How do you hold onto your creative identity while trying to be the parent you want to be?

Sean Waldron has built a life around creativity from music to video production to brand storytelling. He has freelanced, gone in-house, flipped houses, and wrestled with the tension between purpose and practical responsibilities. Becoming a dad pushed him to rethink all of it.

Sean shares how to:

• Blend creative skills with fatherhood in a way that builds connection
• Separate who you are from what you do after layoffs, pivots, or burnout
• Navigate the pull between purpose, mastery, and paying the bills
• Pursue creative work without letting perfectionism take over
• Find meaning in seasons of uncertainty
• Recognize early signs that you are on the right path even without results
• Carry ambition into parenthood without letting it overshadow your home life
• Create simple moments of delight using the skills that light you up
• Explore the stories you learned growing up and how they shape the dad you want to become

If you have ever felt torn between your creative passions, your responsibilities, and the desire to show up well for your kids, this conversation offers clarity, grounding, and a reminder that purpose is built one small moment at a time.

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ROAR Dads

Silly Cannonballs

Girl Above

Set Your Mind

Reset: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture by David Murray

Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy

Bluey

Red Hot and Blue Pit Barbecue

Jason Mraz

My Humps

Baby Got Back

The Roost Stand

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What does it really take to be present as a dad while juggling work, pressure, and your own mental health?

Kristian Leavell, a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and dad, brings both clinical insight and lived experience to this honest conversation about the weight many fathers carry and how to navigate it with clarity and compassion.

Kristian shares how to:

• Be truthful about what you feel and what you need

• Understand the voice behind internal pressure and self doubt

• Redefine what it means to provide for your family

• Manage guilt around work, parenting, and expectations

• Let go of perfectionism and the anxiety under it

• Reset when you feel disconnected from yourself or your family

• Build routines that protect your mental health

• Model emotional honesty for your kids while keeping boundaries

• Build real community even when adult friendships feel difficult

• Cross the swamp of discomfort to become the parent you want to be

If you feel stretched thin, quietly anxious, or simply trying to show up better for yourself and your family, this episode offers grounded guidance and a way forward.

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Kristian’s video about being a girl dad Instagram | TikTok

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls by TLC

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes

The Man Who Sold the World by Nirvana

Texas State

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TherapyTokWithKris on TikTok

TherapyTalkWithKris on Instagram

DistinctApproachCounseling.com

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What happens when the chapter you spent years chasing finally ends and you’re left asking what comes next?

In this episode of Gap to Gig, host Michael Jacobs talks with Erin Aldrich Shean, a former Olympic and professional athlete who has reinvented herself multiple times across sports, corporate strategy, and now career coaching. Erin helps people navigate life and work transitions using her LAND method, a framework built around learning, alignment, networking, and delivery.

Erin shares how to:

Redefine success when life shifts and old identities fall away

Find clarity before rushing into the next job or direction

Ask for support instead of trying to figure everything out alone

Balance ambition with the life you want at home

Navigate seasons of grind and seasons of rest

Align your values with the work you choose

Keep your network warm and active after you land

Take care of yourself so you can show up fully for your family

Whether you’re returning to work, pivoting into something new, or simply trying to make sense of the season you’re in, this conversation offers perspective, honesty, and practical ways to move forward with more clarity and less pressure.

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LAND Method

Ikigai

Ascension Coaching and Consulting

Ascension Coaching and Consulting on LinkedIn

I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor

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What really happens behind the scenes in hiring and how can dads returning to work stand out?

In this episode of Gap to Gig, host Michael Jacobs talks with Jacob Stone, HR consultant and founder of WorqTap, who’s spent over a decade helping companies hire smarter and helping people land roles that actually fit their lives.

Jacob shares what most job seekers never hear:

• What’s really going on inside hiring teams (and how to stand out).

• Why soft skills like adaptability and communication matter more than technical ones.

• How parenting builds the exact qualities employers need.

• How to reframe career gaps with confidence.

• Why networking, not algorithms, gets you hired.

Whether you’re reentering the workforce, changing careers, or just trying to build meaningful work around family life, this episode will help you bring your full story to the table.

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WorqTap

Paul Revere by Beastie Boys

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In this episode of Gap to Gig, host Michael Jacobs talks with Jesse Holmes, a performance coach who helps entrepreneurs and parents make measurable progress in just 10 minutes a day.

Jesse shares how to:

• Build clarity and confidence through small, consistent actions.

• Find your focus when life feels chaotic.

• Apply “deep work” principles to parenting, relationships, and self-care.

• Turn daily 10-minute wins into lasting momentum.

• Balance business growth with family life — without burning out.

Whether you’re rebuilding your career, starting something new, or simply trying to stay present at home, this conversation will help you take the next step toward growth that feels sustainable.

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Jesse’s Breakout Planner

Fergalicious by Fergie

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What happens when your career suddenly stops fitting your life?

In this episode of Gap to Gig, host Michael Jacobs talks with John Tarnoff, an executive coach who rebuilt his career after the tech bubble burst and now helps mid-career professionals rediscover purpose and confidence.

John shares how to:

• Navigate uncertainty and rebuild resilience.

• Reframe “returning to work” as moving forward, not backward.

• Turn personal experiences — even parenting — into professional strengths.

• Rebuild confidence by acting before you feel ready.

• Create community instead of just “networking.”

If you’re a dad redefining success, shifting careers, or searching for meaningful work that fits real life, this episode will help you take the next step with clarity and confidence.

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Pema Chödrön https://pemachodronfoundation.org

Gampo Abbey https://gampoabbey.org/

Comfortable with Uncertainty https://amzn.to/4oNRCTc

Julia Cameron https://juliacameronlive.com/

The Artist’s Way https://amzn.to/4hClP5h

Ikigai https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2022/03/ikigai\_japanese\_secret\_to\_a\_joyful\_life.html

Ikigai Venn diagram https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai#/media/File:Diagramo\_de\_Ikigajo\_-en.svg

You’ve Got a Friend by Carole King https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAR\_Ff5A8Rk

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Mid-Career Lab community https://midcareerlab.com/

John Tarnoff website https://johntarnoff.com/

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What if the goal isn’t just finding work, but finding work that fits your life?

Gap to Gig is the podcast for dads balancing career, family, and purpose. Hosted by entrepreneur and dad Michael Jacobs, each week features real conversations with fathers, founders, and experts who are redefining success and creating careers that fit real life.

If you’re navigating career change, exploring freelance or flexible work, or looking for meaningful work without missing the moments that matter most, this show is for you.

In this trailer, hear what’s coming: honest stories, practical strategies, and a few laughs along the way.

Follow or subscribe to Gap to Gig on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to start building a life that feels like yours, not someone else’s version of success.

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