If you know country music, you know Midland. The retro-leaning, tequila-toting, Grammy-nominated trio built their whole brand on style, swagger, and storytelling. And behind the bass, and behind the camera for many of their videos, is today’s RAD Dad: Cam Duddy.
Cam lives in that rare overlap where creative careers, family life, and school schedules all collide. One minute he’s on stage or directing a shoot. The next he’s at the bus stop. It’s a very specific kind of juggling act, and he makes it work without pretending it’s glamorous.
Parenting’s Hardest Part
Staying consistent with the school routine. This is the universal dad battle. The spelling lists, the reading logs, the forms that magically regenerate every week. Even rockstars have to track homework.
Parenting’s Best Part
Watching his kids become their own people. No crafting them into performers, no forcing the family business. Just observing two young humans figure out who they are.
What He Wishes He Knew Before Fatherhood
That it goes fast. The kind of fast where ages 5 and 9 arrive before you figured out where the toddler years went.
Dad Advice That Stuck
Try everything. Give kids as many experiences as possible. Not to manufacture prodigies, but to help them build range, confidence, and curiosity.
A Day in the Duddy Household
- Wake up
- Coffee
- School drop-off
- Work
- Bus stop pickup
- Dinner
- Focus on the kids until they’re down for the night
This is the blueprint. Routine as an anchor, no matter how unpredictable the entertainment world gets.
How He Handles the Pile-Up
He schedules his days. Not in a productivity-guru way. More in a “this is how things don’t fall apart” way.
His Reset Button
Sauna time. Sweat, quiet, heat. A simple ritual for recalibrating when life gets loud.
His Non-Negotiable
Dinner is family time. Everyone present, even if dinner looks like a half-chopped rotisserie chicken and baby carrots.
When He Finally Gets Time Alone
He reads. And he does not want to be interrupted. Every dad deserves a sanctified hobby.
Where to Find Him
Dad Day Takeaway
Cam proves that being a great dad isn’t about slowing life down. It’s about keeping the parts that matter steady, even when the rest of your world is moving at tour speed. Family time, real presence, shared meals, repeat. That is the craft.
Donald Scott is the kind of dad who makes you sit up a little straighter. A world-class triple jumper from Ft. Lauderdale. A coach. A trainer. A guy who built a career on speed, grit, and gravity-defying hops, yet says fatherhood is the real gold medal event.
If you follow track and field, you have watched him fly. If you follow fatherhood, you will want to hear him talk. Scott’s journey is not the polished, perfect dad story. It is the real kind. The kind built on long-distance parenting, purpose, and a six-year-old girl who changed everything.
Below is his story, crafted for our RAD DAD series. We highlight men who build a life worth copying.
The Hardest Part: Loving From a Distance
Donald does not sugarcoat it.
“Parenting from a distance was the hardest part.”
For years, he lived states away from his daughter. Flights, calls, and constant wondering if he was doing this parenting thing right. That question haunts a lot of dads, especially the ones who care the most.
But the second they are together?
“Everything clicks. I enter dad mode.”
Presence over perfection. It is the Dad Day way.
The Reward: Watching Her Grow Up Close Again
After three years away, Donald moved back.
You can feel the relief in his voice. School mornings. Homework. Lunch dates. Practice runs. Bedtime stories. The whole beautiful grind.
“The most rewarding part has been watching her development. Being back is so fulfilling.”
In the end, fatherhood is not about doing everything. It is about being there.
What He Wishes He Knew Before Becoming a Dad
This one hits hard, especially knowing Donald grew up without parents present.
“I wish somebody would have told me the kind of love that comes with a child. It is deeper than anything I can explain.”
He did not have the model. So he became one.
The Best Advice He Ever Got
“Do not be so quick to grow your child up. Allow them to be a child.”
Simple. True. A truth we repeat often: kids need space to be kids. They need patience, not perfection.
A Typical Dad Day for Donald Scott
Nothing fancy. Nothing curated. Just real dad life.
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Breakfast
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Dog out
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School drop-off
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Donald trains like the elite athlete he is
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Pickup
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Lunch
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Homework
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Dog time, play time, or something fun
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Sports practice now that she is getting started
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Dinner
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Shower
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A book
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Bedtime
It is the rhythm of a dad who shows up everywhere that matters.
How He Handles the Juggle
His answer says everything:
“My daughter goes wherever I go.”
-Track practice
-Physical therapy
-Coaching
-Meets
-Work
-Life chaos
She is not an obligation. She is part of the mission.
His Grounding Practice
Donald keeps one simple mantra on repeat.
“Remember your purpose.”
Purpose does not erase stress. Purpose organizes it.
His Non-Negotiable
“When my daughter needs me, whatever it may be, I am there.”
Family first is not an idea for him. It is a lifestyle.
When He Finally Has a Minute to Himself
He decompresses with simple joys.
-DJing
-Bowling
-A bar with good music
-Quiet time alone
A reminder that dads need hobbies too. Recharge equals better fatherhood.
Where to Follow Him
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IG and Twitter: @donaldscott_ll
Rad Dad Takeaway
Donald Scott reminds us that fatherhood is not about flawless execution. It is about fierce love, intentional presence, and rewriting the script you were handed.
He did not grow up with parents. His daughter is growing up with a great one.
Meet Zack Telander — Austin-based musician, new dad, and the kind of guy who’ll rip a guitar solo at night and crush a diaper change at sunrise. You can find him on Instagram (@zack_telander) and hear his music on Spotify (search “Telander” and turn it up).
His take on fatherhood is honest, grounded, and absolutely on-brand for the Rad Dad universe.
The Dad Who Had to Slow Down to Keep Up
Zack has lived most of his adult life in go-mode. Music careers don’t care about “balance.” They’re fast, unpredictable, and built on momentum.
Then Charlie arrived.
The hardest part for him wasn’t the sleepless nights, although those are real. It was learning to slow down, to let the world shrink to the size of a baby’s hand gripping his finger.
Funny thing. The hardest part became the best part.
Every morning he goes on a walk with his wife, daughter, and their dog. No rushing. No forcing. Just a young family moving through the world together. He told us it’s the one thing he’d happily do forever.
That’s the type of dad moment you remember when you’re old.
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Duty Over Balance
A lot of dads talk about “balance.” Zack laughs at that idea.
He told us, “I don’t. It’s my duty to be a good dad and husband first.” No life hacks. No elaborate systems. Just simple duty and excitement to show up for his family. And when things get overwhelming, he returns to the things that reset him: playing guitar, singing, and lifting. The essentials.
He also protects two non-negotiables:
• Alone time
• Real dates with your partner
Quick Hits From Zack
Hardest part of parenting:
Slowing down. And yes, the sleep.
Most rewarding part:
Those morning family walks.
Wish he knew earlier:
Kids bring emotional balance.
Best advice he’s gotten:
“Your kids are watching everything you do. So do right.”
(A perfect Dad Wisdom fit. )
Typical day:
Up around 6:30, diaper, bottle, walk, play, nap. Repeat until bedtime.
Reset button:
Guitar, singing, the gym.
Flying solo hobbies:
Guinness, wings, YouTube. A legendary trio.
Why This Q&A Stuck With Us
Zack is the blueprint for the modern dad. Creative but grounded. Driven but present. Intentional without being precious about it. He is not chasing balance. He is not chasing perfection (we’ve talked about that one. Progress beats perfect every time. ) He is chasing presence.
Dad Day Takeaway
Slow down. Walk with your people. Keep one ritual that reminds you who you are outside of diapers and bottles. Remember your kids are watching. Let them see a life that’s worth following.
Want more of Zack? Follow him on IG (@zack_telander) and stream his music on Spotify. Perfect soundtrack for that early morning stroller walk. 🎧👶🏼