The Dad Shorts Podcast
by Zach Holden and Scott Ragsdale
A weekly podcast where a few dads talk briefly, yet passionately about a number of random topics. We cover everything from pop culture to dating and changing diapers. We regularly have guests on who challenge us to be better dads. This is a great podcast for anyone looking for a fun and family friendly place to engage with a bunch of dads just trying to figure it out.
Episodes
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Ep. 76: Into the Dadlands (Part 3) w/ Jake Hancock & Ed Barlow
The adventure continues in Part 3 of our Dad-themed Dungeons & Dragons saga. Our party—Bob Belcher, Phil Dunphy, and Uncle Phil—faces off against the manager’s minions: a Bass Pro cultist, a remote control golem, a spectral referee, and more. With the help of burger puns, blessing spells, and...
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Ep. 75: Into the Dadlands (Part 2) w/ Jake Hancock and Ed Barlow
What do you get when you cross Dungeons & Dragons with a crew of suburban dads, a magical remote control, and a haunted sporting goods store? You get the Dad Shorts Podcast's most epic adventure yet. In this part-two episode, Jake Hancock returns to the show, joined by returning guest Ed Barlow…
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Ep. 74: Into the Dadlands (Part 1) w/ Jake Hancock
In this epic crossover of fatherhood and fantasy, the Dad Shorts crew welcomes Jake Hancock — father of four, student ministry leader, and undercover board game warlord — for an unforgettable ride through parenthood, perspective, and… a dad-themed Dungeons & Dragons adventure? From hot dog...
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Ep. 73: March Madness, Dad Tears, & Sports Memories
Welcome back to Dad Shorts Podcast, where Scott & Zach rank life’s most important things—starting with what truly makes dads cry! This week, we dive into March Madness, unforgettable dad bonding moments, and how to connect with kids who aren't into sports. Plus, we dream up the ultimate March...
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Ep. 72: Deep Thoughts & Ridiculous HYPERtheticals w/ Michael DeFazio
Get ready for an episode packed with dad wisdom, laughter, and some truly bizarre questions! This week, we sit down with Michael DeFazio to talk about parenting, faith, and the importance of having deep conversations with our kids. Oh, and we also tackle some of the wildest hypotheticals...
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Ep. 71: School, Dads, & Education with Dr. Luke Boyer
Hey dads (and everyone else who loves a good laugh and solid parenting wisdom)! This episode of Dad Shorts is packed with dad jokes, real talk about education, and even a fantasy faculty draft featuring the best TV and movie dads. Our guest, Dr. Luke Boyer, is an educator with a passion for…
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Ep. 70: My Funny Valentine
On today's episode, Zach and Scott discuss being a parent on Valentine's Day. We end the show with a few blind rankings.
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Ep. 69: Super Bowl Special
Scott and Zach reminisce on their favorite Super Bowl memories. They wrap the show by going through their picks for the Bills Helmet Bar Prop Bet Sheet. Play along at /BillsHelmetBar on Facebook.
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Ep. 68: Christmas Music Benchmarks w/ Jamie Newman
Today, we are joined by musician and PE teacher, Jamie Newman. We discuss the importance of modeling for our kids and end the show with a rousing discussion about what songs should be used to measure other Christmas songs on a 5 point rating scale.
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Ep. 67: Happy Festivus w/ Micah Holden
On today's episode, we are joined by Zach's daughter, Micah. We discuss what it's like having Zach as a dad and end with our annual Festivus grievances.
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Ep. 66: Awkward Bible Stories w/ Ross Frisbie
On today's episode, we are joined by Ross Frisbie, the Lead Pastor of Pikes Peak Christian Church. After discussing the twists and turns of parenthood, we discuss the most awkward Bible stories to teach to children. Things devolve quickly.
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Ep. 65: Unforgivable Trilogies w/ Kyle Fewin
On today's episode, we are joined by local legend, Kyle Fewin. We talk through our least favorite trilogies and make our bottom 3 list of worst trilogies. What is your least favorite trilogy?
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Ep. 64: Pixar Character Draft w/ Aaron Stockton
On today's episode, we are joined by filmmaker, Aaron Stockton, the president of Motion Pix Lab. We discuss the challenges of parenting and end the show with a Pixar character draft. Spoiler alert: Ragsdale wins!
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Ep. 63: Build a Halloween Workshop w/ Michael Crider
On today's special Halloween episode, we are joined by middle school counselor, Michael Crider. We talk about having "the talk" with our kids, how to support your kids through their anxiety, and wrap the episode by building our best Halloween with a $15 Draft.
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Ep. 62: Two Sentence Horror Stories w/ Korey Klein
On today's episode, we are joined by director of CIY SuperStart, Korey Klein. We discuss parenting while traveling and wrap the episode by swapping 2 sentence horror stories. DISCLAIMER: The audio for the next two episodes is not up to our standard. However, we still wanted to honor our guests…
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Ep. 61: Overrated or Underrated w/Scott and Zach
On today's episode, Scott and Zach play 3 Bears and determine if the Bengals, Foo Fighters, and Fun Size candy bars are overrated, underrated, or rated just right!
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Ep. 60: Blind Rankings w/ Phil Lowe
On today's episode, we are joined in studio by Phil Lowe. We talking dadding and wrap the episode with a series of blind rankings. Where would you rank?
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Ep. 59: Top 5 Episodes of The Office w/ Jake Harp
On today's episode, we are joined by long-time friend of the show, Jake Harp. We discuss foster care and make our best Top 5 episodes of The Office.
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Ep. 58: 90's One Hit Wonders w/ Mikey Barnes - "One hit wonders... a tale as old as time."
Today, we are joined by long-time listener and first-time guest, Mikey Barnes. We discuss parenting in the 2020s, the effect of social media on teens, and wrap the show with an intense 90s One Hit Wonder Draft. Enjoy!
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Ep. 57: Top Olympic Moments w/ Kirk Jones - "This is your time!"
On today's episode, we are joined by Junior High PE teacher and track coach, Kirk Jones. We discuss parenting and our top 5 Olympic moments throughout history.
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Ep. 56: Top Gun Sequel Frenzy w/ Brian "Sunshine" Sinclair - "I feel the need... the need for SPEED!"
On today's episode, we are joined by retired F-18 naval fighter pilot, Brian "Sunshine" Sinclair. Brian schools us in his systems approach to teaching his daughter to drive, amongst other things. We wrap the episode with an adrenaline fueled pitch for our very own Top Gun sequel; Top Gun: Phoenix...
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Ep. 55: Dad Olympics w/ Don Fifer
Welcome back to season 3 of the Dad Shorts Podcast. Today, we are joined by local hero and realtor, Don Fifer. We discuss when and how to let our kids experience failure and we end the show by discussing what events should be included in the Dad Olympics and who our favorites for gold might be.
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Ep. 54: Most Impactful Injuries w/ Scott and Zach
In today's episode, we catch up with Scott and Zach. Find out where they have been and what's in store.
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Ep. 53: Western Top 5 w/ Wayne West - "You want that gun, pick it up... I wish you would."
On this episode we are joined by jack of all trades, Wayne West. We discuss raising children, the joy of grandparenthood, and wrap the episode by discussing our top 5 westerns in 3 categories, pre 90's, post 90's, and nontraditional. Spoiler alert, Solo didn't make the cut.
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Ep. 52: Pre-Post 9/11 TV Draft w/ Jeremiah Smith - "Fear not, for I have redeemed you."
On today's episode, we are joined by Jeremiah Smith, who is the Vice President of Brand and Creative for The Chosen TV series. We have a great discussion about The Chosen, parenting foster children, and wrap the episode with a fun TV series draft of pre and post 9/11 TV shows.
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Ep. 51: Christmas Music Draft w/ Isaac Schade - "Blast the Christmas music!"
On today's episode, we are joined by host of the Locked on College Basketball and Locked on Tar Heels podcast, Isaac Schade. We have a lively discussion about Christmas music and end the show with an intriguing draft of Christmas music performed by random musical acts. So much fun, and I'm pretty...
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Ep. 50: Mom Jeans w/ Kassandra Lipscomb - "You'll shoot your eye out!"
On today's episode, we are joined by Kassandra Lipscomb for another episode of Mom Jeans. We talk about the female perspective on fatherhood and end the show with a game of Christmas Jeopardaddy.
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Ep. 49: Holiday Mad Libs w/ Ethan Beaver - "Yippee ki yay, Mister Frosty."
On today's episode, we're joined by teacher and author, Ethan Beaver. We talk about being a dad and end with a little holiday mad lib cheer. Things definitely get a bit weird.
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Ep. 48: Iconic Movies w/ Jamie Alberts - "Do you have that one with that guy..."
On today's episode, we're joined by friend of the show, Jamie Alberts. We discuss parenting, top 3 songs to wake up to, and end by discussing the movies that come to our minds first when given an actor's name. It gets pretty interesting.
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Ep. 47: Sequel Fixers w/ Ed Barlow - "I'm the Hollywood Sequel Doctor"
On today's episode, we are rejoined by friend of the show, Ed Barlow. We catch up and discuss how we would fix our least favorite sequels.
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Ep. 46: Mom Jeans w/ Our Wives - "Leave the saving of the world to the me?! I don't think so."
On today's episode, we are reluctantly joined by our wives for our first ever episode of Mom Jeans. We take this opportunity to get the female perspective of parenthood. We end the show with a fun session of the dating game.
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Ep. 45: Movie Quote ABCs w/ Chris Roberts - "Rrround tones, rrround tones."
On today's episode, we are once again joined by author, Chris Roberts. We discuss parenting and end by creating an ABC book based on our favorite movie quotes. Let us know what we missed!
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Ep. 44: Cheeseburger Draft w/ Josh Clark - "They call it a Royale with Cheese."
On today's episode, we are joined by small groups minister for Christ's Church of Oronogo, Josh Clark. Josh is the father of a 13 month old and has a 2nd daughter on the way. We discuss fears, traditions, and eventually talk about cheeseburgers as we celebrate National Cheeseburger Day....
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Ep. 43: Top 5 Back to School Movies w/ Izzy B - "Back to school, back to school... to prove to dad that I'm not a fool."
On today's episode, we are joined by friend of the show and children's book author, Izzy B! We discuss emotional landmines and how we navigate these difficult situations. We end the show with a discussion about school movies. We all share our top 5 school movies. Full disclosure... we missed some...
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Ep. 42: Dad Shorts: The Sequel w/ Scott and Zach - "No matter what happens... we'll see you next season."
Welcome back to Season 2 of the Dad Shorts Podcast. DSP is a podcast for anyone interested in exploring the deep caverns of dadhood. On today's episode, Scott and Zach catch up and discuss the best sequels (not from a trilogy) of all time! 0:00:00-0:10:32 - Catch up 0:10:32-0:21:36 - Serious Talk...
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Short Shorts Ep. 2: The Official DSP Starting 5
On this episode of short shorts, Scott and Zach identify their all-time NBA starting 5. We're pretty sure this team is the GOAT of NBA teams. We also highlight Ep. 26 of the Dad Shorts Podcast, where we are joined by C. Trent Rosecrans and discuss some all time great sports moments. Link to Ep.…
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Short Shorts Ep. 1: Who wore it better?
On this episode of short shorts, Scott and Zach briefly discuss short shorts and highlight Ep. 8 of the Dad Shorts podcast where we discuss unpopular opinions with Judge Joe Hensley. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3bHbhp1z6WuWyTVTkaflKM
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Ep. 41: Disney Princess Draft w/ Paul Dehner Jr. - "She is a princess!!!"
On today's episode, we are joined by Paul Dehner Jr. Paul is a senior writer and podcast host for The Athletic where he has been covering the NFL and the Cincinnati Bengals since 2009. We get controversial right out of the gate discussing our favorite season. We then move into our interview about...
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Ep. 40: Top 5ish Dads w/ Jason Romano - "I'm sorry, was I being proud of you too loud?"
On today's episode, we are joined by Jason Romano. Jason Romano is the host of an amazing podcast about faith in sports called Sports Spectrum. He is the author of the book The Uniform of Leadership and a former ESPN producer. We had a great time discussing how our faith in Christ impacts our...
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Ep. 39: Choose your own Dad-venture part 2 w/ Flint Spencer - "I have made a series of very bad decisions."
On today's episode, we're joined by upcoming dad contestant, Flint Spencer. We talk about parenting advice and he tries to successfully navigate another Choose your own Dad-venture. Will he survive, or will he fall victim to random baby foods? 0:00-1:05 - Intro 1:05-12:48 - Get to know our guest...
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Ep. 38: Ultimate Disney Trip w/ Doug Lesmerises - "I'm going to Disney World!"
On today's episode, we're joined by Ohio State beat writer and Buckeye Talk Podcast host, Doug Lesmerises. We have a great talk about fatherhood and end the show with a draft of our ultimate trip to Disney World. 0:00-3:11 - Intro (What is our favorite Disney movie?) 3:11-13:03 - Get to know our...
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Ep. 37: Best Westerns (not the hotel) w/ Scott Ensminger - "This man, El Guapo, is not just famous, he's INfamous!"
On today's episode, we are joined by our friend Scott Ensminger. We speak with Scott about what it means to parent in a Godly way. We wrap the episode up with a Western draft. Who is the greatest Western hero? Villain? Overall movie? Stay tuned and see who we choose. Share your thoughts in the...
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Ep. 36: History's Mysteries w/ Keith Zoromski - "The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing."
On today's episode, we are joined by our friend Keith Zoromski. We discuss the joys of parenthood and which historical figures we'd let babysit our kids. 0:00-1:12 - Opening Banter (Which Disney sidekick is the best?) 1:12-14:42 - Meet the Guest (Keith Zoromski) 14:42-25:06 - The Interview...
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Ep. 35: Motive Matters w/ Van Benson (part 2) - "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back i
Welcome back to part 2 of our interview with Motive Matters consultant, Van Benson. 0:00-1:22 - Opening Banter (Are corndogs burritos?" 1:22-7:26 - Fun Interview 7:26-20:38 - Serious interview about using the Color Code to become more charactered parents. 20:38-32:47 - Creating the Ultimate…
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Ep. 34: Motive Matters w/ Van Benson (part 1) - "Why are you the way that you are?"
On today's episode, we are joined by one-half of the Motive Matters training super duo, Van Benson. Van and his wife Tammy are the owners/operators of Motive Matters. Motive Matters is a leading provider of the Color Code (developed by Dr. Taylor Hartman, Ph. D.),motive-based relationship…
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Ep. 33: The Color Code w/ Chris Roberts - "Like the Contra code?"
On today's episode, we are once again joined by children's book author Chris Roberts. We discuss Dr. Taylor Hartman's Color Code Personality Profiler and how it applies to parenting. We do a brief overview of each color and end by color-coding famous pop culture dads. I bet you can't guess what...
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Ep. 32: One Tough Roadtrip w/ Scott and Zach - "Well, I'll tell you something. This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest... It's a quest for fun!"
On today's episode, Scott and Zach discuss what happens when our perfect roadtrip plans go south. How do we recover? We also build our Sweet 16 bracket for our Mortal Kombat Madness. "There can be only one!"
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Ep. 31: Mortal Madness w/ Jamie Alberts - "You have been chosen to defend the realm of Earth..."
On today's episode, we are joined by our friend, Jamie Alberts. We talk about the action-packed adventure of parenting and select our sweet sixteen action heroes in our March Madness search for the ultimate action hero!
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Ep. 30: Dad Starter Kits w/ Tim Head - "Who is your daddy and what does he do?"
On today's episode, we are joined by long time friend of the show, Time Head. We discuss fatherhood and review different dad stereotype starter kits. Things get a little personal for some of us... Enjoy!
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Ep. 29: AI Overlords w/ Matt Huntley - "It's a learning robot. Every moment you spend fighting it only increases its knowledge of how to beat you."
On today's episode, we are joined by the famed assistant superintendent of schools, Matt Huntley. Naturally, our topic of conversation is artificial intelligence. As such, we also invited friend of the show, ChatDAD (formerly ChatGPT). With Matt and ChatDAD, we discuss what it means to be a dad…
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About this show
A weekly podcast where a few dads talk briefly, yet passionately about a number of random topics. We cover everything from pop culture to dating and changing diapers. We regularly have guests on who challenge us to be better dads. This is a great podcast for anyone looking for a fun and family friendly place to engage with a bunch of dads just trying to figure it out.
Hosted by
Zach Holden and Scott Ragsdale