Episode 194 - Shellee Howard - Get Your Kids College Ready with a Plan and a Question - Who Are You

College Ready Founder and CEO

Shellee has traveled around the world helping students plan for their “perfect match” college. She knows what it takes to compete in the Ivy schools as well as finding the best fit for all students. Shellee believes that no two students are the same, and each student must have their own strategy and plan to be successful. Each student has a gift/talent and a passion that will set him or her apart from their competition. College Ready has clients all over the world, and each one is important. Her focus is to find the best academic, financial, and social fit college for each student to thrive at!

You deserve the College Ready “All hands on deck!” approach to your college application. We have the best college admissions consultants ready to help your student succeed!

At College Ready, we are a team of certified college admissions consultants driven to help your student succeed both in college and in life. We plan individually with students and their families to build the perfect college match as well as financial fit.

Our focus is your son or daughter and what he or she aspires to achieve. We are Certified College Counselors from UCSD, UCLA and come with years of experience helping students get into the perfect college or university. We enjoy working with students of all ages and stages. We have specialists who focus on the Ivy schools, and we have specialists who focus on getting B students into the best-fit college. Our goal is to help your student be the best they can be while graduating with little or no debt!

https://collegereadyplan.com/

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music provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 193 - He Lost His Baby Too, Who Cares for the Father When Loss Hits Your Home

Who cares for Dads when the unthinkable happens - well it happened to me when we lost our child during pregnacy - I almost lost my wife as well. I recently had a guest author on my Living The Next Chapter Podcast.

If you want to hear Elizabeth's interview follow this link for more:

https://youtu.be/IGtexvEVVn8

https://www.elizabeth-johnstone.com/

Elizabeth Johnstone wrote a book about her journey of loss as a Mother when she lost her baby during pregnacy - this conversation with Elizabeth made me revisit my own giref as a Dad - the resources are not readily available for Dads - why is this? Why are we just a paragraph in a take home pamphlet on dealing with grief - who cares for a Dad when Dad is caring for Mom?

When do we get to grieve as a Dad and is there anybody out there for us - if you have ever felt that there is nobody here for you in your grief, I tracked down a great author and fellow grieving Dad to help us all - check out Kelly's details here

https://www.grievingdads.com/

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music provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 192 - When Parents Aren't Getting Along - When Relationships Impact Family

4 Key Points for Dads: "When Parents Aren’t Getting Along – When Relationships Impact Family"

Acknowledge What Kids See and Feel

Children are deeply sensitive to tension and arguments between parents—even when you think you’re hiding it. Recognize that your kids notice changes in tone, body language, and distance. It’s important to reassure them that both parents still love them and the issues are not their fault.

Model Healthy Conflict and Respect

Disagreements are a normal part of any relationship, but how you handle conflict teaches your children crucial lessons. Aim to demonstrate respect, self-control, and active listening. Avoid insulting, yelling, or putting each other down, especially in front of your children. Showing that you can disagree and resolve issues maturely sets a lifelong example.

Prioritize Open Communication

Be proactive in talking to your partner about challenges rather than letting resentment build. Also, talk with your kids in an age-appropriate way: let them know families sometimes have tough moments, but working together as a team is important. Open communication supports a sense of safety and stability for everyone in the household.

Protect the Parent-Child Relationship

Never use your relationship struggles as a reason to involve children in adult concerns or to undermine your partner as a parent. Commit to supporting each other’s roles with your kids. Children benefit most when they see that, even in hard times, both parents remain invested in their wellbeing and daily lives.

Encouragement to Dads:

Being honest about difficulties, while working towards a respectful atmosphere, gives your children security and valuable coping skills. Family challenges are real, but with intentionality, dads can contribute to resilience and healing for everyone.

tik tok video link from episode

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSkoydU1M/

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music provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 191 - Bret Davis - Author of Bretisms - Philosophies For a Life with Less Anxiety and More Confidence

Bret Davis is the author of a new book called "Bretisms" - A collection of thoughts over 30 chapters designed to be your new daily read! "You can't trip over things that are behind you" and more help you to hit the reset button and create space for yourself as a Dad.

This is a shortened version of Bret's appearance on my author podcast, Living The Next Chapter. If you are dealing with a lack of confidence or an abundance of anxious thoughts and beliefs, this book might just be your next best read.

Want to hear the entire interview? Check out out other podcast - Living The Next Chapter

Bret's episode:

https://pod.link/1607392975/episode/365e21188c332d1c7ebc3c58b9a8012f

Bret's Website"

https://bretisms.com/

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music provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 190 - Alex Lloyd Hunter - The Dad Shift, parents campaigning for better paternity leave in the UK

The Dad Shift is a group of men, dads and other parents campaigning for better paternity leave in the UK

The UK’s statutory paternity leave is bad. Really bad. In fact, it’s the worst in Europe.

Dads and non-birthing parents get only two weeks off, paid at less than half the minimum wage. Self employed people get nothing.

There’s now loads of evidence that this is bad for everyone: mums, dads, kids, and society as a whole.

Gives dads enough time off to support their partner and bond with their kids, without taking leave away from mums.

Is paid at a rate that means everyone can afford to take it, with self-employed people getting paid too.

Gives both parents equal leave, so mums and dads are free to shape their own roles in the family, not have them dictated by gender.

We’re campaigning for substantial, affordable and equal leave for both parents in every relationship - same-sex, heterosexual, or adoptive - and for self-employed people.

donate here!

https://dadshift.org.uk/?form=website

https://dadshift.org.uk/

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music provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 189 - J Hall - God Help Me, I'm a Young Dad - Ten big ideas for Dads

J Hall is an author, educator, podcaster from Oklahoma City where he lives in with his wife, two dogs, and a rotating cast of adult children who stop in for meals and occasional dog-sitting. Most importantly, he is a grandpa, and he will certainly bore you to tears telling you how awesome his grandson is.

J is the author of two books - God Help Me! I’m a Young Dad: 10 Essentials for Becoming the Dad Your Kids Need and his new book - College Unpacked: A Practical Guide to Choosing, Preparing For, and Excelling in College. J clearly does not believe in short titles.

After more than 15 years in professional ministry, J has spent the second half of his career in higher education, currently serving as Dean of Social Sciences at Oklahoma City Community College and teaching sociology.

Since 2021, J has hosted and produced the Okie Bookcast, a podcast dedicated to connecting curious readers with their next great read through interviewing authors and storytellers connected to Oklahoma. He also co-hosts a monthly book chat show through the Bookcast with his daughter, author and screenwriter Hannah Herron. J is a regular guest on a number of podcasts, talking about everything from books to pop culture to fatherhood and more.

Book: God Help Me! I’m a Young Dad presents ten big ideas for dads who desire to become the father God wants them to be. Full of stories, encouragement, and practical application, this book equips young fathers to develop these essential characteristics in themselves and model them for their children while also helping those children begin the process of developing these traits in their own lives. Written for dads with kids from birth to age twelve, the insights and applications connect with dads of all ages and at all stages of fatherhood.

Additionally, the book features a thirty day devotional guide to encourage readers to think about and begin to practice the essentials discussed in the book.

https://www.jhallwriter.com/

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Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 188 - Maury Wood - Grit and Wit For Dads - Give Your Kids Permission to Ask Questions Without Fear

life’s too short to take seriously all the time — and way too long not to laugh at yourself along the way.

Grit & Wit is where real-life stories meet a little sarcasm, a little wisdom, and a lot of "well, that didn't go as planned." It’s faith, family, and finding the good stuff — even when you’re dodging laundry piles and rogue snakes in the kitchen.

Now also available in surround sound:

The Grit & Wit Podcast on Spotify — real talk on parenting, marriage, faith, and whatever chaos shows up next

YouTube Channel — stories, reflections, and moments that hit home (and hit your funny bone)

Want to support the stories? You can buy me a coffee here.

New! Check out the official Grit & Wit shirts: Grit & Wit Store

Currently writing a book inspired by a handwritten letter from my grandmother — a story about legacy, grit, and the lessons that last. Coming soon.

Also featured on podcasts like Dad Up, Dad Space, Living the Next Chapter, and The Family Teams Podcast, with more to come. You can give them a listen in the Grit and Wit in the Wild tab.

No spam. No ads. No lectures. Just a guy with a few scars, a lot of memories, and a stubborn streak trying to make sense of it all — and helping you do the same.

Pull up a chair. It’s going to be fun.

https://gritandwit.substack.com/

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music provided by Blue Dot Sessions

Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270

Episode 187 - Sally McQuillen - Loving and Losing a Wild Child, Addiction, Rehab and Dangerous Choices

Sally McQuillen, LCSW, CADC, is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in addiction, grief, and trauma recovery.

She provides ongoing support for addiction recovery, as well as support for those recovering from the impact of a loved one’s addiction. She sees adults seeking relief from mood symptoms, helps them navigate their personal and professional relationships and lead more fulfilling lives. She works with clients to find peace and healing from trauma and loss. Her goal is to bring light into the lives of her clients intuitively pulling from different therapeutic models and resources to support their specific needs.

Book: Reaching for Beautiful - A Memoir of Loving and Losing a Wild Child

A luminous story of how love triumphs over pain, love transcends fear, and love never dies; this debut memoir from a mother grieving her young-adult son’s death is a must-read for any parent who has lost a child, is raising a child from the edge of their seat, or whose family struggles with addiction.

When Sally’s twenty-one-year-old son died in a boat accident, her greatest fear is realized. Christopher was often drawn to risk and struggled with addiction. In this riveting memoir, Sally captures the wild ride of his jam-packed life and her deep love for him while reflecting on her own childhood and family’s legacy of alcoholism.

Sally shares insights about what it’s like to experience the emotional aftershocks of acute grief, filtered through the lens of her personal experience as a mother and her professional vantage point as a psychotherapist. Even if they have not been touched by loss in this way, readers may see themselves in Sally’s bittersweet illusion of trying to keep her son safe, in how she is challenged to let go of her fear, guilt, and regret in order to forgive herself, and in the ways grief teaches her about the power of love.

https://www.sallymcquillen.com/

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Song: The Big Ten https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/258270