Gap to Gig cover art

Gap to Gig

Gap to Gig

By: Michael Jacobs
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About this listen

Build the life you’re working for.

Gap to Gig is the podcast for dads who want to crush it at work and still show up at home.

Each week, host Michael Jacobs talks with dads, founders, career experts, and creators about what it really takes to balance meaningful work and active fatherhood. From navigating career transitions and side hustles to staying present for hockey games and bedtime stories, Gap to Gig helps you create a life that feels steady, fulfilling, and built to last.

Whether you’re a stay-at-home dad reentering the workforce, a working dad craving more purpose, or a creator building your own path, you’ll find stories and systems to help you move forward with confidence.

Expect honest conversations about:

  • Work-life balance that actually lasts
  • Career change and meaningful work without losing yourself
  • Parenting and productivity that fit real life
  • Fatherhood, identity, and growth in the modern world
  • Mindset and systems that keep both business and family running smoothly

No fluff. No hustle-culture noise. Just real stories, practical tools, and genuine conversations about being a dad who wants both: meaningful work and a meaningful life.

If you’ve ever felt pulled between your career ambitions and your kids’ soccer schedules, you’re not alone. Each episode offers ideas you can apply right away, whether that’s a way to structure your week, handle burnout, or rethink what success really means for you and your family.

The show blends personal storytelling, expert insights, and actionable takeaways from guests who are building careers, companies, and creative projects that fit their lives, not the other way around.

Recent episodes feature:

  • Entrepreneurs who’ve built businesses around their families
  • Career coaches helping dads find work that fits their values
  • Creatives balancing passion projects with parenting
  • Productivity pros teaching how to reclaim time and focus
  • Everyday dads sharing their journeys from burnout to balance

If you’re ready to rethink success, build balance that lasts, and create space for what matters most, this podcast is for you.

Gap to Gig: Helping dads build the life they’re working for.

New episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

Gap to Gig, 2026 Career Success Economics Parenting & Families Relationships
Episodes
  • Brad Leeman on Leading at Home Through Presence, Play, and Preparation

    Brad Leeman on Leading at Home Through Presence, Play, and Preparation
    Feb 24 2026

    What does leadership look like when the mission is your family and the stakes are emotional, not tactical?

    Brad Leeman is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, combat aviator, and F-35 test pilot who spent nearly two decades leading in environments where preparation, clarity, and execution were non-negotiable. After transitioning out of the military, Brad became an entrepreneur and founder of SwingSesh, a company built around a simple belief: parents should not be spectators in their kids’ lives.

    This conversation explores how elite performance principles translate and sometimes fail to translate into fatherhood. Brad shares why presence matters, how small daily rituals create connection, and why modeling behavior shapes a child’s inner voice far more than lectures ever could.

    Brad walks through how he and his wife intentionally design family rhythms, why play is a serious leadership skill, and how dads can rethink fitness, work, and ambition.

    Brad shares how to:

    • Build daily rituals that anchor presence and connection with kids
    • Use play as a tool for bonding, modeling health, and emotional regulation
    • Shape a child’s inner monologue through actions, not instructions
    • Recognize when to lead and when to follow inside a partnership
    • Rethink comfort, resilience, and decision making during hard seasons

    Dig Deeper

    F-35

    U.S. Marine Corps

    Ball State University

    Harvard Graduate School of Design

    How to Build Extreme Willpower | David Goggins & Dr. Andrew Huberman

    Hood’s Gardens

    Picture by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock

    Follow Brad

    On his website: https://www.swingsesh.com

    On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamswingsesh/

    On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwingSesh/

    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/
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Danny Brassell on Becoming a Better Communicator at Work and at Home

    Danny Brassell on Becoming a Better Communicator at Work and at Home
    Feb 17 2026

    How do you communicate in a way that builds trust, connection, and confidence with your kids, your partner, and the people you work with every day?

    Danny Brassell has spent decades teaching, coaching, and speaking around the world about storytelling, reading, and communication. This conversation explores how communication is not about polish or performance, but about meeting people where they are and staying present in the moments that matter most.

    Danny shares how to:

    • Use storytelling to build trust instead of trying to impress
    • Become a stronger communicator by focusing on failures, not just wins
    • Create daily habits that strengthen presence at home
    • Help kids love reading without turning it into a battle
    • Model curiosity, learning, and humility for your children

    Danny’s insights are practical, honest, and immediately usable for dads who want to communicate more clearly, lead more effectively, and show up better for the people who matter most.

    Dig Deeper

    Do What Matters Most

    Becoming Your Best

    The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lyon

    Real Dads Read

    Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

    Follow Danny

    On his website: https://www.wellcraftedstoryworkshop.com

    On X: https://www.x.com/DannyBrassell

    On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realDannyBrassell

    On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DannyBrassell

    On YouTube: https://youtube.com/DannyBrassell

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

    Get your free well crafted story blueprint:  www.freestoryguide.com

    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/
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • Jon Merlin on Building Creative Work Without Sacrificing Family Time

    Jon Merlin on Building Creative Work Without Sacrificing Family Time
    Feb 10 2026

    Jon Merlin is a longtime designer who left agency life to start his own creative studio while raising two young daughters. Instead of letting work bleed into every hour, Jon drew a hard line around family time and rebuilt his business around clarity, intention, and values.

    This conversation explores what it really looks like to pursue entrepreneurship without losing presence at home, and how letting go of perfection can unlock both better work and better parenting.

    Jon shares how to:

    • Protect daily family time without derailing client work
    • Set non-negotiables in seasons where work pressure is real
    • Build a focused business by saying no to the wrong projects
    • Navigate the anxiety and ambiguity of starting something new
    • Replace perfection with progress at work and at home
    • Use small moments with kids to stay connected during busy days
    • Model emotional regulation, repair, and growth for children
    • Choose work that aligns with values, not just revenue
    • Reframe career gaps as runways instead of setbacks
    • Define success through legacy, not titles or output

    Jon’s perspective is thoughtful, grounded, and deeply practical for dads who want to build something meaningful without missing what matters most.

    Dig Deeper

    One Club for Creatives (San Diego)

    Creative Mornings

    Lava Chicken

    Dookie by Green Day

    Basket Case by Green Day

    Follow Jon

    Website: https://jonmerlin.com/

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

    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/
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
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