and am officially over it.  We have holiday travel & international plans for 2024, but I'm now rethinking all that.  

Do you know how I can travel better?

Listen in and DM me suggestions @brianleeshields on IG!

'tis the season where family drama comes up, and there's no more family structure more likely to create drama than a blended one.  But this father has figured it out.

Listen in as I chat with a Fellow Father on how he manages his kids, her kids, and their kids while dealing with all the drama in between.   It's doable.

I wish you the peace that this man has found in balancing all their lives.

The holidays can bring out the worst in couple dynamics...and everyone gets to bear witness.

I bore witness to a couple who everyone can clearly see are unhealthy for each other and should separate.  But how?  And what about the kids?

I spoke with a good buddy and father who had to go through this process.  We discussed how to navigate the decision, the divorce, and the aftermath consciously.

Tune in.

(my marriage is fine btw lol)

I asked dads what they wish they could tell their wives/partners, but often don't.  Use this as a conversation starter - I know you need it.

'tis the season for gratitude!

The name of this show implies I think that I completely made myself without help. But that's not true. I had to construct my ideals and identity without an example from my dad. I used the media, and now as an adult I realize just how much I learned from the presence and example of some good men in my life.

I take the time to thank them in this episode. You should do the same for the men who shaped you.

Happy holiday!

If you are trying to be the best at getting your kids to work hard and push themselves, this episode is for you...

I have been really critical of my kid lately, and it’s been ineffective. I thought telling her the truth would help her develop her skills. But it’s not, I'm failing her

In this episode, a couple of dads call in and get me right.  I needed help, and other dads answered the call. 

Listen in to see how it went.