Harrison Connely, a lead pastor in Orange County, California, and dad of three boys, joins Zach to talk about the three values his dad and grandfather passed down to him and that he's now passing to his sons: faith, fighting, and fishing. He breaks down why each one matters: faith as the anchor that puts everything else in its place, fighting as learning to stand for the right things (including protecting kids who get picked on), and fishing as having an outlet that refills your tank so you don't run on empty. He's candid about how kids force you to get unselfish fast, how his wife shaped him, and how discipline has to be tailored to each kid's personality. He also walks through the hard, seven-year process of taking over the church his parents founded, and what honoring his dad through that transition actually looked like.
Harrison's "three F's" (faith, fighting, fishing) came from his dad and grandfather and give his boys a memorable rule of life.
The teaching, humility, and connection mostly happen in the unscripted, ordinary moments, not the big planned events.
Kids expose how ingrained your selfish habits are; a strong spouse who calls you out is a gift, not a threat.
What works on one child can backfire on another, so lean on a community of other dads for real, tested advice.
Lead with authenticity, set the lines and boundaries, name when one is crossed, then move forward together.
You can take the good your parents gave you, break generational patterns, and be the father you didn't have, with a village helping you.
You can't be effective when you're running on E
Write down your own short "rule of life" framework (3 words/values) you can repeat to your kids, the way Harrison uses faith, fighting, fishing.
Identify your one outlet that refills your tank, and schedule it this week so you're not leading on empty.
Add quantity time this week: pick one low-effort, recurring activity (ping pong, cooking dinner, a movie) you can do with your kids regularly, not just a big planned event.
Find one or two other dads you can text for real discipline/parenting advice when a kid is driving you crazy.
The next time you mess up in front of your kids, name it out loud ("I screwed up, I'm sorry"), then move forward together.
Practical skills, real stories, and one thing to actually do this week with your family. Written by a dad in the trenches, not a marketing department.
Zach sits down with Matt Karam, a lifelong martial arts instructor from Phoenix who, with his wife, has taught…
Zach sits down with Dr. Larry Waldman, a clinical child and forensic psychologist with roughly 50 years of exp…
Zach sits down with Noam Markose, a marketer, dad of four, and active IDF reservist living in Jerusalem. Noam …