Competition, Fatherhood & Finding Balance

Bet On Yourself

What does it look like to bet on yourself while still showing up as a husband, father, and leader? This week on Daddy Wants To Play, we sit down with Javier Milian—former college football player, competitive bodybuilder, CrossFit athlete, coach, entrepreneur, and founder of Truemade. Javy takes us through the journey from chasing performance on the field and in the gym to building a thriving business and raising a family. We discuss the lessons football taught him about leadership and discipline, the role competition has played throughout his life, and the leap of faith required to leave security behind and build something of his own. But at the heart of this conversation is fatherhood. Javy opens up about how becoming a dad changed his definition of success, the responsibility that comes with being a provider, his family's decision to embrace homeschooling, and the values he's working to instill in his son and daughter. We also explore the challenges of balancing ambition with presence, building a strong marriage, and creating a family culture that will last long after the business is gone. Whether you're an athlete, entrepreneur, parent, or simply someone trying to build a meaningful life, this episode is packed with lessons on leadership, sacrifice, and the courage to pursue a vision. In this episode: 🏈 Lessons learned from football and competition 💪 Bodybuilding, CrossFit, and the pursuit of excellence 📈 The story behind Truemade 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fatherhood, homeschooling, and family culture 💍 Marriage, responsibility, and leadership at home 🔥 What it really means to bet on yourself Daddy Wants To Play is where competition, leadership, and fatherhood collide. ⛽️ ALL GAS. NO STATS. Chapters * 00:00 The Journey of a Competitor * 06:39 Early Years and Academic Focus * 14:57 Lessons from Football * 27:22 The Journey of Personal Transformation * 32:56 Transition to Entrepreneurship and TrueMade Origins * 43:48 Fatherhood and Changing Perspectives on Success * 52:51 Balancing Parenthood and Personal Freedom * 59:22 Challenges and Growth as a Father and Husband * 01:05:59 Vision for the Future: Business and Family

The Playbook: Episode 1

The conversation covers the NFL schedule release, the challenges in the Dolphins' schedule, win predictions, game analysis, De'Von Achane's contract extension, running back rankings, highlights of the NFL schedule, and fantasy football league planning.

Competition, Fatherhood & Finding Balance

The New Era Begins. Welcome to the new chapter of Daddy Wants To Play. This week, we officially launch the new direction of the show — real conversations centered around competition, leadership, fatherhood, and identity through the lens of sports and life. To kick things off, we’re joined by Ryan Verdecia. From CrossFit athlete and fitness coach… to firefighter, entrepreneur, Airbnb host, husband, and father — Ryan opens up about the mindset behind wearing so many hats while still trying to show up fully for his family. We dive into: * where his work ethic comes from * what drew him toward competition and coaching * why he became a firefighter * balancing entrepreneurship with fatherhood * the challenge of being present at home while constantly chasing more * and what kind of example he hopes to set for his boys moving forward We also discuss coaching your own kids, discipline vs confidence, and the lessons competition teaches that carry over into everyday life. Plus, Ryan becomes the first guest to “Pass The Mic” and leave a question behind for our next guest. This is more than sports talk now. This is Daddy Wants To Play. Competition. Leadership. Fatherhood. ALL GAS. NO STATS. ⛽️

Start of Something Bigger

Episode 80 feels different… because it is. The conversation covers a range of topics including first-time experiences, golf league shenanigans, fantasy league planning, PGA tour event experience, and NFL draft reactions. It also delves into the comparison between the NFL draft and F1 race, as well as the specific reactions to the draft picks. The conversation covers the Miami Dolphins' draft picks, surprise picks, player value, exciting draft prospects, assessment of team direction, favorite draft picks, surprises, biggest head scratchers, bold predictions, hot takes, and the transition to a new show format. After 80 episodes, we officially announce the next chapter of Daddy Wants To Play and explain the vision behind building the brand into a network. Going forward: * Daddy Wants To Play becomes our flagship interview show featuring athletes, coaches, leaders, and fathers discussing competition, leadership, and parenthood. * The Playbook becomes the home for all of our sports talk, NFL coverage, reactions, and group chat chaos. * We’re not changing who we are… we’re building something bigger. Sports talk + dad life. Competition, leadership, and identity. Compete everywhere. Especially at home. All Gas. No Stats. ⛽️

Draft Week & Superhero Tiers

It’s Draft Week… and things might be getting interesting. We kick things off with Justin’s first big outing since becoming a dad — a trip to the Food & Wine Festival at the Hard Rock… where he may or may not have come across some Dolphins draft night intel 👀 At home, Kai has officially entered his superhero phase, which leads us into a full-blown debate — Batman vs Spider-Man. Who’s actually winning that fight? From there, we build out our superhero tier list and decide who’s elite… and who’s overrated. Then we get into This Week’s Gas ⛽️ — NFL Draft Edition: * Are we running back Draft Day this week? * What would actually shock us in Round 1? * What do the Dolphins NEED to get right with two first-round picks? * Do we want chaos… or a smart, safe draft? * And which prospect are we completely out on? We wrap it up with what’s been pissing Justin off this week and final thoughts heading into draft night. Sports talk + dad life. Group chat energy. Compete everywhere. Especially at home. All Gas. No Stats. ⛽️