Intention is meaningless without action. This year, be the man who steps up to create a DA+3 group. It’s as simple as getting three dads to join you. Extend invitations, build friendships, and keep going when it’s tough. Your family’s future depends on it.

• Isolation is deadly.
• Show me your group, and I’ll show you your family’s future.
• 17 Ideas of Groups to Start.
• 6 Benefits of Being the Dad Who Goes First.
• 4 Steps to Take Initiative.

Jeff Zaugg is a loving husband, intentional dad, and passionate advocate for the fatherless. With experience in nonprofit leadership and pastoring, Jeff founded DadAwesome in 2018 and Fathers for the Fatherless shortly thereafter. Jeff and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 17 years and are parents to four daughters, ages 3 through 10.

• 13:08 - "Why should we step into being the activator, being the spark, being the guy who rallies and gathers other dads? Isolation is deadly. We know this, it's so true. When we're alone, we're vulnerable. Second, dads without friendships will at some point cause deep pain to their kids. The pain of isolation and a dad being a dad that doesn't have friends looking out for them, encouraging them, challenging them to grow. You will pass on pain to your kids."
• 16:51 - "You're going to move into a simple goal, I call it DadAwesome +3, DA+3. This is how easy it is, your goal is just to get three dads, three dads to join you. It might take inviting nine to get three to show up. Guys, it takes invite, invite, invite. DA+3 is a simple goal, but it takes inviting. It takes initiative. If you want to gather guys together, you've got to be the one who goes first. You've got to send the message, you got to decide, and then you've got to go after the simple goal of DA+3. Be a dad who gathers three other dads."

• Apply to join the Summer 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more
• free video series >> FOUR-PART FRAMEWORK FOR FATHERHOOD

• Make a Donation to dadAWESOME
• Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team
• Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Dads were never meant to take on fatherhood alone. In fact, Bryan Byrd argues that isolation is against God's will for your life. Instead, you'll need to connect with others and get hungry for the Holy Spirit. In this episode, Bryan offers encouragement to help you get started.

• Connection is God's will.
• Loneliness is a dangerous toxin.
• Healing happens when you have a safe place to take your grief.
• Get hungry for the Holy Spirit.

Bryan Byrd is a husband and father to two sons from Boise, Idaho. He is passionate about equipping men to do hard things. He co-founded Wild Courage and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees.

• 8:55 - "I can get promoted. I can advance, and I can do it in a way that's humble. I got guys who are going to call me off the shelf, if I'm out of line. If I'm out of God's will, they're going to say, Bryan, are you doing this too much? What's going on? Are you treating your wife right? Are things good at home? There's instant accountability with all the things that are right. If you're not in a fire, a group, I would just ask, how long can you go before burnout? Before failure? I read this other day, loneliness is way more a toxin than fat, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, opioids. Loneliness is more dangerous than opioids. I'd ask the listeners, it's probably way more important than you think. If you're saying, oh, I'll do that sometime. Today matters."
• 25:48 - "When I can look at you and receive you and your pain and hear you, I say you're worthy. When I, as a sharer of my pain, feel that I'm worthy, I have hope. I'm not alone. I'm with people that care. I'm seen. And I can find hope. Jesus, would you come into this pain? Would you take a risk on me? Because these guys just did. There must be hope for me. You go from sharing grief and despair and not having hope and not being seen and being isolated to seen and loved. That can be as simple as a group. It can be simple as silence. It can be as simple as a head nod. It's probably not talking very much. It might be a little validation. It's probably not giving a sermon. It's probably not five points of advice, how to fix your problem. Don't fix. It's probably not being the the alpha in the room telling people how you solve the world's problems. Letting it sit, now a container is you get 3 or 4 guys that can do that well and practice."

• Apply to join the Summer 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more
• Save the Date for the DadAwesome Day Zoom Call: Monday, June 17 at 7pm CT
• Iron Bison Training
• Iron Bison Training Podcast
• WILDSONS Podcast | Receiving the Father's Love and Masculine Initiation with Bryan Byrd
• Foxhole Symphony - Wild Courage: Vulnerability and Victory in the Quest for Authentic Manhood

• Make a Donation to dadAWESOME
• Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team
• Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618

Everyone has a story to tell, and every story matters. In the first half of our conversation, Bryan Byrd describes the role of a troubadour. He emphasizes the value of prioritizing heart-to-heart connections, loving yourself the way God loves you, and being flexible about your approach to fatherhood.

• We’re all troubadours with a story to tell that matters.
• Heart-to-heart connections with your kids are the true sign of parenting success.
• Love yourself enough to do what you say, bet on yourself, and hold yourself accountable.
• Get instant feedback from your kids by asking, “How are you experiencing me?”
• Don’t be afraid to relearn some things.

Bryan Byrd is a husband and father to two sons from Boise, Idaho. He is passionate about equipping men to do hard things. He co-founded Wild Courage and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees.

• 11:55 - "I'm still going to choose heart to heart connection, regardless of my reputation. Regardless of my accomplishment or the image that people think I should have, I'm still getting their back, getting in the ditch if I need to get in the ditch, getting on a platform if I need to get on a platform. Wherever it takes, I'm going to show up and be present and be the father where I need to be. Sometimes I'm going to make mistakes along the way, and I'm going to ask for forgiveness and break some glass. That's success. Course correcting along the way right now."
• 27:00 - "We have sinned and we've been forgiven. He bets on us and He resides in us. There's a two edged coin there that we're the ransom one, so let's get with it. When you bet on yourself, you bet that you're valuable enough that you're going to come through with your word. You're going to do what you say. Bet on yourself, believe that you can do what you want to do, what you're set out for, what you're called from the Lord. Even though all of these people out in the world are going to say there's not enough time. You're too tall, you're too short, you're too fat, you're too skinny, they're going to come up with all kinds of excuses because they want to justify themselves. Bet on yourself is a line with God. Let's pause for a minute. Let that settle on our hearts. What God really says about you."

• Apply to join the Summer 2024 DadAwesome Accelerator Cohort: Email awesome@dadawesome.org to learn more
• Save the Date for the DadAwesome Day Zoom Call: Monday, June 17 at 7pm CT
• Iron Bison Training
• Iron Bison Training Podcast
• WILDSONS Podcast | Receiving the Father's Love and Masculine Initiation with Bryan Byrd
• Foxhole Symphony - Wild Courage: Vulnerability and Victory in the Quest for Authentic Manhood

• Make a Donation to dadAWESOME
• Join the dadAWESOME Prayer Team
• Receive weekly encouragement by texting "dad" to 651-370-8618