We recently connected with Matt Lofy and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Matt, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
When I was in my mid-twenties I worked as a youth minister at a Church that had a day school and vibrant athletics program. I noticed it was always the moms who picked up their kids, who attended their extracurriculars, etc. I vowed then, single as can be and kid free, that when I became a husband and father, I was going to be an equal partner and hands on dad.
This podcast started as a way for me to learn from those who were far more seasoned than me at both. Three years later, the purpose of the podcast, and for me, has evolved by those who have listened, followed and joined us on this journey.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
The Dadass Podcast is an award-winning podcast out of Columbus, OH. Our mission is to figure out this whole parenting and adulting thing. We do that one guest and one drink at a time. By name you’d assume our audience is men, but we’re over 50 percent women listeners and our social media following is majority to women.
I started the podcast as a new dad learning from others and Shaun joined after being a guest four times. He brings an impressive mental health background and aspiring mixologist skills that helped elevate our episodes. Our success has come through a unique blend of dad jokes, real talk episodes and discuss local spirits and beers on each episode.
For over a year, we’ve used our podcast and partnership with CBUS Dads (blog) to Dadvocate for Change. The campaign recently included partnering with Columbus City Council with the Changing Table Accessibility Grant that was able to get 135 changing tables into men’s and gender-neutral restrooms of local small businesses and Columbus Rec. and Parks facilities.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Humility and vulnerability go hand in hand. Starting a parenting podcast takes a massive amount of humility. I screw up so much as a parent and partner…then I openly talk about it for thousands hear. Just think what we could do if more leaders at home, at work or wherever showed more of both!
I also believe a skill that is hugely underutilized in life is the skill to actively listen. Yeah, hosting a podcast means we listen, but to be a supportive husband or to dadvocate takes strengthening the skill of actively listening to others whether of not I agree. As I tell our toddler, “We have two ears, one mouth,” we all have to listen more.
When in doubt, Wabi Sabi. We hosted Dr. Matthew Sowcik founder of 68 Rising and professor at the University of Florida who taught us about this Japanese aesthetic and philosophy focused on the perfection of imperfection. Wabi Sabi is the “beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.” That’s parenting and trying to be an equal partner.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Out of a personal frustration during the time of a diaper blow out at an extremely family friendly location, we began our Dadvocate for Change campaign. As I mentioned, we partnered with four dads on Columbus City Council. Since completing that partnership this year, we are currently in talks with leaders of other metropolitan cities in Ohio and beyond. We hope to take this effort further. We even spoke with members of the Dads Caucus on Capitol Hill.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thedadasspodcast.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedadasspodcast/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDadassPodcast
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewlofy/
