The Dad Manual

The Dad Manual is a fatherhood podcast hosted by Tony Cooper, featuring honest conversations with dads about the real, unfiltered journey of parenthood. This parenting podcast for dads explores everything from the excitement of being a first time dad to navigating the teenage years. As one of the best podcasts for expecting dads and experienced fathers alike, we dive deep into what it actually means to be a modern dad—the struggles, the growth, the mistakes, and the moments that change you forever. Whether you're looking for a new dad podcast or seasoned parenting wisdom, this family podcast delivers the honest guidance you won't find in books.

The Dad Manual is a kids podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Dad Manual, a kids show with 0 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #34

  Ep 34: 18 Summers Is All You Get With George Rivera

  Aug 18, 202639 min

  A dying father's five words rewired his son's entire life, and now that son is rewiring hundreds of other dads. In this conversation, George Rivera opens up about the deathbed warning from his own father, the "founder prison" he built for himself in business, and why he now runs Founder Dad Dinners for cash-rich, time-poor entrepreneurs who are quietly falling apart at home. We talk about the freedom audit that got his life back, why presence matters more than proximity, and how his 11-year-old son Leo's own podcast became an unexpected extension of everything George learned the hard way. Key takeaways include: the danger of "I'll make it up to them later," the 10k-per-hour filter for reclaiming your time, why phones at the ballgame do more damage than not showing up at all, and the simple truth that you only get 18 summers. If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/ 00:00 Cold open: the lie that kept him stuck 00:29 Meet George Rivera 01:19 The sentence his dying dad said 02:52 Growing up without dad in the stands 03:36 Leo asks Tony to coach Little League 05:34 Hearing his dad's regret in real time 07:53 Building the "founder prison" 09:21 The breaking point with his business 11:04 The coach who talked him off the ledge 11:45 The freedom audit and 10k/hr filter 13:53 Presence versus proximity 15:17 Why he built Founder Dad Dinners 17:00 Breaking generational trauma 19:06 How the dinners actually work 20:52 Nine-figure exits, zero friends 22:27 "I'll go to war for you" 24:23 Cats in the Cradle moment 25:39 Timeline from awakening to change 26:28 Leo's own podcast 30:08 How Leo's first episode happened 33:28 Skills kids lose to devices 35:20 Advice for a brand-new dad 37:11 Closing thoughts

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  Episode #33

  Ep 33: The Forever Folder — Recording Voice Notes For Your Kids

  Aug 11, 202646 min

  What if the best gift you gave your kids wasn't a memory, but your own voice? Blake Fly, dad to Koa and Summer (with a third on the way), joins Tony Cooper to talk about Dads Making History, the group he started where fathers record monthly audio and video messages for their kids to hear someday. Blake shares how the practice began during the pandemic, why "donut dates" became a normalizing ritual for the group, how a lost hard drive taught him about the fragility of memory, and how becoming a dad expanded his emotional range in ways he never expected. Tony and Blake dig into presence, legacy, and what it means to really show up for your kids. The "Forever Folder" is a monthly audio or video message dads record for their kids, meant to be a presencing practice for the dad as much as a gift for the child. Less is more: a good message is often just two to three minutes, a small, specific moment rather than a sweeping life lesson. Small rituals normalize across a community fast. One dad's "donut date" habit inspired another dad to start his own recurring one-on-one time with his daughter. One-on-one time with a kid (a donut date, coaching a sport, a standing weekly outing) gives a spouse real relief and builds a distinct bond. Becoming a parent can expand emotional range far beyond what a "sunshine only" upbringing prepared someone for, including grief, like a miscarriage before a first child. Presence is the real antidote to time passing unnoticed. Capturing a moment, even a mundane one like potty training, makes it retrievable later. What we intentionally leave behind (and take forward) from our own parents shapes how we father, whether that's constant positivity, a short temper, or building things with your hands. A voice message might never be listened to, and that's okay. The value is in the ritual of recording it, not guaranteed impact on the recipient. If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper 00:00 Cold open 00:29 Meet Blake Fly 01:23 Blake's speaking and coaching work 03:00 Becoming a dad in 2020 04:00 What is the Forever Folder 05:00 Choosing what to record each month 07:54 Dads Making History group 08:05 The donut date ripple effect 10:19 One-on-one time and giving mom a break 12:00 Being the youngest of three 14:04 Foresight that everything is temporary 16:04 A voicemail from aging parents 17:13 Documenting firsts, lasts, and the messy middle 18:23 Counting laps, counting years 21:09 Losing four years of photos and video 23:11 Is this really for the kids or for you 25:00 The realization that changed his approach 27:14 How coaching shapes his fathering 29:17 A grade 8 yearbook prediction 30:52 His mom's signs and rituals 34:01 What he's leaving behind from his parents 37:12 Becoming a dad kicked his ass 38:00 The miscarriage before Koa 40:09 Expanding emotional range 42:22 Preparing for baby number three 44:01 Closing thoughts

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  Episode #32

  Ep 32: Why Depth Beats Width in Raising Confident Kids

  Aug 4, 202643 min

  A dad of three shares the wild story of a highway birth, the exhaustion of new fatherhood, and why breaking generational patterns starts with you. Tony Cooper sits down with Lior Weinstein to talk about becoming a father at 30, supporting a wife through three very different births, and the physical toll of parenting a newborn while running a business. Lior explains why he stepped away from a fast-growing startup to be present for his second child, how he's working to end inherited family trauma before it reaches his kids, and why depth of focus beats exposure to everything. He also shares how he uses AI to write bedtime stories with his sons. Key takeaways include: the difference between reacting to a schedule and creating one, why physical exhaustion hits harder with each additional kid, how commitment to one passion builds a transferable skill, and why an abundance mindset starts with saying yes. Physical exhaustion from parenting compounds with each additional kid, even when you've "done it before." Supporting your wife through the newborn stage often matters more than mastering baby care yourself. Stepping away from work, even temporarily, can be the right call when presence matters most. Breaking generational patterns starts with noticing what was passed down to you. Building trust with your kids matters more than being their expert in every interest. Depth in one passion teaches a transferable skill: mastery, focus, and commitment. An abundance mindset starts with saying yes to your kids' curiosity, even if it doesn't stick. AI can be a tool for deeper connection, like personalized bedtime stories, not just efficiency. If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/ 00:00 Being a dad is hard because you care 00:29 Meet Lior and his three kids 01:25 Becoming a dad at 30 02:11 Matan's highway birth story 06:19 Nature vs nurture with three kids 09:52 Always knowing he'd be a dad 11:33 Supporting his wife through labor 14:02 Teaching infants from day one 16:06 Becoming a different kind of husband 19:18 Learning from mom's instincts 21:04 Going from one kid to two 23:04 Physical exhaustion hits harder 26:19 Deciding to leave the startup 27:15 Nine months traveling in an RV 29:44 Stopping generational family trauma 32:25 Building a relationship of trust 33:23 The chess grandmaster book 36:05 Why depth beats width 39:41 Using AI for bedtime stories

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  Episode #31

  Ep 31: Perfectionism Made Him Great. Will It Break Him As A Dad?

  Jul 28, 202643 min

  A former New York City Ballet principal dancer opens up about the fear underneath the joy of expecting his first child. Chase Finlay talks with Tony Cooper about the perfectionism that carried him from a childhood ballet studio to the world's biggest stages, and why that same drive could work against him as a father. They cover the difference between performing for approval and living in alignment, why presence stops time with your kids, and how recovery and honest relationships taught him to become his own cavalry instead of waiting to be rescued. Chase also shares his intentions for his baby shower, his hopes to raise a daughter free to imagine, and the advice he's giving himself for the first months of fatherhood. Key Takeaways Perfectionism can build a career and also work against you as a father if left unchecked The external pursuit of validation can be fulfilling, but internal alignment creates lasting fulfillment Recovery and a healthy relationship helped reframe self-reliance: "I'm the cavalry" Presence is the antidote to feeling like time with your kids moves too fast Play is a child's domain, and imagination is worth protecting from screens and self-consciousness Doing your own personal work before becoming a parent is a gift you give your children A baby shower can be a celebration of the work both partners did on themselves, not just the baby Being a firm, present, aware foundation for your partner matters as much as showing up physically If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/ 00:00 Cold open 00:29 Meet Chase Finlay 01:19 30 weeks into pregnancy 01:35 Abundance and joy in pregnancy 02:30 Fear of not being good enough 03:24 Wanting everything to be perfect 04:11 The evidence he'll be a great dad 05:03 Chase's ballet career begins 06:41 Principal dancer by 19 07:32 External pursuit vs internal journey 09:07 How he discovered dance 11:40 Athletic and artistic, not fitting a box 13:18 Tony's son finds DJing 15:23 Watching your kid arrive at themselves 17:24 Being flexible, not predicting the future 18:13 Perfectionism: great for dance, risky for dad 19:31 Living aligned with authenticity 20:29 The shift from performing to real recovery 21:14 Becoming his own cavalry 22:19 Substance abuse and hitting bottom 23:00 His wife calling him on his bullshit 24:20 Alignment resolves inner conflict 26:11 Doing the work before kids arrive 27:27 His vision: presence as his top value 29:28 Be what you want your kid to become 30:07 Presence stops time 32:30 Wanting to rebuild play and imagination 34:22 What joy means to him now 36:16 Planning the baby shower 39:11 Celebrating the work, not just the baby 40:08 Advice to himself for the first months 41:13 Closing thoughts

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  Episode #30

  Ep 30: Michael Prince On Community, Chaos, And Raising Three Kids

  Jul 21, 202647 min

  A chance seat on a flight from Denver turned into a decades-long friendship, and a crash course in fatherhood. This week I sit down with my longtime friend Michael Prince to talk about the early terror of parenting a firstborn, the night his son started choking on steak at the dinner table, and why staying calm matters more than having the right answer. We get into raising a daughter after two sons, building a family culture around community and hospitality, teaching teenagers responsibility instead of just rules, and the regrets that come with parenting on the job. Michael's honesty about what he'd do differently makes this one worth sharing with any dad figuring it out as he goes. If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com. Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/ Key Takeaways: Staying calm in a crisis matters more than having the perfect response; overreacting fuels the fire. Parenting a firstborn often means learning through trial and error with no real playbook. Building community with other parents can be one of the most valuable supports of early fatherhood. Raising a daughter after sons requires learning new sensitivity and intentional one-on-one time. Teaching kids the "why" behind a task matters as much as giving them the easy solution. Discipline works best with clear boundaries paired with real communication, not control. Parenting doesn't end when kids move out; it just changes shape. Growing up with a highly accomplished parent can create a bar that's hard to know you've cleared. Family culture, whether it's music, hospitality, or hosting, gets passed down whether you plan it or not. Every parent carries regrets; what matters is staying self-aware enough to adjust. 00:00 Cold open 00:42 Meet Michael Prince 01:18 How Tony and Michael met 02:05 The flight that changed everything 03:10 Becoming each other's sanity 04:13 Babymoon gone sideways 04:52 The terror of a firstborn 06:02 Self-conscious in public with kids 07:16 Learning to stay calm 08:54 Burning the first batch 09:21 Kervin's strong will 11:18 The steak-choking story 13:06 Adrenaline and instinct 14:06 Growing up with a high-bar dad 16:21 Living up to his father 17:02 Parenting patterns we repeat 19:51 Deciding to have a third 20:35 Fear of the unknown gender 21:15 What changed with a daughter 22:24 Raising Josie differently 23:08 Daddy-daughter dates 27:37 Building a community, not just friends 30:07 Teenage independence and curfews 32:20 Parenting never really stops 33:49 Teaching kids the hard way 36:41 Setting red lines, not rules 37:24 Teaching responsibility with alcohol 40:05 Advice for hesitant dads 41:17 Finding your way without a manual 43:37 Final wisdom for new dads 44:53 A message to Kervin

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