Wrote most of this with a newborn in one arm and Team USA bringing home gold in the background.

What a game. Hellebuyck…legend status. Absolute brick wall.

Not a bad way to kick off the week. Hope yours is off to a strong start.

Let’s get into it.

Last week we talked about pressure.

This weekend? It owned me.

Boys at each other’s throats. Newborn screaming. Took the kids to the wrong basketball practice location. Everyone tired. Me especially.

Heck, I’m still tired. Saturday got me. Sunday was better.

There’s no big revelation here. No clean lesson. Most of what we write ends up happening in real time anyway. Text threads between dads. Quick run-ins at the playground. “You good?” “Yeah… kinda.”

That’s the thing. Sometimes it just sucks. And that’s not a failure. It’s just part of it.

Vinnie Paolizzi is a Nashville-based singer songwriter and dad to a two-year-old who has completely reshaped how he sees time, chaos, and himself.

The hardest part of parenting for Vinnie has been learning to enjoy the mess instead of fighting it. Fourth outfit of the day. Drawing on the walls. Begging to go back outside in the rain five minutes after coming in. Instead of trying to control it, he’s learning to love it.

The most rewarding part has been watching both her and his own capacity expand in real time. He can handle more than he ever thought possible. Her first “thank you daddy” crushed him.

He used to think he would parent from fear of doing the wrong thing. Instead, he’s found that instincts show up when they’re supposed to. The intention to do what’s best for his daughter keeps him steady.

He’s training for the Chicago Marathon, grilling most nights, sending emails to his daughter’s future inbox, and trying to stay off his phone when it matters most.

Follow him at @vinniepaolizzi.

I’m not a cologne guy. But lately...squeezing quick workouts in with a newborn, bouncing between home and the office, I don’t want to smell.

So this has been my go-to.

Duke Cannon’s Proper Cologne. Clean. Subtle. Grown-up. The kind of scent people notice once you’re already talking to them, not when you walk into the room.

I keep it by the sink. One spray. Done. No mall kiosks. No overthinking it. Feels like something you’d normally pay more for.

Costs way less than you’d expect + my wife likes it. Get 20% off with code: DADDAY

Get it here

12 Years…

That’s the average gap between how long Americans live… and how long they live well.

We lead the world in years spent dealing with disease, bad joints, mental health struggles, and booze-related issues.

The counterpunch?

Train for healthspan, not just lifespan.

Credit: Arnold’s Pump Club