Happy Friday, gents. Hard to believe Thanksgiving’s less than two weeks out. Get out there and make this weekend count.

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. 

THE DIGEST 

• Most Clicked: The 12-Minute (old school) Gut Check Every Dad Should Take

• Best Community Reply: Every day is a new chance to shape the memory of childhood.

• Wisdom of the Week: The faster we go, the less we notice. And the things worth noticing, like our kid’s laugh, our partner’s story, the hobby that used to clear our head, end up living on leftovers. Maybe the point isn’t to move faster. Maybe it’s just to look up before it’s all a blur.

• Product of the Week: The Getaway Bag by No Reception Club

FROM THE TRENCHES

Topic: Wisdom for First-Time Dad

One dad in our Slack dropped a question that got a ton of great responses: “If you could boil it down, what should I focus on before becoming a dad?” The crew showed dropped some knowledge.

The advice ranged from practical to profound:

• Change every diaper. It’s humbling, bonding, and your partner will never forget it.

• Sleep is a skill. You can actually train for it — and a night doula might be the best money you ever spend.

• Keep your head in the game. Communicate, stay patient, and remember: you and your partner are a team.

• Enjoy the chaos. Take pictures, laugh often, and accept that you’ll figure things out as you go.

• And maybe the best line of all: “You’re entering the phase of giving your life away — and it’s the best thing you’ll ever do.”

The general consensus? You’ll never be fully ready, but that’s kind of the point.

Join the conversation on Slack here. 

GARAGE

Send us what you’re working on »

“Not a finished basement, but it works for us with 3 kids destroying the basement instead of the living room!” Casey S.

Thanks for sharing, Casey. So much space for activities!

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

WEEKEND BURNER

Turkey Trot Tuneup:

• Warm-up: 2-minute easy jog

• Main Set:

  • 30 seconds fast

  • 30 seconds slow

  • Repeat 20 times

• Cool Down: 2–3 minutes easy jog/walk

Hit this twice a week and you’ll roll into the neighborhood Turkey Trot looking dangerously competitive.

We’ve been kicking the tires on what community could look like beyond run clubs, and we landed on something simple: Guys Being Dads.

Real-life hangs for dads. Runs, brews, skiing, workouts, park chaos with the kiddos, whatever works where you live.

We’re a scrappy crew and big believers that the best communities are built by the actual community. If you’re a dude who wants to rally a few dads in your city and let it grow from there, we’ll back you up.

Hit reply, and we’ll hop on a quick chat to get something rolling.

Speaking of hangs…our guy Chris is hosting a hike in Phoenix this weekend. If you’re in the area, join him for the Piestawa Peak hike. RSVP here.