Happy Friday, guys.
We’ve had the Winter Olympics on all week over here. Nothing like watching the speed, and sheer grit of those athletes with your kids on the couch asking a million questions.
Long weekend ahead. Use it well.
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.
"To enjoy life, the adventurous state of mind must be grasped and maintained. The essential feature of adventure is that it is a going forward into unknown territory."
Agnes Martin
THE DIGEST
Most Clicked: Handmade Hat Rack by StokeCraft
Wisdom of the Week: You don’t really get to believe in your kids if you don’t believe in yourself. If you’re constantly doubting your own decisions, talking yourself down, or acting like you’re just trying to survive the day, they feel that too.
Product of the Week: Ebbets Field 1960 USA Wool Ballcap
📕 Read: Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
🎧 Listen: Escape the Happiness Trap
📺 Watch: 25 Min Full Body Dumbbell Workout at Home
🍔 Eat/Drink: Viral Breakfast Sandwich
🩳 Wear: Dry Wax Trucker Jacket
IN THE TRENCHES
Topic: The Nap Drop War
A dad asked for hope. Naps are fading. Bedtime has turned into a battle. Door open requests. Waterworks. 2am visits. And the brutal choice between holding the line or just getting some sleep.
A few things that kept coming up:
You’re not alone. Multiple dads said 4 to 4.5 can be a rough sleep stretch.
Sticker charts and incentives sometimes work… sometimes don’t. Even the “systems” hit 30 percent on a good week.
Consistency matters. Same routine. Same consequences. Don’t negotiate after lights out.
Expect pushback. Build margin into your nights for a couple weeks instead of planning anything important after bedtime.
Some dads lean into small connection moments before bed. Gratitude. Talking it out. Even prayer.
And the most repeated line: this too shall pass.
No magic fix. Just reps. Patience. And remembering to protect your own sanity in the process.
GARAGE
Send us what you’re working on…
A dad shared this garage setup online and we couldn’t not feature it. Looking clean and organized. Thanks for sharing.
We want to see your house projects. Send ‘em our way! Just reply to this email.
WEEKEND BURNER
Build the engine. We love heavy weights. But if you gas out chasing your kid through the yard… we’ve got work to do.
Channel your inner cross-country skier. Long. Steady. Relentless.
The Workout (45 mins):
10 min easy jog or row
20–30 min steady cardio (run, bike, row, incline walk)
→ Every 5 mins: 15 squats + 10 push-ups5 x 30 sec hard effort, 90 sec easy
BUILT FOR MORE
We write every week about being a better dad. Now we’re putting some skin in the game.
April 30–May 2, we’re hosting a 2.5-day, in-person Dad Day event in Charleston.
Think: the newsletter… but you can actually shake hands.
Workouts. Sauna. Good food. Real conversations. A room full of dads who either set the bar high…or know they’ve been playing a little smaller than they want to.
No name tags. No corporate vibes. Just growth without the weird self-help energy.
Here’s a little bit about one of our speakers, Ben Towill.
Two Michelin-star kitchens in the UK. Built restaurants in New York. Moved to Charleston and built some of the best spots in town.
Impressive.
But here’s the real headline:
He rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. Forty-plus days. Open ocean. No shortcuts. They made a documentary about it. It just picked up an award at Sundance. Check the trailer here.
Most of us complain about bad WiFi on a flight. This guy rowed an ocean.
Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean
And he’s a dad.
He’s coming to talk about chasing hard things, building meaningful work, raising kids, and not losing yourself in the process.
Learn more about the event and snag your ticket here (while early bird pricing is in play).
dad shower thoughts: You can tell how old your kids are by what’s permanently stuck to your car seats.