What does it actually take to feel grounded, confident, and present as a dad when anxiety is rising, expectations are shifting, and the world feels louder than ever?

AJ Rich is a licensed marriage and family therapist, practice owner, and doctoral candidate who works almost exclusively with men. After nearly 20 years in corporate leadership, AJ transitioned into clinical work and now helps dads navigate identity, emotional intelligence, anxiety, and growth without losing themselves or their families in the process.

In this conversation, AJ shares how men can move beyond coping and toward real psychological wellbeing, even while juggling work pressure, parenting, and constant change.

You will hear AJ break down how to:

• Understand anxiety as a signal, not a failure

• Build emotional intelligence without losing strength or credibility

• Develop the language to describe what you are actually feeling

• Shift from survival mode into sustainable growth

• Redefine success beyond titles, income, or external validation

• Identify what is holding you back when you feel stuck

Dig Deeper

Feelings wheel

Brené Brown

Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart on HBO Max

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown (book)

PERMA Theory of Well-Being

Doc McStuffins

Sofia the First

Subway Sandwich Artist

Food Avenue in Target

This is How We Do It by Montell Jordan

Follow AJ

AJ Family Therapy, Inc.

Email AJ

Follow Gap to Gig

On Instagram

On TikTok

On X

On Threads

On YouTube

On your podcast player of choice

Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter

Follow Michael

On LinkedIn

How do you rebuild your life when everything breaks at once and you still have kids who need you every minute of the day?

After a devastating spinal injury and years of recovery, Paul Terrell became a stay at home dad who had to relearn how to walk, talk, type, and parent with new physical limitations. Later he returned to work and eventually became a top performing enterprise account executive in PropTech and FinTech. His story is one of grit, patience, perseverance, and a deep commitment to family.

Paul shares how to:

• Relearn everyday life while caring for two young kids

• Parent with physical limitations and find creative ways to adapt

• Build mental toughness when progress feels painfully slow

• Return to the workforce with confidence after years away

• Use AI, systems, and prep work to compete at a high level again

• Navigate the emotional shift from being the primary caregiver to traveling constantly for work

• Strengthen a marriage through shared effort, support, and role changes

• Turn stay at home parenting into quantifiable wins on a resume

• Carry lessons from parenting into sales, negotiation, and leadership

• Protect health, energy, and family time in a metrics driven role

• Help kids understand work, money, teamwork, and responsibility

• Break big goals into smaller ones and use data to track personal progress

Paul’s story is honest, inspiring, and packed with practical wisdom for any dad rebuilding after a tough season or trying to figure out what comes next.

Dig Deeper

Yardi

REIT

Plaud

Bohemian Rhapsody

Nuthin' but a "G" Thang

Follow Paul

Paul Terrell on LinkedIn

Paul Terrell on Instagram

Follow Gap to Gig

On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig

On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig

On X: x.com/gaptogig

On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg

On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/

Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com

Follow Michael

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

What happens when you realize the real work of your life is happening at home, not at your job?

Sean Waldron returns for a deeper conversation about creativity, fatherhood, and the stories that shape us. He shares how filming with his son became a doorway into connection, why every dad has creative gifts even if they do not see themselves as creative, and how bringing your work skills into your home can strengthen the bond with your kids.

Sean opens up about:

• Entering his child’s world and why validation matters so much

• How creativity shows up in everyday parenting

• Using the skills you practice at work to build connection at home

• The danger of tying your worth to your job

• Why every dad carries a creative spark

• How good is built in small moments inside your home

• Growing up with fractured support and transforming that pain into purpose

• The heart behind ROAR and the documentary Silly Cannonballs

• The healing conversation he needed to have with his father before he could tell this story

• Building habits and protecting your morning to stay grounded

• Navigating perfection, mastery, and the pursuit of honesty

This conversation goes deeper into purpose, identity, generational patterns, and the kind of dad you want to become. It is raw, thoughtful, and full of clarity about what truly matters.

Dig Deeper

ROAR Dads

Silly Cannonballs

The Jetsons

MacGyver

John Mayer

Japanese Joinery

Gap to Gig Episode 6: Sean Waldron on Purpose, Creativity, and Becoming a Present Dad

Follow Sean

Sean Waldron on LinkedIn

Follow Gap to Gig

On Instagram: instagram.com/gaptogig

On TikTok: tiktok.com/@gaptogig

On X: x.com/gaptogig

On YouTube: youtube.com/@gaptogig-gtg

On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/

Sign up for the Gap to Gig newsletter: gaptogig.com

Follow Michael

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/