Special Fathers' Network Podcast

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Todd Evans of Brentwood, TN owns multiple businesses, is an author and is the father of two children who have different abilities.Todd and his wife, Kristin, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of two children: an 18 year old born with a metabolic disorder and 14 year old, who has Cri du chat syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by a deletion of the short arm of chromosome 5.Kristin & Todd are the authors of How To Build A Thriving Marriage As You Care For Children With Disabilities. It's a must read for all parents whose families touched by disability.Kristin & Todd also host and maintain the website: https://disabilityparenting.com/, which has some excellent resource

Our guest this week is Chris Mallette of Chicago, IL, father of four and director of community engagement and head football coach at Chicago Hope Academy. Chris also does violence prevention consulting.Chris and his wife, Kendall, have been married for 28 years and are the proud parents of four: Luke (26), Zion (24), Judah (19) and Levi (16).  Their family has been touched by mental health challenges, including; severe anxiety, depression, OCD and bi-polar.  Chicago Hope Academy is a Christian College Prep High School with an average class size of 15 students.  275 students attend Chicago Hope with about 70 students in each grade level.  Perhaps most impressively, 100% of the graduates are accepted into collegeChris earned a BA in history from Princeton University, a law degree from University of Pennsylvania and was a public interest scholar.In addition to being the director of community engagement, Chris is the varsity football coach and has lead the team to many championships.  While proud of the teams' su

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Agust Kristmanns of Reykjavík, Iceland a father of three, who works as an electrician and serves as a board member of Unique Children of Iceland. (Einstokborn)Agust and his wife, Maria, have been married for 26 years and are the proud parents of three children: Asta Mary (26), Sara Dogg (18) and middle child, son Ingi (23) who was diagnosed with 2Q37 Deletion syndrome, a rare chromosome condition that affects his development.Agust has been involved with the Special Fathers Network for more than four years.  His SFN Dad To Dad Podcast, episode #184, aired in Janaury 2022.   He was one of the first members of the London SFN Mastermind Group and he attended the 2024 SFN Mastermind Group Weekend Retr

Our guest this week is Nate Plasman of Lombard, IL, a vice president at family owned Monroe Transportation and father of three, including a son with a rare genetic disease.Nate and his wife, Sara, have been married for 20 years and are the proud parents of three children: Grace (15), Jackson (12) and Andrew (10) who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive and severe muscle-wasting condition that typically results in premature death.Duchenne impacts around 15,000 individuals in the United States, predominantly males, and over 300,000 globally. It is a condition that transcends cultural, economic, and social lines, affecting families worldwide.We learn about a host of organizations seeking cures and improving the lives of those living with muscular dystrophy, including; Parent Project MD, Cure Duchenne and Serepta Therapeutics. It'a an uplifting story about faith, family and overcoming adversity all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show NotesPhone – (630) 248-3220Email - [email protected]

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday for the past few months, host David Hirsch has interviewed members of the SFN Mastermind Group community, men who meet virtually via Zoom on a weekly basis. This Monday’s episode is a recap from the 4th Annual SFN Mastermind Group Weekend Retreat, held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago from September 6-8, 2024.  In total 27 dads attended including three from Iceland and one from Ukraine.   Friday, September 6th - The retreat kicked off with a Meet & Greet with pizza, sodas and some special treats, including Al's Cookie Mixx cookies provided by SFN Mentor Father Alvin Green of Chicago and some Mullen's Apple Sauce provided by SFN Mentor Father Jim Mullen. Saturday, September 7th - On Saturday morning the group participated in a Cycle To End Father Absence (C2EFA) ride at Cyclebar River North. The morning session included playing 21CD/SFN Trivia and talking about the i

Our guest this week is Bill Walters of Collinswood, NJ, father of two and founder of Perfectly Imperfect Families.Bill is the proud father of two children: Jake (21) and Tammy (23), who between the two of them have had a variety of challenges including; hearing impairment, development delays, IBS, ADHD and endometriosis.  Bill has been a single father for much of his children's lives.  Professionally, Bill is a financial advisor who offers insurance and financial guidance for perfectly imperfect families. Through faith and perseverance, Bill has been able to overcome a lot of adversity and show others how to do the same. We’ll hear Bill’s story and more on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Notes - Phone – (267) 278-5062Email - [email protected] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billjwalters/Website -   https://www.perfectlyimperfectfamilies.com Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Nathan Woerner of Littleton, CO who is a former missionary in Japan with SEND International and father of two girls including one with Angelman Syndrome. Nathan and his wife, Maryah, have been married for 17 years and are the proud parents of two girls: Naomi (8) and Ada (6), who has Angelman Syndrome.Nathan has been involved with the Special Fathers Network for more than four years.  His SFN Dad To Dad Podcast, episode #114, aired in September 2020.   He was one of the first members of the Tuesday night SFN Mastermind Group and he has attended the last few Mastermind Group weekend retreats.  It’s an uplifting conversation about perseverance, overcoming life's challenges and advocacy, all on this

Our guest this week is Jonathan Polin of Jerusalem, Israel who is a serial entrepreneur, father of three, including son, Hersh, who very tragically was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas led attacks on Israel.    This episode was recorded on August 29, 2024, day #328 since Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 (mostly civilians from 23 countries) and taking more than 220 hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Jonathan and his wife, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, both born and raised in Chicago, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of two daughters: Leebi and Orly as well as Hersh (23), who shockingly lost his left hand and forearm in a grenade explosion during the October 7th attacks. Quite tragically, Hersh’s best friend, Aner Shapira, lost his life on October 7th protecting fellow concert goers, by deflecting seven Hamas grenades thrown into an above ground bomb shelter, before he was shot and killed.Jon and Rachel have become outspoken advocates on behalf of all the hostages a

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Joe Lofino of Greenville, OH who is owner of Walnut Grove Cabinet Company and father of three young children, two of which who have been diagnosed with Fragile X.   Joe and his wife, Jen, have been married for 11 years and you are the proud parents of three: Josh (7), Joanna (6) and Junie (2).  The older two were diagnosed with Fragile X, which is the leading cause of intellectual disabilities like Autism.  Joe has been involved with the Special Fathers Network for about five years.  He was featured in episode #95 of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast that aired in April 2020.  He has been part of the inaugural SFN Mastermind Group and has attended all the SFN Mastermind Group weekend retreats.  It’s an

Our guest this week is DeAndrae Hinton of Houston, TX educator, special education chair at the Houston Independent School District, author and father of two including an Autistic son. DeAndrae and his x-wife, Chaquita Frazier, are the proud parents of Daja (19) and Dillon (16) who has Autism. DeAndrae is the special education chair at the Houston Independent School Disctrict.  He’s also written a book entitled: My Favorite Mistakes, Lessons Learned Through Accountability.He is also a leader with the Autism Dads Social Club. He has quite a story to tell and we’ll hear it on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links - Phone – (832) 523-7759Email - [email protected] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deandrae-hinton-27772571/Book - https://tinyurl.com/yjwryr6wAutism Dads Social Club - https://autismdadssocialclub.org/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with s

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Tom Costello of Frankfort, IL who is an investment professional, father of twin 21 year old boys who are Autistic and are co-founder of the Twin Hearts Autism Foundation.   Tom and his wife, Irene, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of twin boys: Michael and John who are Autistic. Tom has been involved with the Special Fathers Network for about five years.  He was featured in episode #69 of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast that aired in October 2019.  He was part of the inaugural SFN Mastermind Group and also serves as treasurer of the 21st Century Dads Foundation. It’s an uplifting conversation about perseverance, overcoming life's challenges and advocacy, all on this episode of

Our guest this week is Mazi Keyghobadi of Houston, TX, a father and outspoken advocate for those with disabilities. Mazi, who was born and raised in Iran, emigrated to the U.S. as a teenager with his parents and brothers in 2000. Mazi and his x-wife, Dunia, were married for nine years, before divorcing in 2021 and are the proud parents of son, Luka (7) who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.Mazi has also formed Hope For Luka, a non-profit dedicated to funding Muscular Dystrophy research with the objective of finding a cure as well as advanced therapies for those impacted by Muscular Dystrophy. It's a an uplifting story about overcoming adversity, a father's commitment to his son, and advocacy for others.  All on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first receive

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is John Fela of Lyons, IL who works in Chicago for Joni & Friends, the global Christian disability ministry.  John is also the father of a teenage son with Autism.John and his x-wife, Elizabeth, were married for 15 years and are the proud parents of Christopher (16), who is Autistic and non-verbal.  The couple divorced about five years ago.  More recently, John is happily married to Faith.John was part of the original SFN Dad To Dad Mastermind Group community.  He was previously featured in episode #65 of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast in August 2019. It’s an uplifting conversation about perseverance, overcoming life's challenges and advocacy, all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show N

Our guest this week is Alvin Green of Chicago who is a chef, founder of Al’s Cookie Mixx and father of two including a son with Autism.   Alvin and his wife, Angella Ferguson, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of two: Asa (23) and Aiden (20), who is Autistic and was also diagnosed with Hyperlexia.Alvin has directed his culinary skills and love for baking into creating Al's Cookie Mixx, a social enterprise created in 2018, that makes delicious custom home baked cookies and provides employment to young adults with disabilities. One of the company's catch phrases is: "Your Enjoyment Provides Employment."  We also learn about the impact that Special Olympics and Victory Reins Equestrian Therapy have had on Aiden's life and personal development.  Alvin’s an incredibly positive guy and we’ll hear his family story on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Notes - Phone – 773-474-8295Email - [email protected] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-green-98523915/Al’s Cookie

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Jordan Jankus of Wallingford, VT who is a disability advocate, founder of Plastic Learning, a freelance writer and perhaps most importantly, father of two including an adult daughter with Cerebral Palsy.  Jordan and his wife, Cathy, have been married for 49 years and are the proud parents to two children: Justin (35) and Jessie (45) who has multiple developmental disabilities including Cerebral Palsy. Jordan is a freelance writer and disability advocate, serving in various roles, as a vocational coach, case-manager, advocate and personal technology specialist.  Jordan is also founder of Plastic Learning, which was created to promote lifelong learning opportunities for people with cognitive disabi

Our guest this week is Dave Van Doorn of Carpentersville, IL a retired general contractor, father of two, including an autistic daughter and Take A Vet Fishing ambassodor. Dave and his wife, Nancy, have been married for 35 years and are the proud parents of two: Tim (31) and Sara (29), who has Autism.Dave is a retired general contractor and professional fisherman, having won numerous tournaments.  More recently he has directed his love for fishing to serving as an ambassodor for Take A Vet Fishing, a non-profit dedicated to: honor, comfort and provide healing for our PTS (Post Traumatic Stress) veterans and their family members.It's an uplifting story about commitment to family, overcoming adversity and service to others, here on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links -Phone – 847-636-2677Email - [email protected] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-vandoorn-85664713/Take A Vet Fishing - https://takeavetfishing.org/Special Olympics Illinois https://www.soill.orgSpecial Fathers Ne

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Tim Coughlin of London, England who works for Morgan Stanley and is the father of two young daughters, one who has a rare genetic disease. Tim and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for 9 years and are the proud parents of two young girls: Alice (5) and Edith (3), who was diagnosed with BBSOAS or Bosch-Boonstra-Schaff Optic Atrophy Syndrome, a very rare neurological disorder caused by a disruption in the NR2F1 gene.  The young couple have also played leader roles within the BBSOAS community, with Jennifer leading the board of the NR2F1 Foundation, which funds research for BBSAOS.  Tim has helped establish the London SFN Mastermind Group earlier this year.  He was featured in episode #279 of th

Our guest this week is Scott Maulsby of Lebanon, TN, who is a life and health insurance agent with HealthMarkets, Inc. and father of five inlcuding two adopted sons. Scott and his wife, Carrie, have been married for 13 years and are the proud parents of five children; two older daughters, daughters Zoie (11) and two adopted sons, Jackson (11) and Ridley, who is autistic and intellectually disabled. Scott and Carrie have also been outspoken advocates for people with disabilities through Joni & Friends and Rising Above Ministries. We’ll hear Scott’s story on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast. Show Notes - Phone  - (615) 606-1006Email - [email protected] - https://www.healthmarkets.com/local-health-insurance-agent/smaulsby/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmaulsby/Blog - https://www.itsweewee.com/Joni & Friends – https://joniandfriends.org/Rising Above Ministries - https://www.risingaboveministries.org/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Jason Hsieh of Buckeye, AZ who is the founder of LakiKid.com and the father of three including a son with Autism. Jason and his wife, Miho, have been married for 15 years and are the proud parents of three children: Moani (5) who has speech delays, Luana (9) who was diagnosed with Leukemia, and Keanu (12), who has Autism and ADHD.LakiKid.com is an online business that produces and sells products that help nuerodivergent children to have a full life of possibilities.  Jason has been part of the Wednesday night SFN Mastermind Group, has attended all three of the annual weekend SFN Mastermind Group Retreats and was featured in episode #183 of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast in January of 2022. Show Notes

Our guest this week is Al Malavolti of Rockford, IL a retired aerospace operations manager, father of 22 and grandfather of 34.  Al and his wife, Rose, have been married for 51 years and are the proud parents of 22 children; four biological children, 17 adopted children and one who they parented, as well as 34 grandchildren. Their first experience included adopting eight siblings, upon their biological mother's deathbed wish to keep her children together.The Malavolti family story is a fascinating one, inspired by their deep faith and the call to make a difference in the lives of so many by opening up their hearts and homes to 18 youth who might not otherwise experience the love of a family.Given the scope and scale of the Malavolti family, the story is being told over two episodes.  This is the second installment. Show Notes -Phone – (815)298-5527Email - [email protected] Times Story 1/4/98 - https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19980104&slug=2726904Special Fathers Network - SFN is