Introducing Father Material
April 18, 2023

Joel Willis

Joel Willis

Joel Willis is the former Editor in Chief of the popular social media parenting brand, The Dad and co-author of the recently released book, Dad Law. He's also a loving father of two who enjoys working from home and is looking forward to dressing up...

Joel Willis is the former Editor in Chief of the popular social media parenting brand, The Dad and co-author of the recently released book, Dad Law. He's also a loving father of two who enjoys working from home and is looking forward to dressing up and attending the next Taylor Swift concert with his daughter.

Episode Breakdown:
1:46 - Little Bites

6:05 - Getting Into What Your Kids Are Into
7:40 - Early Career At GE
9:56 - Launching of The Dad
11:42 - Work/Life Balance
14:00 - Creating Dad Content
15:47- Assembling A Creative Team
18:32 - The Dad's Growth
23:25 - Dad Law
26:40 - Dad Libs
30:50 - Rapid Father Questions
37:00 - Dad Advice

Follow Joel on Social:
@thejoelwillis
@TheJoelWillis
https://www.tiktok.com/@thejoelwillis

Father Material Website
@father_material on IG
@father_material on Twitter
Transcript
1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,600 parenting, first of all, it's basically impossible, like raising humans into like happy adults. 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:12,560 It's so hard and so difficult, but it's the most fulfilling thing in the world. So just that right 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:19,680 there, there's so much opportunity for hilarious content, but also just very like sentimental. 4 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:25,680 Though at that point in my life, I'm being asked, I would have taken a job running a media brand 5 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:33,520 for all sorts of things. It wouldn't have had to be about being in debt. It could have been like a 6 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:38,960 meme brand about like basket weaving and I'd be all over it. It signed me up. I got lucky. 7 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:44,880 Every artist has his or her own creative process to help them hone their craft and execute their 8 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:49,680 vision. But nothing throws a wrench and a routine quite like having a baby. How to create 9 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,920 a justice to still find that time and energy needed to dedicate to their work. How has 10 00:00:53,920 --> 00:01:00,080 becoming a father impacted their creative process and material they create? I'm Tyler Guilden. 11 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:05,600 I'm the writer, producer, director, and podcast host. Most importantly, I'm a father at two. 12 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:12,000 A four-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. Yep, there are 367 days apart. 13 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,240 Hopefully my guests can help me and possibly some my listeners, 14 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,800 with some much needed guidance from their experience, juggling parenthood and being a creative. 15 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,240 This is father material. 16 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:31,920 Today's episode I was speaking with Joel Willis, father at two former editor and chief of the 17 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,320 dad, the very popular social media parenting brand. Also has a new book coming out called 18 00:01:36,320 --> 00:01:40,960 "Dadlaw" pretty much a master of all things parenting and content. I'm really excited about this 19 00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:45,600 conversation, so let's just jump right into it. Joel, how you doing? I'm going to show my face with 20 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:51,040 my blast of my snack here. What is that snack? Have you ever had little bites? 21 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:59,120 Have I ever had little bites? Who has not had little bites? My kids love them, but I end up eating 22 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:06,160 more of them than they do. My only issue is there's five muffins in here. I need 15. Give me 23 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:13,040 large bites. I actually aren't there like four. I think there's five. I think five would be generous. 24 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,920 I'm pretty sure it's just four. Maybe it's five. Is it a four piece? We're a big deal. See 25 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:24,080 there way. Not enough. There's not enough little bites. Did they used to be called mini muffins 26 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,400 or did I just make up the name mini muffins? I feel like growing up there were mini muffins and 27 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:34,640 then they became little bites. I'm not sure if my wife sometimes will say on accidental say like 28 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:39,760 tiny bites and my daughter and I think that's hilarious was come up with different words. 29 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:46,560 You know like the mini mull. Yeah, mini-skilled pastries. That's what's actually that's funny. 30 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:52,320 My wife this work said that's why it doesn't pay attention when she's making my kids breakfast 31 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:57,840 and just wants to shut them up so she just gives them things. This morning my son had woke me up at 32 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,440 I don't know. Five something and he he he he he he he he he he he he he what is bad he's four years 33 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:05,760 all these gone through the whole process he what is bad so I put it back and then I I put myself to 34 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,640 you know back to sleep I put myself to sleep then I went back to sleep also. So this morning for breakfast my 35 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:16,720 wife took the shift first to give me a little bit more rest and then also I noticed that she gave my son 36 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:24,160 for breakfast little bites they had little bites and then a pop tart and then she was giving him 37 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:28,960 a quassant and I said I was like how many calories you try to feed the skid and she's like 38 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,680 honestly I didn't even realize what I was I think she was just like you know my kids are four and three 39 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:38,080 and they're just like asking for things so she's just like okay please be quiet dad's not here 40 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:43,680 I'm just dealing with it and I was like what are you feeding these children yeah that's just like a lot of 41 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:49,840 carboloads there's a lot of people living for a marathon or something over there she at least admitted she's 42 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:54,880 like I honestly was not paying attention I guess she just she forgot which kid was asking for what and 43 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:59,440 didn't realize it was all the same child asking for all of that so yeah why the breakfast he had 44 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:07,280 yeah so how how old you have us on and a daughter also I believe right do I do my daughter's 13 45 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:16,640 and my son just turned 11 last Friday so you were you were definitely at a at a different stage 46 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:23,680 got the early teens the double digits I'm at my son is four my daughter's three so I'm definitely 47 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:29,520 a little bit behind I can't imagine how much I guess things have to be different as they get older I'm 48 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:35,360 sure there's big difference between four and three and yeah you got 11 you got four and three that's the 49 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:42,480 best man so could all the cliches are true it's like cherish the moments all that crap it's so true 50 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:48,320 that's the best like babies people don't say this people are afraid to talk about this but babies are 51 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:54,000 terrible they just cry all the time and it's hard to really make that connection but once they start talking 52 00:04:54,000 --> 00:05:00,240 it's the best and it just keeps getting better keeps getting better yeah I think it keeps getting 53 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:08,320 but maybe it's plateauing now on the teenage years oh no oh yeah it's amazing though because yeah even 54 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:13,120 just in four years and three years there's already little things they did that I miss so I'd 55 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:18,480 imagine by the time they're 14 and 11 there's so many of those innocent isms and whatnot that 56 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:23,200 your kids did and now you're like oh now they're like I know Joe come my kids are like people now 57 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:27,920 but they're not people compared to your children who are literally people yeah I don't want to break 58 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:34,080 your heart or anything this early in the podcast but my daughter and I were like we're really close we're like 59 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:39,040 good friends and love hanging out and stuff and now lately she doesn't want to hang out as much 60 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:48,160 like she'll go to a room or hang out with her friends more and oh it's the worst yeah my son is very very attached 61 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:52,400 to me and yeah I can imagine that that must be tough when they get to that age and you're like 62 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:57,280 I'm sure you still want to be all your daddy's girl but at the same time she's 14 and she has friends and 63 00:05:57,280 --> 00:06:03,760 you got to have to let her be so how do you how do you straddle that yeah yeah I mean it's tough you I mean my 64 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:08,480 number one thing we're getting right into it this is this is the following here is get into what 65 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:16,240 your kids are into so whatever it is they're into whatever stage however old they are what they're 66 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:22,960 interests are try to get into that right my daughter was like three or four like yours she was real into 67 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:30,640 my little pony so all of a sudden I had a favorite my little pony I did it was it was Flutter shy 68 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:40,720 do you miss Flutter shy did you do you good times you guys had I gotta do I get I get the fandom 69 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:46,640 around my little pony I understand it I can't mix with it it's my little pony still around because I 70 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:52,480 only remember the growing up the the song is the song still the song you're like my little pony there's 71 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:58,160 no friends like pony friends I remember those commercials all the time I think that song makes this it 72 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:03,760 sounds a little different than what you were just singing and why not hit a get on tune if you have 73 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:12,160 or not hit my little pony evolved it's musical you know it's a bill of peace beyond me I'll just say this 74 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:17,920 Tyler you might have been a little off key I think you could run this on YouTube and you won't get hit 75 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:24,480 with a DMCA copyright strike is what I'm saying it's not that spot on but it was pretty good is it 76 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:28,560 techno now what's the new version of the my little pony song it's probably they probably have 77 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:34,880 a whole TV show now this probably a whole different world of it yeah augmented reality video game or something 78 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:40,960 I don't know I don't mean I'm out of it I'm out of it now too so have you been someone always at your 79 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:47,680 core was a creative and trying to create things I understand you were at GE for a while before you kind of 80 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,760 found the death so it spines me where these creative genes came from because a lot of the podcast is not just 81 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:56,560 only on fatherhood but also that type of material you create and how you kind of balance the 82 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:02,960 two worlds so where did this creative I guess urge come from sure I mean I think everybody has it to a certain 83 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:08,720 extent and that's definitely true for me I've always been like super nerdy about comedy just really 84 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:16,400 love comedy entertainment all that stuff even though I'm very introverted at heart but in college and 85 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:20,800 in high school I never really gave a lot of thought like what I wanted to be when I when I grew up you know 86 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,920 it was like what's the safe path what where can I make a comfortable living and it's fine you know 87 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:34,960 and won't require too much work right it led me to a tech career so I was a GE leading data science 88 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:43,760 initiatives for jet engine engineering which creative fulfillment speaking is it's not for a high 89 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:50,640 on the charts it was cool people I worked with their cool work was interesting but towards the end 90 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:58,080 I felt like my soul was dying a little every day with the long commutes and then in this meetings 91 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:05,440 and I was climbing the corporate ladder and all that like I got to get out of here I put together 92 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:11,680 what I call a five-year corporate escape plan with my wife and then like I like the sound of that 93 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:18,480 yeah yeah it's like learn how to create content you know like get out there and basically just 94 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:26,880 start writing jokes on Twitter things like that eventually get published places with its longer form writing 95 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:34,720 stuff like that I wrote a novel I did a children's book and all these things looking for that 96 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:42,000 future path whatever it may be eventually I connected with Jill Smokler from Scary Mommy and I wrote 97 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:50,560 for Scary Mommy for two years and then when they're parent company on intended wanted to start a 98 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:57,200 dad brand I was I was in the right place at the right time. Got it so essentially I guess you launched the 99 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:02,800 dad with them that was a co-partner shift type of an idea it wasn't something you came to them with 100 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:07,120 it was more of organically you were there writing some dad stuff they wanted to launch dad's you're the 101 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:13,040 guy to do it yeah it was just so serendipitous it was perfect I was I was already you know doing things for 102 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:20,560 them you know like are you interested in possibly leading up a dad brand was it like yes of course at that 103 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:27,840 time where I was in corporate life and stuff like this is an acceleration on that five-year plan and it's 104 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:33,600 a dream job absolutely and then we got to be in that you know collaborative partnership type of 105 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:39,440 arrangement or we got to talk about what it could be ideally what it should look like what the team should 106 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:45,680 be like all of that stuff from from the start and then I got to join as essentially a salary to 107 00:10:45,680 --> 00:10:52,160 employee for a media company so it's kind of the best of both worlds in terms of you know working for 108 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:58,000 a company versus like you know starting or anything right well and I guess so where were you in terms of 109 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:03,120 how how how when did you become a father I guess how long were you working at GE as a dad or 110 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:09,760 guess you know how many years of fatherhood wisdom did you have that you were bringing that dad yeah yeah 111 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:13,840 by that point I was or I was I was dead inside no I'm just kidding 112 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:21,520 the white my daughter's dad inside you were dad inside my hair was my hair was very gray already I'll say 113 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:34,800 that my my daughter's born 2009 and I left to start the dad in 2017 yeah 17 my daughter was at eight 114 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:39,520 my son was like five so I was well on the on the dad journey at that point for sure I was in the 115 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,760 thick of it yeah so how did you balance I think I've heard you say this before when you're 116 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,360 interviewed you know you were a dad in your professional life and you know and your personal life you 117 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:52,640 you're getting to kind of do the same it both ways so I guess how did one impact the other obviously naturally 118 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:58,240 you're pulling from your actual life as a dad to bring you know content but I guess yeah I guess how 119 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:02,400 did you balance the two worlds of a at one point where is it ever like all right dad stopped 120 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:08,880 mining us for content like how did you ever draw a line they were never like that they've never been 121 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:16,880 like they're very outgoing hilarious kids so they're they're down for that sort of game for sure 122 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:23,200 if they ever were like don't do that I would definitely not do that for sure but including them in 123 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:29,840 content aside I think the balance I really can't say enough for working from home honestly 124 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:38,080 when I was at my last corporate job I was in one hour commute each way and I would I would drive 125 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:43,440 to a parking lot get on the bus and take a bus downtown and go to a new work and then come back you know 126 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:50,000 and then at night I was I was teaching at a university I was doing a parenting thing I was doing 127 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:57,680 scary mommy stuff like I was so busy that I didn't have a good work life balance and even though 128 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:04,400 the dad was an intense amount of work I saved so much time by being able to work from home and 129 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:10,000 simplify my commute my life that I was working harder than ever but getting to spend more time 130 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:14,800 with my family than ever too which is important because technically you can make the case that you're doing 131 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:20,400 research that you're that is a part of your job at the dad is to be a dad as much as possible so 132 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,560 therefore you shouldn't have to go to an office you have a good you have a good cell there that's right 133 00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:30,080 I need the fodder I need the father fodder for the for the memes if my kids aren't frustrating me then 134 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:34,560 I don't have anything to joke about exactly you got to put you got to put that fuel in the tank so 135 00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:40,800 but what was it about being a dad like because in theory I guess if you had a creative gene in a bug to 136 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:46,400 kind of get out of corporate world and go into some sort of content what was it about being a dad was just 137 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:50,720 what you felt was the most organic to you because that's where you were in your life or you know what 138 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:56,240 what is it about fatherhood that strikes you as such a a unique place to build content from 139 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:07,120 all man I think parenting first of all it's basically impossible like raising humans into like 140 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:13,280 happy adults like it's just it's it's so hard and so difficult but it's the most fulfilling thing in the world 141 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:21,200 so just that right there there's so much an opportunity for for hilarious content but also just 142 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:29,360 very like sentimental content as well like I truly believe that raising kids and parenting it's like it's the 143 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:37,520 meaning of life for me it's not for me but for me even when I was like young 20s and I would 144 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:41,200 make like a bucket list of things I want to do and like being a dad was always on there it's like yeah 145 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:48,480 I definitely you know want to do that so that was always there I think though at that point in my 146 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:55,920 life I'm being asked I would have taken a job running a media brand for all sorts of things it wouldn't have 147 00:14:55,920 --> 00:15:05,040 had to be being a dad it could have been like a meme brand about like basket weaving and I'd be all over it 148 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:10,720 sign me up so I got lucky it sounds exciting you know listen maybe you could make it happen 149 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:15,920 this if you have enough enough comedic chops you could make that work I don't know if the basket 150 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:20,800 would be as exciting as the dad but who knows if there's some weaver's out there no I think it worked out 151 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:27,600 for the better for everyone that it that it that happened to be about being a dad it was it was fantastic 152 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:32,640 yeah no I mean I couldn't have asked for a better fit and I've said it before but I'm just like 153 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:39,680 so grateful for some spider and the leaders there to give me a shot at being able to have that job 154 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:43,760 but also just like being that position to begin with was just very very lucky 155 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:52,240 when you're hiring at the dad how important is it to hire other dads or parents I guess when you're building a 156 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:58,400 team of content and also not every I'm sure there are many you know the dad is sound singular 157 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:03,200 but there's many different experiences of being a dad so I'm just curious how you went about 158 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:08,080 creating content or assembling a team to kind of put out these different you know voices out there 159 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:12,320 yeah the singularity of the was the brand name always bugged me a little bit 160 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:18,800 that's tricky to navigate I always wanted to make sure when we post content we would say like we and we'd 161 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:23,600 be very plural about it so that people recognize that it's a team and not an individual and also we would 162 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:29,520 say in our description like the dad is not a person it's a lifestyle things like that right so there's that 163 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:37,360 other than that I mean yeah that's an interesting question we I wouldn't care so much about 164 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:42,720 if somebody was a dad or not personally like not not really at all it was more about the creative 165 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:53,120 talent ability to create interesting and funny and good content and in fact our first hire deputy editor of 166 00:16:53,120 --> 00:17:02,480 the dad was a mom named Ali probest and she's just a creative powerhouse just like so good like 167 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:09,840 an idea machine and it was it's way more important that she's just amazing creatively than then 168 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:18,320 that she's you know male or or dad right so no that wasn't that wasn't really too much of a consideration 169 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:25,120 there happens that experiences definitely helps so being a parent in general I think is definitely 170 00:17:25,120 --> 00:17:30,720 a bonus but even still I guess you can make the case that even if you just had a dad you know you're 171 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:35,520 not a parent but you had a dad you know it's that kind of multi-layer whether you're a dad you're 172 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:40,400 married to a dad you had a dad you know there's there's different layers of that no it's funny you say 173 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:46,400 that the we and those models because you know I was you know at a lead daily for for a long time and we had 174 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:51,360 that same type of trick with like being like the voice of Jen Y and millennials but then like you know 175 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:56,640 we didn't want to alien anyone else so we would say like it's a millennial mindset so it's not just 176 00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:02,640 millennials it's the mindset of the millennials and that was how we would expand to like Gen X and Z 177 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:09,280 and etc. Yeah when you have an identity based brand it's a tricky tricky waterstown navigate 178 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:14,880 for sure but yeah you don't need to you don't need to be a dad to write for the dad you don't need to 179 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:22,800 be a dad to follow the dad we all know some dads in our lives right and they're they're quirky you know 180 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:28,880 they have dad jokes whatever whatever so yeah just having that awareness of what it's like is all 181 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:33,600 what all that you need so when did the what did the dad really take off because I feel like there was a 182 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,520 certain point where all of sudden it just got really big and I'm always following these different 183 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:41,840 publishers just from being in the digital publisher space was there a certain point or a certain 184 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:48,000 a certain meme or a certain video I mean I know you guys were doing some fantastic video work I actually 185 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,640 know some of the guys who were working on your team doing some video stuff so what was there any 186 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:57,360 certain piece of content that helped or a certain launch of anything that made it get bigger 187 00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:03,840 oh it's just kind of organic growth oh I think it it doesn't flows right I think it's like a little 188 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:12,320 stair step approach the early days were intensely exciting in terms of growth because even every 189 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,800 every week there was some kind of hit that took off and we'd see a big stair step and like oh I got 190 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:27,040 just thrilling right we started a zero followers on Facebook we actually acquired a brand that I 191 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:32,400 started called the GladStort on Instagram and Twitter so we didn't have to start from zero there which is 192 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:40,080 helpful visitor tough fair tough platforms for that we did we did like an intern on company poll how many 193 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:48,240 followers on Facebook would we have after two months we ended up and people were saying 10,000, 194 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:55,600 20,000, 50,000 we ended up over a hundred thousand and two months which was just beyond my wildest 195 00:19:55,600 --> 00:20:02,560 expectations there were probably videos and memes during that time that contributed maybe more than others 196 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:08,960 but I really feel like it was just more consistency you know post in every other hour 197 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:16,640 every single day nonstop not missing a slot everyone of those pieces of content is a lot of 198 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:23,200 very ticket and social algorithms sort of smelt trust me I know the world well I remember yeah I'd like 199 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:28,320 yeah we first broke a million you know Facebook or we got a hundred thousand YouTube I mean it's cool 200 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:32,800 when you're feeling like you're really building something and actually getting an audience and engaging 201 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:38,240 with it and yeah you guys put out such you know it's relatable fun content and through this I was following 202 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:43,520 you guys before I was a dad and I was still getting a kick out of it and then once I became a dad 203 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:49,360 I was just like okay now I'm now I'm like really in this and invested so you know it's it's cool to 204 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:56,720 connect because I've just been following for a while and now the dad likely all part of the same 205 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:01,360 bustle digital studio universe as they've acquired everybody of whether you're the voice or the 206 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:06,160 mindset of millennials or you're the you're the dad or you're anybody really you're just a human 207 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:17,200 now that's where you live yeah digital web the elite dad the millennial mindset dad that speaks to me 208 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:21,600 I mean that's where this podcast came from you know a lot of what I enjoy doing at elite daily 209 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:26,880 was I was a millennial I was making content for the most part that I resonated with so it felt authentic 210 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:31,120 and that's why I launched this podcast and I looked for other parenting endeavors some clients I 211 00:21:31,120 --> 00:21:36,400 worked with are you know brands who you know produce you know kids stuff because it feels the most genuine 212 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:41,760 to me because it's what I'm experiencing and I feel like you a lot of comedy or you know just creative 213 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:47,440 comes from your own experience so you know being a dad is definitely the largest looming thing in my 214 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:53,760 life right now that it doesn't appear to be going anywhere for some time yeah that's right yeah it brings 215 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:58,880 up a lot of emotions so at the end of the day you want to be able to scroll through some of those 216 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:04,480 through content that drives and makes you not feel like you're in this thing alone for sure for sure 217 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,720 yeah and you mentioned video I did see that you talked to Rob King which is awesome 218 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:16,080 based on that I spoke to Rob and and I know Ben Stumpf very I've know Ben for years we started 219 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:21,920 like UCB you know class together years ago and I've been I've bugged him to do the dad content 220 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:27,360 for like three four years now you know we have we have it across our project yet but I'm on his list 221 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:31,920 somewhere but he did a bunch of stuff for me and I'll eat daily you know we've we've done a couple 222 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:38,160 things together so he's great to yeah Ben's amazing Rob's amazing Nick Fabiano all great guys 223 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:44,960 yeah the video studio for the dad was a force and just having that level of production quality 224 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:53,280 from the very get go was like a huge amplifier too right see talk about specific pieces of content 225 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:59,600 I mean there were definitely stars all over the place that took off but one of the first like mega 226 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:04,720 ones that got us like in the news and stuff was out of the video studio and it was a fucking break 227 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:11,120 if you remember that one you had to believe that I don't know no yeah I remember I remember that one 228 00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:18,560 I was a good you know I guess satirical type of spot so I do remember that and yeah I mean I feel like 229 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:24,640 you know a lot of great content has come out of the dad so I've ever appreciated following so tell me now 230 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:31,520 about dad law as you build off of more dad content so tell me about the book what about dad law 231 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:37,360 dad law yeah so this I it's a little bit of a longer story than you may expect but I want to tell 232 00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:45,120 it all a few years into the dad um Ali wanted to depy editor the dad she wanted to write a book 233 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:54,000 she had this amazing idea for a book very involved in in content driven and amazing the leadership 234 00:23:54,000 --> 00:24:01,600 at the time the company said that seems like a lot let's try something smaller and easier and so 235 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:08,640 we created basically a book of memes called the dad book myself published it we created a daily calendar 236 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:16,480 dadism which did extremely well all these things it really well so we wrote another book called the dad law 237 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:24,160 and self published it and now even though I'm no longer with the dad this book is being published 238 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:32,160 this year and now it's called dad law so it's just dad law and it's basically a reimagining of 239 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:37,680 that book with the traditional publisher and we are super excited about it so are you 240 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:45,120 a writer on it a co-writer on it I guess who is this book coming out from the dad it's also what's the 241 00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:51,360 I guess who who is the author what is the origin of this dad so here here you go I don't know if you 242 00:24:51,360 --> 00:24:56,560 publish video from these things but here here's the here's the dad here is I'm gonna say 243 00:24:56,560 --> 00:25:02,320 "Dud Dad Law" this is dad law written by Ali Probst and Joel Willis so we are the authors 244 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:08,480 on this thing it's also affiliated with the dad of course and it's published by a chronicle 245 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:15,200 chronicle books and so inside it what is it what is the context of it it's it's filled with 246 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:20,560 anecdotes it's filled with memes it's filled with laws what is the you know what is the context 247 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:25,680 the idea is when you become a dad and apparently there are certain things that you just 248 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:31,840 catch yourself doing like immediately and I would take it a step further and say you have to 249 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:38,480 do those things those are the dad law those things you have to do like and it's just a collection of those 250 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:47,840 things separated by different topics so dad vice and cliches is section X well the first one up 251 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:55,200 section X article nine a dad more or minus family if it ain't broke don't fix it 252 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:05,680 that's it's it's hundreds or thousands of those sorts of things and if you're eating like me you 253 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:10,400 probably think you're so I probably don't do that many cliches that things but if you flip through 254 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:17,120 it's like oh my god I do all of this and that's it yeah every dad is different but I'm sure there's 255 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:22,240 that there's some underlying themes that probably mostly all of us or anybody yeah you know you have 256 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,680 kids and also you just to everyone says I don't want to turn into my own father but then like 257 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:31,520 somehow you just turn into your own dad it's like those progressive commercials that are actually pretty funny 258 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:36,320 of like we can't you know we can't help you from turning into your parent those are like kind of 259 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:41,760 give me a left so let's play actually speaking of dad isums and things let's do a quick game of 260 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:49,680 dad lives you down for some dad lives I love it I love it I guess do this so give me let me get to adjectives 261 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:57,200 oh my god I gotta I gotta reframe my state of mind for this I haven't heard you do this before what 262 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:02,880 what are we looking for here are they very dad related adjectives or just be anything okay 263 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:16,960 hilarious and smelly I mean if you if you play adlips with like my kids or any kid really I think 264 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:24,000 that like all the answers are like fart but poop and stuff right and they do work and usually they do work 265 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:30,400 you know but the makers of you know I'm a bad man to know that I keep that in mind give me a 266 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:44,800 adverb um hastily all right let me get a number I gotta go three on this I gotta go number three 267 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:52,480 let me get another adjective smart let me get an emotion 268 00:27:55,280 --> 00:28:10,960 devastated let me get a song lyric that's long lyric okay um haters gonna hate I'm going to see 269 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:16,560 Taylor Swift with my daughter this summer and I'm so excited we're gonna we're gonna dress up 270 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:23,760 from with our favorite Taylor Swift album like inspired by our favorite Taylor Swift album it's 271 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:30,880 gonna be incredible she is she is Swifty oh yeah I mean me too well you said you gotta get to you said 272 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:38,000 it get into what your kids are into so you are now rocking Taylor Swift I like it 100% you know I'm 273 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:45,440 ever more I love ever more now she is a braid in the back of my flannel shirt and I told her I want 274 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:51,040 to wear a braid to the concert like just like that she doesn't want she doesn't want me to do that 275 00:28:51,040 --> 00:29:00,400 so take care of you me a body part oh I gotta go but we're gone but I like it all right give me a period of time 276 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:12,720 um we'll say the late 1900s I guess I guess not a time period I guess I length of time a length of time 277 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:24,400 but that works Taylor um we'll say a century that what you mean century perfect perfect 278 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:35,680 uh let's get me a uh favorite internet meme um I'll go with the uh this is fine dog 279 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:49,040 you know I mean one in the fire yep and I get me one more uh and be off of the verb um well we 280 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:55,920 here we'll go for it we'll do for it I'm gonna keep it soft and more it all right let's run this one back 281 00:29:55,920 --> 00:30:02,640 as a hilarious father of two smelly kids I can easily say that being a dad is the number three 282 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:08,160 smartest thing I ever happened to me when we first found out we were gonna be parents my first reaction was 283 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:13,760 pure devastation as I shouted haters gonna hate at the top of my butt as I knew my life would be 284 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:20,080 changed for a century being a father's a lot like this is fine dog every day I just want to fart with joy 285 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:27,760 wow that's it's her now better than I expected that was that was one of the best ones I think that 286 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:35,040 really uh that hit it that hit nicely that was that was art that was art that you know that is how 287 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:39,920 arts made why do artists spend all the time working out things when they could just do something as simple 288 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:44,320 as that just add a little I think that's what they're doing I think Taylor Swift songs are just 289 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:50,080 dad lives just a series of ad lives that was amazing thank you so let's yeah no that was great let's 290 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:54,560 see a couple of rapid father questions all right so these are some would you rather which rather 291 00:30:54,560 --> 00:31:02,960 changed dirty diapers are a symbol kids toys oh man I don't mind either of those things just I guess a 292 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:10,800 symbol kids toys yeah be in charge of the morning routine or the bedtime routine bedtime for sure 293 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:15,840 not a morning person be in charge of cutting toenails or attending pediatrician appointments 294 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:24,240 I don't mind you that this thing's the toenails good it's less time would you rather your kid wake up two 295 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:32,000 hours earlier or stay up two hours past bedtime two hours past bedtime for sure yeah easy 296 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:36,320 would you rather get a call to come to your kid school because they poop themselves or because they 297 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:46,000 cursed out their teacher I got 11 and 13 year olds they poop themselves oh lord we've got a problem 298 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:52,320 I cursed out of the teacher and stuff like this point so I guess well this one's not real well I 299 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:56,160 guess you kind of said it at the beginning but what's your what's your kid's favorite food to eat or take 300 00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:04,400 off their plate that yeah you wouldn't probably eat if you never kids how would you yeah little bites 301 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:11,520 little bites are up there I would say my daughter loves mac and cheese though I probably wouldn't 302 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:17,920 need as much mac and cheese if it weren't for that so we're mac and cheese yes what's your biggest 303 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:23,440 dadism which that you would that you could proclaim from the dad law from the book what's your 304 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:29,200 biggest dadism something you can't constantly give you crap for I'm certain that it is in 305 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:34,880 year and it may and I think it's something that I came up with so it's not like a cliche thing but 306 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:38,720 you know you correct me if I'm wrong but I say it is all the time there'll be like we're such 307 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:44,640 and such in the houses of mass and I say the first step to finding something is to start cleaning up 308 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:52,080 I say that all the time and now I just go first step to finding something and they know the rest 309 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:59,600 I'm certain it's in there just because it's something I say all the time but I don't know that that's 310 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:06,720 necessarily like a cliche what's your favorite dad joke you have just like a terrible dad joke 311 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:11,280 that always makes you laugh and similar to that your kids would be like okay great you know another one of 312 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:20,240 those dad jokes there's so many things about the dad that is a lie when it comes to me like I don't 313 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:25,520 I don't tell anybody if this isn't being reported but I don't I don't like grilling 314 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:33,520 I'd rather cook on a cast iron skillet and have all of my kitchen I see a lot of content from the 315 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:38,880 dad about manning the grill and being on that barbecue don't tell anybody I don't I don't know 316 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:52,720 cargo shorts I have the white new balance but only for video shoots and so I don't think that I 317 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:58,800 tell too many dad jokes like the cheesy kind I don't think I do I started to like ironically 318 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:05,680 and it kind of stuck a little bit I think that's how they get you which is another dadism but I do 319 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:11,920 get asked this a lot so I do have one handy and ready to go let's count you're handy one give me 320 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:19,680 your hand it's is more of a story really but last night I rearranged the labels on my wife's 321 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:27,760 spices and the spice cabinet and she hasn't found out yet but the time is cumin 322 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:39,360 I like it I like it I like it but I said that one on the radio and I just made it my daughter 323 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:45,840 earring it and she rolls her eyes so her genomes falls asleep oh that's that but that's what dad 324 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:49,760 jokes do what's nice like my kids are at an age now we're like dad jokes are great it's 325 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:54,400 any jokes great I mean like my kids think I'm the funniest greatest thing in the world so I'm just 326 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:59,200 gonna keep I'm gonna keep reaping the benefits of that until they get to the point where they're like go away dad 327 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:03,760 only my wife and also rise right now that's I'm at the point where like my wife just rolls her eyes but the 328 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:08,960 kids just love it and that's what I see it's the kids energy that's the audience I'm trying to please 329 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:12,800 never my wife I don't please my wife never my wife that's right they're feeding them bear they're 330 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:16,400 feeding them bear with the laughter and you're gonna keep that you're gonna keep ample fine 331 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:20,960 that until it comes back to bite on when they uh when they don't they don't care for it anymore 332 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:27,600 it will come so what's up and you learned from your first kid that helped you with your second 333 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:37,280 kid something that you went to known had you not had a first child oh um I feel like it's a little 334 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:44,960 more universal but like I feel like with your first one you're very concerned about everything maybe 335 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:54,800 little overbearing in particular about things which is good it shows that you care um I think I think you 336 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:59,520 can overdo it I think having a little bit of a they'll figure it out on their own kind of mentality is 337 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:07,680 definitely helpful and I think that only comes with the second the second child what gives you the most 338 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:15,360 pride as a father oh my gosh there's so many things if it's taken me a while to answer it's just because 339 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:22,480 there's there's a lot my kids are are amazing they're the best just so so funny and intelligent I 340 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:30,080 guess I would say this like I feel very proud when they can do things completely without me 341 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:37,280 I guess they don't need my help and they can go off and do something maybe they have a problem and they 342 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:42,640 just figure it out on their own and they have that confidence to be able to think like I can figure this 343 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:49,200 out and then they do and then they they've accomplished it because that's what parenting is all about it's like 344 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:56,800 raising your kids to get to the point where they don't need you at all just as terrible 345 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:01,680 like just trying to face you try to face yourself out that's all you're trying to do is make yourself 346 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:06,640 less needed yeah yeah I'm gonna be obsolete so when they when they do that I'm like yes I'm doing 347 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:14,480 my job that's great and any advice for new dads or you know expecting dads of things that maybe you 348 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:19,600 botched out the gate something that you maybe did that you're like well maybe back in time 349 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:24,400 my maybe shouldn't have done that or just a learning experience that you could help one new dad 350 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:30,480 maybe avoid I think the nature of that like what do you what do you regret question it can tend to 351 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:35,120 instill some fear and new dads like there's going to be all these things that I need to be careful not to 352 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:40,400 do or all regret it or whatever so I want to answer it that way I'll just say this just try your best 353 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:45,440 like just show up do your thing don't worry about it you're gonna mess some stuff out probably 354 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:52,560 definitely you will so instead my advice will be this take lots of pictures and videos 355 00:37:54,000 --> 00:38:01,600 social media gets a bad racket rightfully so for a lot of reasons sometimes I'm like why am I 356 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:07,120 posting on social media all the time why am I doing this what's the point but then I get hit with like 357 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:12,960 memories like 10 years ago you know such and such and I'm like I yes this is why 358 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:18,560 so take take this photos and videos you will definitely regret that if you don't so then you have 359 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:25,200 all that stuff look back on all right I love it and leave me off with your definition of a good father what's 360 00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:38,560 the definition in your mind of a good dad is a good dad is someone who tries is you know does 361 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:45,680 their best that's it I mean being involved like a dad is involved good dad is involved in tries 362 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:54,960 involved tries and eats tiny bites whenever whenever he has the chance the microscopic bites 363 00:38:54,960 --> 00:39:08,000 the very very teeny nipples I think they're teeny nipples I like it contact the nvesto marketing people 364 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:13,120 I don't know thank you so much for hopping on yeah love it thanks for having me 365 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:18,400 my thanks to Joel for taking the time to hop on the podcast was really good to connect with him he's 366 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:24,480 obviously somebody who's been able to harness being a father into producing content more than most 367 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:29,280 people I know so he's done a really great job at that and really great guy and yeah looking forward to 368 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:34,800 checking out dad law if you want to follow him on social you could check him out at the Joel Willis that's 369 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:42,400 the Joel J.L. Willis W. I. L. L. I. S. on Twitter Instagram and please subscribe to the podcast like 370 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:46,400 review share with your friends always appreciate the support since we spoke so much about little bites 371 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:51,600 I think I'm going to go have some chocolate chip little bites take a bag for my kids I'm Tyler Gillman 372 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:53,360 this is father material 373 00:39:54,800 --> 00:40:05,680 father material that my daddy I work my daddy he and I can do it by you.