Chasing Excellence

Unconditional Love Isn't Soft. It's What Makes Our Kids Brave

Chasing Excellence

Show Notes

How much responsibility do we actually carry for where our teenagers end up — and how much is simply out of our hands? In this episode, we dig into a powerful listener question from David about parental influence, the six factors that shape teenagers, and the three things fathers can genuinely control: modeling, connection, and agency. We explore why control and influence are two very different tools, why unconditional love may be the single most important input a parent can offer, and why the real enemy isn't bad peers or broken environments — it's an ego that's never learned it's safe to struggle. 👉🏼 Get the full Listener's Guide here ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club 👋 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!

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Oct 22, 2026

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Oct 21, 2026

We're revisiting a conversation with best-selling author Cal Newport on cognitive health and exploring what happens when we treat our attention like an all-you-can-eat buffet of ultra-processed content. We build awareness around the gap between casual scrolling and true cognitive exercise, intention around cutting out what Cal calls "ultra-processed content," and action toward deep reading and focused thinking that build a life of health, happiness, and purpose - instead of the drift and mental fatigue that comes from consuming whatever the algorithm serves up. 🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here! Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 💬Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday.

Oct 20, 2026

We're exploring why counting how many times we pick up our phone each day matters more than tracking total screen time. By paying attention to that one number — and setting a realistic weekly limit instead of chasing zero — we build awareness of where our time, energy, attention, and money actually go, and we take action toward investing our focus in a life of health, happiness, and purpose, rather than letting it drift away one pickup at a time. 🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here! Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 💬 Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday.

Oct 19, 2026

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