Special Fathers' Network Podcast

Our guest this week is Andrew Ginsburg of Southport, CT who is a stand-up comedian, author of three books and perhaps most importantly, father of three young children.Andrew and his wife, Rachel Gerber, have been married for 10 years and are the proud parents of three young children: Ben (8), Leo (6) and Remi (4).Professionally Andrew has been a fitness trainer and an accomplished stand-up comedian for more than two decades.  He was also a competitive body builder in his youth.   One of Andrew's gifts is his ability to write and communicate.  He is the author of: Pumping Irony: How to Build Muscle, Lose Weight, and Have the Last Laugh, and two children's books: Critter Caravan, andThe Colors Of My Sky Andrew's passion for being a father is rooted in the complicated relationship he shared with his late father, who was a medic and Lt. Commender in the Navy in Vietnam, a Harvard trained physician and chief of surgery at Forrest Hills. Sadly his dad was catastrophically injured in a jogging accident at 68 that co

Our guest this week is Murray Jones of Brisbane. Australia who is the owner of Big Ideas, a creative communications company, a director of Brisbane Investment and Property Management, the father of three including one with autism and host of the A Few Good Men Podcast.Murray and his wife, Pamela, have been married for 30 years and are the proud parents of three: Hayley (20), Bridget (26) and Fred (28) who is autistic and non-verbal. Murray is a seasoned advertising industry veteran with three decades of expereince and is also founder of Brisbane Invest a property management company.  Along with friend and fellow special needs dad, Garry Butler, Murray hosts the A Few Good Men Podcast, which aims to understand some of the very difficult and unexpected journeys that men have experienced when raising children with a disability and the way that has altered the course of their lives.It's and uplifting and inspiring story all on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – +61 419 349 5587Email –

Our guest this week is Jon Gustin of Nashville, TN who is a writer, content creator, father of two young children and author of the upcoming book: The Tired Dad.Jon and his wife, Jessica, have been married for 12 years and are the proud parents of two children: Dakota (9) and Asher (6).Jon has over two million followers across four platforms including; YouTube, Instagram and his Tired Dad & Tired Mom Podcast, where he shares real moments of fatherhood and the lessons learned. Jon reflects authentically on his rebellion as a youth, overcoming addiction and how being a husband and father have provided him with purpose and a new direction. It's an uplifting story all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Email – thetireddadlife@gmail.comSubstack - https://thetireddad.substack.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetireddad/Book - The Tired Dad - https://tinyurl.com/yck5cwua Order your copy of the new 21CD book: Dads Raising Chidlren With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide Fo

Our guest this week is Pat Wire, of Crystal Lake, IL a social studies teacher at Barrington High School, long-time head coach of the Barrington Broncos High School varsity baseball team and father of four, including a son with autism.Pat and his wife, Leane, are the proud parents of four children: Gabrielle (19), Bobbi (17), Shaelyn (12) and Preston (11) who is autistic and non-verbal.Pat has been coaching for nearly three decades and at the high school level for more than two decades.  Pat reflects on how much Preston has taught him about; parenting, patience, himself and what's important in life.  The big take away?  Parents of a child with special abilities need to use the child's yardstick to measure the child's progress vs. the one they might have used for themselves.  We’ll hear all about Pat, his open and transparent views on parenting and life, all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (847) 754-0138Email – PWire@barrington220.orgOrder your copy of the new 21CD book: Dads

Our guest this week is Matt Might of Birmingham, AL who is the director of the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a researcher, author, TEDx presenter and perhaps most importantly, father of three, including a son with NGLY1 Deficiency.Matt and his x-wife, Cristina, are the proud parents of three children: Winston (10), Victoria (14) and Bertrand who was born in 2007 and very sadly passed away in in 2020 at age 12.  Bertrand was born with an ultra-rare genetic disorder known as NGLY1 Deficiency, which prohibits the creation of the enzyme N-Glycanase 1.  At the time of diagnosis, NGLY1 Deficiency was so rare, Bertrand was considered an N of 1, the only person known to have this particular condition. Matt was a tenured computer science professor.  Motivated to find a cure for his son he pivoted into the world of precision medicine.  Through a brilliant blog post entitled: 'Hunting Down My Killer' they were able to find seven more children with NGLY1.  Matt also ga

Our guest this week is Justin DeVault of Algonquin, IL a data analyst and father of three including one with Autism and the loss of their oldest at 15 years of age two years ago.  This is a follow up interview to the interview Justin did in June of 2022.  Justin and his wife, Margaret, have been married for 21 years and are the proud parents of three; Hazel (7), Alice (9) and Henry, who would be 17, but very sadly passed away two years ago.  Hazel has Autism and Henry had a brain stroke shortly after birth, that lead to the loss of his sight and impaired his neurological development.Justin reflects on the loss of Henry, the value of therapy and the ongoing challenges of raising a daughter with autim, that lead to the difficult decision of a residential placement, for a pre-teen, at the Genesee Lake School in Oconomowoc, WI. Justin, thank you for sharing the update and sincere condolences to your family on the loss of Henry.  All on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Email – pasteboardmask

Our guest this week is Dan Roth of San Diego, CA who is a seasoned human resource consultant, professional speaker and perhaps most importantly, father of twin girls, who are both autistic. Dan and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for 8 years and are the proud parents of 6 ½ year old twin daughters Haley & Brooklyn, who are autistic.In addition to being the parent to young autistic twins daughters, Dan has become somewhat of an expert in the area of body dysmorphia, which he experienced as a child and young adult.  On January 30, 2026, Dan was privileged to make a TEDx Talk at the Houston Dream To Dare event.  The topic of his talk was: How We Can Shape our Children through Transparency.It's an authentic and upligting story that deserves more attention all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (619) 455-7484Email – dan.roth4@gmail.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/danrothstrategy/TEDx Talk How We Can Shape our Children through Transparency - https://www.tedxthird

Our guest this week is Rob Floyd of Franklin, TN a master mixologist, TV host, author and father of five including a daughter who has Moyamoya.Rob and his wife, Megan, have married for 20 years and are the proud parents of five children: Joseph (29), Robbie (28), Ella (14), Indego (11) and Anges (5).  Indego is the one with Moyamoya, a rare progressive brain disease.   The older two are from Rob's first marriage, which resulted in him becoming a single custodial father. Professionally, Rob is a mixologist (yes he makes drinks for a living).  He does this on TV as part of the Bar Rescue franchise and aboard dozens of Princess Cruises on an annual basis. Rob is also author of the book, Sip At Sea: A Princess Cruises Cocktail Collection From Celebrity Mixologist Rob Floyd.  Rob also shares some terrific stories, including how he became good freinds with people like Brad Pitt when they were both very early in their careers doing commercials for Mountain Dew. It's a very uplifting story and one that should be enjo

Our guest this week is Matt Shepherd of Emporia, KS who is President and CEO of Midwest Evaluation & Research and father of two adopted children including one with developmental delays. Matt and his wife, Brenda, have been married for 35 years and are the proud parents of two adopted children; Jeremy (26) and Bonnie (25) who has high emotional intelligence as well as development delays.Professionally, Matt is owner of Midwest Evaluations and Research, a consulting firm that helps community-based organizations, foundations, schools, and governments evaluate and improve their programs.  Along the way he has developed a high level of experience and expertise doing research for and evaluation of fatherhood programs. Matt is also to the founder and former board chair of Social Innovation Labratory, a non-profit that drives community-led change through partnerships and research to build equitable, innovative, and sustainable systems.Matt also founded Caerus Place for Woman, based in Souix Falls, SD to provide s

Order your copy of the new 21CD book: Dads Raising Chidlren With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tdvjcvOur guest this week is Mike Griffiths of San Francisco, CA an Executive Vice-President at CBRE, a real estate management firm and father of two children including one with KCNB1, a very rare genetic disorder.Mike and his wife, Julia, have been married for 17 years and are the proud parents of two children, daughter Rowe (9) and son, Hall (14) who has KCNB1, a very rare genetic disorder associated with severe developmental delays, intellectual disability, and various types of seizures.Hall and the family have benefited from a number of organizations including; the KCNB1 Foundation,  Support for Families with Disabilities, and Best Buddies to name a few.  Mike has also participated in some endurance cycling events to raise funds for charity.  Mike is very authentic about parenting a child with a wide range of physical, intellectual and emotional chall

Order your copy of the new 21CD book: Dads Raising Chidlren With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tdvjcvOur guest this week is Patton Dodd, of San Antonio,TX who is the Executive Director of the H.E. Butt Foundation, author and father of three. Patton and his wife, Michaela, have married for 26 years and are the proud parents of three children: Isabell (22), Henry (18) and Luisa (15).Occupationally, Patton is the executive director of the H.E. Butt Foundation.  Since the 1930s, the foundation has served people in Texas and beyond in various ways according to the needs of the time, including improving literacy and mental health care, funding recreation and camps, hosting ecumenical Christian retreats at Laity Lodge, at Laity Lodge, and partnering with other organizations that serve families and children.Patton a longtime journalist and essayist is also author of the book: The Father You Get And The Ones You Make, Believe In And Become, a reflective and

Our guest this week is Christian Pache of Thousand Oaks, CA who is a seasoned financial service IT manager, Angelman Syndrome Foundation board member and father of two including one with Angelman Syndrome & Autism.Christian and his wife, Anna, have been married for 24 years and are the proud parents of twenty-year old twins: Chloe and Aidan, who has Angelman Syndrome and Autism.Born, raised and educated in Germany, Christian immigrated to the U.S. for work in NYC.  A number of years later he met Anna, married and they started their family.  Work opportuinteis took them across the country. Informed about Angelman Syndrome as the result of Aidan's diagnosis and with a deep passion for helping others and wanting to give back, the couple has been active within the Angelman Syndrome Foundation, where Christian now serves as a board member.  It's an uplifting story about family and service to others, all on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast. Show LinksPhone – (917) 882-0562Email – cpache@gmail.comLinke

Our guest this week is Brad Meshell, a wealth advisor, executive director of Jacob's Audible and father of three, including an autistic son. Brad and his wife, Jaime, have been married for seven years and are the proud parents of three children: Jailyn (18), Jackson (4) and Jacob (7) who is Autistic. Brad is also the founder and executive director of Jabob's Audible, a non-profit founded in 2022, whose mission is: Supporting Autistic Kids, Empowering Parents and Building Community.  Some of their events include: Pictures With Santa, Ammo For Autism Clay Shoot and the 444 Mile Walk, Bike, Run.Some of Brad's gifts include his authenticity and his reslience.  It’s a frank discussion where Brad tells of his journey of having a child with special needs all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links Phone – (615) 589-9898Email – brad@jacobsaudible.orgLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-meshell-a956b21b6/Jacob’s Audible - https://www.jacobsaudible.org/Special Fathers Network –SFN is a dad to d

Our guest this week is Hugh Hempel, a technology industry veteran turned health care entrepreneur and father of identical twin daughters with Niemann Pick Type C.Hugh and his wife Chris, have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of identical twin daughters Addison & Cassidy.  The girls were born in January 2004 and were both diagnosed with Niemann Pick Type C, a type of childhood ALS, a very rare neurogenerative disease.  Despite heroic efforts to find a cure and treatments, very sadly the twins passed away in 2019 at age 15.After a successful tech career that included working at: IBM, Apple and Netscape, to name a few, and as a result of the twins' diagnosis, Hugh & Chris became outspoken advocates for rare disease research.  They also created the Addi & Cassidy Fund, a resource for families impacted by Niemann Pick, Cyclodextrin, and a myriad of stories, and resources for families impacted by a wide range of rare diseases.  Hugh has also served in a wide range of leadership positi

Our guest this week Hugh Hempel of Denver, CO, a technology industry veteran turned health care entrepreneur and father of identical twin daughters with Niemann Pick Type C.Hugh and his wife Chris, have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of identical twin daughters Addison & Cassidy.  The girls were born in January 2004 and were both diagnosed with Niemann Pick Type C, a type of childhood ALS, a very rare neurogenerative disease.  Despite heroic efforts to find a cure and treatments, very sadly the twins passed away in 2019 at age 15.After a successful tech career that included working at: IBM, Apple and Netscape to name a few, and as a result of the twins' diagnosis, Hugh & Chris became outspoken advocates for rare disease research.  They also created the Addi & Cassidy Fund, a resource for families impacted by Niemann Pick, Cyclodextrin, and a myriad of stories, and resources for families impacted by a wide range of rare diseases.  Hugh has also served in a wide range of leaders

Our guest this week is Mike Kinner of Colorado Springs, CO who is the founder of Air-O-Sport and father of three including a son with microcephaly.Mike and his wife, Stephanie, have been married for 12 years and are the proud parents of three children: daughters; Elieyanah (1) and McKenzie (9) as well as son, Samuel (6) who has microcephaly, which is linked to several disorders, including; epilepsy, cerebral palsy, being deaf, visually impaired and non-verbal.Mike is the founder of Air-O-Sport, a unique fast-paced, non-contact team game where players pass and throw a lightweight ring through the air to score points by hitting targets or completing passes in a defined zone. It blends elements of basketball, ultimate frisbee, and handball, emphasizing agility, teamwork, and quick decision-making.We learn about the Kinner family, their love for Samuel and the energy they bring to life, all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (719) 243-9111Email – mike@playairosport.comLinkedIn –  h

Our guest this week is John O’Leary of St. Louis MO who is a motivational speaker, bestselling author, host of the Live Inspired Podcast, the subject of the recently released major motion picture SOUL ON FIRE and perhaps most importantly, the father of four children.John and his wife, Beth, have married for 22 years and are the proud parents of four children ages 14 to 20.At age nine, John was badly burned in a horrific gasoline fire, leaving him with third-degree burns on more than 80% of his body.  Given less than 1/2 of 1% chance of survival, he somehow beat the odds. Central to John’s story is the role Jack Buck, the iconic St. Louis Cardinals sportcaster, played in John’s life. After graduating from St. Louis University and a 15 year career in real estate, John became a motvational speaker and two-time best selling author of the books: ·       On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life·       In  Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and JoyThe theatrical

Our guest this week is John O’Leary of St. Louis MO who is a motivational speaker, bestselling author, host of the Live Inspired Podcast, the subject of the recently released major motion picture SOUL ON FIRE and perhaps most importantly, the father of four children.John and his wife, Beth, have married for 22 years and are the proud parents of four children ages 14 to 20.At age nine, John was badly burned in a horrific gasoline fire, leaving him with third-degree burns on more than 80% of his body.  Given less than 1/2 of 1% chance of survival, he somehow beat the odds. Central to John’s story is the role Jack Buck, the iconic St. Louis Cardinals sportcaster, played in John’s life. After graduating from St. Louis University and a 15 year career in real estate, John became a motvational speaker and two-time best selling author of the books: ·       On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life·       In  Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and JoyThe theatrical

Our guest this week is Nick Massie of Los Angeles, CA, a film industry veteran and father of an adult son who is an actor with Cerebral Palsy. Nick and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 29 years and are the proud parents of Cole (28), an actor and member of the Screen Actors Guild, who also has cerebral palsy. Cole was featured in the highly acclaimed movie The Paper Bag Plan, which debuted in 2024.  It's a well told story and Cole gave a heartfelt performance as Billy, a young man with Cerebral Palsy.  The screen play was written and the film was directed by Anthony Lucero.  We also learn about the impact that various organization's have had on Cole's development, including: Canine Companions, Shane's Inspiration, United CP and Ronald McDonald House.  It's an uplifting father-son interview with a cameo appearance from Michelle, all on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast. Show Notes - Phone – (323) 620-3903Email – nickmassie04@gmail.comPaper Bag Plan YouTube -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G

Our guest this week is Eric Freund of San Diego, CA who is a high school teacher, coach, co-founder of Hope On The Hard Road and father of two children who are both Autistic.Eric and his wife, Christen, have married for 27 years and are the proud parents of two: Abby (21) and Caleb (23), both who are on the Autism spectrum. Christen & Eric are co-founders of Hope On The Hard Road, a non-profit organization whose mission is: helping connect and encourage families with children with special needs through programs designed to support the unique needs of the individual, the family, and the community.Eric also hosts the bi-weekly Hope on the Hard Road Special Needs Podcast, now with more than 90 episodes.The Freund family story is one of; faith, hope and a commitment to serving others, all on this eipsode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (760) 201-5207Email – eric@hopeonthehardroad.orgLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-freund-5438416b/Website - https://hopeonthehardroad.orgSpecial F