What happens when the person you have shared almost your entire adult life with is suddenly gone—and you are left trying to work out who you are without them?

In this deeply honest episode of Real Unfiltered Dad Journeys, Steve sits down with Michael, a father, grandfather and widower who lost his wife, Neryl, after 44 years of marriage. Michael reflects on becoming a dad at 25, missing the birth of his first daughter because he was playing hockey, being known as the “bad cop” of the family and eventually becoming the grandfather affectionately known as Grumpy.

But the heart of this conversation is what happened after Neryl died.

Michael speaks openly about the first months of grief, the crushing silence of an empty home and why evenings remain the hardest part of his day. He shares how simple phone calls, late-night walks and ordinary conversations helped him survive—and why supporting someone through grief does not require perfect words or solutions. Sometimes, it simply means picking up the phone, listening and creating a safe place for them to talk.

Steve and Michael also explore why men often suppress their emotions, the fear of crying in front of others and the pressure to appear as though everything is under control. Together, they challenge the belief that strength means holding everything inside.

Michael also shares how losing Neryl took away his sense of purpose—and how he slowly began transforming that loss into a mission: helping other widowed men move beyond simply filling their days and begin building meaningful lives again with creation of The Grandpa Coach.

This is a raw conversation about fatherhood, marriage, grief, loneliness, identity and the small moments of joy that give us a reason to keep going.

Because sometimes healing does not begin with advice. It begins when someone stays, listens and allows you to finally lose it, if we allow oneself to.

Powerful quotes from this episode with Michael..

It’s okay to cry.”

“How do I control this so I don’t look or sound like I’m losing it, when, in fact, I am?”

“If we do let ourselves go and lose it, then we’d be better off.”

“I didn’t like you very much… I changed my mind. I got to know you.”

“I think I’m finding myself.”

“Since Narelle died, I’ve gradually moved into a world of helping widowed men live a better life.”

“Get on the phone and have a chat to them—not necessarily expressing your condolences, but just chatting.”

“I don’t want to say they’re in a better place now, because that doesn’t help.”

“Wasn’t it great that I had the opportunity to spend my life with Narelle? She gave me the gift of her.”

“Every man who has become widowed deserves to live the rest of his life as the best it can be.”

RISE Framework | The Grandpa Coach

https://www.instagram.com/mrseeryau?igsh=MWUxc20zajZtbm92MQ==

Mike thought he knew exactly what kind of dad he was going to be.

Then Jack came along and blew that whole idea apart.

In this raw follow-up episode, Mike returns to talk about fatherhood, rare disease, faith, therapy, marriage, and the brutal beauty of learning that being a dad is not about control. It is not about building the perfect future. It is not about ticking off the milestones society tells us matter.

For Mike, fatherhood has become something much simpler, harder, and more honest:

Give Jack joy.

Mike opens up about watching his son live with an ultra-rare degenerative disease, the hope and uncertainty of gene therapy, the gut-punch moments of seeing Jack want to do things his body will not let him do, and the strange mix of grief and gratitude that lives inside everyday dad life.

This is not a neat inspirational story. It is messy. It is funny. It is heavy. It is full of love.

It is a conversation about showing up when you are tired, scared, angry, unsure, and still trying to be a good man for the people who need you most.

Most people wear a mask.

Michael doesn’t.

In this episode of Real Unfiltered Dad Journeys, we strip away the polished version of fatherhood and talk about what life actually looks like.

From quitting alcohol and being diagnosed with ADHD and autism as an adult, to working in disability support, raising two daughters, dealing with grief, and rebuilding yourself one decision at a time—nothing is off limits.

We talk about the conversations men usually have behind closed doors: purpose, marriage, mental health, identity, and what it takes to become someone your kids can genuinely look up to.

No fake motivation. No pretending we’ve got it all figured out. Just two dads talking honestly about the wins, the failures, and everything in between.

In this episode:

* Why Michael walked away from alcohol

* Being diagnosed with ADHD & autism as an adult

* The reality of working in disability support

* Fatherhood beyond the clichés

* Marriage, purpose and becoming a better man

* Grief, mortality and making peace with life

* Mental health and why more men need to talk

If you’re a dad—or simply trying to become a better man—this conversation is for you.

Real stories. Real conversations. Real Unfiltered Dad Journeys.

Six months into fatherhood, Ben is already asking the big questions:

What kind of man do I want my son to remember?

From screaming babies and relationship pressure to business stress, burnout, cold showers, routines, and rebuilding yourself — this episode is raw, honest, and deeply reflective.

We talk about:

* Why fatherhood exposes who you really are

* Using kids as fuel instead of excuses

* Entrepreneurship and family balance

* Health, habits, discipline, and identity

* Becoming the “rock” for your family

* Why dads need to work on themselves too

No fake “perfect dad” nonsense.

Just two dads talking honestly about life, pressure, growth, and trying to become better humans.

Steve reconnects with Gary after more than 20 years—and the conversation gets real fast. Gary doesn’t sugarcoat anything: he became a dad in his mid-20s while serving in the Navy, spent long stretches away at sea, and later disappeared from his kids’ lives for years after a messy divorce. His words, not anyone else’s—“I was a crap dad.” No excuses.

They dig into what that actually feels like: guilt that never fully leaves, missed years you can’t get back, and the strange mix of pride and pain when you see your kids turn out well without you there. There’s a powerful moment where Gary talks about being pulled into the front row at his son’s wedding—feeling seen, but also carrying the weight of everything that came before.

The episode also hits hard on work and burnout. Gary shares how stress broke him to the point he’d get dressed for work… then spend the day hiding in the cinema. That moment forced a complete reset—he walked away from employment, built his own business, and started living on his terms.

Now? He’s softer. Kinder. More intentional. He talks about small things—making a proper cup of tea, watching birds, saying hello to strangers—and why they matter more than chasing status or money. His rule is simple: just be the nicest person in the room.

This is a raw conversation about masculinity, regret, and growth. About owning your mistakes without hiding. About aging without pretending you’ve got it all figured out. And about one honest hope:

That even if you got it wrong…

people might still say—you tried.

.

Three guys. Three decades of life. One brutal truth: if you don’t take care of yourself, life will chew you up.

This episode gets real about fitness, discipline, burnout, and the mental chaos most people pretend isn’t there. No polished influencer bullshit—just honest stories from the trenches. From a Bronx upbringing shaped by survival, to lifelong sport and aging bodies, to someone who did nothing for years and finally hit a breaking point.

They talk about:

* Why most people fail at the gym (and it’s not what you think)

* The real reason you stop training—and how to fix it

* Injuries, ego, and the lie of “pushing through”

* Training as survival, not aesthetics

* How discipline can literally hold your life together

* Why your “why” keeps changing—and that’s normal

This isn’t about six-packs or social media flexing.

It’s about staying sane, staying functional, and not becoming someone you don’t recognize.

Some days you lift heavy.

Some days you just stretch.

Some days you barely show up.

But showing up—even when you don’t feel like it—that’s the whole game.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, burnt out, or like you’ve lost control of your body or your head…

This one’s for you.

What happens to a man when fatherhood doesn’t look anything like he imagined?

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Bo, a 33-year-old dad from Kansas City who has spent the last seven years living on high alert.

His son Elgin suffered a severe brain injury at birth and requires 24-hour care. Every day, Bo watches oxygen levels. Every night, he sleeps beside a monitor that could change everything in a second, keeping in mind this is after tragically losing his daughter 1 year before Elgin was born.

But this isn’t just a story about special needs parenting, it’s more than that.

It’s a story about identity. About losing a child and still choosing to love again. About radical acceptance when life doesn’t bend. About loneliness, exhaustion, fear — and the quiet, relentless decision to stay in the ring and fight

Bo speaks with brutal honesty about what it costs to keep showing up… and why he refuses to walk away from the ring.

There are times when I feel we forget the mic is on and Bo says ‘I need him more than he needs me’. It felt like something went off for me, he was right and I think so many parents would think the same, but not say out loud… such a brave dad on all levels.

This episode is for any dad who has ever felt overwhelmed, unseen, or stretched to his limits. It’s about resilience, perspective, and the kind of strength that doesn’t shout — it just stays.

Check out Bo’s social media and get into how he does life… it’s real unfiltered dad journeys.

https://youtube.com/@theimaginarydad?si=aULOBUacr8jJ02ON

https://www.tiktok.com/@theimaginarydadproject?_r=1&_t=ZS-93vvn5dMlYu

https://linktr.ee/theimaginarydadproject?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

https://tr.ee/EyFKkNDy0v

In this episode of Real Unfiltered Dad Journeys, I sit down with my longtime friend Phil for one of the most open and honest conversations we’ve ever had. We explore how his understanding of fatherhood has shifted from “protector and provider” to “guide and guardrails,” and how walking, silence, and self-reflection have become essential tools for staying grounded. Phil speaks candidly about triggers, patience, the pressure to financially “ring-fence” his family, and the fear of not being around long enough for his kids. At the heart of our conversation is a powerful reminder: even the toughest moments of parenting are still a privilege.