Dad to Dad Podcast

Our guest this week is Rob Reider of Falmouth, ME a father of two and co-founder and executive director of the Sad Dads Club.Rob and his wife, Tehilah, have been married for 12 years and are the proud parents of two children: Dallas (6) who is autistic and Lila, who very sadly passed away in 2017 as the result of a still birth.Rob along with Chris Piasecki and Jay Tansey who also lost children to a still birth about the same time are co-founders of the Sad Dads Club, a global support community for fathers who have lost a child, helping them navigate life after loss by providing community and access to mental health services. While losing a child is conisdered a parent's worst nightmare, those involved with the Sad Dads Club find comfort in knowing they are not alone. It's a surprising uplifting story all on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast. Show Notes - Email – rob@saddadsclub.orgLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-reider-65438840/Website - https://saddadsclub.org/SFN Audiobook 'On Losing A Child' - https://tinyurl.com/46jueh3s Join 21CD on the SFN U.S. Tour, a 30 day, 50 state, 60+ stop tour taking place from May 21 to June 21, 2026: to strengthen and grow the Special Fathers Network and distribute 1,000 complimentary copies of our new book: Dads Raising Children With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads. Special Fathers Network –SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: “I wish there was something like this when we first received our child’s diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Join the SFN U.S. Tour in one of 60+ locations all across the U.S. from May 21st to June 21st. Go to www.21stCenturyDads.org for additional informaiton. Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/

Our guest this week is Matt Shepherd of Emporia, KS who is President and CEO of Midwest Evaluation & Research and father of two adopted children including one with developmental delays. Matt and his wife, Brenda, have been married for 35 years and are the proud parents of two adopted children; Jeremy (26) and Bonnie (25) who has high emotional intelligence as well as development delays.Professionally, Matt is owner of Midwest Evaluations and Research, a consulting firm that helps community-based organizations, foundations, schools, and governments evaluate and improve their programs. Along the way he has developed a high level of experience and expertise doing research for and evaluation of fatherhood programs. Matt is also to the founder and former board chair of Social Innovation Labratory, a non-profit that drives community-led change through partnerships and research to build equitable, innovative, and sustainable systems.Matt also founded Caerus Place for Woman, based in Souix Falls, SD to provide safe housing, compassionate support, and pathways to stability and independence for women in crisis.We’ll hear all about Matt’s work and family on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (620) 757-9101Email – Matt.Shepherd@Midwestevaluation.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-shepherd-86594056/Company – https://midwestevaluation.com/Social Innovation Labs – https://www.socialinnovationlab.org/Order your copy of the new 21CD book: Dads Raising Chidlren With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tdvjcvSpecial Fathers Network –SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: “I wish there was something like this when we first received our child’s diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Join the SFN U.S. Tour in one of 60+ locations all across the U.S. from May 21st to June 21st. Go to www.21stCenturyDads.org for additional informaiton. Please conisder hosting, co-hosting or simoly joining the tour near your home. Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/Special thanks to SFN Mentor Father, SFN Mastermind Group dad and 21CD board member Shane Madden for creating the SFN jingle on the front and back end of the podcast..

Order your copy of the new 21CD book: Dads Raising Chidlren With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tdvjcvOur guest this week is Patton Dodd, of San Antonio,TX who is the Executive Director of the H.E. Butt Foundation, author and father of three. Patton and his wife, Michaela, have married for 26 years and are the proud parents of three children: Isabell (22), Henry (18) and Luisa (15).Occupationally, Patton is the executive director of the H.E. Butt Foundation. Since the 1930s, the foundation has served people in Texas and beyond in various ways according to the needs of the time, including improving literacy and mental health care, funding recreation and camps, hosting ecumenical Christian retreats at Laity Lodge, at Laity Lodge, and partnering with other organizations that serve families and children.Patton a longtime journalist and essayist is also author of the book: The Father You Get And The Ones You Make, Believe In And Become, a reflective and deeply personal exploration of how men inherit, reinterpret, and ultimately choose the models of fatherhood that shape their own identity as dads.It's an enlightening and houghtful conversation about fathering all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (719) 325-6965Email – pattondodd@gmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattondodd/Substack – https://pattondodd.substack.com/H.E. Butt Foundation - https://hebfdn.org/The Father You Get And The Ones You Make, Believe In And Become - https://tinyurl.com/293wx6urSpecial Fathers Network –SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: “I wish there was something like this when we first received our child’s diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Order your copy of the new 21CD book: Dads Raising Chidlren With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tdvjcvCheck out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/Special thanks to SFN Mentor Father, SFN Mastermind Group dad and 21CD board member Shane Madden for creating the SFN jingle on the front and back end of the podcast..

Our guest this week is Brad Meshell, a wealth advisor, executive director of Jacob's Audible and father of three, including an autistic son. Brad and his wife, Jaime, have been married for seven years and are the proud parents of three children: Jailyn (18), Jackson (4) and Jacob (7) who is Autistic. Brad is also the founder and executive director of Jabob's Audible, a non-profit founded in 2022, whose mission is: Supporting Autistic Kids, Empowering Parents and Building Community. Some of their events include: Pictures With Santa, Ammo For Autism Clay Shoot and the 444 Mile Walk, Bike, Run.Some of Brad's gifts include his authenticity and his reslience. It’s a frank discussion where Brad tells of his journey of having a child with special needs all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links Phone – (615) 589-9898Email – brad@jacobsaudible.orgLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-meshell-a956b21b6/Jacob’s Audible - https://www.jacobsaudible.org/Special Fathers Network –SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: “I wish there was something like this when we first received our child’s diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/Special thanks to SFN Mentor Father, SFN Mastermind Group dad and 21CD board member Shane Madden for creating the SFN jingle on the front and back end of the podcast..

Our guest this week Hugh Hempel of Denver, CO, a technology industry veteran turned health care entrepreneur and father of identical twin daughters with Niemann Pick Type C.Hugh and his wife Chris, have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of identical twin daughters Addison & Cassidy. The girls were born in January 2004 and were both diagnosed with Niemann Pick Type C, a type of childhood ALS, a very rare neurogenerative disease. Despite heroic efforts to find a cure and treatments, very sadly the twins passed away in 2019 at age 15.After a successful tech career that included working at: IBM, Apple and Netscape to name a few, and as a result of the twins' diagnosis, Hugh & Chris became outspoken advocates for rare disease research. They also created the Addi & Cassidy Fund, a resource for families impacted by Niemann Pick, Cyclodextrin, and a myriad of stories, and resources for families impacted by a wide range of rare diseases. Hugh has also served in a wide range of leadership positions, including Solutions Therapuetics, Sparkpr, Parent Advocist, N=1 Collaboration and Strainz. In January 2015 Hugh gave a TEDx Talk presentation entitled: Why I Changed My Mind About Medical Cannabis, coincidentally on Addi & Cassidy's 11th birthday. We’ll hear about the Hempel family and about Hugh and Chris’ quest to find a cure and treatments for rare and ultra rare diseases, all on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast. This is Part 1 of a two part interview. Show Links Phone - (775) 338-4844Email – Hugh@Hempelfamily.com LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hughhempel/?skipRedirect=true Website – N=1 Collaboration – https://www.n1collaborative.org/Website – Addi & Cassie Fund - https://addiandcassi.com/TEDx Talk – Why I Changed My Mind About Medical Cannabis (January2015) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N8QMeIsX2c&t=1sDr. Sanjay Gupta CNN story (11.22.14) -https://vimeo.com/420572177?fl=pl&fe=vlMayo Clinic NPT1 - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/niemann-pick/symptoms-causes/syc-20355887MIPLYFFA Website - https://miplyffa.com/Special Fathers Network –SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: “I wish there was something like this when we first received our child’s diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/Special thanks to SFN Mentor Father, SFN Mastermind Group dad and 21CD board member Shane Madden for creating the SFN jingle on the front and back end of the podcast..

Our guest this week is John O’Leary of St. Louis MO who is a motivational speaker, bestselling author, host of the Live Inspired Podcast, the subject of the recently released major motion picture SOUL ON FIRE and perhaps most importantly, the father of four children.John and his wife, Beth, have married for 22 years and are the proud parents of four children ages 14 to 20.At age nine, John was badly burned in a horrific gasoline fire, leaving him with third-degree burns on more than 80% of his body. Given less than 1/2 of 1% chance of survival, he somehow beat the odds. Central to John’s story is the role Jack Buck, the iconic St. Louis Cardinals sportcaster, played in John’s life. After graduating from St. Louis University and a 15 year career in real estate, John became a motvational speaker and two-time best selling author of the books: · On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life· In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and JoyThe theatrical release of the movie Soul On Fire took place in October 2025, which is an inspiring true story about John, who survives a devastating childhood burn accident and transforms unimaginable suffering into a life of gratitude, resilience, and purpose—showing how hope, faith, and human connection can triumph over tragedy. The movie is now streaming on: Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube and elsewhere. This is Part 2 of the interview with John O’Leary, a story about faith, family and perseverance, on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes – Email – jo@johnolearyinspires.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-o-leary-08b2805/Website – https://johnolearyinspires.com/Book – On Fire: The Seven Chocies To Ignite A Radically Ispired Life – https://tinyurl.com/vn5d733u Book – In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and Joy – https://tinyurl.com/4h4duvjtMovie – Soul On Fire Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CslVGLETWpsSpecial Fathers Network –SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: “I wish there was something like this when we first received our child’s diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/Special thanks to SFN Mentor Father, SFN Mastermind Group dad and 21CD board member Shane Madden for creating the SFN jingle on the front and back end of the podcast..