Hi. I'm Matt Fox, and here's why I created Heart of Dad.

I'd already had a successful experience as an entrepreneur when my son was born. I was delighted and excited to be a dad but I also wanted more from my life than being a dad. 

The e-learning consultancy I'd founded with 3 friends was sold in 2012. It was a healthy 8 figure business with over 200 employees. I left in 2014, the year my son was born and I started two new businesses, that same year.

I had no idea of what the impact would be of bringing new life into the world while trying to build businesses. It was hard. Beyond hard at times. There's a story to tell about why I chose to start those businesses at that time, but the main thing is that the experience brought to the front and centre, what it is to be a dad who's also trying to make it in business.

I felt enormous pulls, between wanting to be there and savour the experience, and wanting to escape the sleeplessness, the periods of monotony. I struggled to get my head around the loss of freedom and the reduction in time that I could call my own. There were times when I felt frustrated, angry and even resentful that I just couldn't push on with what I wanted to do at work, I'm ashamed to say.

As I started to talk to other entrepreneur and consultant dads, I saw I wasn't the only one who had this experience. I began to see there was this whole hidden face of fatherhood that's rarely spoken about: anger, frustration, resentment, guilt, shame.

Everyone seems to be seeking balance. Balance within themselves, balance in their relationships, balance between family and business. The circle can never be squared it seems.

And dad entrepreneurs, when they get really honest with themselves, can see how being present, really showing up with full attention on their family, being in deep connection is sometimes elusive. Our heads are often full of projects, ideas, to-do lists, worries and excitement. It can be hard to get out of our heads and into the room.

That's what spurred me to create this movement. So that entrepreneur dads can be real about not just their successes but also their struggles, their fears, their guilt. And share ways of getting through that, without having to beat themselves up about how they’re conducting their life. Committing to being their best selves and finding away to create what they want in their businesses while still showing up profoundly for their families.

The podcast is just the starting point. To get in the conversation. To open up honest communication and share stories.

To create a different future for our kids by being dads who understand what is at the heart of being a dad, and live that to the best of their ability.

You can get involved in these ways:

Subscribe to the podcast

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Apply to be on the podcast as a guest or nominate someone else