Armin Brott, Mr. Dad, has spent nearly 25 years giving fathers the tools and role models he never had. A former Marine and father of three adult children, Armin joins host Jeff Hittner to unpack why progress for dads has stalled, and why the "toxic masculinity" conversation misses the point.

Armin also digs into the real business case for paternity leave, the double standard men face around emotion and mental health, and what changes (and what stubbornly doesn't) about single fatherhood since he wrote the book on it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00] Twenty years in, the progress toward equal footing for dads and moms still hasn't arrived, and it's a shared failure.

[05:00] Guys who want more time with family need to make the business case to their employers, not just ask for it.

[12:00] A stranger's suspicious glare in a park became the moment that changed his entire career path.

[17:00] Calling all masculinity toxic misses the real problem, how boys are taught which emotions are allowed.

[23:00] Men get postpartum depression too, and ignoring it to focus only on mom leaves fathers stuck.

[32:00] Single fatherhood is exhausting and isolating in ways he didn't expect, but it also gave him an unfiltered closeness with his kids.

[40:00] A father's role keeps changing, from the one who knows everything to the one who waits to be asked.

Listen to the full episode to hear Armin's take on why involved fatherhood is ultimately a shared win for the whole family, not just the kids.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Mr. Dad, Armin's site and syndicated "Ask Mr. Dad" column for fathers: https://mrdad.com

Sign Up for the Ambitious Dads Newsletter: https://www.ambitiousdads.com

Connect with Jeff Hittner: https://jeffhittner.com

Subscribe on:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ambitious-dads/id1815863328

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xCHG30Ms9wcGRJmDqHcW8?si=46654ba2a0654099

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmbitiousDads