What Every Father Needs to Hear Today

In this special Father’s Day episode of The Highly Effective Man, JP Bolwahnn delivers a raw, heartfelt message to the men who carry the weight of leadership at home — the fathers.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.
About the moments we say “yes” when it’s uncomfortable.
About the lessons we teach without saying a word.

From racing his daughters on Father’s Day to letting them paint his mustache pink and blue, JP shares real-life stories that remind every man listening: your family is watching how you show up.

Fatherhood is one of the greatest challenges you’ll ever face — but it’s also one of the greatest opportunities to lead, grow, and leave a legacy.

In this episode:

• Why presence beats perfection
• How to be the voice inside your child’s head
• The power of creating lasting memories
• A challenge to every father to rise and lead

Whether you’re a new dad or a seasoned father, this episode will remind you what’s at stake — and what’s possible when you commit to being a Highly Effective Man.

Happy Father’s Day. Now let’s get to work.

Chapters

• 0:09 Welcome to Highly Effective Man
• 0:32 A Message for Hardworking Dads
• 1:16 Creating Unforgettable Memories
• 2:59 The Legacy of Fatherhood
• 5:15 Closing and Coaching Invitation

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

Welcome to the Highly Effective man podcast hosted by former Navy SEAL turned life and fitness coach. I'm your host, jp Bolwan. This podcast is your resource for unlocking the healthiest, most productive and highly effective man within you. Let's go. Welcome back to the Highly Effective man Podcast. Today's episode is for the dads.

Speaker 1: 0:36

Okay, so you guys are the men in the trenches. You're working hard, you carry the weight, and maybe you don't feel like you always get the respect you deserve, or maybe you're seen for what you're doing, but you're still showing up, day in, day out. You're the protector, the provider. You're setting the example. Right, your family doesn't need you to be perfect, but they need you to be present. They need you to be grounded and strong, because being a father isn't about getting credit. It's about building a legacy and it's about being a man who does the right thing when nobody's watching.

Speaker 1: 1:16

Now, yesterday, my daughters wanted to put makeup on me and they said, joking about, like Dad, after lunch, we're going to put makeup on me. And they said, joking about, like dad, after lunch, we're going to put makeup on you. We're going to make your mustache pink and blue. And you know, at first I was thinking, nah, we're not doing that. But then I thought, man, they're not going to forget this moment. So I said, okay, yeah, let's do it. And it was fun, we laughed, we joked around. And it was fun, we laughed, we joked around, they thought it was pretty funny, we took pictures and that, right there, that was connection and hopefully a memory that they'll never forget and that's what being a dad is about. And another cool thing that happened yesterday was that my five-year-old she's one day after turning five. We taught her how to ride a bike right, and you know, that's another memory that we created that hopefully she'll never forget.

Speaker 1: 2:14

And a little tradition that I started a few years ago was that every Father's Day we race right, we get in a foot race and we see who's getting faster right, and they're getting faster, and one day they'll probably beat me, but I'm going to push that day out as far as I can because I want them to see that I push myself and I want them to have a challenge. I want them to see that their dad fights for every step. Look, fatherhood is not easy, but we're not here for easy. We grow through challenge and fatherhood is one of the greatest challenges a man will ever face. It forces us to look in the mirror and confront ourselves to ask am I becoming the man that I want my children to remember? Because that's what's happening. They're watching every move, every word and every moment. Not just what we say, but how we show up every single day. Not just what we say, but how we show up every single day. We're becoming that little voice in their heads when they're thinking about what they should do. We're setting the standard. We're building the story that they will remember.

Speaker 1: 3:39

So today is not just about celebration. It's about commitment To show up with strength, to lead with love, to build a legacy through action, not just intention. Intention is just the first part, right, it's the action that makes the difference. Because, your kids, they don't need a superhero. What they need is a father who keeps showing up, even when it's hard, who shows them that he disciplines himself first and who makes memories that matter. So, for every dad that's out there, happy Father's Day. Keep racing them, keep laughing with them and keep teaching them and keep growing, because they're growing too, and they're growing fast. It seems like just yesterday my girls were just these little babies, and one day they're going to be grown adults, and who knows what they're going to be grown adults and who knows what they're going to be thinking. But hopefully I did the right things to have that good story in their heads and teaching them right from wrong. So let's be the highly effective man who raise families with strength, lead with honor and inspire fathers everywhere to rise. We're not done, we're just getting started.

Speaker 1: 5:12

I'm JP Bolwan and I salute you. Thank you for listening to the Highly Effective man podcast. If you enjoyed or learned something on this episode, do me a favor and share this with somebody who you think needs to hear it. And one last thing if you want to work with me as your coach to help you get fit, be more productive and, in general, just be the most effective version of yourself, head over to my site, higherlevelcoachingco Once again, that's higherlevelcoachingco and schedule a call with me there. Thank you again. Let's go.