The Dad Project

The Dad Project
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Real stories. Brave voices. The Dad Project is dedicated to celebrating and uplifting men, sharing their powerful stories of perseverance, love, and hope. By highlighting their unique journeys and the challenges they overcome, the project seeks to dismantle stereotypes and emphasise the importance of men’s mental health and emotional well-being. Through authentic storytelling, The Dad Project inspires understanding and compassion, fostering a community that values the strength and dedication of these fathers and encourages them to share their truths.

  1. 21h ago

    A Chef Poured Boiling Water Over His Head. It Made Him The Leader He Became | Atul Kochhar

    He built an empire over 18 years. Then in one moment, his business partner took it all, used a forgotten contract clause and walked away with everything Atul had worked for. His life savings. His restaurants. His legacy. Gone. Atul Kochhar is a Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur and one of the most respected names in British Indian cuisine. But before the accolades, before the recognition, he was a 17-year-old boy who left India with two suitcases, landed in Chennai not speaking the language and learned what it meant to survive on his own. In this conversation, Atul opens up about losing his brother to meningitis and going into debt to save him, arriving in London in 1994 with nothing, his daughter nearly dying three days after birth, the business partner who betrayed him and stole 18 years of his life, forgiving the man who destroyed him and why he chose to rebuild instead of fight, COVID, mental health in kitchens and why happiness is a practice not a destination. This is not a story about food. This is a story about resilience, forgiveness and what it truly means to be a good man. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Breaking the Silence on Men's Mental Health 00:02:13 The Boy From Jamshedpur: A Childhood Shaped by Food and Family 00:04:17 From Medical School to Hotel School: Choosing the Path Less Expected 00:05:16 Landing in Chennai: Learning to Adapt in a Foreign World 00:07:06 Two Different Men: Lessons From Grandfather and Father 00:10:49 The Morning Walk Ritual: Finding Peace in Nature 00:15:19 The Brother's Illness: Why He Left India for London 00:18:14 Arriving in London: A New Beginning in Mayfair 00:23:26 Redefining Indian Food: From Curry Houses to Michelin Stars 00:27:42 The Brussels Sprout Incident: A Lesson in Leadership 00:31:02 Building a Kitchen Culture: Respect Over Fear 00:32:41 Mentoring Men in the Kitchen: More Than Just a Boss 00:33:08 Pressure in the Culinary World: Teaching Chefs to Ease Off 00:36:26 The Buzz Within: Finding Happiness as a Lifestyle 00:40:27 2018: Losing Everything He Built in 18 Years 00:43:57 The Week That Changed Everything: Choosing to Rebuild 00:51:39 Forgiveness: The Gift You Give Yourself 00:53:58 Men, Crying, and Letting Go: Redefining Masculinity 00:57:32 Trusting Again: Evaluating People Without Losing Yourself 01:01:22 Stripping Away the Titles: Who Is Atul Without the Achievements? 01:03:31 Becoming a Father: The Day His Daughter Nearly Died 01:08:55 Fatherhood and Open Conversations: Raising Grounded Children 01:16:42 COVID and Community: Holding His Team Together 01:20:39 Legacy: A Good Human and a Great Chef 01:22:50 Final Reflections: Failure Doesn't Define You The Dad Project is a podcast and community for men. You don't need to be a dad to be here. FIND ATUL KOCHHAR Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/atulkochhar/) Website (https://www.atulkochhar.co.uk/) YouTube (@atulkochhar2870) THE DAD PROJECT Website (www.thedadproject.co.uk) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thedadprojecthq/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/@thedadprojecthq) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-dad-project/) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@thedadprojecthq) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@thedadprojecthq) QUESTIONS THIS VIDEO ANSWERS How do you forgive someone who destroyed everything you built? Atul says forgiveness is not a favor to the person who wronged you. It is a favor to yourself. When you forgive, you stop wasting energy on bitterness and redirect it toward rebuilding. It took time, but he chose to let go rather than fight in court for years. What do you do when your business partner betrays you? Atul's business partner used a contract clause to force him out of the company he built over 18 years. He lost his restaurants, his shares and his life savings. Within a week, he looked in the mirror and asked himself if he was the person people said he was. The answer was no. So he started again. How do chefs cope with pressure and mental health struggles? Atul teaches his chefs to ease off. Pressure is a jigsaw puzzle. Some solve it naturally. Others take all day. As a leader, his job is to help them solve it better. He also makes sure they know they can talk to him. A happy cook makes better food than an unhappy one. What makes a good father? Atul keeps open conversations with his children about everything. When they react with attitude, he asks them to step away, collect their thoughts and come back when they are ready. Confrontation can damage the relationship. Analysis together builds better people. How do you stay positive when you lose everything? Atul wakes up every morning grateful to be alive. He walks in nature. He notices the small things. He tells himself he is good. Positivity is not about what you have. It is about how you think. Your subconscious listens to what you tell it.

    A Chef Poured Boiling Water Over His Head. It Made Him The Leader He Became | Atul Kochhar

  2. Jul 23

    He Buried His Father at 15 and Was Told 'Don't Cry, You're the Man Now'

    He was 15 when his father died. What he remembers most isn't the funeral, it's being told not to cry, because he was "the man now." In this episode, we sit down with a man who spent decades carrying that instruction, learning to switch off grief because there was no room for it, and no one around him who knew how to teach him otherwise. He talks about what that silence cost him growing up, the moment he realised he'd been carrying it into his own fatherhood, and what it actually took, years later, to let himself feel any of it. This isn't a story about failure. It's about what happens when a boy is handed responsibility instead of support, and what it takes to go back and give himself the grief he was never allowed to have. If you grew up being told to hold it in, this conversation is for you. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Breaking the Silence on Men's Mental Health 00:02:52 The Story Behind Idris Elba's Private Chef 00:05:03 The Sunday Breakfast That Changed Everything 00:06:49 A Childhood of Constant Movement and Ups and Downs 00:08:27 January 30th, 1998: Burying His Father at 15 00:14:20 The Smell of Mud and the Weight of Silence 00:16:52 Can You Cry and Still Provide? 00:20:01 Drifting Through Life: When No One Asked If He Was Okay 00:25:03 The Uncle Who Replaced His Father 00:27:27 From A Student to Dropping Out: When Everything Fell Apart 00:30:28 Assaulted on the Underground: The Wake-Up Call 00:33:16 The Grill King: Turning Food Into a Side Hustle 00:35:01 Hitting a Red Signal: When Exhaustion Nearly Ended Everything 00:37:57 The Airport Encounter That Led to Idris Elba 00:41:37 The Cornbread That Sparked Jealousy 00:44:48 Me and Sabrina Were Talking: The Wedding Invitation 00:45:40 Morocco, Vogue, and 250 Guests: The Wedding That Validated Everything 00:49:18 The 40 Percent Mistake: Lessons in Business Partnerships 00:50:31 Walking Into White Spaces as a Six-Foot-Four Black Chef 00:52:55 If I Die, Bring Me Back Blacker 00:54:08 Self-Love and Validation: Giving That 15-Year-Old Boy a Hug 00:59:11 Astrology and Finding the Blueprint of Who You Are 01:05:28 It's Not Even Their Stuff: The B******t Men Carry 01:06:25 Vulnerability Is Strength: Unlocking Fear 01:08:41 Imposter Syndrome Is Just Something You Haven't Done Yet 01:10:33 Leave Your Ego at the Door: Cooking for Celebrities 01:18:58 The Room With Slick Rick: An Out of Body Experience 01:20:37 What Does the Man of the House Even Mean? 01:23:59 Smoke and Soul: Building a Global Culinary Empire 01:24:55 This Chapter Is My Turn: Retiring at 50 The Dad Project is dedicated to real conversations about men's mental health, empowerment, and finding purpose, the things most men keep quiet. New episodes every 3 weeks. Featured on BBC Radio, Asian Image, Luxurist Magazine and Asian CNC. FIND KING AMAKIE Instagram: @kingamakie Website: www.kingamakie.com THE DAD PROJECT www.thedadproject.co.uk Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok YouTube QUESTIONS THIS VIDEO ANSWERS What does it mean to be told you're the man of the house at 15? King was told at his father's funeral that he couldn't cry, couldn't show emotion, because he was now the man of the house. Decades later, he still doesn't know what that means. It's a weight placed on boys without explanation, instruction, or permission to grieve. How does unprocessed grief affect men later in life? King describes drifting through college, failing his A levels, and clashing with his mum after his dad died. No one asked him how he felt. No one intervened. The expectation was just to get on with it. That silence became years of carrying weight he didn't know how to put down. How do you walk into rooms where you feel you don't belong? King sat in a room with Idris Elba and Slick Rick thinking he didn't deserve to be there. That was imposter syndrome. Once he did it again, the feeling shifted. Imposter syndrome is just doing something you've never done before. After that, it becomes your new normal. What is the difference between arrogance and quiet confidence? Arrogance walks into a room loud and demands attention. Quiet confidence walks in knowing who you are without saying a word. People feel it. King says ego will get you in the room, but who you are keeps you there.

    He Buried His Father at 15 and Was Told 'Don't Cry, You're the Man Now'

  3. Jun 25

    My Dad Is the Greatest Feminist I Know, and the Most Masculine Man I Know

    She had a miscarriage during her book tour. The publicity kept going. She kept going. She’d never spoken about it publicly, until now. Jaspreet Kaur is a poet, author of Brown Girl Like Me, and one of the clearest voices writing about identity, gender, and what it means to grow up South Asian in Britain. In this conversation, she talks about the father who shaped everything, the research that took her to an orphanage in Punjab where baby girls were left through a window at night, the miscarriage she held in for months while on tour, and why she’s now terrified about raising her baby son in a world she didn’t write the guidebook for. This is one of the most honest conversations we’ve had on The Dad Project. It’s about feminism. It’s about masculinity. And it’s about the pressure that nobody names but everyone carries. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Breaking the Silence on Men's Mental Health 00:03:17 My Dad Is the Greatest Feminist I Know, and the Most Masculine Man I Know 00:06:13 Like Father, Like Son: A Poem About Unconditional Support 00:09:08 What Women Look For in Men: Beyond the Mask 00:12:51 The Five-Hour Conversation That Changed Everything 00:14:40 Being Vulnerable Opens Doors: Why Men Should Share Their Darkness 00:17:20 Studying Gender Equality: A Master's Journey to Punjab 00:20:09 The Window Where Baby Girls Are Left: 60 Million Missing Girls 00:25:02 Queens and Corpses: The Poem That Went Viral 00:28:13 What Feminism Really Means: Access to Choice, Not Becoming a Man 00:30:42 The Pressure Men Carry: Financial, Emotional, and Cultural Weight 00:31:57 Men Have Been Living Behind a Wall of Silence 00:33:25 Masculinity and Femininity Can Coexist: A Traditional Yet Equal Relationship 00:44:27 Brown Girl Like Me: Writing the Guidebook That Didn't Exist 00:47:33 The Miscarriage During the Book Tour: When Everything Kept Moving 00:48:47 The Ectopic Pregnancy and Being Told She Might Not Have Another Child 00:50:01 The Night She Realized She Had No Idea How to Raise a Son 00:52:02 Miscarriages Are Hard for Partners Too: How Men Process Loss 00:53:50 The Gym Is His Meditation: Understanding Different Forms of Mental Health Support 00:56:52 Insecurity, Codependency, and Letting Go: Admitting I Was Wrong 00:57:53 Motherhood Changed Everything: Becoming a People Pleaser No More 00:59:34 Brown Boy Like Me: Why We Need a Book for South Asian Men 01:01:19 Walking Into a Room With a Beard and Turban: The Reality of Profiling 01:03:09 What Do I Think of Them? Reframing Confidence and Owning the Room 00:41:55 He's Two Inches Shorter Than Me: Why Height Doesn't Define Masculinity 00:36:07 Judged by Feminists for Choosing Motherhood: The Miscued Movement 01:15:08 The Rape Alarm in the Pink Bag: A Father's Heartbreak 01:18:50 Intergenerational Conversations: Teaching Parents With Kindness 01:22:38 Quiet Feminism: The Radical Change Happening in Our Homes 01:29:01 Pen to Paper: How Poetry Became Therapy at 13 Years Old 01:32:07 Closing Reflections: Continuing to Change the World You don’t need to be a dad to be here. Questions This Video Answers Why do South Asian men struggle to talk about their feelings? They’ve been taught to suppress emotion from childhood, given no tools to process it, and placed under enormous family pressure with no language for what they’re carrying. What is son preference and why does it still happen? Son preference is the cultural and economic bias towards having male children over female. In some South Asian communities, it has led to sex-selective abortion and female infanticide. Jaspreet’s Masters thesis found it rooted in inheritance, family name, and financial dependency. How does miscarriage affect the partner who isn’t carrying the baby? Partners often suppress their own grief to support the person who miscarried. In this episode, Jaspreet describes how her husband never fully processed the loss, his outlet was the gym, and she resented it for years before understanding that. What does feminism actually mean and does it affect men? Feminism, at its origin, is about equal access to choice. Jaspreet argues the same patriarchal pressures harming women are also crushing men, particularly South Asian men expected to carry the family’s entire financial and emotional weight. How do you raise a confident South Asian boy today? Jaspreet admits she doesn’t have the answer, which is why she’s writing Brown Boy Like Me. The conversation covers what brown boys are seeing online and why equipping them with confidence matters most.

    My Dad Is the Greatest Feminist I Know, and the Most Masculine Man I Know

  4. Jun 4

    Clarke Carlisle: 5 Suicide Attempts, Addiction, and Learning to Know Who You Are

    Clarke Carlisle sits down with Naroop to talk about what it really took to find out who he is, not the footballer, not the public figure, but the man underneath all of it. They go into his childhood, his relationship with his father, five suicide attempts, alcohol and gambling addiction, the shame of knowing his children felt like an inconvenience, and the slow, difficult work of becoming the husband and father he wanted to be. This is not a recovery story packaged for inspiration. It's an honest account of what it actually takes to change. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Breaking the Silence on Men's Mental Health 00:02:41 The Most Honest Place to Start: Little Clocky and Who I Am Today 00:04:07 The Foundation of Everything: Knowing Who You Are 00:10:03 Brutal Honesty With Yourself: The First Step to Finding Who You Are 00:14:00 Getting Your Knees Dirty: The Reality of Self-Discovery 00:15:59 The Observer of Your Thoughts: Understanding Your Patterns 00:32:54 Growing Up on a Preston Council Estate: The Making of a People Pleaser 00:38:29 Why Football Meant Everything: The 91st Minute That Changed His Life 00:44:20 The Knee Injury at 20: When Everything Was Taken Away 00:45:46 The First Suicide Attempt at 21: 56 Co-Proxamol and a Can of Carling 00:47:25 The Relentless Cycle: Success on the Outside, Crashing Every Few Months 00:49:21 The Validation Trap: When Your Worth Depends on What Others Think 01:00:10 Fatherhood at 18: The Daughter He Abandoned 01:05:32 Wetting the Bed Until 17: The Pattern That Created a Life 01:08:28 Meeting His Human: The Psychiatric Report as a Second Date Gift 01:11:18 The Therapeutic Journey: From Crisis to Stable to Well to Maintenance 00:18:46 The Watershed Moment: Holding Hands in a Psychiatric Hospital Bed 01:15:36 What Children Actually Need: Presence, Not Presents 01:23:34 The Daily Work: Acceptance, Gratitude, and Nutella Ice Cream 01:20:02 Forgiveness and Responsibility: Doing Your Best With What You Had Clarke Carlisle is a former Premier League footballer, ex-chairman of the PFA, and one of the most important voices in men's mental health in the UK. The Dad Project is a podcast and community for men. You don't need to be a dad to be here. FIND CLARK CARLISLE Instagram LinkedIn Mind THE DAD PROJECT www.thedadproject.co.uk Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thedadprojecthq/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/@thedadprojecthq) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-dad-project/) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@thedadprojecthq) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@thedadprojecthq) Q: Why do men struggle to talk about mental health? Because most men have spent decades learning that silence equals strength. Clarke explains how that belief becomes the gap between who you are and who you want to be — and why that gap is what destroys men. Q: How does addiction affect fatherhood? Clarke describes how during active gambling addiction, his children became an inconvenience. He explains the shame of recognising that, and the work it took to change it. Q: What is the difference between crisis, stable, and well in mental health recovery? Clarke uses a knee injury analogy: crisis care, rehabilitation to stability and wellness, then daily maintenance. Recovery is not one thing — it evolves as you do. Q: How do you rebuild a relationship with your children after addiction? Clarke talks about reintroducing himself to his eldest daughter not as a father giving instructions, but as someone earning her trust from the outside in. Fatherhood is about presence, not provision.

    Clarke Carlisle: 5 Suicide Attempts, Addiction, and Learning to Know Who You Are

  5. May 7

    He Found Out He Had Cancer. Then Went On Stage That Night | Jaz Dhami

    He found out he had cancer. That same evening, he had a show. He went on stage and sang his heart out, and nobody in that room knew. This is one of the most honest conversations we've had on The Dad Project. Jaz opens up about his Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis, losing his brother Harvey to brain cancer, the lifetime of suppressed emotion that he believes contributed to his illness, and how meditation, spirituality, and inner work have changed him as a man, a father, and an artist. This is not a story about survival. It's a story about what illness forces you to see. In this episode: Why he believes suppressed emotion made him ill How he managed his own cancer while caring for his dying brother Why he chose a holistic path over chemotherapy and radiotherapy The morning routine that keeps him grounded Losing his brother Harvey and learning to live with grief Generational wisdom, and why we talk about trauma but forget the strength Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: Breaking the Silence on Men's Mental Health 00:02:57 Growing Up in Birmingham: The Emotional Regulator 00:06:21 Sent to India at 16: The Making of Resilience 00:12:48 From Shy Kid to Confident Artist: The Power of Visualization 00:19:32 The Day Everything Changed: Cancer Diagnosis 00:27:36 Performing Through Pain: The Show Must Go On 00:31:31 The Hardest Decision: Choosing a Different Path 00:30:57 Three Weeks Later: His Brother's Aneurysm 00:33:23 Becoming the Caregiver: Driving Between Two Cancer Journeys 00:34:54 The Inner Voice: Meditation, Fasting, and Finding God 00:47:14 Cancer Saved My Life: The Awakening 00:47:35 Losing Harvey: The Brother Who Was His Best Friend 00:57:07 Generational Strength: Drawing From Ancestors and Gurus 00:40:07 The Morning Routine: Two Hours of Sacred Time 00:40:40 Creator vs Consumer: Choosing Your Morning Energy 01:08:23 Sitting With Emotion: The Work of Not Distracting 01:19:32 From Pop Star to Purpose: Redefining Success 01:10:28 Savior: The Song That Became a Letter to His Brother 01:25:45 The Only Truth is Death: Detachment and Living Fully 01:26:51 Turning Darkness Into Impact: The Message of Hope The Dad Project is a podcast and community for men. You don't need to be a dad to be here. FIND HASSL Facebook Instagram Spotify TikTok YouTube THE DAD PROJECT www.thedadproject.co.uk Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok YouTube QUESTIONS THIS VIDEO ANSWERS Q: Can suppressed emotions cause illness? Jaz believes his cancer diagnosis was connected to a lifetime of suppressing his own emotions while being available for everyone around him. He links emotional suppression to physical illness and science is beginning to support the idea that what we carry inside us has a direct impact on our health. Q: How do men deal with grief after losing a brother? Jaz lost his brother Harvey to brain cancer. He describes sitting with his emotions rather than distracting himself, returning to spiritual practice, and writing a song as part of his healing. He says he doesn't think he'll ever fully accept the loss — but he has found peace in knowing he did everything he could. Q: How do you stay strong when someone close to you is dying? Jaz managed his own cancer while attending the majority of his brother's appointments, flying to Germany for medication, and performing publicly throughout. He credits his wife, his spiritual practice, and the discipline he built as a teenager in India with giving him the capacity to keep going. Q: What is a good morning routine for men's mental health? Jaz wakes at 5:30am, drinks water with lemon and ginger, meditates for up to an hour using 963Hz frequency meditation followed by a Joe Dispenza guided session, journals for 15 minutes, and does lymphatic drainage on a trampoline. He describes the morning as the window to create rather than consume. Q: How does spirituality help men through mental health challenges? Jaz found that meditation and spiritual connection gave him the silence and inner voice he needed to navigate cancer, grief, and identity. He draws on Sikh teachings, ancestral strength, and the idea that going inward, not outward, is where real answers are found.

    He Found Out He Had Cancer. Then Went On Stage That Night | Jaz Dhami

  6. Mar 26

    They Said No One Would Marry Him. He Proved Them All Wrong." | Amo Raju OBE

    What does it feel like to grow up disabled, be told no one would marry you, and carry 17 years of silent pain — all while building one of the most respected charities in the Midlands? Amo Raju OBE sits down with Naroop Jhooti for one of the most raw, unfiltered conversations The Dad Project has ever hosted. Amo shares the stories he's never told publicly, the aunties who wrote him off at age 8, the 4-hour cry that changed his life at 17, eloping with the woman he loved against caste and family, a hospital chaplain's words that became his life's mantra, and 30 years of silent depression as a CEO at the top of his game. This is a conversation about disability, identity, love, fatherhood, mental health and what it means to be a man who refuses to stay in the box others build for him. Chapters 00:00:00 The Hospital Chaplain Who Changed Everything 00:02:34 The Turning Point: Four Hours of Crying at Age 17 00:06:13 Growing Up Disabled: The Conversations Had About Him Without Him 00:09:41 Three Little Girls and the Bullying That Changed Everything 00:34:33 The Love Story: Eloping Against Caste and Disability 00:41:20 Twenty-Five Years Without Acceptance: The In-Laws' Rejection 00:56:39 Thirty Years of Hidden Depression: The Therapy Sessions 01:17:31 The Second Awakening: Owning Success and Removing the Mask 01:07:51 Buckingham Palace and Making Noise: The OBE and What Comes Next Topics covered: Growing up disabled in a first-generation immigrant family Being bullied at school and carrying it in silence The emotional breakdown at 17 that became a turning point Eloping - marrying against caste with a disabled man no family wanted 25 years of in-law rejection and what it taught him about love A mini-stroke, a hospital chaplain, and a mantra that changed everything 30 years of secret depression as a CEO Receiving an OBE and what Mrs Raju said on the drive home Disability in India, donating 650+ wheelchairs, and fighting global inequality What it means to become "King of Disabled People" About The Dad Project The Dad Project is a podcast and community for real, unfiltered conversations on men's mental health, fatherhood, and the struggles men carry in silence. Follow Andrew Pritchard Instagram: @amorajuofficial LinkedIn: dr-amo-raju-obe-dl-1253a634/ Facebook: @amo.raju.39 TedTalk: He Walks Like a Man Follow The Dad Project Instagram: @thedadprojecthq (https://www.instagram.com/thedadprojecthq) TikTok: @thedadprojecthq (https://www.tiktok.com/@thedadprojecthq) YouTube: @thedadprojecthq (https://www.youtube.com/@thedadprojecthq) X (Twitter): @thedadprojecthq LinkedIn: The Dad Project (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-dad-project) #MensMentalHealth #DisabilityAwareness #TheDadProject #AmoRaju #MensWellbeing

    They Said No One Would Marry Him. He Proved Them All Wrong." | Amo Raju OBE

  7. Mar 5

    He Smuggled £100 Million of Cocaine But One Moment in Prison Made Him Realize He'd Got It All Wrong

    What happens when a man who smuggled £100 million worth of cocaine walks back into the same prison that once held him, but this time as the person offering hope? Andrew Pritchard lived several lives in one lifetime. Sound system operator in the acid house era. Warehouse rave promoter hunted by police task forces. International drug smuggler moving metric tons of cocaine. High security Category A prisoner facing 15 years. And now, prison reform advocate, charity founder and living proof that redemption is possible. But this conversation isn't just about crime or punishment. It's about identity, fatherhood, legacy and what it truly means to rebuild when everything you thought defined you is stripped away. Andrew grew up mixed race in 1960s Britain, the son of a white builder and a Jamaican mother who arrived during Windrush. He never had brothers to guide him. He chased belonging through sound systems, illegal raves and eventually organised crime. He became addicted, not to substances, but to the adrenaline, the dopamine hit, the validation that came from being someone people feared and respected. Then one day in HMP Belmarsh, his father walked into the visiting hall. Andrew saw a broken man. The strong builder he remembered from childhood was now frail, aged, destroyed by his son's choices. That moment changed everything. In this episode Andrew speaks openly about: The visit that shattered him and made him question everything Growing up mixed race and the identity crisis that shaped his choices Sound system culture and the warehouse rave scene that defined a generation Why crime is an addiction just like drugs The hollowness inside that drove him to seek validation through danger Creating One Postcode, a revolutionary prison program that resolved 93% of gang conflicts Common sense solutions the system refuses to implement Walking back into prisons as an authority instead of a prisoner Meeting the judge who sentenced him to 15 years—and what happened next The three people every man needs: champion, mentor and sponsor Writing Empire of the Dirt, his legacy and historical document Why legacy matters more than money, status or reputation Where there's life, there's hope, and how to rebuild from rock bottom Chapters 00:00:00 Breaking the Silence on Men's Mental Health 00:02:31 The Visit That Changed Everything: Seeing His Father Broken 00:07:07 Growing Up Mixed Race: The Identity Crisis 00:11:33 From Sound Systems to Warehouse Raves: A Life in the Shadows 00:24:17 The Addiction to Crime: Understanding the Dopamine Hit 00:27:37 The Hollowness Inside: Why He Chose Crime 00:30:01 One Postcode: A Revolutionary Prison Program 00:41:20 Common Sense Solutions: Fixing What's Broken in the System 00:49:00 From Prisoner to Authority: Walking Back Into Prisons 01:12:56 Meeting the Judge Who Sentenced Him to 15 Years 01:30:55 The Three People You Need: Champion, Mentor, and Sponsor 01:21:11 Empire of the Duck: Writing His Legacy 01:29:36 Where There's Life, There's Hope: Final Words of Wisdom "A leopard may not be able to change his spots, but a leopard can change his mind. You can change. You have to have a reason for changing. If you find something which is better, or something which is more really connecting to you, you won't go back on that road." Andrew's story proves that your past does not define your future. That hitting rock bottom can become the foundation for something greater. And that the same skills that made you successful as a criminal can be redirected to build legacy, impact and transformation. If you've ever felt lost, made choices you regret, or wondered if it's too late to change, this episode will show you that redemption isn't just possible. It's waiting for you to decide. 🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations about men's mental health, identity, redemption and what it truly means to rebuild your life. Follow Andrew Pritchard Instagram: @andrewpritchardofficial LinkedIn: Andrew Pritchard Book: Empire of the Dirt Website: AP Foundation Follow The Dad Project Instagram: @thedadprojecthq (https://www.instagram.com/thedadprojecthq) TikTok: @thedadprojecthq (https://www.tiktok.com/@thedadprojecthq) YouTube: @thedadprojecthq (https://www.youtube.com/@thedadprojecthq) X (Twitter): @thedadprojecthq LinkedIn: The Dad Project (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-dad-project) #MensMentalHealth #PrisonReform #Redemption #OrganizedCrime #Identity #MixedRace #TheDadProject #OnePostcode #Legacy #BreakTheSilence #RealStories #AndrewPritchard #Transformation #SecondChances

  8. Feb 12

    From Council Estate to Environmental Leader: How Racism, Gang Life and Fatherhood Shaped His Mission

    What happens when a young boy desperate to fit in becomes a man who finally learns to stand out? Ketan Ganatra grew up as the only Asian family on a council estate in South East London. Every day was hostile. Spat at. Punched. Racially abused by neighbours, teachers and strangers. He hid his pain from his parents, mapped routes through school corridors to avoid skinheads and learned to survive by pretending to be someone he wasn't. At 11 he met two Jamaican brothers who invited him to the youth club. Suddenly he had protection. Respect. A new identity. He became Ket -gold teeth, bandanas, street persona. But beneath it all, he was still the kid who loved nature, who spent hours in libraries reading about ecosystems and who dreamed of a life beyond the estate. Years later, Ketan would leave gang life behind, fight his way into university despite having no GCSEs, complete a master's degree and build a successful environmental recruitment business—all while navigating a world that told him his name wasn't good enough, his background didn't fit and his face didn't belong. In this episode Ketan speaks openly about: Growing up as the only Asian family on a hostile council estate Daily racial abuse from neighbours, teachers and strangers Finding acceptance in gang culture and creating a fake persona to survive Hiding his secret passion for nature and ecology Community service that reconnected him to his childhood dreams Going to university with no GCSEs and feeling like an outsider Being told to change his name to get responses from employers Keith Draper's 87% interview success rate versus Ketan's silence Leaving corporate life to start his own business from his parents' box room Two mortgages, two kids and pretending he had an office in the city Missing his son's first crawl and deciding to change everything Building a well in Uganda and reconnecting with his family's roots Monthly food distribution events and supporting adults with learning difficulties Running eye treatment camps in India and organising school talks Fighting for diversity in the environmental sector Learning to love himself and stop living in comparison Being the father he wished he'd had and raising grounded children What true masculinity means beyond the stereotypes Chapters 00:00:47 Introduction: Breaking the Silence on Men's Mental Health 00:01:58 Growing Up on a Council Estate: Daily Racism and Violence 00:11:56 Finding Refuge in Libraries and a Secret Passion for Nature 00:09:10 The Turning Point: From Gang Life to Gold Teeth 00:16:02 Community Service and a Great Crested Newt That Changed His Path 00:33:19 The Keith Draper Experiment: When Your Name Determines Your Future 00:41:32 The Box Room Hustle: Building a Business From Parents' Home 00:39:05 The WhatsApp Video That Changed Everything 01:01:52 Building a Well in Uganda: Completing the Triangle 01:14:52 Redefining Masculinity: The Provider, Not the Performer 01:10:19 Daily Rituals of a 52-Year-Old Who Looks 35 01:06:39 Fatherhood and Phone-Free Forest Walks 00:56:05 From Food Distribution to Eye Camps: A Life of Service 01:18:55 The Mission: Diversifying the Environmental Sector "I can only compare me to me and I can only compare me to the person I was yesterday. No one else. My competition is me." Ketan's story proves that your postcode doesn't define your potential. Your name doesn't limit your worth. And the world that rejected you can become the world you transform. If you've ever felt like you don't belong, if you've hidden parts of yourself to fit in, or if you're building something from nothing while everyone doubts you—this episode will show you that the struggle shapes the strength and the outsider becomes the leader. 🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations about identity, fatherhood, resilience and what it truly means to be a good man. Follow Ketan Dattani Instagram: @ketanova LinkedIn: Ketan Dattani Company: Buckingham Futures Follow The Dad Project Instagram: @thedadprojecthq TikTok: @thedadprojecthq YouTube: @thedadprojecthq X (Twitter): @thedadprojecthq LinkedIn: The Dad Project #MensMentalHealth #Diversity #EnvironmentalSector #GangLife #Identity #Fatherhood #TheDadProject #Entrepreneurship #OvercomingAdversity #RealStories #KetanGanatra #BreakTheSilence #Resilience #PurposeDriven

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Real stories. Brave voices. The Dad Project is dedicated to celebrating and uplifting men, sharing their powerful stories of perseverance, love, and hope. By highlighting their unique journeys and the challenges they overcome, the project seeks to dismantle stereotypes and emphasise the importance of men’s mental health and emotional well-being. Through authentic storytelling, The Dad Project inspires understanding and compassion, fostering a community that values the strength and dedication of these fathers and encourages them to share their truths.

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  • Creator
    The Dad Project
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Dad Project
  • Show Website
    The Dad Project