I'm a Dad… — emotional intelligence for men and boys
I'm a Dad…
The beginning of a sentence every man finishes for himself. Programs, community, resources, tools, and apparel for dads choosing emotional intelligence over the script they were handed.
Strength
Emotional intelligence and regulation
Counter-cultural
A progressive answer to the red-pill script.
Real
Built by a stay-at-home dad. No theory, no preaching.
A pen,
not a script.
I'm a Dad… is the umbrella for a growing ecosystem of projects with one purpose: equipping men and boys with emotional intelligence and regulation tools to cultivate healthy masculinity and empathy.
I'm a Dad who listens. I'm a Dad who apologizes. I'm a Dad who doesn't yell. — You write the rest.
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Apparel, programs, and tools — every piece ladders up to the same mission.
Services & Programs
HERO Training
A complete framework for understanding and regulating your emotional reactions, taught in workshops and on demand.
Learn moreApparel That Signals
Branded hats and tees that say you're a dad who's writing your own script.
Learn moreParent Workshops
A 5-part series for parents combining couples massage techniques with emotional regulation tools. HERO Training is one of the tools used inside the workshops.
Learn moreLifeJingle
Mantras, affirmations and values turned into earworms. Rhythm and rhyme, for parents and kids.
Learn moreDreamscape
Bedtime stories and characters that protect imagination and model emotional courage for the next generation.
Learn moreGroup Coaching
Ongoing support for dads working through HERO Training together — in person or online.
Learn moreFriends and Partners
Creators and friends building products and programs that fit naturally under the I'm a Dad umbrella. We feature them to edify their work and offer more tools to our audience.
Jon Fogel
Jon is a pastor and a parent coach. He founded Whole Parent Academy, and is the author of Punishment free parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice
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The Indomitable Black Man
Gabe is a parent coach and behavior-support professional with over a decade of experience working with kids and families. He created SHIFT Parenting: a systems-based understanding of what keeps conflict repeating.
Visit
Sam Chase
A dad doing the work. Sam is a father of 5 who has shared his journey of deconstruction and growth. His content focuses on emotional intelligence, therapy concepts, and men's mental health.
VisitCommunity
Events, meetups, and open conversations for dads on the journey.
Monthly free Zoom calls to talk out HERO Training
Join other dads each month for an open conversation about applying HERO Training in real life. No cost, no pitch — just dads talking it out. Click the link below to add your name and email to the monthly call list and, as a bonus, you'll receive my free 7 step emotional intelligence worksheet.
Learn moreFounding family parent workshop
Looking for 5 families to host this 5 workshop series for couples - Learn couples massage techniques combined with communication and emotional regulation skills through HERO Training. (As of now, this is an in-person workshop. So only those in the Los Angeles area are eligible)
Learn moreApps
App projects built under the I'm a Dad umbrella — tools for dads and families.
Lunch Café
Lunch Café turns school lunch into a fun kid-led café, helping parents and kids plan meals together while making mornings easier.
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While We're Out
Head out into the world, and leave your mental labor behind. While We're Out allows you to curate and hand off your family established childcare routines, so you can enjoy your time out worry free!
VisitTantrum HERO
Guidance and skill building practices to get you and your little ones through the tantrum process with as little resistance as possible.
VisitProjects under the umbrella
Dads Unfiltered
Honest conversations about fatherhood, feelings, and the work most men were never taught to do.
@dadding_daily
Dispatches from a stay-at-home dad. Short, real, and counter-cultural by accident.
HERO Training
A four-part framework (Happening, Experience, Response, Opportunity) for regulating emotional reactions in real time.
Parent Workshops
A 5-part series for parents blending couples massage techniques with emotional regulation tools, including the HERO Training process.
Dreamscape
A superhero who protects dreams and imagination. Stories, books, and an app where your child is the hero.
From @dadding_daily
Short dispatches from a stay-at-home dad. Real moments, real questions, no script.
Dads Unfiltered
Honest conversations about fatherhood, feelings, and the work most men were never taught to do. Listen to recent episodes below.
Also available on
Chris O'Neil
Chris is a writer, coach, and stay-at-home dad on a mission to bring emotional intelligence to men and fathers. Through "I'm a Dad…," he creates tools, content, and experiences designed to help men develop self-awareness, empathy, and the emotional skills most of us were never taught.
His work spans Dads Unfiltered, HERO Training, the Dreamscape character universe, and @dadding_daily on TikTok — all tied together by a single belief: emotionally engaged men make better fathers, partners, and people.
Inspired by fatherhood, grief, and a commitment to doing the inner work out loud, Chris turns personal experience into something others can actually use.
Questions, answered
What does the ellipsis in the logo mean?
It's the beginning of a sentence every man finishes for himself. "I'm a Dad who listens." "I'm a Dad who apologizes." "I'm a Dad who doesn't yell." You write the ending.
Is this only for dads?
No. The work is built for men and boys, and plenty of partners, moms, and coaches use it too. If you want emotionally engaged men in your life, you're who we built this for.
What is HERO Training?
HERO stands for Happening, Experience, Response, Opportunity — a four-part framework for breaking down emotional reactions in real time so you can focus on what you actually control.
How do digital products get delivered?
Right after checkout you'll get an email with your download links and lifetime access. Programs play on any device.
Do you offer workshops or speaking?
Yes. Parent Workshops are a 5-part series combining couples massage techniques with emotional regulation tools, and they include the HERO Training process. HERO Training also runs as its own program for groups of men. Chris is available for speaking engagements as well. Use the contact form below to start the conversation.
The next generation
is watching.
Join a growing community of dads choosing presence over performance. Start with a conversation — bring HERO Training to your group, or just say hi.
Workshops, speaking, or just to say hi
Booking a HERO Training workshop, interested in speaking, or want to collaborate on something for dads? Send a note.