Hey guys. Summer weeks move fast. Too fast.

Today we’re taking a slight detour from our usual Friday format. You’ll see why below. We’re fired up about this one.

Have an awesome weekend. Get outside with the kids. Dare we say it: live, laugh, love.

Lol.

Let’s get into it.

PS: If you’re new here, we mix it up on Fridays with a quick recap from the week and a few extra gems to head into the weekend right.

If you've been following along, you may have caught one or two episodes of our Go West series on YouTube.

The idea was simple: tell stories about dads carving their own path, going against the grain, and taking the harder road.

For episode 3, we actually went west.

We connected with Tom and Michael a few months back and knew immediately we had to tell their story.

Best friends from college. Decided early they weren't built for the conventional path. After a couple of failed swings and only a few hundred bucks left in their business account, they threw a Hail Mary.

We'll let the film do the rest of the talking.

What really stuck with us beyond the business story is how intentional they are about getting their kids outside and off screens. In a world where we're on track to spend 16 years of our lives on our phones, these two are doing something about it.

Give it a watch this weekend. A lot goes into these, and we're always pumped to share them.

→ Watch Go West Ep. 3 here

Topic: Summer Vacation

We asked dads where things stand with summer vacation plans.

The results were pretty clear: nearly two-thirds already have something on the calendar.

But one thing stood out in the responses. For a lot of dads, the question isn't where are you going?

It's can we make it happen at all?

Several dads shared that between work, young kids, rising costs, and busy seasons of life, a big family vacation just isn't in the cards this year. Many are skipping travel entirely while raising toddlers and newborns, choosing instead to save for a bigger trip down the road.

And honestly, there's something refreshing about that perspective.

A successful summer doesn't require flights, resorts, or a packed itinerary. Sometimes it's a few long weekends, a backyard project, a day at the lake, or simply being together with nowhere else to be.

“6 hours, a bunch of Dead & Co., and a sunburn, and we're ready to go.” - Thanks for sharing, Brian!

We want to see your projects. Send ‘em our way! Just reply to this email.

For Time:

🧠 Worth Knowing: Researchers found that people tend to underestimate how much others enjoy talking to them after a conversation. In other words, that text, call, or coffee catch-up is probably more appreciated than you think.

🍻 Weekend Assignment: Put something on the calendar you're genuinely looking forward to.

🎧 On Repeat: Some fresh jams dropped in our Dad Day Playlist. → Listen