Front Row Dads with Jon Vroman

Michael Diettrich-Chastain is a new VIP Front Row Dads member, father to Juniper with another baby on the way, and the founder and CEO of Arc Integrated, a leadership development consultancy. He's spent years helping leaders ask better questions of their teams. In this conversation with Jon, he breaks down how those same skills apply to being a better husband and father. They get into: → The shadow side of being a question asker (and how curiosity can backfire) → Why your energy matters more than your words (anxiety is excitement without the breath) → How DISC styles change the way you should approach a conversation → Stop coaching your kids. Start connecting with them. → The check-in rituals Michael uses with his wife Robin → A simple question Michael asks teams that unlocks what they're not talking about If you've ever caught yourself asking a question to make a point instead of to actually understand someone, this one will land. _________________________________________ 📚 Want to win at home and in business? These are the books that helped high-performing dads create deeper relationships and stronger lives—without sacrificing success. 👉 Get the list: https://frontrowdads.com/books

FRD member James Yaman moved his family from upstate New York to Ecuador. But it wasn't a snap decision. He and his wife explored four different cities and countries before choosing. This conversation with Jon is a real look at what goes into making a big move as a family man. What they cover: → How James and his wife made the decision together without one person just following the other → Why your gut has to be the first box checked before schools, cost of living, and safety → The role mentors and community play in gut-checking a decision this big (and why your parents are the wrong people to ask) → What the first 18 months in a new country actually feel like and why you need to give it at least a year → How he kept his business running from another country → Why nothing about the decision has to be permanent and how that freed them to actually do it → The difference between a trip and an adventure and why your family might need the second one If you've ever thought about moving your family somewhere new, whether across the country or across the world, this one's worth a listen.

Jon sits down with Scott Seymour, conscious partnership coach, men's work facilitator, and the newest leader inside Front Row Dads. This conversation explores what makes Scott the kind of man that other men immediately trust. They get into his formula for making real friends, the corner man concept, unconditional love vs boundaries, and what it actually looks like to show up for another human without an agenda. A few things that stand out: trust is built in droplets and lost in buckets. Two acronyms that change how you show up in every conversation (WAIT and HALE). And the idea that everyone you meet is just a mirror showing you something about yourself. If you want deeper friendships but don't know how to get past the surface with other men, this one's for you. 📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: frontrowdads.com/podcast-books

Julien Marion is a father of six, married 17 years, entrepreneur, Muay Thai practitioner, and author of Gentle Rage. In this conversation, Julien breaks down why most men aren't too angry — they're too disconnected. He explains why sexual energy and aggression are the two most primal forces inside every man, and what happens when you suppress them, leak them, or learn to lead them. He also shares what changed in his family after his oldest son attempted suicide and how that moment transformed the way he shows up as a father. 📕 Julien's book Gentle Rage: julienmarion.org

FRD member Jason Bronstad shares five things he does that drive his wife crazy — validated by his bride of 21 years. From giving his best energy to everyone except her, to fixing when she just wants him to feel it. Nine minutes. Honest. You'll recognize yourself. 📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: frontrowdads.com/books

FRD member Eric Farewell sits down with Craig Perra for a conversation about parts work, self-leadership, and the reframe that changed Craig's life. Craig is an attorney by training and former senior executive who hit rock bottom and discovered that the parts of himself he hated most were actually trying to help him. They dig into Internal Family Systems, why there are no bad habits (only bad outcomes), how shame is actually a compliance department working overtime, and what it looks like to lead your inner world the way you'd lead a business. Craig shows how neuroscience, psychology, spirituality, and business leadership all point to the same truth: we have parts, they're in conflict, and there's a powerful center inside every one of us that can lead them. The last five minutes are especially practical. Craig walks you through how to start doing this work right now with two simple questions you can ask yourself today. 🎙️ Craig's podcast: Patterns of Power (available everywhere) 🌐 mindfulhabitmastery.com 📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: https://frontrowdads.com/podcast-books

📥 Download the free Family Covenant Guide — create your own in one night: https://frontrowdads.com/familycovenant FRD members Mike Green and Samuel Shreve break down something Samuel built for his family called a covenant — a set of promises the whole family writes together about how they want to treat each other. Not dad's rules. Not abstract values. Real promises that a seven-year-old helped create and that are hanging on their wall right now. They cover how to run the meeting, how to get the kids involved, and the simple tools (like "ouch, oops") that give your family shared language for the hard moments. Twenty minutes. Practical. Something you could do tonight. 📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: frontrowdads.com/books

Brent Perkins is a father of two, author of Paper Cuts, and a Front Row Dad since 2022. He's also the man behind the growth of our band program — the small groups of four to eight men who meet monthly for three hours to do the kind of work most guys never get access to. In this conversation, Jon and Brent dig into what actually happens when men stop performing and start being real with each other. Why bands have become the number one rated feature in our community. What the edge of vulnerability looks like. And why the skills you build sitting with other men transfer directly to how you show up at home with your wife and kids. If you've ever felt like the rock for everyone else with nowhere to lean — or if you've read the books, listened to the podcasts, and still feel stuck — this one might be the nudge you've been waiting for. For current FRD members: frontrowdads.com/vault to get into a band. For everyone else: frontrowdads.com to learn more about the community.

Dr. Kelly Flanagan is a clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience, a Front Row Dad since 2020, and the author of several books including Lovable and True Companions. His newest book, The Road Less Triggered, is about the moment your heart closes — and what to do about it before you set your relationships back. In this conversation, Kelly and Jon get into why having the right communication tools doesn't matter if you shut down in the moments that matter most. They explore defensiveness, boundaries, the difference between reacting and responding, and what it actually looks like to keep your heart open when everything in your body is telling you to close it. If you've ever known better and still lost it with your wife or kids — this one's going to land. 📕 Grab The Road Less Triggered + $348 in pre-order bonuses: roadlesstriggered.com 📚 The Front Row Dads Book List: frontrowdads.com/books

Download the free Money Meeting Implementation Guide — everything Dave walks through in this episode so you can start with your kids this week: https://frontrowdads.com/moneymeeting Two Front Row Dad VIP members. One big disagreement. Eric Farewell thinks allowances are a mistake. Dave Powders swears by them. In this episode, they hash it out — and what comes out of it is a practical framework any dad can use to raise financially confident kids. Dave breaks down the exact system he's used since his oldest was 8 (she's now 12 and asking about maxing out her Roth IRA), while Eric shares why he pays his kids $25–$75/hour and makes them cover their own expenses — including half their dance lessons and even dental bills. In this episode you'll learn: The 5-jar system for splitting allowance money (play, save to spend, wealth, education, give) Why biweekly "money meetings" build financial literacy most schools never teach How to use a simple ledger to teach kids budgeting before they're teenagers The difference between allowance and commissions — and why it matters less than you think How one 12-year-old is funding her Roth IRA through her crochet business Why letting your kids make money mistakes young saves them from costly ones later Whether you're team allowance or team commission, this episode will change the way you talk to your kids about money. 📚 Want more? Grab the top book recommendations from our community of 300 dads — including the reads that changed how we think about money and family — at https://frontrowdads.com/podcast-books

This conversation was originally shared inside the Front Row Dads community — just for members. But it was too important to keep behind closed doors. Ali Jafarian sits down with Philip McKernan — world-class speaker, coach to pro athletes and top executives, and the man leading a retreat for FRD fathers at a 500-year-old castle in Ireland this June. Philip also led two powerful sessions at FRD Live 2025. They dig into the hidden guilt driving so much of our parenting, why doing the opposite of your own father still isn't authentic, and whether who you are — not what you do — is actually enough for your kids. Philip says something you won't forget: if you can't find value in just sitting with your child doing nothing, it doesn't matter what you do for the next 25 years.

Bryan Post has spent 30 years working with families in crisis. He's a father of seven, a former foster and adopted child himself, and the author of 20 books — including From Fear to Love, which has sold over a million copies. In this conversation, Bryan breaks down why most of what we call "bad behavior" in our kids is actually stress — and why the most powerful thing a dad can do isn't fix, coach, or correct. It's slow down and breathe. What you'll learn: — How a parent's energy directly shapes a child's anxiety — Why love-based parenting isn't permissive (it's actually harder) — The difference between coaching your kid and connecting with them — How to hold space when your child is melting down without losing yourself — Why Bryan says grief is the most overlooked tool in a father's life If you're a dad who wants to lead with love instead of fear, this one's for you. 📕 Bryan's book: feartolovebook.com 🔗 Free course for men: courage-iq.com

Alison Armstrong has been studying men since 1991. What started as a personal mission to stop bringing out the worst in them turned into over three decades of research, workshops, and books that have changed how thousands of people understand relationships, masculinity, and what really drives human behavior. In this episode, she sits down with Jon Vroman and goes deep on what none of that research prepared her for — what it looks like when these dynamics show up between fathers and their children. What you'll learn: The 6 Dominant Drivers — building, knowing, sharing, growing, expressing, and enjoying — and how to spot yours Why your dominant driver is visible to everyone except you How a dad's drive to build can unintentionally crush a child whose driver is joy The "hidden why" behind everything you do — and why it lives in your blind spot Why Alison banned her husband from Disneyland (and what that taught her about overprotective fathers) What her stepson meant when he said "Greg was the man" — and why Greg may never have known The shame conversation every father needs to hear: why penance is easy but forgiveness takes courage Jon also shares an unscripted moment from his son's birthday that brings everything Alison teaches into sharp, personal focus. Learn more about Alison's work at alisonarmstrong.com