Fatherhood has a way of stripping away the illusion of control. Peter Nelson II learned that quickly.
Peter lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife and their three kids, ages four, two, and a newborn just weeks old. He’s the founder of SISU, a wellness brand rooted in heat, resilience, and ritual, and Hell on Hogsback, an endurance race that pushes people toward their physical and mental edge.
Those same themes show up at home.
Letting Go of Control
The hardest part of parenting for Peter hasn’t been the lack of sleep or the packed schedule.
It’s accepting that no matter how much you plan or prepare, you’re not fully in control.
Instead of fighting that reality, Peter and his wife choose to focus on balance and inclusion. Their kids see their faith practices. They see focused family time. They see the work of building a business. They see the discomfort that comes with training for races and adventures.
Nothing is hidden. Life is lived out loud.
Why the Small Moments Matter
The most rewarding part of fatherhood has been watching how inquisitive his kids are and how much they remember. The smallest actions stick. A tone of voice. A habit. A response in a stressful moment.
Those observations force Peter to double down on what he and his wife feel called to do each day. It’s deeply rewarding and a little bittersweet. A reminder that time is passing whether you’re ready or not.
Learning Fatherhood in the Trenches
One thing Peter wishes he knew earlier is that there’s no manual for being a great dad. You learn it in real time. In the trenches.
That means trusting your gut. Knowing when to lead and when to support. Understanding your role as a husband as much as a father. And remembering that while the days feel long, the years move fast.
The advice that’s guided him most is built around what he calls the three P’s. A dad is called to be a Provider, a Protector, and a Priest. Providing fulfillment for each family member. Protecting a home that feels safe and open. And keeping faith at the center so everyone can lean into God’s calling for their lives.
A Day Built on Intention
Life looks different with a newborn in the house, but when they’re outside that window, Peter and his wife start early. Around 4:45am, coffee and workouts come first. He jumps into the SISU sauna, then wakes the kids around 6:30.
Mornings are for pancakes, lunches, hugs, and school drop-offs. Work runs from mid-morning through early afternoon, followed by a daily run. Late afternoons are for pickups and evenings with the family.
A few rhythms anchor the week. Twice-weekly no-phone evenings. Monthly one-on-one dates with each kid. Regular date nights with his wife. None of it is perfect, but the intention is clear.
Keeping Priorities in Order
When work, life, and family all collide, Peter filters everything through a simple hierarchy. Faith first. Family second. Fitness third. Work last.
If something pulls him away from family time, the answer is usually no.
When things feel overwhelming, it’s often a sign that the order slipped. Re-centering on movement, training, and time alone helps him reset. His grounding tools are consistent. Running. Sauna. Physical strain that clears mental noise.
Non-Negotiables That Last
Peter’s non-negotiables are rooted in presence. When his kids are talking, the phone stays down. Eye contact matters. Listening matters. And when they ask him to wrestle, he always says yes. Every time. Because you never know when the last time will come.
When he’s flying solo, Peter leans into travel, long races, lifting heavy, good food, and a cold beer. Simple pleasures that fuel the bigger work.
Peter’s approach to fatherhood mirrors how he lives everywhere else. Lead with intention. Embrace discomfort. Stay present. And don’t miss the moments that matter most.
You can follow Peter at @peternelsonii, @sisu_sauna, or visit sisulifestyle.com.
Parenting has seasons. Some feel light. Others feel heavy. Brooks Reitz understands both.
Brooks lives in Charleston, South Carolina, where he owns and operates multiple businesses across food, clothing, CPG, and writing. He’s also a husband and a dad to two kids, one six years old and one seventeen, which means he’s parenting in two very different worlds at the same time.
When Childhood Changes
When asked about the hardest part of parenting, Brooks doesn’t point to logistics or schedules. He points to something quieter.
Watching his children lose pieces of their innocence. It shows up when they realize some people suffer for no reason. When teasing happens at school. When the protective varnish of childhood starts to wear thin.
Brooks knows childhood is short, and seeing those shifts reminds him how fleeting it really is.
Leading by Example
The most rewarding part of parenting, for Brooks, is also layered.
He values being an example. Teaching humility, kindness, and manners. Not just saying those things matter, but living them in front of his kids and watching those lessons take root.
That kind of influence isn’t loud. It’s built slowly, over time.
What He Wishes He Knew
One thing Brooks wishes he’d understood sooner is something many parents learn the hard way. Teenagers don’t want to talk to you. Not because you did something wrong, but because they need space to form their own identity.
Letting go, without disengaging, becomes the work.
Advice That Stuck
Brooks became a father at a young age, and not under easy circumstances. During a difficult season, his mom gave him advice that’s stayed with him ever since.
“You’re only one workout away from a good mood.”
It wasn’t parenting advice on the surface, but it became foundational. Taking care of your body matters. Movement creates margin. Many parents would benefit from remembering that.
A Day Built on Rhythm
Brooks’ days run on routine, and that’s by design.
He’s up at 6am for coffee and reading while his wife meditates. Their six-year-old joins them downstairs around 6:45 for snuggles and breakfast. After school drop-off, Brooks heads to the gym, then back home to work.
He runs multiple businesses, mostly from home, working in focused blocks until lunch, which he prepares and eats with his wife. Afternoons bring more work, meetings, or writing. When his wife handles school pickup, Brooks uses that time to reset. A bike ride, a sauna, or a walk.
By late afternoon, the day slows. Family time. Dinner at 5:30. A walk around the block. Bedtime routines. Reading or a show. Lights out by 9.
It’s a schedule that works, and Brooks protects it.
Staying Grounded When Things Get Heavy
Balancing work, life, and family isn’t always smooth. Some seasons feel manageable. Others feel overwhelming. Brooks keeps his footing by returning to what gives him ballast.
Regular exercise. Time outdoors. Home-cooked food, heavy on vegetables and quality protein. Good sleep. Plenty of water. No alcohol. Sunshine and fresh air.
Nothing lasts forever, he reminds himself. Not the easy seasons. Not the hard ones.
Non-Negotiables That Matter
One rule stands firm in the Reitz household. Breakfast and dinner happen at the dining room table, together. No eating separately. No screens. No counter meals.
Those daily touchpoints matter more than they seem. When Brooks gets time alone, he keeps it simple. Long walks and hikes. Museum visits. Reading. Listening to music. Quiet pursuits that refill the tank.
Brooks’ approach to fatherhood isn’t flashy. It’s intentional, rhythmic, and grounded. A reminder that consistency, presence, and shared meals can quietly shape a beautiful life.
You can follow Brooks at @brooksreitz or read his newsletter A Small & Simple Thing on Substack.
Parenting requires both conviction and flexibility. Nick Sabio is learning how to live in that tension every day.
Nick lives in Laguna Hills with his wife and their three kids, ages eight, five, and three. He serves as an associate pastor, a role that shapes not just how he leads others, but how he approaches fatherhood at home.
Same Values, Different Kids
The hardest part of parenting, Nick says, is learning how to parent each child differently while holding onto the same core values.
What works for one doesn’t always work for another. Personalities differ. Needs change. The challenge is finding the balance between extending grace and calling kids toward growth they can’t yet see in themselves.
That balance is ongoing. And humbling.
Why Connection Matters Most
The most rewarding moments of fatherhood aren’t the big wins. They’re the invitations.
When his kids ask him to play. When they come to him for help. When they say “I love you” without being prompted. Nick also sees the fruit of connection when his kids show kindness and hospitality to friends at church or neighbors in their community.
Those moments are quiet confirmations that love is landing.
What Kids Multiply
One thing Nick wishes he knew earlier is how much kids multiply whatever you give them. Love and affection tend to come back as joy and trust. Constant criticism and judgment tend to create distance and insecurity.
That realization changed how he parents. Less pressure. More presence.
The advice that stuck most reinforces that approach: the best thing you can do for your kids is love their mother well. For Nick, that’s not just good marriage advice. It’s foundational parenting wisdom.
A Typical Day at Home
Nick’s days start with a workout, then time with the kids while his wife makes breakfast. After work, evenings are built around presence. Walks together. Playing outside. Dinner. A few rounds of Uno. Then bedtime.
It’s not flashy. It’s consistent.
When work, life, and family collide, Nick is quick to credit his wife. She’s the anchor of the household. She manages the calendar, homeschools the kids, runs the home, and supports him. After nearly ten years of marriage, they’ve learned to function as a team, especially in busy seasons.
A Rhythm That Grounds Them
One of the most life-giving practices in the Sabio household is their weekly 24-hour Sabbath. Phones off. No distractions. Time together.
They eat meals as a family, play outside at the beach, explore off-road trails, and practice intentional joy. That rhythm has become a reset not just for Nick, but for the entire family.
A Non-Negotiable Tradition
For more than six years, Thursday nights have been sacred. Every week, without exception, it’s Slumber Party Night.
The kids and Nick set up a massive bed that takes over the living room floor. Movies play. Games come out. Snacks disappear. They stay up as late as they can. It’s loud, messy, and easily the most fun tradition their family has.
Time Alone
When Nick gets time to himself, he keeps it simple. Surfing. Working on his truck. Organizing the garage. Quiet, hands-on work that clears his head.
Nick’s story is a reminder that great fatherhood isn’t about perfection. It’s about love that multiplies, rhythms that restore, and showing up again and again.
You can follow Nick at @sicknabio or @lazarusoverlandfam.
Raising kids while building something of your own is a constant balancing act. Charlie Lima knows that tension well.
Charlie lives in College Station, Texas, where he owns and operates a gym while raising four kids. Three boys, ages six, eight, and ten, and a thirteen-year-old daughter. Different stages. Different needs. All happening at once.
Holding the Line While Adapting
The hardest part of parenting, Charlie says, isn’t effort. It’s discernment.
He’s constantly navigating the space between how he was raised and how his kids need to be raised in a completely different time. The goal isn’t to copy and paste his childhood. It’s to carry forward the big themes and values, then shape them around the world his kids are growing up in.
That tension is ongoing. And intentional.
Why the Small Moments Matter
The most rewarding part of fatherhood for Charlie is the way his kids love. Purely. Loyally. Fully.
That loyalty makes even the smallest interactions meaningful. A hug. A quick conversation. A shared laugh. Those moments add up, even when the days feel long.
Becoming a dad also revealed something unexpected. How much patience parenting actually requires and how quickly kids expose perfectionism. With four kids, control disappears fast. Charlie admits he’s still working on both, but those lessons have made him a better father and a better person.
Showing Up for the Big Stuff
One piece of advice that stuck with Charlie came from a 2013 EntreLeadership Master Series. Dave Ramsey spoke on a panel with his daughter about work and family balance. When asked if her dad worked too much, she said yes, but added that he was always there for the big stuff.
That line stuck.
It stuck because Charlie’s own dad lived the same way. Self-employed. Building a business. Still coaching teams. Still showing up when it mattered. That example shaped how Charlie approaches fatherhood today.
You can’t be everywhere. But you can be present for what counts.
A Day in the Lima Household
Charlie’s days start early. His favorite part of the morning is when the kids wake up and find him at the table. Wrapped in blankets. Half asleep. Full hugs.
Before heading out, he kisses his daughter on the cheek while she’s still sleeping. Then the day begins.
If he’s home before dark, he’s in the front yard playing football with the boys. Evenings mean dinner together, baths, and bedtime. Charlie and his wife tuck the kids in together every night and pray with them before sleep.
It’s a rhythm. One built on consistency.
Navigating Busy Seasons
Owning a business pulls you in multiple directions, and Charlie doesn’t pretend otherwise. The biggest blessing, he says, is how he and his wife, Alicia, complement each other.
When the gym needs more from him, she carries more at home. When things are lighter, he steps back in. Communication is key, especially during heavier seasons when missing things at home hurts the most. They navigate it together.
Resetting and Staying Grounded
About a year and a half ago, Charlie found a reset that stuck. Sauna and cold plunge sessions at Sweatscape. It’s become a grounding ritual. Every time he leaves, he feels renewed.
Physically and mentally.
Non-Negotiables
Charlie’s non-negotiables are clear and deeply rooted. Hugs and kisses. Saying “I love you” often. Tucking the kids in every night. Praying together. Being present. Providing.
When he gets time alone, it usually involves movement. CrossFit. Running. Ironman training. Sauna and cold plunge.
Charlie’s story is a reminder that fatherhood isn’t about perfection or control. It’s about presence, patience, and showing up for the moments your kids will remember.
You can follow him at @trainwithcharlie.
Raising kids in a major city has a rhythm of its own. Faster pace. Tighter schedules. More noise. Billy Parks knows that rhythm well.
Billy lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their two boys, ages twelve and fourteen. By day, he works as an investment professional. By night and weekend, he’s deep in the work of raising teenage boys in a world that’s always online.
Parenting in the Age of Screens
Ask Billy what the hardest part of parenting is right now and he doesn’t hesitate. Technology.
Managing screens without turning into a full-blown psychopath is a daily challenge. There’s no clear roadmap, no perfect system, and definitely no magic hack.
Billy’s goal isn’t control for control’s sake. It’s raising kids who know how to engage with the world without being consumed by it.
He doesn’t want to raise screenagers. He wants to raise capable humans. Billy has written openly about navigating tech and teens, including a thoughtful piece on giving his son an iPhone (a loaded gun). You can read it here.
Watching Independence Take Shape
The most rewarding part of fatherhood, especially at this stage, is autonomy. Billy lights up when he talks about seeing his boys run their own program. Getting themselves where they need to be. Handling responsibilities without constant reminders.
Those moments signal something deeper. Trust. Confidence. Growth.
They’re proof that the slow, often invisible work of parenting is doing its job.
The Crew Matters
One thing Billy wishes he’d known sooner is how critical community is. Finding like-minded dads to walk the journey alongside you isn’t optional. It’s essential.
Advice is helpful. Books are useful. But nothing replaces a crew of parents in the same season, dealing with the same chaos, and finding ways to make it work together.
In Billy’s world, the village is real. And when things get hectic, the squad shows up.
via @billyfilm IG
A Typical Day, LA Style
A normal day looks like two working parents and two busy kids operating in urban sync. Mornings start with breakfast before the boys take the train to school. They’re even working toward a couple days a week where the kids fully own breakfast themselves.
Afternoons and evenings are filled with practices, games, and quick dinners. Sometimes that means cheap-and-cheerful neighborhood spots. Sometimes it’s eating at home. It’s nonstop movement. Pickups. Drop-offs. Hangs.
Weekends slow down in a different way. Less structure. More dirt. More outdoors.
Keeping Perspective When It Gets Messy
When work, life, and family all hit at once, Billy admits it doesn’t always run smoothly. Sometimes it clicks. Often it doesn’t.
The key is perspective. Progress over perfection. Keep moving forward, course-correct when needed, and don’t beat yourself up for missing a step.
When he needs to reset, Billy heads outside. Away from tech. Into the dirt. Whether it’s fishing, riding motorcycles, or just being in nature, the outdoors recalibrates everything.
Non-Negotiables and What Matters Most
Billy’s one hard line in dad life is simple. Don’t mess with mom. She’s the heart and soul of their home, and everything flows better when that’s respected.
When he gets time alone, he gravitates toward the same things he loves doing with his kids. Fly fishing. Sea fishing. Motorcycle rides. Movies. Dirt under his boots.
Billy’s story is a reminder that modern fatherhood doesn’t require perfection. It requires intention, community, and a willingness to keep learning as the kids grow.
You can follow him at @billyfilm.
Some businesses grow fast. Others grow deep.
Dave Allee started Almond Surfboards 17 years ago in his hometown of Costa Mesa, California. What began as a custom surfboard operation turned into a respected surf brand rooted in craftsmanship, patience, and doing things the right way. Nearly two decades later, Dave still runs the business, while also building a family-run bison jerky company on the side.
He’s also a dad of two, raising a six-year-old and a three-year-old between Costa Mesa, California and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Photo:@scottsnyderphoto
Ambition vs. Presence
For Dave, the hardest part of parenting isn’t a lack of time. It’s managing attention.
As an entrepreneur, his ambitions run deep. As a dad, so does his desire to be present and intentional at home. Those two don’t always coexist peacefully.
His kids don’t love seeing a laptop open, and they’re quick to call it out. The solution is simple but not always easy. When it’s work time, Dave physically removes himself so that when he’s with the kids, he’s actually with them.
The tradeoff is worth it. He gets a lot of time with his family. Midweek pancakes are a thing. Breakfast matters.
The Power of Small Moments
The most rewarding part of fatherhood, Dave says, is all the little moments. The stuff you don’t plan for.
Letting the kids help with projects. Bringing them into the kitchen. Getting them outside and giving them a wide range of experiences to draw from later in life. While answering this very interview, Dave got pulled away to build Hot Wheels tracks with his three-year-old son. That’s kind of the point.
Becoming a dad also gave him a deeper understanding of love. He didn’t fully grasp how much his own parents loved him until he had kids of his own. Fatherhood became a constant reminder of grace, patience, and God’s love.
Lessons Learned Along the Way
Nothing, Dave says, can truly prepare you for becoming a dad. No book. No advice. No mental framework.
If he could change one thing, it wouldn’t be how he parents. It would be how he lived before kids. He opened a retail store at 22, which meant weekends were mostly spoken for throughout his adult life. He wishes he and his wife had traveled more early in their marriage. Not out of regret, but perspective.
The advice that stuck most came from John Eldredge: It’s the little things that build a beautiful life. Dave sees that play out daily.
A Day in the Allee Household
Dave’s days start early. His alarm goes off at 5:05 a.m., six days a week. He loves the quiet hours before the house wakes up. That’s when deep work happens. Or a workout. Or reading. Ideally all three.
That early start allows him to pause, make breakfast for his family, and then get back to work once the kids head to school. If he sleeps in, the whole day feels off. The balance comes from going to bed early. Around 9:30.
When work, life, and family collide, Dave tries to be fully where he is. One hundred percent at work when working. One hundred percent present when with the kids. The in-between, he says, is a dead zone and best avoided.
Staying Grounded
When things get busy, Dave resets through simple rhythms. Reading at night. Writing in the morning. Moving his body whenever possible.
His non-negotiable in dad life is breakfast. Burritos. Pancakes. Bacon. Anything goes, as long as he’s making it.
When he gets time alone, it looks like solo surf sessions, scouting for elk, whiskey neat, and old jazz. Quiet, focused, and intentional. Much like the way he’s built his businesses and his family.
You can follow Dave at @almondsurfboards and @rangerbison.
If you’ve ever tried to build a home gym, chances are Cooper Mitchell helped you do it, whether you realized it or not.
Coop is the founder of Garage Gym Reviews, one of the most trusted platforms in the fitness world for reviews, guides, and education around home gym equipment. What started as a niche interest grew into a massive resource for everyday lifters who want to train seriously without stepping foot in a commercial gym.
But behind the racks, barbells, and YouTube videos, Coop is also a dad of six.
Yes, six.
His kids range from eight years old to one-year-old twins, and life in the Mitchell household moves fast. When asked about the hardest part of parenting, Coop doesn’t sugarcoat it.
It’s navigating fatherhood alongside all the other responsibilities he has and still wants to keep having. Work matters. Health matters. Faith matters. But so does knowing when to put each in its proper place.
Building a Life Around Priorities
Coop’s days start early. Around 5 a.m., he’s up reading the Bible and praying before heading into his garage gym for a solid training session. From there, it’s coffee with the kids, work, homeschooling breaks, and afternoons filled with play, Legos, throwing balls, and being outside.
Evenings slow down intentionally. Dinner together. Sharing stories from the day. Family worship that includes reading scripture, catechism, singing hymns, and prayer. Then books, board games, and bedtime.
It’s structured, but not rigid. Purposeful, but lived-in.
When everything hits at once, Coop leans on a principle that guides his decisions. Knowing the difference between urgency and importance. Everything feels urgent, but only some things truly matter. His goal is to give his best energy to what’s important, even when the urgent is loud.
The Weight of Time
Before becoming a dad, Coop suspected time moved quickly. Fatherhood confirmed it. The days are long, but the years are short. That awareness shapes how he and his wife process life together. At the end of long days, they sit in bed and trade stories about the kids. Moments they don’t want to forget. A way of slowing time down by remembering it.
The advice that stuck with him most is one he thinks about often. Be the person you want your children to grow into. Not just someone who teaches values, but someone who lives them.
Staying Grounded
When life gets heavy, Coop resets through prayer, time in God’s Word, and lifting heavy. His non-negotiable for dad life is surprisingly simple. Smile. Exude joy. Be the blessing man.
And when he gets time alone, he keeps it classic. Fine cigars and good books.
Coop’s story is a reminder that strength isn’t just built under a barbell. It’s built in routines, priorities, and showing up consistently for the people who matter most.
You can follow Cooper at @homegymcoop, and find Garage Gym Reviews on YouTube.
There’s a certain honesty you only get from musicians who’ve lived a few lives. Tony Kamel fits squarely in that camp.
Tony writes and performs songs for a living. Some people even listen. He’s toured, recorded, chased the dream, and done the unglamorous work that keeps the lights on. Now, he’s also a dad navigating a very different kind of stage.
Tony lives in the Austin, Texas area with his wife and their four-year-old daughter. Their second child is arriving this February. When asked what the hardest part of parenting has been, he doesn’t romanticize it.
Everything is hard. Once you accept that hard is the baseline, it oddly gets easier. That mindset shift matters, especially in the early years. Sleep deprivation, he admits, is a real personality test.
Finding Meaning in the Small Stuff
For Tony, the most rewarding part of fatherhood isn’t the big milestones. It’s the small moments that show up quietly and disappear just as fast.
Right now, he’s his daughter’s favorite person in the world. He knows that season has an expiration date, and instead of fighting it or brushing past it, he’s choosing to enjoy it fully.
That awareness runs through how he approaches both parenting and work.
How Fatherhood Changed His Career
Before becoming a dad, Tony didn’t realize how much parenting would reshape his relationship with touring. It didn’t end his career, but it did change how it feels.
He still tours, just less. Not because he can’t do it, but because he doesn’t love it the same way anymore. There’s more guilt now. More awareness of what he’s missing. In his words, it’s a total blessing, even if it comes with tradeoffs. He also notes, with dry humor, that the middle-class touring world has mostly disappeared anyway.
Fatherhood didn’t shrink his ambition. It refined it.
The Best Advice He Ever Got
The advice that stuck with Tony is short and absolute.
Never go against your wife’s motherly instincts. Ever. Not even a little.
It’s a reminder that partnership matters, and that parenting works best when trust runs both ways.
A Typical Dad Day
Tony describes his days as suburban bliss. Early mornings, coffee and breakfast, school drop-off, yoga if he’s lucky, then work. It’s not flashy. It’s steady.
When work, life, and family all collide, he admits he doesn’t juggle it gracefully. Balls get dropped. Chaos shows up. The key is getting better at picking things back up and riding the wave instead of fighting it. His wife, who he describes as wildly organized, is the anchor. Without her, the operation falls apart.
Yoga and meditation help too, but he’s clear about what really keeps things moving. Teamwork.
Dad Life Non-Negotiables
Tony’s non-negotiable is one every parent recognizes instantly. If his daughter wants a song repeated, he repeats it. Even when it’s annoying.
He remembers what it felt like to be obsessed with a song as a kid. That joy, that sense of wonder, matters more than convenience.
When he gets time alone, his guilty pleasure isn’t glamorous. He paints houses. It’s a survival job. Not very rock-and-roll. Extremely relaxing. Especially the part where he’s not broke.
Playing the Long Game
Tony’s story is a reminder that fatherhood doesn’t end creative ambition. It reframes it. The wins get quieter. The priorities shift. The meaning deepens.
He’s still writing songs. Still performing. Still building a life that works for this season.
You can follow Tony at @tonykamelmusic.
Shaun Murray has been doing backflips off wakes since most of us were still trying to parallel park. Orlando local. Pro wakeboarder. YouTuber. Three-time girl dad.
The guy’s lived the kind of life teenage you would’ve doodled on a Trapper Keeper.
But here’s the twist: behind all the airtime and American Ninja Warrior backyard antics, Murray’s dad game is straight-up grounded. Practical. Thoughtful. And honestly? Pretty dang refreshing.
The Hard Stuff (AKA: Every Parent’s Tightrope)
Ask him the toughest part of parenting and he doesn’t talk about travel or work-life balance or raising teenagers.
He says this:
“Guiding kids toward making the right decisions and them continuing to like me while doing so.”
That’s the whole job, right? Lead them. Shape them. Nudge them. But don’t lose the relationship in the process.
Shaun’s figured out the rare middle lane—firm hand, open heart. And yes, some laughing in between, because that’s the part he calls the most rewarding.
The Best New-Dad Advice You’ve Never Heard
Most dads would say something like “sleep when the baby sleeps.”
Shaun? He hits you with a mic drop:
“Show up empty-handed.”
Literally.
When you get home, don’t carry bags, boxes, backpacks, or your whole day’s stress through the door. Leave it all in the car.
Now your hands are free—for your kids, for your partner, for the little moment you miss when you’re juggling Amazon returns and a laptop.
You can hug, scoop, wrestle, high-five. You can even invite them outside to help you carry stuff in. This is dad presence in its purest form. Zero cost. Massive ROI.
The Wisdom That Stuck
Shaun’s dad wasn’t dropping Instagram quotes before breakfast—but he did give him two gems that Shaun now passes to his girls:
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“You become who your friends are.”
Simple. Brutal. True. And maybe the most important filter a kid can learn early. -
Write down the funny stuff.
Kids are walking stand-up specials, and your brain will absolutely forget 99% of it. Shaun’s dad literally kept a book. Shaun keeps a note on his phone. You should too.
A Day in the Life of a Pro Wakeboard Dad
When he’s home, Shaun’s day looks like the ideal mix of discipline and play:
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Up before 6. Coffee. A few pages of the Bible. Prayer.
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7:00 AM → Wake the kids, help with the morning scramble.
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8:00 AM → Office catch-up.
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Rest of the day:
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Shooting/editing content
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Backyard ninja workouts (yes, he’s competed on the show four times)
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Wakeboarding, foiling, trampoline sessions
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House projects
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Cooking on his new griddle (his words: “love it more than a grill”)
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It’s a buffet of creativity, movement, and dad-ing—exactly the stuff kids remember.
The Good Stuff
Ask Shaun his favorite part of having kids?
“Getting on the boat together. And when they start driving me while wakeboarding—pretty epic.”
That’s a dad dream:
Your kids growing into the life you love, and then literally pulling you into it.
His non-negotiable?
Family trips.
No debating. No rescheduling. Load the car.
When He’s Flying Solo
The dude doesn’t slow down.
He’s either:
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Playing guitar or piano
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Running heavy machinery like an overgrown Tonka-truck fan
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Or even messing with RC equipment like he did on the Sandbox Boys Podcast
If it moves, Shaun’s operating it.
A Few Things Every Dad Can Steal from Shaun
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Show up empty-handed. The simplest “be present” hack we’ve ever heard.
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Laugh with your kids. Not at them. With them. It builds something deep.
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Curate their circle. Because who they run with becomes who they are.
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Capture the moments. The funny stuff disappears if you don’t catch it.
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Keep adventure normal. Your hobbies become their memories.
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Take the trips. Don’t wait for the perfect time. It doesn’t exist.
The Dad Day Close
Shaun Murray proves something big: You can chase wild goals, build a career doing the thing you loved as a kid, run a household, raise three daughters—and still show up at the door with open hands.
Modern fatherhood isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence, momentum, and a little wake spray in the face along the way.
If you want more Murray in your life:
YouTube → @Shaun.Murray
Instagram → @shaunmurray