Ep 27: Put on Your Mask First — Nick DeMarinis on Being the Dad You Want to Be

Ep 27: Put on Your Mask First — Nick DeMarinis on Being the Dad You Want to Be

From The Dad Manual by Tony Cooper

June 30, 2026 · 53 min · Episode 27

About this episode

Nick DeMarinis shares his journey of intentional fatherhood while raising twin boys in Hong Kong.

Most dads ease into fatherhood one kid at a time. Nick DeMarinis skipped that part. He found out he was having identical twin boys while living in Hong Kong, 8,000 miles from family. In this episode, Nick shares the blueprint he built for present, intentional fatherhood: setting expectations with employers so he never misses what matters, co-parenting as a true team, and taking care of himself first so he has something real to give. From WeWork's turnaround to a PopAShot national championship, Nick proves you don't have to sacrifice the dad you want to be. Key takeaways: How Nick's parents — a bread man and a teacher from New York — gave him a clear blueprint for fatherhood Why moving back from Hong Kong with twin infants taught him the power of structure and discipline How radical transparency with employers creates space for the dad commitments that matter The "survive and advance" mindset that got him and his wife through the first year with twins Why intentional one-on-one time with each twin is one of the most underrated things twin parents can do What his son Max's act of compassion toward a crying classmate told him about the dad he's becoming How the PopAShot national…

People in this episode

Host: Tony Cooper

Guest: Nick DeMarinis

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Hong Kong, New York

More episodes of The Dad Manual

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