Ultimate Dad Podcast

As 2019 comes to a close, Beav and Alex do some reflecting over the past 12 months as well as discuss Christmas traditions. Hint: don't watch or listen to this one with the kids, we won't be responsible for ruining Christmas. We won't give too much away in this write up, but Elf on the Shelf may have an unfortunate accident in the near future… Maybe he has some dirt on the Clintons, we don't know for sure. As one of the busiest years for Tactical Baby Gear®, hiring several people full time, building a new media office, as well as developing a new system of products (available mid 2020)and both guys have had a ton on their personal agendas. From renovating his house, designing the new office, dealing with daughters getting older, going to the gym 3 times a week, Beav had a busy year outside of the office. His big goal for 2020 is to have less "busy work" and concentrate on being creative and growing TBG. Alex on the other hand, has the busiest year of his life ahead of him, since kid number 4 will be here mid year. We can only hope and pray he keeps his sanity, because no one else around here can decipher his spread sheets and actually run the company. We have had some incredible guests on the podcast already, from TheManSpot, WifeSpot, Gary V, Aaron, Dakota and many more. We look forward to an even better season 2 for 2020. All of this, and of course a ton more, on the last episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast. Helpful Links: Who is the Manspot, a short documentary about Vaughn we made -https://youtu.be/6IK9pIsF6gQ Video from racing the Jeep - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pU5L6tT6M0 Workout Video with Jordan - https://youtu.be/H0OoVw4zwk4 TheWifeSpot Podcast - Hands down the funniest thing you will ever hear. - https://youtu.be/k5_644fqs40

Welcome to the new studio! We suggest you watch this one on YouTube to check out the new digs. If you are just listening, it should sound the same. (or hopefully better!) If you saw (or listened) to the podcast episode with The Wife Spot, you will notice that Alex wasn't in that one. While we were out in Utah, he got a frantic phone call from his wife while we were at breakfast. Before his food was even brought to the table, he has Beav drive him to the airport to get home just a few hours later. The reason for the phone call comes out in this episode, and we promise you will want to hear this! Emotional highs and lows are intertwined through this story, but it ends on the best of feels. On instagram stories (@TacticalBabyGear), you may have seen Beav talking about an incident involving a kid at the end of the Christmas parade here in Bluffton. Unfortunately, the child didn't survive his injuries after falling off the float in the school parking lot. This really hits home with Beav since his kids attend the same school and his daughter is the same age as the kid that was killed over the weekend. Real Dad emotions come out as the realization that one of their kids could just as easily been in that situation, and how fast things like this can happen. Kids make you soft, period! Remember that there are problems, and there are inconveniences, and most things really aren't such a big deal. Now go give your kids a hug. All of this and a ton more in this episode of the TacticalBabyGear® Podcast.

Beav and Alex are in the podcast studio for the last time before it all gets broken down. Fortunately, its because the new studio is ready to move into. But thats not what we are talking about today, Bev and Alex are both dealing with some real DAD LIFE situations. Beav's oldest daughter has become the master manipulator of the family and will put on full scale productions claiming she doesn't feel good, just to be able to sleep in mom and dad's room. Beav has officially nominated her for an Academy Award for her acting skills. It has become a real problem, since they now don't know when she is actually sick, or just faking it for attention. On the other side of the table, Alex is dealing with 3 year olds that are just learning how to use the power of manipulation to get water before bed, or run around the house when they should be in their room. Alex is able to nip this behavior in the butt for the moment by being extra tough since the boys are so young and they aren't at the point where they will remember it. Hear all of this and a ton more real life Dad talk on this episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast.

While Beav and Alex were in Salt Lake City, they caught up with Jordan Jones, aka Relentless Momma. Jordan is a mom of 3, with fresh twin boys that are just 8 months old and her oldest son that is now 9. In between changing diapers, and running to after school programs, Jordan is a fitness coach and consultant as well as a content creator. She truly is a RelentlessMomma as she raises 3 kids and works constantly as well as keeping herself in shape after having twins. We even did a work out video with Jordan you can see HERE Jordan's real passion is fishing. She works with several companies doing social media marketing in the fly fishing and outdoors industry, which has allowed her to use her passion to make a second income and support her family. She is working hard to involve her kids in her passion by bringing them with her, even the 8 month old twins, (thanks to an awesome TBG Tactical Baby Carrier ;) ) Get an insight into the reality of MOM LIFE and a ton more in this episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast

Mom-trepreneurs Betsy and Angie are long-time jogging buddies turned business partners and problem solvers. Their story starts a few years after the birth of Betsy's twin boys, who had recently transitioned to bunk beds. Now a mom to three small children, reality hit Betsy hard as she realized that trying to get kids to make their beds, especially the top bunk, was impossible. Fighting to keep her sanity, Betsy bought some zippers, and with the help of her own mom, created the prototype that would change bedding forever. She quickly enlisted the help of Angie, who saw the potential and need for a product like this as a mom herself. The Beddys Bedding brand was formed and has quickly exploded over the last several years. With huge support from their husbands, Betsy and Angie have been able to overcome many of the obstacles that come with creating a new product by going all in while the dads took care of the kids. If you have ever wanted to create a product or start a business, you will absolutely learn something from this episode. Going from stay-at-home parent to business owner isn't easy or quick, but the end result can be life changing. All of this and a ton more on this episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast.

This episode starts off a little sad with the news that Beav had to say goodbye to one of the family dogs of 16 years. Moxie was a there for it all, Beav's first apartment, his first house, bringing both kids home from the hospital, the start of Tactical Baby Gear, and so much more. But the worst part? Trying to explain to two little girls what it means to take a sick dog to the vet, and not bring her back home. How do you explain that? How do you deal with the simple minds of a child while still making sure they know that death (and life) is a big deal? Hear how Beav did it, and let us know if you have any tips on this down in the comments. Meanwhile, Alex is trying to figure out how to start letting his kids help in the kitchen, and take on more responsibility. His OCD and complex about a clean house has been a struggle for him to overcome. Alex feels its an important life lesson for his kids to be able to help and contribute around the house, even though that may mean there is a layer of flour dusted across the kitchen. Doing and failing is the best way to learn most things, as both Beav and Alex have started to give their kids freedom to make mistakes and allow them to "figure it out" on their own. This is a great way to build trust, in the sense that when Dad says something, he is actually right, and if dad says he is going to do something, you better believe he will do it. Doing what you said you were going to do is especially important when it comes to discipline and rewards. You can hear a lot more on this in Episode 022 with Dakota Meyer. All of this and some more great conversation on this Episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast.

Aaron Hale is without a doubt one of the most inspirational people we have ever hosted on the podcast. To give you some perspective, consider that Aaron served in the Navy but felt like he needed to contribute more; he chose to move over to the Army specifically to become an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) tech, those soldiers we know as the bomb squad guys. While deployed in Afghanistan, Aaron was clearing an IED when a second device went off under his feet, kicking him into the air, causing instant blindness, blowing his ear drums, and slicing him with shrapnel, all without a bomb suit on! His first thought? "Man, so that's what being blown up feels like…" Even just this brief insight into Aaron's mindset lets us begin to understand how this man has overcome unfathomable circumstances. "No" is not a word in Aaron's vocabulary. Despite being blind and almost completely deaf, Aaron has remained positive and ready to take on new challenges including kayaking, mountain climbing, hunting, and marathon running. Listening to Aaron's hilarious takes on being a new dad to twins, a blind chef, and life in general make us realize what we may consider problems are more like minor inconveniences. We dare you to listen to Aaron in between his jokes and not have your own outlook on life challenged. All of this and a ton more on this episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast

Yup, she's here, The Wife Spot is actually here! Ok technically we came to her, but the fact remains, she's on the podcast and you better buckle up for this one! Its hard to put into words just who this woman is. Besides a mom of 3, and wife to The Man Spot, Kaitlyn is a stay at home mom that has leveraged her social media audience to be able to work from her cell phone between nap times and changing diapers. Her non-stop attitude created a full second income for the family, as well as providing Kaitlyn the outlet she requires to keep her sanity. You will hear some serious Mom-Talk that is very rarely talked about in society. Kaitlyn's unfiltered, unapologetic view on life, being a mom, and wife to the one and only ManSpot will have you either speechless and offended, or trying not to die from laughing so hard (like Beav was) All of this, and much, much more, on the funniest episode yet of the Tactical Baby Gear® podcast. So sit back, strap in, and enjoy the show.

The one and only, Dakota Meyer is here! Dakota is a retired Marine Corps scout sniper, Father, entrepreneur and author, among many other things. Dakota was deployed to Afghanistan, as part of a training team that supported the Afghan local Military, fighting the Taliban forces in the Kunar Province area. On Sept 8, 2009 his life would change forever when the Battle of Ganjgal fired off. Dakota's selfless actions during that day would go into history as he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama in 2011. Dakota goes really deep into this subject on the Jocko Podcast, episode 115 as well as the Joe Roegan Podcast #1363 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6LbwCKJ0lo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlDUYhZvU9s As a father of 2 daughters, Dakota tries to instill into his children what his Father and family placed into him, a sense of work ethic, right and wrong, and "living a life worth living". Meyer credits his Dad's parenting style for most of his success. His father didn't just tell Dakota how to live to be a good person, he showed him by doing those actions himself everyday. Dakota believes whole heartedly that its a Dads job to show his sons what a man is supposed to be, and to show what his Daughters should expect from a man. There are so many amazing conversations in this podcast at it goes into what it means to be a Father, training for parenting, getting comfortable being uncomfortable, discipline styles, and so much more. Dakota has an amazing perspective on so many areas in life, that can only be had after being in the extreme situations he has been through. Sit back, relax and enjoy Episode 022 of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast.

In this episode, we sit down with Gary Vaynerchuk who is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, internet personality, and father of 2. CEO of Vayner Media a $200million dollar company with apx. 1000 employee world wide. He is also known to have transformed his family wine business from a $3 million dollar company to a $60 million dollar empire within a few years. Gary tells Beav and Alex about his childhood, not knowing much about his father until age 14, and drops an atomic bomb regarding stay-at-home-dads. All of this and a ton of great conversation and stories on this week's episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast.

The first wave of back to school sickness has crashed down at Alex's house. Sick, fussy kids, and a sick Alex made Dad Life a little more difficult this week. The youngest has learned how to throw a tantrum, which he used while being "abandoned" as he was dropped off at daycare in the morning. One of the Twins repeatedly used his tantrums to refuse to get dressed and go potty all morning, which of course, the other brothers quickly followed suit. Beav and Alex answer some of your #ASKTBG questions, like "What to expect beside the sleepless nights as a new dad", "Recommendations for Car Seats and Strollers", "How long to wait to announce a new pregnancy" and a whole lot more. If you have any questions you would like for us to answer, send us an email to [email protected] , #askTBG on twitter, or message us on Instagram and Facebook at @TacticalBabyGear We are going to have some major guests on in the next several episodes of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast, so be sure to subscribe! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Embracing the suck is just a part of being a parent. We are dealing with a lot of suck this week! Alex is working on a new morning routine for his 3 boys. The twins have started to get up early and destroy their room, waking up their little brother in the process, to add to the madness before the sun even comes up. Beav makes sure to let him know that is always going to happen, as his oldest daughter will still do the same thing to her room. It now becomes a situation of picking your battles, and saving your sanity. The thought that you are failing as a parent is easy to come by when you start to compare your kids development and skill sets to other kids in the neighborhood. Whether it's removing training wheels, swimming on their own, or running a production line, does it really matter where your kids stacks up? You may have to put off work to make sure your offspring is getting the training they need to grow and learn new things. Beav vents a little bit about some disrespectful kids that were over at his house this summer demanding drinks and making a mess of bathrooms. He makes a great point that teaching your kids to be respectful and polite at other peoples houses is extremely important. It doesn't just benefit Mom and Dad when the kids act like responsible little people, it can make a huge impression on how other people see your children. All of this and a ton of great conversation and stories on this weeks episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast.

After a week of being evacuated for Hurricane Dorian, Beav and Alex are back in the office and they are jacked! We are pretty sure they both drank at least 4 cups of coffee each before the podcast. The damage from this hurricane in the Bahamas was absolutely devastating. It his as a Cat 5 and stalled for days over the islands. Given we are on the coast, at the boarder of South Carolina and Georgia, the path of this hurricane was headed right for the TBG office. Once the hurricane started moving again, and it was certain the path is headed up the coast, the families were loaded up, the office was secured and the mandatory evacuations began. Beav and Travis headed to our brothers in Columbia, while Alex and his crew went to west North Carolina in the Ashville area. Luckily the hurricane stayed off the coast just enough to not destroy Hilton Head, and the Tactical Baby Gear offices. Monday was a great break from the break as getting back to work is what Beav and Alex do best. All play and no work makes Beav a grumpy boy. And speaking of working, we have some great stuff lined up for the podcast in the next couple of weeks. Amazing guests, traveling, and some cool videos will be coming out till the end of the year. More on this later this week as we will want to get some questions from you guys for these big guests. Make sure you pay attention on Instagram and Facebook for more info. All of this and more on this episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast

This week on the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast, Beav sits down with his personal trainer, John Duberley (@run.johnny.run) John is a Navy veteran, and a low key bad ass. In the Navy, John had to keep fit to ensure he could complete missions and duties while out to sea. He developed a passion for fitness, not only for him self, but his team mates and fellow sailors. That passion has continued into John's civilian career. He is now a personal trainer under the PULSEology flag, as well as a professional runner, representing local and national brands like LuluLemom, SlayRx and Salty Britches. Specializing in 5k and 10k races, John has become accustomed to winning races, like the NineLine Foundation annual 5k/10k, multiple times. After a few years of patiently waiting on Beav to make the mental shift to get back into the gym, John has helped Beav for the past 60 days to get rid of his dadbod and break the routine of sitting at a desk and then eating Moes and Oreos for dinner. The biggest drive for Beav on his fitness journey was the need to take care of him self so that he could then take care of his family and business. Hear Johns philosophy on getting people started with his training regiment, not setting them up for failure, and some basic nutrition advice that can get you pointed in the right direction. The most basic work out of pushups, situps and squats can be enough to get you started and motivated, especially if you have friends or a group to go with. Hear all of this and a ton more on this episode of The Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast.

They are gone! The kids are finally back at school, and Beav's wife couldn't be happier. They survived a long summer at home, but just barely. Alex has another week before he can pass his 3 boys off at day care to give his wife a break from chaos. Do you realize how much Day care costs?!?! Its amazing how it feels when the day care bills end and the kids are off to actual school. But on the other hand, the reality of the youngest going to a real school for the first time, and seeing them walk off through the school halls with a backpack on can be a hard thing to come to grips with, especially for Mom. Speaking of hard things to deal with, the guys discuss todays kids growing up in a soft society. The fact is, the young population has much less to harden them, whether its from not having 40lbs of text books to carry, or participation trophies, to giving credit to kids that haven't earned it. Reality is, easy times don't make hard people. How will that effect the future? Entitlement is at an all time high, and work ethic seems to be on a downfall. How do we balance supporting our kids athletic and scholastic goals, while still letting them lose and fail to learn those lessons on their own? We want our offspring to do well, and to continue to doing what makes them happy. Leaving a gymnastics competition crying can be discouraging, but is it better than giving them false hope and expectations on what it means to compete and follow through with tasks? Some great conversation and child hood stories in this episode of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast, so sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Booth is here! Booth is the owner of Armordillo Concealment, a holster company that was formed in his garage around 2011, and continues to be an industry leader with in the gun community. He is also a full time Firefighter in Florida, as well as a father of 5. Yes, 5! If you want to talk about a juggling act, this is one of the best. Booth is in town as part of a 2 week vacation and road trip with his family of 7. They jammed into a minivan, packed luggage like a Tetris level, and hit the road. With ages ranging from 10 to 1 years old, it has been an interesting adventure. From keeping all 5 kids entertained, to using gas station restroom with multiple kids at a time, and having to change diapers on 3 of them at one time. There is nothing easy about a trip out with all of them. As the child of a single, teenage mother, Booth learned some hard lessons at an early age. He spent a lot of time with his Grandmother, who put him to work in the kitchen as soon as he was able to reach the stove. This created the passion for cooking that Booth still pursues everyday, not only for his family, but also for the Fire station when he is on duty 24 hours at a time. The guys wrap up this episode with a great discussion on how much technology they expose their kids to. Is screen time a bad thing, and at what ages did they allow iPads and smart phones to be used. What does the future hold? Are they limiting their kids by making them play outside in a technology driven world? Find out at the end to hear what they have to say. All of this and more in Episode 15 of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast. https://www.armordilloconcealment.com/ https://www.instagram.com/armordilloconcealment/

Ep. 014 - BEAR! The summer is coming to an end, and the final trip of the season is happening for Beav and Alex at the same time. Alex is headed to North Carolina for a wedding and family trip, and Beav is headed to Tennessee, both for a quick three day weekend trip. Beav's older brother, Matt,(from episode 010) is also in the mountains with his family of 6, and sent a video of a large black bear hanging out on the porch of their rental house. An unsettling sight when you have 4 kids running around and playing all day. As it would turn out, Beav had an encounter with a bear in Tennessee when it attacked the trash can in front of the cabin they were staying at. You should hear more about this in an up coming episode. If you follow along on instagram, you probably saw the pictures and video in Stories. (@tacticalbabygear) All of the travel previously and coming up brought in the discussion of how traveling with the kids has changed over the years. Going from pack and plays to suit cases, and how Beav and Alex pack a Daypack Vs their wive's multiple suitcases for a weekend trip. There are some great tips in here about traveling with kids and getting them to calm down as you drive down the road. #ASKTBG is still coming as its own series. We are working on nailing down the look at format, so until then we answered some questions in here, ranging from starting a business and being a new parent, to what to look for in a car seat and stroller system. All sorts of good info in these answers, so make sure to listen till the end. All of this and more on Episode 14 of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast.

Tactical Baby Gear Podcast Episode 13 - Dealing with other people's Kids

Tyler Merritt, CEO of Nine Line Apparel joins Beav and Alex for episode 12. As an Army Captain, Tyler was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Tyler was a special forces Apache helicopter pilot(yes for real) his unit was deployed more than any other special operations unit to this day. This gave Tyler a unique experience trying to build and keep moral with in his overworked team. Moral shirts were just the beginning as Tyler "fell" into the t-shirt business, and started Nine Line Apparel while still at war in 2012. The Nine Line Foundation, a Non-Profit organization, was started in 2013 as an effort to give back to Tylers friend and West Point classmate, Captain Edward Klein, who lost three limbs while deployed in Afghanistan. The Foundation built CPT Klein a new home that is wheel chair accessible, as well as helping with the enormous rehabilitation costs. This would take Tyler and Nine Line down a path of passion to help those in need within the Military community. Based out of Savannah, GA, The Nine Line Foundation has now started a community of 74 tiny homes called the Veterans Village. A place for homeless Vets to transition back into civilian working life. Not only are they given housing, Nine Line provides work training and skill building for the Veterans. All of which is volunteer based, meaning 100% of the donations go straight to those in need. Among all of this, Tyler is also a father and husband that has struggled to find that elusive Work/Life balance. The guys get into what its like to be a deployed husband and father, VS now being a busy CEO and Non-Profit Founder. All of this and more, on Episode 12 of the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast.

In this episode the guys dive into Beav's new(3rd time) personal mission to combat his Dad Bod. You'll hear about • Nutrition • Work out schedules, • What has worked and • What has NOT worked • & Beav's hate for salad, AKA Rabbit Food. Beav has tried several times in the past to get into a regiment of "healthy" eating and working out, but with a busy schedule, 2 kids, and a second broken leg late last year, going to the gym has not been a priority. With a new mental preparedness, Beav is ready to get back into gym and give it an honest go. There is an old segment Tactical Baby Gear used to do called #askTBG, that answers viewers questions. We are bringing that back in a big way, so be on the look out on Instagram and Twitter if you have questions that you want to ask the guys. There will be a lot of good info in those videos, so subscribe to make sure you don't miss out. All of this and more on the Tactical Baby Gear® Podcast. Have a suggestion for a topic on the Tactical Baby Gear® podcast? Email us at [email protected]

Coming down off the high of Father's Day, the guys are diving into the big topics of fatherhood: bedtime routines, why the terrible twos are nothing next to having a threenager, laying down the law when your kid won't eat, dealing with kids being home over summer break, participation trophies and finding ways to spend time with the whole family. That's a lot of ground to cover, but they also take time to answer a quick viewer question and reveal the long-anticipated return of one of your favorite TBG traditions.

Long-time friend of Tactical Baby Gear Vaughn Neville, aka @TheManspot stops by the podcast for the first time, so you know it's going to get out of control. If you're not familiar (and seriously, how are you not familiar?), The Man Spot is an Instagram force of nature, filling his feed with pure manly America. The guys sit down with Vaughn to hear about his meteoric rise from door-to-door salesman to legendary influencer, and answer a few questions about parenting, how they met their wives, the death penalty (not related to how they met their wives, we should point out), keeping a marriage fresh, guns and… to be honest, once they get on guns, they kinda stay on it. But that's what happens when The Manspot shows up. The Man Spot on: YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK Meet the Spots on YOUTUBE (behind the scenes Vlog)

It's one of the greatest tests of parenthood – summer vacation. As they prepare for three whole months without school, the dads of TBG are talking about summer. A lot has changed since Beav and Alex were kids, and they're inviting listeners to join in the conversation – what were some of the crazy things you did when you were a kid that you'd never allow your kids to do? Sound off online. Speaking of which, the guys dig into the mailbag again to answer some viewer questions. Topics this episode run the gamut from how parents adapt schedules to summer, whether or not to vaccinate, their thoughts on paternity leave and more. If you're expecting twins, you won't want to miss this one, as Alex shares how he and his wife handled their own "buy one get one free" sale. Have a suggestion for a topic? Email us at [email protected]

In episode six of the Tactical Baby Gear podcast, Alex and Beav answer your questions from Instagram. They get into what to expect as a first time parent, with different perspectives of having boys vs girls. They also answer the question of what's the biggest struggles for Parents in modern times and has that actually changed, as well as how to Embrace the Suck, and more. Are you or someone you know a stay at home Parent? Listen to hear about making income while being able to stay at home and raise the kids. All of this and more, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show…

In this episode Barry Kaufman interviews TBG Owners Beav Brodie and Alex Kristoff for CH2 Magazine about their journey of Tactical Baby Gear and how it all got started.

In this edition of the Tactical Baby Gear podcast, Beav and Alex welcome TBG's own customer service guru Matt Kania to the table as they focus on parenting a special needs child. Raising his 14-year-old special need son Trenton presents plenty of challenges for Matt, from dentists visits to simply trying to communicate, and he shares a few stories of the struggle he and his wife face.

The guys are coming off a long Easter weekend, and they have plenty of parenting to talk about. Beav took the family to Disney World, and he came back with some solid advice on handling the crowds, walking the line between saying yes and saying no, and what crucial piece of parenting gear is no longer allowed at the Magic Kingdom. Traveling with kids is tough, so don't miss a few notes from the experts before your next road trip. Have a suggestion for a topic? Email us at [email protected]

Beav and Alex talk about the struggles of the weekend with kids as well as knowing when to educate your kids about particular things. Beav also struggles with trying to keep his daughter safe.

Thanks for listening. Plenty more to come! Let us know who you'd like to hear on the PODCAST