About Me
Hey o! My name is Matt.
I am a Father. Husband. Wannabe IT guy. Outdoor Enthusiast. Forager: (think: Human Truffle Pig).
When we found out we were pregnant with our first, I reacted like most dads: Excitement!!!
But quickly that excitement turned into….. ooooh… shittttt….
I was nervous.
I wanted to be a great dad, but when I looked around, I couldn’t find the resources I was looking for…
*Forrest Gump Voice*
So I just started reading. And I read… and read some more.
Quickly, I realized I was in for the greatest challenge of my life…
I didn’t know SQUAT about being a dad.
I mean, I love my dad. He was a great provider.
And of course I’d seen all of those TV dads.
But being a provider wasn’t my only goal.
I wanted to be an Elite Dad.
My metric for Eliteness: A dad who raises Great Kids.
So I asked myself. What makes a Great Kid?
I sat with this for a while. In the end, this was my criteria:
I want kids that are fiercely independent. Gritty. Empathetic. Unafraid of Failure. Driven to Chase Their Passions, whatever they may be: Art, Writing, Sports, Entrepreneurship.
But…
Then our first born came out.
And it felt like a punch in the face.
And all that research?
Was just that.
Research.
A theoretical exercise.
That first year, I learned four priceless things.
Being an Elite Dad is a daily exercise in self-improvement, like working out or reading.
Dad Bod is REAL. It was very easy to neglect my physical fitness. I needed to take care of myself, so I can continue to be an Elite Dad, better husband, and all-around happier human.
There is a lot more to Fatherhood than putting food on the table. I started to focus more on connecting with my kids and being a better coach.
Popular opinion didn’t cut it and there was too much information to hack through.
To focus my efforts, I started to write.
You probably are noticing a trend…
I came up with another list.
This time: 7 Things I Want to Teach My Kids.
Confidence. Communication. Creativity. Compassion. Curiosity. Connection. Grit.
But guess what?
All of my Research?
All of the theorizing on how to raise Great Kids?
Paled in comparison from the daily reps of real-life dadding.
Every day, I learn something new.
I am a better dad every single day.
But, I still have a nagging feeling… like there is still so much to learn…
That’s why I created this community!
A community of like-minded dads, unified by one goal:
To raise Bad-Ass Kids.
We are so much more powerful when we work together, united in a mission.
NASA. The Manhattan Project. The Simpsons Writer’s Room.
Together, we can take everything we’ve learned, and condense it into little nuggets of truth.
Mmmm… Nuggets…
So. Welcome! LFG!