Working Dads

Dear Media
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Daily

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything between.

  1. 1d ago

    The One Thing Matt Wishes He Did Differently While Building a 10-Year Company | Matt, CEO of Hunter

    Three things you'll learn in this episode: Why Matt says the biggest mistake he made wasn't working too much — it was not taking enough risks early when he still could bounce back How his wife's unconditional support became the silent foundation of everything he built — and what happens to founders whose partners don't have that belief What it actually feels like when your kids leave the house and go build their own lives — and why they never really leave your mind, they just occupy it differently What we cover: 00:00 — Introduction Matt, CEO of Hunter, husband, stepfather turned biological father, and the guy who went from bachelor to dad of a four-year-old in a very short window of time 00:00 — From San Francisco to Kansas Why two young people in one of the most expensive cities in the world packed up and moved back to a small town — and what that culture shock actually felt like 00:00 — The dot com bubble with a toddler at home Navigating a bursting industry, a career change, a new baby, a house purchase, and a relocation — all inside a two-year window 00:00 — What he gave up Sleep. Friendships. Art. Photography. The personal stuff that quietly disappears when you're building a career and raising kids at the same time 00:00 — The night shift strategy How Matt structured his days — work hard all day, come home for dinner and the kids, then grind again from nine until whenever — and whether he'd do it the same way now 00:00 — The risk he wishes he took Why he played it safe early in his career and why he'd go back and bet bigger if he could — even with kids at home 00:00 — His wife's role in all of it What unconditional support actually looks like. Why he says the partner question is binary — either they support it or the relationship breaks 00:00 — Building Hunter Ten years bootstrapped. Profitable. Built to fight for small businesses that everyone else ignores. Where the idea came from and what keeps him going 00:00 — When the kids leave How fatherhood changes when your kids stop being physically present and start building their own lives — and why they somehow take up just as much space in your head 00:00 — What success looks like for his kids Not what Matt built. Not what he earned. Just that they're living life entirely on their own terms. 00:00 — The risk envelope Why the best thing an entrepreneurial parent can give their kids isn't money or connections — it's a healthy relationship with risk About Matt Matt is the CEO of Hunter, a bootstrapped and profitable software company helping small businesses with lead generation and outreach. He has spent over two decades building companies and leading teams, starting with Bold Chat — which was acquired by LogMeIn — before founding Hunter. He is a husband and father of two grown sons, one of whom followed him into tech and one of whom became a tattoo artist in New York. He lives in Massachusetts. Website: hunter.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matttharp/ About Working Dads Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either. No gurus. No highlight reels. Just real talk. 🎙 New episode every week 📩 Subscribe to Built During Bedtime — our weekly newsletter for working dads 💬 Join the community — Slack and Facebook group ✨More Information✨ Enter code for 15% off your first month at Penji: FREEIDEAS Become a customer at Penji: https://penji.co/pricing/ Receive Weekly Advice directly to your email: https://getfreeideas.comSubscribe to Free Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/@GetFreeIdeasSubscribe to Dear Dads: https://www.youtube.com/@deardadsco

  2. Jul 13

    How a Casino VP Balances a Hotel Opening, Two Kids, and 9 Year Marriage

    Andrew Effiong — VP of Hospitality, Casino Executive, and Father of Two Andrew Effiong is a VP of Hospitality at a casino, husband of 9 years, and father of two. In this episode, Andrew gets honest about what it actually looks like to build a high-pressure career in the casino industry while showing up at home for his 8-year-old daughter, 6-year-old son, and 1-year-old dog. We talk about the morning chaos, the parenting evolution nobody warns you about, how he gets 8 hours of sleep every night without an alarm, and why he's never touched a cup of coffee in his life. Real talk. No highlight reels. Just a working dad figuring it out.  Three things you'll learn in this episode:  1. Why parenting doesn't get easier — it just gets different, and what that actually means when you're managing a high-demand career at the same time  2. The exact morning routine Andrew uses to get two kids out the door by 7:31am — including the countdown timer system that saves him every single day  3. How 8 hours of sleep became his non-negotiable foundation for performing at the executive level without caffeine or shortcuts About Andrew Effiong Andrew Effiong is a VP of Hospitality with 14 years of experience in the casino industry.  🎙 New episode every week  📩 Subscribe to Built During Bedtime — our weekly newsletter for working dads  💬 Join the community — Slack and Facebook group Subscribe & Connect  🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aicwtpAEKrXfeViWeCESn?si=sP-QFbZETneBRIGUuoXC1w  🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/free-ideas/id1082216467  📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@workingdadsco  👥 Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/workingdadsco/  🌐 Website: https://workingdads.co/ ✨More Information✨ Enter code for 15% off your first month at Penji: FREEIDEAS Become a customer at Penji: https://penji.co/pricing/ Receive Weekly Advice directly to your email: https://getfreeideas.comSubscribe to Free Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/@GetFreeIdeasSubscribe to Dear Dads: https://www.youtube.com/@deardadsco

  3. 04/02/2025

    Naming Your Business: Why It Matters More Than You Think

    Your name sets the tone. It’s the first impression, the identity, the hook that makes people pay attention (or forget you instantly).  - What makes a great business name - Why the name needs to make sense and feel true to what you do  - How to avoid overthinking and still make progress  - Real-world advice for choosing something memorable and meaningful  Don’t let naming your business slow you down—but don’t treat it like an afterthought either. Find something that clicks, then run with it. ✨More Information✨ Enter code for 15% off your first month at Penji: FREEIDEAS Become a customer at Penji: https://penji.co/pricing/ Receive Weekly Advice directly to your email: https://getfreeideas.comSubscribe to Free Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/@GetFreeIdeasSubscribe to Dear Dads: https://www.youtube.com/@deardadsco

  4. 03/31/2025

    Services You Should Offer (Here’s How to Decide)

    In this episode, we cover:  - Why clarity beats complexity when choosing your services  - How to narrow down your offers based on what you’re confident and comfortable doing  - Why your service should be the exact answer to one clear problem  - How to position yourself as the obvious solution to your prospect’s #1 question  Whether it’s digital marketing, consulting, content creation, or anything else—you don’t need to be everything to everyone. Focus, specialize, and do it well. The real win? Knowing your strengths and building your services around them. ✨More Information✨ Enter code for 15% off your first month at Penji: FREEIDEAS Become a customer at Penji: https://penji.co/pricing/ Receive Weekly Advice directly to your email: https://getfreeideas.comSubscribe to Free Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/@GetFreeIdeasSubscribe to Dear Dads: https://www.youtube.com/@deardadsco

  5. 03/24/2025

    How to Choose a Niche (Find Your Perfect Audience)

    . In this episode, we break down how to:  - Choose a niche without overcomplicating the process - Identify your ideal demographic using real customer data  - Focus on what you’re actually good at (not what’s trending)  - Let your current audience guide your future growth  Whether you’re just starting out or refining your business model, this episode will help you cut through the noise and make smart, grounded decisions. Your niche doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be yours. ✨More Information✨ Enter code for 15% off your first month at Penji: FREEIDEAS Become a customer at Penji: https://penji.co/pricing/ Receive Weekly Advice directly to your email: https://getfreeideas.comSubscribe to Free Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/@GetFreeIdeasSubscribe to Dear Dads: https://www.youtube.com/@deardadsco

  6. 03/19/2025

    How to Start an Marketing Agency

    In this episode of Free Ideas, we break down everything you need to know to build a successful agency from the ground up. - Understand your service—know what you’re truly good at. - Define your offerings—don’t try to do everything, specialize. - Focus on solving problems, not just chasing money. The key to long-term success? Deliver real value and scale smart. When it’s time to grow, use Penji for unlimited, high-quality graphic design to streamline your workflow and keep clients happy. Drop your questions below—what’s your biggest challenge in starting an agency? ✨More Information✨ Enter code for 15% off your first month at Penji: FREEIDEAS Become a customer at Penji: https://penji.co/pricing/ Receive Weekly Advice directly to your email: https://getfreeideas.comSubscribe to Free Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/@GetFreeIdeasSubscribe to Dear Dads: https://www.youtube.com/@deardadsco

  7. 02/28/2025

    Why Weather Vane

    In this video, I’m pulling back the curtain to show you exactly how projects are posted within Penji and the work that goes into optimizing client websites. This is a raw, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build an agency from the ground up. The website? Not perfect. The pricing? Still evolving. The process? Always improving. But waiting for perfection = waiting forever. The real goal is to start getting customers, refine the strategy, and build as we go. Over the next 1-3 months, the website and copy will continue to evolve, but the core mission remains the same: - Help businesses grow through powerful digital marketing strategies. - Leverage Penji’s creative power to deliver high-quality results. - Build an agency that’s transparent, scalable, and adaptable. This is the reality of starting a business in real time—no fluff, no sugarcoating. Watch the process unfold, in real time. ✨More Information✨ Enter code for 15% off your first month at Penji: FREEIDEAS Become a customer at Penji: https://penji.co/pricing/ Receive Weekly Advice directly to your email: https://getfreeideas.comSubscribe to Free Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/@GetFreeIdeasSubscribe to Dear Dads: https://www.youtube.com/@deardadsco

  8. 02/22/2025

    Will It Work?

    This isn’t just a podcast, a business experiment, or a creative outlet—it’s the beginning of something bigger than just numbers, profits, or views. It’s about exploring ideas without limits, testing what works (and what doesn’t), and sharing the raw, unfiltered process of building something from the ground up.  In this episode, I dive deeper into:  - The lessons learned from growing Penji  - The first steps toward launching new ventures  - Conversations that challenge the status quo of business and creativity  - Why sometimes not knowing is the best way to start I don’t have all the answers.  I don’t even have all the questions yet. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from this journey, it’s that every great idea starts with action—and this is mine. If you’re here for the real, unpolished truth about entrepreneurship, creativity, and pushing past doubt, hit Subscribe and join me on this unpredictable journey. ✨More Information✨ Enter code for 15% off your first month at Penji: FREEIDEAS Become a customer at Penji: https://penji.co/pricing/ Receive Weekly Advice directly to your email: https://getfreeideas.comSubscribe to Free Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/@GetFreeIdeasSubscribe to Dear Dads: https://www.youtube.com/@deardadsco

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5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

For dads figuring out work, family, and everything between.

Information

  • Creator
    Dear Media
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    337
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Working Dads