Firm and kind…
Plus – new section for us today
March 11, 2026 | Read Online
Happy hump day, gents.
This week’s flying by on our end. If you’ve been with us a while, we’re mixing things up with the Wednesday send. New section.
Let’s get into it.
📕 DAD WISDOM
If Yesterday Felt Like a Grind
Nothing groundbreaking today. More of a “we see you” message.
Yesterday was one of those days.
Up at 5am trying to get ahead of emails. Breakfast turned into a marathon. My four-year-old refused to get dressed. Traffic. Kids fighting on the way to school.
By the time I finally got to work, it felt like I was behind before the day even started.
Every time I crossed something off the list, two more things showed up.
I ended up leaving the office late and on the drive home a song by The Sways came on. The line was: “Someday we will dream about today.”
We hear those phrases all the time as dads. Slow down. It goes fast. Enjoy it while you can. Sounds good in theory. Harder to feel when a four-year-old is kicking your ass before 8am.
But sitting in the car last night, with the road quiet and my brain finally slowing down, I realized something.
One day I’m gonna laugh about yesterday. I’ll be in my 50s and I’d probably give anything to have that chaotic morning back.
Nothing new here. Just an acknowledgment. If you had one of those days recently, we see you. We’re right there with ya.
SMALL TALK
We’re trying something new in the Wednesday send. Call it small talk ammo.
A couple random facts you probably don’t need to know… but might come in handy the next time you’re standing around at a kid’s birthday party making awkward conversation with another dad you barely know.
We’ll test it out for a few weeks and see if it sticks.
If nothing else, you’ll leave this newsletter slightly more dangerous at trivia night.
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The most popular baby names in the U.S. right now are Liam and Olivia. Liam has held the #1 spot for eight straight years.
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Kids ask 200–300 questions per day, which works out to roughly one every two minutes they’re awake.
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New parents lose about 44 days of sleep during their baby’s first year.
DAD GEAR
One Of Ours
We try not to do much self-promo here. But we’re pretty fired up about these.
New limited run camo “DAD” hats. Just DAD. Nothing else. Free shipping today with code DADSHIP. Appreciate the support.
🛒 WHAT ELSE WE’RE ADDING TO CART
» Boat Shoes Built to Last
» The Shop Hoodie
» 3-Stage Knife Sharpener
» PICASSO-TILES Magnetic Drawing Board for Kids (save $10 bucks)
DAD BOD
Nicotine’s Weird Wellness Comeback
File this under: things we didn’t see coming.
Nicotine…yes, the same stuff tied to cigarettes for decades is getting a strange little rebrand in wellness circles. Not smoking. Think pouches, patches, and gum.
The pitch from biohacker types:
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better focus
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workout boost
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appetite control
But before y’all start loading up your gym bag with nicotine pouches, most experts aren’t exactly sold. The benefits seem small at best, while the addictive downside is still very real.
What’s driving the trend? Products like snus-style nicotine pouches (popular in Scandinavia) are exploding in the U.S., especially among athletes and productivity nerds.
Hot take: If coffee works, keep drinking coffee. No need to add a new vice to the routine.
COMMUNITY
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Shoutout to our top 3 in the Strava Dad Day Run Club group. Steven Huffine, J. James, and Tom Flaherty. @J. James, hit us up with your address and we’ll send you a Dad Day Run Club Hat. On Strava? Join over 800 dads getting after it!
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Join us this Spring! We’re doing our first in-person experience from April 30-May 2nd. It’s only 2 days. In and out. No excuses. Play like a champion. Learn more here.
JUNK DRAWER
» WATCH: 2 Words To Remember: Firm & Kind (with your kids)
» READ: Good to Great – Jim Collins
» LISTEN: Simplifying Your Life in 2026 – Tim Ferriss Show
DAD HUMOR
