About this episode

Tony Cooper interviews Brad Barnes about the raw experiences of becoming a father for the second time, including grief and personal growth.

What does it look like to become a father through the windshield — not the rearview mirror? Tony Cooper sits down with Brad Barnes, a transformational trainer and dad-to-be at 12 weeks, for a conversation unlike any other on this fatherhood podcast. Brad shares the raw, unfiltered experience of stepping into fatherhood for the second time — carrying the grief of a pregnancy loss, the wisdom of a decade of personal growth, and a fierce commitment to showing up differently. This is fatherhood in real time, not in hindsight. Key Takeaways: Choosing your partner is also choosing to become a dad — and that decision carries enormous weight Grief from pregnancy loss doesn't fully "heal," but it can become a source of meaning and forward motion The gap between who you are today and who you need to be as a father is something you can close — intentionally At 24, Brad exploded his life overnight when he found out he was going to be a dad. At 33, nothing needed to change. That's what a decade of inner work looks like. Generational patterns can't all be interrupted consciously — but the tools you carry into parenthood matter more than perfection The ego gets tested like nowhere else in…

People in this episode

Host: Tony Cooper

Guest: Brad Barnes

Topics covered

• fatherhood
• pregnancy loss
• personal growth
• vulnerability
• parenting decisions
• generational patterns

Keywords

• fatherhood
• pregnancy loss
• personal growth
• vulnerability
• parenting
• generational patterns
• commitment

More episodes of The Dad Manual

• Ep 17: Find Your Tribe: A Girl Dad's Guide to Fatherhood and Evolving · April 21, 2026 · 40 min
• Ep 16: What Your Kids Learn When You're Not Looking · April 14, 2026 · 36 min
• Ep 15: From Classroom to Fatherhood: How Teaching Made Mike a Better Dad · April 7, 2026 · 39 min
• Ep 14: Apologies, Accountability, and the Art of Being an Imperfect Dad · March 31, 2026 · 43 min
• Ep 13: The Stepfather's Journey: Blended Families, Boundaries, and Unwavering Love · March 24, 2026 · 59 min
• Ep 12: Screwing Up and Showing Up: Mike Knittel on Sobriety, Redemption, and Fatherhood · March 17, 2026 · 55 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Dad Manual podcast page.