Fatherhood is a learned behavior. Many of us mimic the behaviors that we saw or experienced growing up...sometimes to a fault. Children are like algorithms that are constantly being updated by some supernatural software. What worked on us as children isn't guaranteed to work on our children, and, inevitably, there will be a need to reprogram the way we parent.

In addition to the child evolving, the parent is also evolving. That evolution may have positive and negative phases, which might be processed differently by the child and the parent. These nuances make parenting difficult to navigate, and sometimes we must abandon the default parenting behaviors and reprogram the way we operate.

This episode explores the journey of four fathers from varying backgrounds and highlights several vulnerable moments that changed the way they dad.

Shawn Serfass is struggled with drug addiction at a young age, which ultimately landed him in prison. He spent the time behind bars working on himself to become a better man and father to the son he left behind. His experiences have fueled his purpose, and today he is a reputable member of society, advocate for at-risk youth, loving husband, and a great father. He's also a successful owner of the "2nd Chance Fitness" brand with two fitness facilities located in Texas (Mansfield and Midlothian).

Follow Shawn:
https://instagram.com/Shawn2ndChance

Reggie George, the owner of the "Father Figure" brand, shares a riveting testimony of faith. His family experienced unimaginable trauma when his teenage twin daughter was stabbed in the head at school by another male student. The details are too dark to share here...just know that God restores. Through this journey of faith, Reggie identified his purpose of building an international community of father figures to ensure every child has a positive male influence to help them navigate life. This is an ambitious mission; indeed, however, the Father Figure brand is growing at warp speed. All of which, he credits to the Father above.

Follow Reggie:
https://instagram.com/FatherFigureApparel

James Johnson (co-host) provides a very transparent view of his experience as a father during his first marriage and what he experiences today in his current family dynamic. Divorce hurts all parties involved in some manner. His relationship with the children from the first marriage are strained, and you can see the pain in his demeanor as he talks about it. The lessons learned facilitated his growth as a man, but it is bittersweet at best. "Pay attention," he says. The message is to be mindful of your behavior and how it impacts those around you, especially the children. Don't learn the lesson at the expense of your relationship.

Follow James:
https://instagram.com/JeyBlac

Me...well, I get pretty vulnerable as well (per usual). Enough about that though, this is a very meaningful discussion, and I pray that it blesses you. As always, I welcome your feedback and perspective. It takes a village.