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A cocktail waitress told a 21-year-old Brian Penn he had "a voice for radio." Decades later, that offhand comment became a podcast — but the story that gets told in Episode 1 is a much harder one.

Co-founders Brian Penn and James Gass kick off Unite the Bullpen with the origin of the name, the friendship that started with a Houston men's-league baseball team, and a whole lot of love for Ken Griffey Jr. and Rickey Henderson. Then Brian goes somewhere most men never go on a microphone: the first eight years of his son's life, when he was a traveling consultant who was, in his own words, "stupid, immature, and selfish" — and whose own family didn't even know his son existed.

It took a therapist's ultimatum — acknowledge your son today or don't come back — to turn Brian the selfish dude into Brian the father. What followed was a 3 p.m. Friday drive from Houston to San Antonio, a confession to his parents, years of rebuilding trust with his son and his son's mother, and a sermon that stopped him cold: press too hard on what you're holding and it will never blossom.

Eleven years later, they're as close to “father & son” as one can get. This is the episode about what it costs to come back — and why it's worth it.

In this episode:

• How a suggested tryout to become a DJ and two failed audiobooks led to a podcast
• Where the name "Unite the Bullpen" actually came from
• Brian’s journey in baseball
• The therapy session that changed everything
• Why Brian says only you get to define your greatness — and why he didn't start chasing his until three years ago

Be bold. Be courageous. Go after your greatness.