The Military Veteran Dad Podcast

Have you ever felt like you were living the wrong plan?Today I am talking with Heidi Dusek who felt that same way in her early 20s and decided to do something about it.She flipped the script on her life, starting living according to a new plan of her own design. Adventure was a keyword she decided to weave into her life as she rebuilt her life from the ground up.Heidi is here to tell us about living as a family through adventure. As Military Dads we are trained to create an adventure, but often don't have the ideas to transition that skill into fatherhood. Well, today we take care of that with a guide beyond normal.Book: Beyond Normal on AmazonOrdinary Sherpa PodcastTopics Covered:Living someone else planPerceptions of SuccessPing Pong Effect of lifeWhere do you find the money for adventureHow to make decisions when you have a lot of optionsHow to connect with guestLinkedInFacebookInstagramWebsiteThank you for Listening to the Episode!Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

Thank you for Listening to the Episode!Support the Podcast buymeacoffee.com/benkilloyBe sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

Do you have daughters? When my first daughter was two years old, remember learning about the role I played in her life and it woke me up to the important responsibility that I have been her dad. And now the dad of two daughters and 10 years into this journey, I am still learning and making mistakes. But this is how we learn, we grow and improve.  The measure of the men she goes into the world to find will be compared to the kind of man I was to them. Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC, is a national speaker, author, licensed professional counselor of 27 years, and founder of The Abba Project, a nine-month group forum for dads whose daughters are in their teens and 20’s.She writes guest articles regularly for journals and magazines (online and print), as well as her own bi-monthly Dad-Daughter Friday Blog, and has been interviewed on numerous radio and television programs. Her best-selling book, Dad, Here’s What I Really Need From You: A Guide for Connecting With Your Daughter’s Heart, is followed by her most recent field guide for men, Let’s Talk: Conversation Starters for Dads and Daughters (both available on Audible).She has also written contributing chapters in Fathers Say and How to Disciple Men. Dr. Michelle is the radio/podcast host of The Dad Whisperer and The Dad Whisperer Podcast, which is available on her website and Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. She also co-chairs the Father-Daughter Initiative at the National Center or Fathering with her husband, Dr. Ken Canfield. They reside in Fayetteville, Arkansas near their tribe of 24, which includes five children, three son-in-law’s, one daughter-in-law, and 14 grandkids.How to connect with guestLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterWebsiteThank you for Listening to the Episode!Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes...

To decide means one choice has to die.I recently learned that we avoid making decisions because to decide means one choice has to die. That the word decide has the word -ide in it and similar words like genocide and suicide where it means death.Today I am talking with John Spencer who is now retired from the Army after 25 years. John and his wife met in combat in Iraq in 2009 and were a dual military family for almost 8 years. His story and recent book "Connected Soldiers" are filled with depth of stories of struggle, triumph, and getting through it.Connected Soldiers Book - AmazonTopics Covered:Joining looking for something elseGrowing up through your military serviceSearching for meaning in lifeWhen your retirement feels more like a funeralLead by exampleHaving cancer hit the family and getting throughAs a Team, we can handle everything  How to connect with guestLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterThank you for Listening to the Episode!Support the Podcast buymeacoffee.com/benkilloyBe sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

Thank you for Listening to the Episode!Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

Thank you for Listening to the Episode!Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

Thank you for Listening to the Episode!Support the Podcast buymeacoffee.com/benkilloyBe sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

Thank you for Listening to the Episode!Support the Podcast buymeacoffee.com/benkilloyBe sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

What will we leave behind? This is a common theme of this podcast and today's guest goes right at the heart of the matter.Our guest Allen Carter started a habit of writing his kids a letter each month in there teenage yearsThe letters cover an amazing array of life lessons that also show an intimate glimpse of one family's life journey. All families have the same challenges and it is this connection that makes the book endearing and relevant to all who read it. Christian faith and values are highlighted throughout, and stories from the bible are brought to life. Book: Letters From a Father Topics Covered:Keeping marriage the priority in lifeHow to help your kids navigate life and give them widthDeveloping healthy mindsets with your kidsBeing intentional with your timeLeaving the right kind of memories behindBreaking the addicted to work mindsetSurrendering to the world in front of you How to connect with guestInstagramThank you for Listening to the Episode!Support the Podcast buymeacoffee.com/benkilloyBe sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

Thank you for Listening to the Episode!Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

What are you holding back? Today I am talking with Chris Hamm and we dive into a deep conversation about family, archery, healing, community, and growth. What we are holding back can often be the one thing that needs to be released in order for us to come home to our families. Doesn't matter if its war, service, or a really bad thought. Chris is not a Veteran but archery has been a part of his life since he was a boy and now as a business owner he runs a non-profit helping Veterans find a tool to heal through what life has given them. He has some amazing stories so far with the work they have been doing and the Veterans who are already becoming change makers passing it on because of what Chris and his events helped them learn. Topics Covered:The magic of firing an arrow down rangeBenefits of ArcheryWhy is it important to always be learning a new skillThe Archery communityHealing through ArcheryWhat the misconceptions around ArcheryFinding people like passionsCreating anchor memories with kidsLeaving the tools with your kids on how to overcome traumaHow to connect with guestFacebookInstagramBusiness WebsiteNon-profit WebsiteThank you for Listening to the Episode!Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

Topics Covered:Becoming a helicopter pilotEverything is doable mindsetMissing the belief that you could do anythingVulnerability in the MilitaryNot being a quitterWhy is it important to see the worldChanging PerspectiveStaying on track with your dreamsGetting assumptions out of the wayRejecting others opinionsSetting boundaries with kidsHow to connect with guestLinkedInFacebookTwitterWebsiteThank you for Listening to the Episode!Support the Podcast buymeacoffee.com/benkilloyBe sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

How we live is how we will be remembered.Today I am talking with Ryan Lonergan who has a story about living, pain, and legacy that we all need to hear. Ryan grew up without a father and even joined the Army in the hope to find him. After finishing his military service Ryan's life was about to get harder. After a deployment to Iraq, he came home and started an internal war inside with himself. After two failed suicide attempts he is now the CEO of Wisconsin Veteran LLC where he is a friend to other Veterans that he knew he needed in his life and you will be hard-pressed to find a man second to Ryan. The birth of his daughter and becoming a Dad has inspired him even more and his why is even stronger with her in his life.Topics Covered:What brought you into the MilitaryFacing evil in warThe voices in our headFinding value in lifeWhen is a Veteran forgottenHow to remember those we lostWhat will be your legacyHow to connect with guestLinkedInFacebookInstagramWebsiteThank you for Listening to the Episode!Support the Podcast buymeacoffee.com/benkilloyBe sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

If you are a new Dad how is it going?The standard answer is good and fine for most Dads, but often that is far from the truth. Our schedules are changing, we are tired, work still expects us to perform at the same level and we often are just running on fumes. Today I am talking to John Wayne Mullins a leadership coach, he spent 17 years with the Coast Guard reserve, and is a new Dad who has taken what he learned in his career of coaching to help new Dads adapt as life changes rapidly that the first year.Topics Covered:Understanding identify while you serveLearning to listen to your intuition for what comes nextApply work leadership at homeMindset as a Dad on Active DutyShifting priorities after you become a DadHow Units can support Dads betterSetting Dad goalsBuilding trust with kidsPaying back the time credit card How to connect with guestLinkedInInstagramThank you for Listening to the Episode!Support the Podcast buymeacoffee.com/benkilloyBe sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Thanks!

How are you going to be remembered?With life being so busy these days, we often don't think about these questions unless someone in our family dies, and we, for a short few days, remind ourselves of the fragility of life. But we often quickly get back to our busy lives and forget about making an intention to ensure we do something worth remembering. Today I am talking with Ken Wimberly. Ken is the founder and visionary behind Legacy Journal. He is married to his soulmate, Amber, and has three children, Grace, Knox, and Kai, to whom he has been journaling monthly since 2003. He is passionate about personal development and helping others become the best version of themselves. He is active in his community and is proud of the nine years he served as a “Big” in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. Above all, Ken values family, the pursuit of passion, helping others, mentorship, and being impactful.The Gift of My Love - Legacy JournalLegacy Journal AppTopics Covered:Rewiring your life to put time with kids firstFinding a bigger purpose in your story10,000 hours to be good at somethingFinding what problem do you want to solveFinding meaning through the one thingLeaving a Legacy of wisdom and storiesCurating the mentors, your kids receive advice fromHow to connect with guestLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterWebsiteThank you for Listening to the Episode!Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at ben@militaryveterandad.com.Follow Ben on Social Media to stay up to date on Military Veteran Dad – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedInFor help, resources, and community support, please join the Military Veteran Dad Facebook Group.Be sure to check out all the free courses available to help you come home to a better tomorrow.Heads Up: My episodes may contain affiliate links! If you buy something through one of those links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which...