Accomplished podcast producer and dad of two, AJ Feliciano, joins Ali and Neil to talk about trading L.A. hustle for Texas balance, juggling cross-country business trips, and savoring every parenting moment no matter how fleeting. AJ opens up about screen-time limits, bonding with his boys what it means to raise kind, humble kids in a world of privilege and abundance. The guys chat about their own upbringings and how they influence their parenting today, ultimately landing on a simple truth: being a great dad isn’t about getting it perfect...it’s about trying your best, every single day.

Nick Holmquist is a dad on a mission to make parenting more fun, meaningful, and emotionally connected. In this episode of World’s Greatest Dad, we dive into Nick’s gamified approach to fatherhood combining elements of storytelling, role-playing games, and behavioral science to raise resilient, thoughtful kids. You’ll hear how he tackles real-life parenting challenges through fantasy characters Harper and Sloan, uses narrative to build emotional regulation, and brings his software engineering mindset into the world of toddler tantrums and bedtime routines.

Highlights:

• Nick's Three Pillars of Parenting: connection, emotional regulation, and growth mindset

• Nick's Five Guilds of ConnectionScience-backed parenting influences (including Dr. Becky Kennedy’s Good Inside)
• Real examples of how Nick turns meltdowns into magical learning moments

If you’re a parent looking to level up your connection and have more fun along the way, this episode is for you.

Ali is packing his bags for an epic family trip to Asia, but first, he and Neil tackle whether Neil is secretly an AI co-host sent from the future, and Neil clears up once and for all that he is, in fact, not a robot. The dads dive into the etiquette of destination weddings with no-kid policies, debate graphic novels versus traditional chapter books, and wonder if strip clubs really are the best place to get a good steak (spoiler: probably not). Plus, stories of the ultimate dad crew, NBA drama, and how to teach your kids about stranger danger without raising pint-sized conspiracy theorists.

Neil and Ali dig deep into what it means to be a dad in the modern age touching on everything from 90s music and trying to get on the Jumbotron at a Mets game moments to AI storytelling teddy bears and what is the absolute best and worst fast food joint. The guys debate whether Patrick Mahomes’ dad bod even matters, discover that children are having birthday parties at steakhouses. Plus, we discuss how technology is reshaping playtime and education.

Comedian and radio host Matt Bearden joins Ali & Neil to talk about the moment he walked away from road gigs to raise his kids and how a health scare years later made him double down on time over money. Matt delivers advice on the upside of strokes, parenting through burnout, and why he treats his kids like summer interns. Expect laughs, honesty, and insight from one of Austin’s most comforting and hilarious voices.

What do Abraham, Confucius, and Mr. Rogers have in common? They were all dads and they’re all on trial for the title of World’s Greatest Dad. In this special Father’s Day episode, Neil and Ali reflect on their own dad moments, revisit the surprisingly complicated history of Father’s Day (spoiler: it started with a woman), and take a ride through dadhood across the ages. Hammocks, tater tots, and historical hot takes included.

Neil Padover celebrates the big 4-0 with matching family outfits (this year with custom shirts featuring his face), a fancy dinner, and a trip to the Whitney, only to cap the week by getting kicked out of the Brooklyn Museum during a chaotic field trip. Ali Khan (Cheap Eats, Spring Baking Championship) shares his own parenting pain: a babysitter who charged him $400 for an overnight stay while she slept. The guys get into the cost of childcare, Brooklyn au pairs, Austin tech bros, and what happens when your kid thinks his fingers are literal pencils. Plus, aging gracefully (or not), the guys trade SAT scores, and the bittersweet countdown to your kid's graduation.

Ali Khan (Cheap Eats) and Neil Padover welcome international speaker, author, and dad James Robilotta for a deep, hilarious, and refreshingly honest convo about parenting in the thick of it. James gets real about juggling two little kids with two busy speaker-parent schedules. The guys talk about dad guilt, grandparent dynamics, and the emotional whiplash of loving your kid but not feeling it right away. Plus, the origin story of the name “Roam,” Minnesota Nice vs. New York Grit, lying toddlers, and what happens when you get a little too loose on your birthday. And yes, tater tot hot dish gets the respect it deserves. Vulnerable, funny, and full of great parenting tips, this one’s for any dad just trying to figure it out.