Special Fathers' Network Podcast

Our guest this week is Matt Bando, owner of Prodigy Printing and Promotions in Downers Grove, IL.Matt and his wife, Saba, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of Zain (23) who is a spastic quadriplegic with Cerebral Palsy. Zain is a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and is masters degree student at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and has participated in the Diveheart.org adaptive scuba diving program.Matt is also part of the SFN Mastermind Group that meets weekly on Tuesday nights.We’ll hear Matt's story and more on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.WGN TV Video (2.24.18) - https://www.zainbando.org/testimonials/Email – mattbando@comcast.netLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-bando-9922499/Diveheart - https://www.diveheart.org Phone – (630) 362-1151Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with

Out special guest this week is Dr. Temple Grandin of Ft. Collins, CO, a national speaker, a best-selling author, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, and outspoken advocate for the neurodivergent and those on the Autism Spectrum. Temple was an Ashoka Fellow. She was also named in the Time 100 List as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the ‘Heroes’ category. She also has a number of honorary degrees form universities around the world, including; McGill University in Canada, the Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Carnegie Mellon University and Emory University. Temple is the author of numerous books including: - Emergence: Labeled Autistic - Developed Talents- Thinking In Pictures - The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across The Spectrum- Different Not Less Temple’s TED Talk entitled: “The World Needs All Kinds Of Minds” has been viewed more than 6M times. The movie Temple Grandin, produced in 2010, received numerous awards including seven Emmy Awards. We are very gr

Our guest this week is David Geslak, a national speaker, author and founder of Exercise Connection, a company committed to assist individuals with Autism and other disabilities; improve their focus, reduce maladaptive behaviors, enhance social skills as well as language development through proper exercise and physical fitness.David and his wife, Jessica, have been married for nine years and are the proud parents of two children: Andrew (5) and Jordan (2), who was diagnosed with cyanotic breadth holding spells.Through his education and work as a Certified Exercise Physiologist, as well as research, David has created tools and a process to transform the lives of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder through exercise and better fitness. His book entitled: The Autism Fitness Handbook is a must read for any parent or caregiver of a child or young adult with Autism. David is also founder of: ExerciseBuddy, an Autism fitness app for children, adults, and schools, andAutism Workforce, an organization focused on d

This is the second installment of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast interview with Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC, a nationally known speaker, author, licensed professional counselor of 28 years and founder of The Abba Project, a program serving dads and daughters.She writes regularly for professional journals and magazines. She is also the author of books:Dad Here’s What I Really Need from You, andLet’s Talk: Conversation Starters for Dads and Daughters.Michelle also hosts “The Dad Whisperer” Podcast.Michelle talks openly and authentically about her spirituality, marrying late in life as well as her personal experience with eating disorders and sexual abuse. She brings a high level of energy and enthusiasm to her work and life.Michelle and her husband, Dr. Ken Canfield, founder of the National Center For Fathering, live in Fayetteville, Arkansas near their family which includes 14 grandkids.That’s all on the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Links:Web site: https://www.drmichellewatson.comEmail: d

Our guest this week is Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC, a nationally known speaker, author, licensed professional counselor of 28 years and founder of The Abba Project, a program serving dads and daughters.She writes regularly for professional journals and magazines. She is also the author of books:Dad Here’s What I Really Need from You, andLet’s Talk: Conversation Starters for Dads and Daughters.Michelle also hosts “The Dad Whisperer” Podcast.Michelle talks openly and authentically about her spirituality, marrying late in life as well as her personal experience with eating disorders and sexual abuse. She brings a high level of energy and enthusiasm to her work and life.Michelle and her husband, Dr. Ken Canfield, founder of the National Center For Fathering, live in Fayetteville, Arkansas near their family which includes 14 grandkids.Michelle has so much to say we split the interview in two parts and today we’ll hear the the first installment. That’s all on the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcas

Our guest this week is David Barth of Sand Point, ID who is a licensed therapist. David and his wife, Lisa, have been married for 26 years and are the proud parents of Jackson (23) who has Autism. David is a member Evryman, a benefit corporation whose mission is to connect and help men lead more successful, satisfying and fulfilling lives. David is also co-founder of Team Autism 24/7, a non-profit that builds autism awareness. We’ll hear David’s story on this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links: Email – dcbarth69@gmail.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/da... Evryman - https://evryman.com Panhandle Special Needs Inc.: https://panhandlespecialneeds.... Team Autism 24/7 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/searc... Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we firs

Our guest this week is Nelson Rascon of Tacoma, WA who is the father of three, a realtor and co-founder of Dads Move - Strengthening The Roles Of Dads In Raising Their Kids With Special Needs. Nelson and his wife, JoRay, have been married for 9 years and between them are the proud parents of three children; Samantha (30) who has cognitive delays, Eric (26) who has Autism, severe Epilepsy and who is bi-polar, and Kaleb (26) who has Asperger’s and was more recently diagnosed as bi-polar too. Nelson reflects on his parents divorce, growing up without his dad, moving with his mom and siblings from California to Alaska, Idaho, Washington and Oregon, where at his age 13, his mom took her own life. He also reflects on becoming a single father, remarrying and helping raise his step children as well as the back story on co-founding Dads Move, a non profit organization, whose mission is: to strengthen the father's role in raising children with behavioral health needs through education, peer support and advocacy.We'l

Our guest this week is Bonner Paddock Rinn of Laguna Beach, CA, founder of Project Possible, the first person with Cerebral Palsy to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro and to complete the Ironman distance triathlon, a New York Times best selling author of the book One More Mile, founder of Spark – launching poverty fighting ventures that open the door of possibility. He was featured in the documentary film Beyond Limits, narrated by the actor Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile), depicting Bonner's successful summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We’ll hear Bonner's inspiring story on this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Website – https://www.projectpossible.org Email – bonner@projectpossible.org LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonner-paddock-rinn-95086b5/#experienceOne More Step (book) - https://www.amazon.com/One-More-Step-Kilimanjaro-Surviving/dp/0062295586/ref=sr_1_1?crid=190EXPIPU91GQ&keywords=bonner+paddock&qid=1669956550&s=books&sprefix=bonner+paddock%2Cstripbooks%2C134&sr=1-1

Our guests this week are Brian Altounian and Shawn Francis of Los Angeles, CA. Brian and Shawn are financial advisors who created the Just Two Dads Podcast to help fathers raising kids with special healthcare needs. Every Wednesday at 11am Pacific Time, they host their podcast live on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/wearejusttwodadsThey’re quite a compelling duo and they are our guests on this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Email – wearejusttwodads@gmail.com Email Brian – brian.altounian@gmail.com Email Shawn – contactshawnfrancis@gmail.com Brian LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianaltounian/ Shawn LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnf56/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my f

Our guest this week is Dr. Judson Brandeis, of Sn Francisco, is a board certified urologist whose mission is to help men maintain their overall health. Dr. Judson also wrote and compiled the book, The 21st Century Man, Advice From 50 Top Doctors and Men’s Heath Experts. He’s quite an amazing guy and he’s our guest this week on the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Judson Brandeis MD - https://brandeismd.comLinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbrandeismd/ Email - jmbrandeis@yahoo.comClick Here To Buy Book - https://thetwentyfirstcenturyman.com/ Discount Code for his book - DAD2DADSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate

Our guest this week is Joshua Carrigg, of Gaithersburg, MD, a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army. Joshua and his wife, Austin, have been married for 20 years and are the proud parents of three: Christian (20), Nicholas (17) who has Autism and adopted daughter Melanie (9) who has Down syndrome and other special healthcare needs. Joshua joined the US Army at 20 and has served for 19 years including two deployments to Iraq ’in 03-’04 and ’06-’07. Joshua's wife, Austin, is the founder and CEO of the Exceptional Families of the Military (EFM), a volunteer-led, non-profit organization specializing in helping DoD families enrolled in Exceptional Families of the Military Program (EFMP).The mission of EFM is to connect military families with Disabilities, Special Healthcare Needs, or additional educational needs from all branches of the service in order to navigate within the EFMP and identify areas of improvement that affect the families they represent.EFM families have 18 online support groups with about 7,000 EFMP f

Our guest this week is Owen Marcus, of Nevada City, CA, an executive coach, founder of Whole Clinics, a Group Lead Trainer for the Mankind Project and Co-Founder of EvryMan, a global community of men who come together to challenge and assist one another with their emotional well being and personal growth.We’ll hear Owen talk and provide insights about being a man in today’s world and how to be the best: father, husband, friend and man you can be. That’s all on this this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Find out more about Owen Marcus at - https://owenmarcus.comEmail – owen@evryman.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenmarcus/ EVRYMAN - https://evryman.com TEDx Spokane - What 10,000 Years Of Progress Has Cost - https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=tedx+Talk+Owen+Marcus&view=detail&mid=B93B65728E35ABE7A196B93B65728E35ABE7A196&FORM=VIRE Call with Sue Johnson, PhD, the developer of EFT (Emotionally Focus Therapy), the leading therapy based on attachment theory. https://vim

Our guest this week is Ron Janowczyk of Colleyville, TX the father of three, a wine industry veteran and owner of Special Strong of Northeast Tarrant County, a sports facility, that helps develop specialized fitness programs for people with mental, cognitive, and physical challenges.Ron and his wife, Gloria, have been married for 39 years and are the proud parents of three children; Lauren (35), Joe (33) and Jake (26) who has Williams Syndrome. After a very successful career in the wine industry, Ron felt the call to do something purposeful and in line with his values driven by his faith, which lead him to creating a Special Strong franchise in Northeast Tarrant County. It’s an inspiring story about a father who has a big heart and a passion for inspiring others to be the best they can be.That’s all on this this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links:https://www.specialstrong.comhttps://williams-syndrome.orghttps://www.miracleleagueofsouthlake.com Email: Ron.janowczyk@specialstrong.co

Our guest this week is Stewart Perriliat of San Anselmo, CA, who is the father of three, a former U.S. Marine Sergeant, Founder and CEO of Perrilliat Enterprises, a general contracting and engineering firm, an author, ordained minister and founder of Man2Man Urban Youth Advocate. Stewart is father of three: Jessica (34), Stewart Jr. (18) and Destiny (15).Stewart is a man on a mission -- helping dads be better dads -- whether they’re incarcerated or just needing that extra push. Stewart and his team also help men be better men. It’s an inspiring story and one we’ll hear this week on the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Email – man2man@man2man-uya.org LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/man2man-urban-youth-advocate-1250b247/ Man2Man Urban Youth Advocates - https://www.man2man-uya.orgPlease take the SFN Early Intervention Parent Survey and as a token gift, receive a Great Dad Coin - https://tinyurl.com/5n869y2y Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special

Our guest this week is Michael Deleon of Pacific, WA, who has an aviation and aerospace background, is the father of four, including two impacted by Urea Cycle Disorder (UCD) and co-founder of the Connecting Families UCD Foundation. Michael and his wife, Robin, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of nine, including five from Robin’s first marriage, two from his first marriage and two children between the two of them. Sadly, their son, Michael, diagnosed with UCD, passed away in 2000 at age 3 months. And, their daughter, Ariella, who is 19, was also diagnosed with UCD as well.We learn about Michael’s growing up with a Marine Corps father, their marriages, blended families, and how they have overcome some of the obstacles presented by children with special healthcare needs. It’s a heartbreaking and heart warming story on today’s SFN Dad To Dad Podcast. Email – michael@ucdfamily.org UCD Family Foundation - https://ucdfamily.org Camp Video - https://q8b.e24.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uplo

Our guest this week is Christian Sakamoto of Ocean Shores, WA, a financial planner and father to three, including a daughter with infantile spasms. Christian and his wife, Suzy, have been married for seven years and are the proud parents of three: Miles (1), Jude (3) and Rosalie (4), who was diagnosed with Infantile Spasms, a form of Epilepsy. We'll learn about Christian's upbringing, the important role his stepfather and spirituality have played as well as what lead to his career as a financial planner with Mika Shilanski & Associates and how this young family is embracing life's challenges head on. All on today's SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Email – christianjsakamoto@gmail.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiansakamoto/ NAPA Center in Long Beach – https://napacenter.org Seattle Children’s Hospital – https://www.seattlechildrens.org Mary Bridge Hospital – https://www.marybridge.org/ Ronald McDonald House - https://rmhcsc.org/longbeachPlease take the SFN Early Intervention Parent Survey and as a

Our guest this week is Dr. John DeMartini of Houston, TX, a world renowned human behavior specialist, an author and a global educator. John is the founder of the De Martini Institute, a global education organization, which has over 72 courses on self-development, life mastery and leadership in its extensive curriculum. He studied over 30,000 books across all the defined academic disciplines and has synthesized the wisdom of the ages which he shares on stage in over 100 countries. He is also the author of over 40 self-development books including the best-seller "The Breakthrough Experience" and his new global release, the "Values Factor." He has also been featured in film documentaries such as "The Secret," "The Opus" and "Oh My God" alongside Ringo Star, Seal and Hugh Jackman. He has shared the stage with some of the world’s most influential speakers such as Stephen Covey, Sir Richard Branson, and Deepak ChopraAnd he’s our guest this week on this SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Email - john@drdemartini.comhttps://dr

Our guest this week is Dr. Anju Usman Singh, a board certified family practitioner and the medical director at True Health Medical Center in Naperville, IL, providing integrative and biomedical treatments that enhance traditional medical care. Dr. Usman is director and owner of True Health Medical Center and Pure Compounding Pharmacy in Naperville, Illinois. She also is the Chief Science Officer for True Healing Naturals. She specializes in biomedical interventions for children with ADD, Autism, PANDAS/PANS, Down Syndrome and related disorders. She has been involved in research regarding copper/zinc imbalances, metallothionein dysfunction, biofilm related infections and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. She serves on the board for The Neuroimmune Foundation, and the medical advisory boards for TACA (The Autism Community in Action) and Autism Hope Alliance, as well as faculty for MAPs (Medical Academy for Pediatric Special Needs). Dr. Usman received her medical degree from Indiana University and completed a res

Our guests this week on the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast are Jessica & Chris Patay of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. The Patays have been married for 25 years and are proud parents of three children: Luke (21), Kate (16), and middle child Ryan (18) who was born with a rare genetic disorder known as Prader-Willi Syndrome.We'll learn about the Patay family journey, Prader-Willi Syndrome and how Jessica started We Are Better Together, a non profit organization that provides respite, community, and resources for mothers caring for children of any age with disabilities, unique needs, or other medical or mental health challenges. We also learn about the We Are Better Together Podcast Jessica hosts. It’s a fascinating and inspiring story here on this week’s SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.LinkedIn Jessica - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-patay-06094446/ LinkedIn Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispatay/ Email Jessica - wearebravetogether@gmail.com Email Chris - chpatay@gmail.com Website – We Are Brave Together - https:/

Our guest this week is Pete Hixson of Woodstock, GA, the father of two, a pastor, certified business coach, a facilitator at Story Brand, Campus Launch Director at Shepherds College and CEO/founder of Beyond Communities. Pete and wife, Hollie, have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of two girls: Addie (18) and Hope (20), who has Cerebral Palsy as well as seizures. We learn about Pete's role at Story Brand, a business that helps organizations clarify their message and build a sales funnel to thrive in the marketplace. We also learn about Pete's role at Shepherds College, the nation's leading post-secondary school created with the learning needs of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in mind. And, we also learn about Beyond Communities, the organization Pete founded that develops and builds residential communities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It's an inspiring story about a father's commitment to serve his family, his parish, the broader