Gap to Gig – Working Dads' Guide to Fatherhood, Meaningful Work, & Finding Balance in Life

Michael Jacobs - Working Dads & Fatherhood Expert
  • 5.0 (24)
  • PARENTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Build the life you’re working for. Gap to Gig is the podcast for dads who want to crush it at work and still show up at home. Each week, host Michael Jacobs talks with dads, founders, career experts, and creators about what it really takes to balance meaningful work and active fatherhood. From navigating career transitions and side hustles to staying present for hockey games and bedtime stories, Gap to Gig helps you create a life that feels steady, fulfilling, and built to last. Whether you’re a stay-at-home dad reentering the workforce, a working dad craving more purpose, or a creator building your own path, you’ll find stories and systems to help you move forward with confidence. Expect honest conversations about: Work-life balance that actually lastsCareer change and meaningful work without losing yourselfParenting and productivity that fit real lifeFatherhood, identity, and growth in the modern worldMindset and systems that keep both business and family running smoothly No fluff. No hustle-culture noise. Just real stories, practical tools, and genuine conversations about being a dad who wants both: meaningful work and a meaningful life. If you’ve ever felt pulled between your career ambitions and your kids’ soccer schedules, you’re not alone. Each episode offers ideas you can apply right away, whether that’s a way to structure your week, handle burnout, or rethink what success really means for you and your family. The show blends personal storytelling, expert insights, and actionable takeaways from guests who are building careers, companies, and creative projects that fit their lives, not the other way around. Recent episodes feature: Entrepreneurs who’ve built businesses around their familiesCareer coaches helping dads find work that fits their valuesCreatives balancing passion projects with parentingProductivity pros teaching how to reclaim time and focusEveryday dads sharing their journeys from burnout to balance If you’re ready to rethink success, build balance that lasts, and create space for what matters most, this podcast is for you. Gap to Gig: Helping dads build the life they’re working for. New episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

  1. David Marcus on Fatherhood, Emotional Presence, and Raising Kids in a Stressed World

    2D AGO

    David Marcus on Fatherhood, Emotional Presence, and Raising Kids in a Stressed World

    Why do so many working dads feel disconnected from their kids even when they are physically present? Modern fatherhood comes with pressures that did not exist a generation ago. Constant work demands, two-income households, packed schedules, and technology that never turns off have pushed many families into reactive mode. And when stress builds, connection is often the first thing to break. Dr. David Marcus, a clinical psychologist with over 40 years of experience working with families under stress, explains what is really happening beneath those moments of disconnection and how dads can show up differently. David shares how to: • Become a calming, steady presence when your child is overwhelmed • Understand why kids fear their emotions will push parents away  • Avoid reactive parenting patterns that get passed down unconsciously • Help children develop an emotional language instead of acting out • Respond in a way that allows your child to open up rather than shut down • Handle conflict without damaging trust or connection • Repair moments when you lose your temper and rebuild respect • Stay emotionally present even when work stress is high • Recognize when you are “filled up” and shifting into reaction mode • Create a home environment where kids feel safe expressing themselves This conversation is for working dads trying to balance fatherhood, work, and emotional presence in a world that rarely slows down. Dig Deeper My Big Fat Greek Wedding: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259446/ Michael Jordan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan The Waltons: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068149/ Cats in the Cradle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u-KWa3tL-0 Father & Son: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6zaCV4niKk Sunrise, Sunset: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBJeF_Lav2o Follow David On his website: https://parentrx.org Email: dsmarcusphd@parentrx.org Follow Gap to Gig On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig On X: x.com/gaptogig On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/ Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com Follow Michael On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

    54 min
  2. Scott Maderer on Aligning Work, Fatherhood, and What Matters Most

    APR 7

    Scott Maderer on Aligning Work, Fatherhood, and What Matters Most

    What happens when you realize the career you built doesn’t actually align with the life you want? Scott Maderer built a successful career in finance, checked the right boxes, and did the things ambitious professionals are supposed to do. But eventually he realized something important was missing. The work that once looked impressive on paper no longer felt connected to his values, his purpose, or the kind of impact he wanted to make. That realization led Scott to step away from corporate finance and build a new path helping leaders and entrepreneurs align their work with what truly matters. Scott shares how to: Recognize when external success no longer matches internal fulfillmentNavigate the uncertainty that comes with major career shiftsDesign work that supports family, relationships, and long term prioritiesAvoid chasing titles, money, or status that don't bring real satisfactionDig Deeper Barney Sears Sweet Caroline Brodie the Goldendoodle Follow Scott On his website: inspiredstewardship.com/gaptogig On his podcast: https://inspiredstewardship.com/podcast/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stewardcoach/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredStewardship On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Inspired_Stewardship On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csmaderer/ Read his book, Inspired Living: https://amzn.to/472IjZ7 Follow Gap to Gig On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig On X: x.com/gaptogig On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/ Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com Follow Michael On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

    52 min
  3. Loren Silverman on Reclaiming Your Identity Beyond Productivity

    MAR 31

    Loren Silverman on Reclaiming Your Identity Beyond Productivity

    What happens when your self-worth quietly becomes tied to your output? After nearly two decades leading digital transformation work for major brands, Loren Silverman realized that success on paper didn’t equal fulfillment in real life. The titles, the grind, the constant responsibility all looked right from the outside. But underneath, something felt off. That realization didn’t lead to a dramatic overnight reinvention. It led to something much simpler and far more powerful: pause, awareness, and small, repeatable shifts. Today, Loren helps high-responsibility professionals untangle identity from productivity, align actions with values, and build healthier boundaries without losing ambition. Loren shares how to: • Recognize when your reaction is bigger than the moment • Separate your identity from your professional output • Align daily actions with personal values • Protect energy, not just time • Use small, consistent changes instead of heroic life overhauls • Practice active listening to improve presence at home • Create boundaries that actually hold under pressure • Reframe slowing down as strength rather than weakness • Catch burnout before it becomes depletion • Pause long enough to make better decisions This conversation is thoughtful, grounded, and practical for any dad who feels stretched between responsibility and presence, and wants a steadier, more intentional way forward. Dig Deeper S.M.A.R.T. Tasks Baskin-Robbins House of the Rising Sun by The Animals The Doors Follow Loren On his website: https://www.silvermancoach.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loren.silverman/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loren.silverman On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorensilverman/ Follow Gap to Gig On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig On X: x.com/gaptogig On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/ Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com Follow Michael On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

    44 min
  4. Julia Toothacre on Redefining Meaningful Work Through Life’s Seasons

    MAR 24

    Julia Toothacre on Redefining Meaningful Work Through Life’s Seasons

    What does meaningful work actually look like once you become a parent? For many professionals, the answer changes. Priorities shift. Energy changes. The things that once felt exciting or important can suddenly feel disconnected from the life you want to build. Career strategist Julia Toothacre works with high-performing professionals who look successful on paper but quietly feel stuck, burned out, or misaligned. Her work focuses on helping people take ownership of their careers while navigating the pressures of family, ambition, and changing priorities. Julia explains why meaningful work is often misunderstood and why the answer usually isn’t a dramatic career overhaul. More often, it comes from understanding the season of life you are in and aligning your choices with what matters most right now. Julia shares how to: • Understand why meaningful work means different things to different people • Recognize when feeling “stuck” is coming from internal pressure rather than external reality • Think about career risk differently once kids enter the picture • Identify when a job is temporarily demanding versus fundamentally misaligned • Manage career transitions without making emotional or reactive decisions • Spot the early warning signs of burnout before they escalate Dig Deeper Bluey Champagne Supernova by Oasis Follow Julia On her website: ridethetidecollective.com On her podcast, Control Your Career: https://ridethetidecollective.com/podcast/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridethetidecollective On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RideTheTideCollective On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ridethetidecollective On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ridethetidecol On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliakrussell Follow Gap to Gig On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig On X: x.com/gaptogig On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/ Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com Follow Michael On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

    50 min
  5. Alex Tuck on Timeboxing Your Way to Meaningful Work and Present Fatherhood

    MAR 17

    Alex Tuck on Timeboxing Your Way to Meaningful Work and Present Fatherhood

    What if the key to balance is not working less, but working with intention? Alex Tuck runs a remote-first consulting firm from a farm in Vermont while raising four young kids with his wife. His approach is simple but disciplined: block the time, protect the priorities, and design work to fit life, not the other way around. From quarterly OKRs to daily timeboxing, Alex has built both a company and a family rhythm around clarity and structure. But beneath the systems is something deeper. A belief that work matters. Health matters. Relationships matter. And none of them should consume the others. Alex shares how to: • Use timeboxing to reduce overwhelm and increase focus • Break big goals into daily commitments that actually get done • Protect personal time with the same intensity as client work • Build a remote culture that values flexibility over utilization • Model boundaries so your team feels safe taking time off • Create phone free zones that increase connection at home • Adjust work rhythms when kids, travel, or life get chaotic • Invite your kids into decision making so they feel ownership • Replace guilt with intentional tradeoffs • Design meaningful work that supports, not competes with, family This conversation is practical, honest, and full of real world examples for dads trying to build something worthwhile without losing the people they are building it for. Dig Deeper Timeboxing Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing at a Time by Marc Zao-Sanders One Thing at a Time newsletter by Marc Zao-Sanders Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Journey Follow Alex On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alextuck On his website: https://www.tuckconsultinggroup.com Follow Gap to Gig On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig On X: x.com/gaptogig On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/ Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com Follow Michael On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

    52 min
  6. Merry Korn on Turning Professional Loss into Purpose-Driven Work

    MAR 10

    Merry Korn on Turning Professional Loss into Purpose-Driven Work

    What happens when the job you thought would carry you to the finish line disappears overnight? Two months into what she believed would be her final role, Merry Korn was let go. She was a single parent with two teenagers, college tuition looming, and no clear path forward. The fear was real. The pressure was immediate. Staying in bed was not an option. What followed was not an overnight success story. It was a series of hard conversations, informational interviews, small courageous steps, and a refusal to surrender. From those early survival decisions, Merry went on to found and scale a for-profit social enterprise that employed more than 1,300 people across 30 states, prioritizing jobs for people with severe disabilities, disabled veterans, and individuals living in the most impoverished communities. Merry shares how to: Move forward when fear feels paralyzingUse informational interviews as a career and business growth strategyAlign work with purpose instead of contorting yourself to fit the wrong environmentBuild a mission-driven company that attracts high-quality talentCreate simple rituals that protect presence at homeLead with values when rebuilding after a professional setbackTurn survival mode into meaningful, scalable impactDig Deeper Pearl Interactive Network Bergen-Belsen Schindler's List Barney Crazy by Patsy Cline Follow Merry On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merrykorn On X: https://X.com/korn_merry45334 On Instagram: https://instagram.com/mpearlkorn On Facebook: https://facebook.com/firedtoinspired On her website, Fired to Inspired: https://firedtoinspired.com Follow Gap to Gig On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig On X: x.com/gaptogig On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/ Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com Follow Michael On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

    46 min
  7. Tony Berardo on Redefining Success Around Time, Health, and Fatherhood

    MAR 3

    Tony Berardo on Redefining Success Around Time, Health, and Fatherhood

    What happens when health scares, job loss, and family tragedy collide all at once? After having part of his lung removed, being laid off during the pandemic, and losing his father-in-law the same day he was discharged from the hospital, Tony Berardo was forced to confront a hard truth: work was taking up too much of the wrong space in his life. Instead of chasing security, status, and a bigger paycheck, Tony rebuilt his life around something far more valuable: time. Today, he’s the founder of Human Dad, a content creator, and an entrepreneur who prioritizes presence over prestige. He makes less money than he once did, but he has more clarity, more intention, and more time with his daughter. Tony shares how to: • Reevaluate success after health scares and job loss • Shift from “work-life balance” to protecting time as your most valuable asset • Build a side hustle before making the leap into entrepreneurship • Lower financial stress by living below your means • Model discipline, boundaries, and healthy habits for your kids • Choose presence over prestige Tony’s perspective is raw, direct, and deeply practical. For any dad questioning whether the grind is worth it, this conversation offers a clear reminder: your time is the real currency. Dig Deeper IVF Get Ready With Me Ridiculousness Moana Regal Cinemas Polly by Nirvana Follow Tony Website Humanity and Hashtags Podcast Instagram YouTube TikTok Human Dad Follow Gap to Gig On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig On X: x.com/gaptogig On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/ Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com Follow Michael On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

    1h 3m
  8. Brad Leeman on Leading at Home Through Presence, Play, and Preparation

    FEB 24

    Brad Leeman on Leading at Home Through Presence, Play, and Preparation

    What does leadership look like when the mission is your family and the stakes are emotional, not tactical? Brad Leeman is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, combat aviator, and F-35 test pilot who spent nearly two decades leading in environments where preparation, clarity, and execution were non-negotiable. After transitioning out of the military, Brad became an entrepreneur and founder of SwingSesh, a company built around a simple belief: parents should not be spectators in their kids’ lives. This conversation explores how elite performance principles translate and sometimes fail to translate into fatherhood. Brad shares why presence matters, how small daily rituals create connection, and why modeling behavior shapes a child’s inner voice far more than lectures ever could. Brad walks through how he and his wife intentionally design family rhythms, why play is a serious leadership skill, and how dads can rethink fitness, work, and ambition. Brad shares how to: Build daily rituals that anchor presence and connection with kidsUse play as a tool for bonding, modeling health, and emotional regulationShape a child’s inner monologue through actions, not instructionsRecognize when to lead and when to follow inside a partnershipRethink comfort, resilience, and decision making during hard seasonsDig Deeper F-35 U.S. Marine Corps Ball State University Harvard Graduate School of Design How to Build Extreme Willpower | David Goggins & Dr. Andrew Huberman Hood’s Gardens Picture by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock Follow Brad On his website: https://www.swingsesh.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamswingsesh/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwingSesh/ Follow Gap to Gig On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig On X: x.com/gaptogig On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/ Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com Follow Michael On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

    1h 3m
See All (24)

Trailer

5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Build the life you’re working for. Gap to Gig is the podcast for dads who want to crush it at work and still show up at home. Each week, host Michael Jacobs talks with dads, founders, career experts, and creators about what it really takes to balance meaningful work and active fatherhood. From navigating career transitions and side hustles to staying present for hockey games and bedtime stories, Gap to Gig helps you create a life that feels steady, fulfilling, and built to last. Whether you’re a stay-at-home dad reentering the workforce, a working dad craving more purpose, or a creator building your own path, you’ll find stories and systems to help you move forward with confidence. Expect honest conversations about: Work-life balance that actually lastsCareer change and meaningful work without losing yourselfParenting and productivity that fit real lifeFatherhood, identity, and growth in the modern worldMindset and systems that keep both business and family running smoothly No fluff. No hustle-culture noise. Just real stories, practical tools, and genuine conversations about being a dad who wants both: meaningful work and a meaningful life. If you’ve ever felt pulled between your career ambitions and your kids’ soccer schedules, you’re not alone. Each episode offers ideas you can apply right away, whether that’s a way to structure your week, handle burnout, or rethink what success really means for you and your family. The show blends personal storytelling, expert insights, and actionable takeaways from guests who are building careers, companies, and creative projects that fit their lives, not the other way around. Recent episodes feature: Entrepreneurs who’ve built businesses around their familiesCareer coaches helping dads find work that fits their valuesCreatives balancing passion projects with parentingProductivity pros teaching how to reclaim time and focusEveryday dads sharing their journeys from burnout to balance If you’re ready to rethink success, build balance that lasts, and create space for what matters most, this podcast is for you. Gap to Gig: Helping dads build the life they’re working for. New episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

Information