Dudes Without Dads Podcast

Joshua Brown

Dudes Without Dads is a podcast for men who grew up without a father—and are determined to become the dad they never had. Hosted by Joshua Brown, this movement is built on real stories, raw conversations, and the belief that your past doesn’t define your legacy. Each episode brings together powerful testimonies, expert insights, and practical wisdom to help you break cycles, heal from wounds, and lead with love. Whether you’re a young dad trying to figure it out, a grown man still wrestling with the silence of your childhood, or someone who feels disqualified—this show is for you. No shame. No sugarcoating. Just hope, healing, and a brotherhood of men becoming better fathers, husbands, and sons. 🔁 New episodes every week — including roundtable talks, guest interviews, and spiritual insights. 📍 Part of the As You Go Network — a movement to make disciples where we live, work, and play.

  1. May 21

    The Father Wound, The Blessing & What the Bible Says a Man Is | Robert Lewis

    What is a father wound? How do you heal it? And what does the Bible actually say a man is supposed to be? In this episode, Joshua Brown sits down with Robert Lewis — founder of Men's Fraternity, author of the bestselling Raising a Modern Day Knight, and co-founder of BetterMan — for one of the most important conversations in the Dudes Without Dads catalog. Robert has spent four decades in rooms full of men, opening the Bible and helping them figure out who they are. His work has reached over 5 million people across 80+ countries. And in this conversation, he brings all of it to five questions every man needs to answer. You'll hear: A clear definition of the father wound — and why most men don't know they're carrying oneHow the wound hides as overperformance, anger, addiction, and depressionThe three-part blessing from Matthew 3:17 that every son needs to hear from his fatherWhat it looks like to "go get the blessing" from your dad — even nowHow to break the generational cycle and become the dad your kids needThe Bible's four-pillar definition of manhood, straight from GenesisRobert closes with a line that will stay with you: "You can't become what you can't define." This episode is for the man who had a dad but grew up without one. It's for the dad who wants to do better but doesn't know how. And it's for every man who's ever wondered — what am I actually supposed to be? 🔗 Resources: BetterMan (free resources, videos, workbooks): https://www.betterman.comRaising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis: https://www.amazon.comApply to be a guest: https://www.DudesWithoutDadsPodcast.comDudes Without Dads: https://www.dudeswithoutdads.comNew episodes every Thursday. Subscribe, share, and help us get this conversation to the men who need it most. fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

    49 min

  2. May 14

    Broken Men, Healthy Marriages | Christian Marriage Advice for Men

    What happens when broken men try to build healthy marriages? In this powerful episode of Dudes Without Dads, Joshua Brown sits down with pastors, entrepreneurs, former gang members, ministry leaders, and restored husbands for an honest conversation about masculinity, marriage, emotional healing, fatherlessness, pride, insecurity, and spiritual leadership. These men openly discuss the destructive behaviors, emotional immaturity, anger, and identity struggles they carried into marriage — and how the gospel transformed the way they lead, love, and serve their families today. This episode speaks directly to men who are struggling with: anger in marriageemotional shutdowninsecurity and pridecommunication problemsfather woundsspiritual leadershipknowing how to love their wife wellFrom addiction and incarceration to restoration and redemption, this conversation reveals how Jesus rebuilds identity, covenant, leadership, and family from the inside out. This isn’t fake perfection. This is real discipleship. If you’re searching for Christian marriage advice for men, biblical masculinity, emotional healing, or guidance on becoming a godly husband, this episode is for you. “You can’t build a godly marriage with an unhealed identity.” fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

    1h 5m

  3. May 7

    Out of Your Greatest Mess Comes Your Greatest Ministry" | Danny Spano

    Some of the strongest men you'll ever meet didn't grow up strong — they grew up surviving. Danny Spano grew up watching his Marine veteran father — a NASA engineer for Apollo 11 — come home from work in a rage. Locking himself in bedrooms in fear. Getting drop-kicked by the head of the hair. Watching his mother get beaten until he was big enough to step in and take the beatings himself. Visiting her in psychiatric wards after 16 electroshock treatments. Drinking and using drugs by age 11. That set the stage for 31 years of drug and alcohol addiction — and a wreckage trail that should have killed him. Then in 2005, his wife had a double-ruptured brain aneurysm. The surgeon — literally named Dr. Miracle — said he'd never seen anyone survive it. While she was in surgery, Danny was in the parking lot eating pills and smoking dope. The church wrapped around his family anyway. What happened next is one of the most powerful redemption stories you'll hear: a Saturday baptism, a Sunday morning surrender on a shop floor, a knock at the door, a real estate call, and a Vanderbilt bill that should have buried his family. And then — slowly, faithfully — saying yes. Today, Danny is a pastor at Long Hollow Church, a Celebrate Recovery leader, and a prison chaplain. He's trained over 2,200 pastors across Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. His goal? "To live longer for Jesus than I did for myself." In this episode you'll hear: The generational trauma that started with his Italian grandfather slashing his grandmother's faceWhy his father refused to drink — and was still terrifyingThe night he beat his father unconscious at 14How anger became his drug of choiceThe double brain aneurysm that woke him up"You don't have to change to come to Christ. You come to Christ to change."Why forgiveness is more for you than for themThe Rick Warren line that rewired his calling: "Out of your greatest mess will come your greatest ministry."His message to every dude without a dadEpisode Chapters: (00:00) The men who grew up surviving, not strong (02:00) Welcome to Dudes Without Dads — meet Danny (04:00) The Italian grandfather, the straight razor, the moment that shaped a family (07:00) Hearing him screaming before the car door opened (11:00) "Mama's intestines were falling out" — a 13-year-old's hospital run (13:00) Sister, weed at 11, and the start of 31 years (17:00) The night Danny beat his father unconscious (20:00) Anger as the drug that hurt nothing could touch (28:00) The double brain aneurysm and Dr. Miracle (34:00) "I came to Christ just as I was — pills, beer, and all" (40:00) The shop floor surrender (44:00) The 12 steps, the deeper inventory, and forgiving his father (50:00) Saying yes — prison, Haiti, ordination, pastorate (1:05:00) Forgiveness is for you (1:10:00) Verbal abuse, the wife who stayed, and breaking the cycle (1:20:00) "Hope has a name. It's Jesus." (1:30:00) Final word: out of your greatest mess comes your greatest ministry Resources & Links: Find a Celebrate Recovery near you: celebraterecovery.comApply to be a guest: https://dudeswithoutdadspodcast.comSubscribe so you never miss a Thursday dropAbout the Show: Dudes Without Dads is the podcast that trains men how to become the dads they never had. Hosted by Joshua Brown — the Pressure Washing Pastor — every Thursday we sit down with men who have walked through fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

    48 min

  4. Apr 30

    It's Not About Being a Perfect Dad — It's About Being Fathered | with Aric Manly

    Most men aren't broken because they don't try hard enough — they're worn out trying to prove a worth that was never theirs to earn. In this conversation, Joshua Brown sits down with Eric Manly (founder of The Intentional Dad) to unpack the core lie that quietly wrecks men, marriages, and fatherhood: "My worth is something I have to prove." This isn't another how-to episode. It's an invitation to stop performing and start being fathered — by God first, so you can father your kids from overflow instead of from emptiness. Whether you grew up without a dad, had a father who couldn't give what he didn't have, or you're a man doing all the right things but still feel disconnected on the inside — this conversation is for you. In this episode you'll learn: The core lie every man carries into manhood, marriage, and fatherhoodWhy father wounds form even in "good" homesThe 4 questions every human heart is asking — and where to actually find the answerWhat the "sacred gap" is and why it's the doorway to real healingWhy pain is sacred, not a curseHow to be faithful in suffering without faking it (Pollyanna theology will wreck you)Why your kids don't need a perfect dad — they need a fathered oneEpisode Chapters: (00:00) Why so many men feel disconnected even when life looks good (01:15) Welcome back to Dudes Without Dads (02:30) The core lie: "My worth is something I have to prove" (05:45) Fatherlessness as a generational, biblical pattern (07:30) The 4 questions every heart is asking: Do you see me? Hear me? Know me? Understand me? (11:00) Living "for" people instead of "from" them (13:00) Lessons from The Way of the Shepherd (17:00) Crossing the "sacred gap" — the bridge between desire and freedom (19:30) Why comfort culture is sabotaging your healing (22:00) Edging God out as the author of our story (25:00) Faithfulness vs. Pollyanna theology (27:30) "Come as you are" — God has room for the ugly (30:00) As I father you, so you father your children (32:30) Practical challenge: stop chasing perfect, start being fathered (35:00) Your pain is sacred, not a curse (38:00) The Comforter is closer than you think (John 14) (40:00) How to connect with Eric Manly Resources & Links: Connect with Eric Manly: https://www.theintentionaldad.orgApply to be a guest on the show: https://dudeswithoutdadspodcast.comSubscribe so you never miss a Thursday dropAbout the Show: Dudes Without Dads is the podcast that trains men how to become the dads they never had. Hosted by Joshua Brown — the Pressure Washing Pastor — every Thursday we sit down with men who have walked through father wounds, addiction, identity struggles, and brokenness… and come out on the other side as the kind of fathers their kids actually need. If this episode added value, do three things: hit subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a brother who needs to hear it. That's how generational curses get broken. fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

    42 min

  5. Apr 23

    The Double Life Nobody Saw: Cocaine, Success, and the Father Wound | Mark Koch

    When Mark Koch"s father died at 26, he lost his moral compass. Without that anchor, everything spiraled into chaos. As a Hollywood producer, Mark achieved the dream — million-dollar deals, Lost in Space, a film that knocked Titanic out of first place. On the outside: success. On the inside: a double life fueled by cocaine, alcohol, and constant fear of exposure. This episode reveals what happens to a man when he loses his father in his most formative years without anyone to hold him accountable. The father wound doesn't just leave a void — it drives destructive behavior patterns that ripple through every relationship and decision. Mark's story is essential listening for any man struggling with fatherlessness, addiction, success that feels empty, or the shame of living a double life. His journey from rock bottom to purpose shows what redemption looks like when you finally get honest about your wound. **This is for the man who has everything and feels nothing.** **Join the movement. Become the dad you never had.** **Visit:** dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com **Guest:** Mark Cook, Hollywood Producer & Author of The First Hour **Topics:** Fatherlessness, Father Wound, Addiction Recovery, Hollywood, Purpose, Double Life, Men's Discipleship fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

    50 min

  6. Apr 16

    The Affair — Now What? | Men Who've Been Through It Tell the Truth

    The affair happened. Now what? Five men sat down to answer that question — not with polished answers, but from the wreckage of real decisions that almost cost them everything. This is a roundtable conversation with men who caused betrayal, survived it, and came out the other side with something hard and honest to say about it. Antoine, Curtis, Gabriel, Mike, and Cody talked about what actually goes on inside a man's mind when he is destroying something he loves. They talked about the lie that feels completely rational in the middle of a destructive decision. They talked about what betrayal does to a person's identity — and what it actually looks like when a man stops making excuses and decides to own everything no matter the cost. One man's brother was murdered. He talks about what that did to him and how he survived it. If you are on the other side of an affair right now — whether you caused it or lived through it — this conversation was made for you. What this episode covers: — Why men risk everything they love for something that doesn't last — The lie that feels true when you are in the middle of making a destructive decision — What betrayal does to a man's sense of identity — What real accountability looks like when a man decides he does not care what it costs — Why your lowest point is often right before everything changes — What it looks like to stop running and face what you have done Dudes Without Dads is the podcast for men who grew up without a strong father — and who refuse to pass that wound to the next generation. New episodes every Thursday. 🌐 dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

    57 min

  7. Apr 7

    Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conference (Indianapolis) – Why Most Men Stay Stuck & Don’t Show Up

    Most men in America are still fatherless on the inside.  And most won’t do the one thing that could change it. This is a raw, unfiltered conversation with Brian Doyle (Iron Sharpens Iron) about why men stay stuck—and why showing up to a men’s conference might be the turning point. If you’ve ever wondered:  Do I really need a men’s conference?  Is this just another church event?  Why would I give up a Saturday? This episode answers it straight. Iron Sharpens Iron is NOT a rally.  It’s NOT a feel-good event.  It’s training for men who know they’re not where they need to be. Most men:  Had absent, passive, or emotionally unavailable fathers  Were never trained to lead, fight, or build  Are now trying to wing it as husbands, dads, and men You don’t have a discipline problem.  You have a father wound. And if you don’t deal with it… you pass it on. This conversation walks through the real path: De-Formed – Wounded by what we didn’t get from our fathers  Re-Formed – Meeting the Father we never had  Con-Formed – Becoming the man God designed daily  Trans-Formed – Leading your family, not just existing in it This is not Sunday teaching. This is Saturday training. You’ll get:  Real conversations about lust, anger, money, and pressure  Training on marriage, fatherhood, and leadership  Tools you can take home THAT DAY  Brotherhood that actually sharpens you As Brian said:  “Most men aren’t broken… they’re just dull.” EVENT DETAILS Iron Sharpens Iron – Indianapolis Area  Saturday  8:30 AM – 2:55 PM Register here:  https://ironsharpensiron.net (Also happening nationwide—search your city) This is for:  The dad who knows he’s coasting  The husband who feels disconnected  The man hiding behind work, distraction, or porn  The guy who says “I’m fine” but knows he’s not You don’t need another podcast.  You need a moment that marks you. This Saturday could be that moment. CALL TO ACTION Subscribe to Dudes Without Dads on YouTube  Join the brotherhood in our Mighty Networks community  And most importantly… SHOW UP fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

    38 min

  8. Apr 2

    He Quit His Government Job With 8 Kids and No Backup Plan — Here’s What God Did Next

    What does it look like to trust God completely when everyone around you says stay put? Nick had 17 years with the United States Postal Service, a postmaster position in Gatlinburg Tennessee, full retirement benefits, and a large family counting on every dollar. He also had a calling he could not ignore. When the COVID vaccine mandate threatened his job, Nick faced the decision that would define his family’s future — stay comfortable or go all in on God. He went all in. In this episode Nick sits down with Joshua Brown to talk about the leap of faith that changed everything, how Dave Ramsey helped his family pay off $84,000 in consumer debt in just 18 months, what it looks like to build a real estate business in 13 states while homeschooling nine children, and why your health is directly connected to your ability to lead the people you love. He also shares the one challenge he would give to any man who never had a father showing him the way. In this episode: — Why a federal postmaster with 17 years walked away from a safe government job — How Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University changed their family’s financial life — What it looks like to take a leap of faith with a large family depending on you — The five pillars every man needs and why most men get the order exactly wrong — Why health is directly connected to a man’s ability to lead his home — His one challenge to every fatherless man who does not know where to begin Resources mentioned: — Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University — ramseysolutions.com — NeoLife Supplements — neolife.com/funlife — Nick on Instagram — @nickaverylove — dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com — Apply to be a guest Connect with Dudes Without Dads: 🎙️ New episodes every Thursday 🌐 dudeswithoutdadspodcast.com 📲 Follow on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok & Facebook Dudes Without Dads is the podcast that trains men to become the dads they never had. If this episode added value to your life please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a man who needs it. fatherhood, father wound, sonship, men's ministry, christian men, healing, identity, intentional fatherhood, dudes without dads, joshua brown, eric manly, the intentional dad, generational curses, masculinity, christian podcast, faith and fatherhood, becoming a better dad, father absence

    34 min
See All (32)

5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Dudes Without Dads is a podcast for men who grew up without a father—and are determined to become the dad they never had. Hosted by Joshua Brown, this movement is built on real stories, raw conversations, and the belief that your past doesn’t define your legacy. Each episode brings together powerful testimonies, expert insights, and practical wisdom to help you break cycles, heal from wounds, and lead with love. Whether you’re a young dad trying to figure it out, a grown man still wrestling with the silence of your childhood, or someone who feels disqualified—this show is for you. No shame. No sugarcoating. Just hope, healing, and a brotherhood of men becoming better fathers, husbands, and sons. 🔁 New episodes every week — including roundtable talks, guest interviews, and spiritual insights. 📍 Part of the As You Go Network — a movement to make disciples where we live, work, and play.

Information

  • Creator
    Joshua Brown
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Dudes Without Dads Podcast
  • Show Website
    Dudes Without Dads Podcast

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