Dad 2.0 2020

Last updated on April 29th, 2021 at 11:19 pm

Nine Things I Learned from the Ninth Dad 2.0!—Casey with Canadian Chips
When you go to Dad 2, come bearing gifts!

The Dad 2.0 Summit is a different kind of conference. Sure, it has many of the moving parts that make a conference a conference, but they all come with a twist that makes them unique. Sponsor presentations like the man who understood how divorce and being there for his daughters made him a better Dad, or the company whose creative director went undercover as a teenage girl to ferret out sexual predators online. Fathers who’d take the stage and share what it’s like to lose a wife to cancer or the things they discover as they think about their children and the lives they lead. Each time someone spoke, it peeled back another layer, leaving hundreds of Dads forever changed by the time they found their ways back home.

But then, one might argue it’s a bit masochistic. That we convened from clear across the continent to face the parts of ourselves we couldn’t share in our everyday lives, and the demons we never seem to shake. That we come out knowing more of the things that go “bump” in the night and the dangers around each corner if we lose sight of our kids for a second. Why would anyone in their right minds want to subject themselves to this?

Because we must. Because it’s all important. And because if we dads with the platforms to share messages to the people who need them most can do a little more today than we could with what we had before Dad 2.0, then why would we not?

Let me show you a little of what Dad 2.0‘s all about.

Carlos Diaz & Rob Tinkler | It Takes Two to Tango

Last updated on April 21st, 2021 at 09:31 pm

It’s always nice to take a break from our lives and spend a little time on vacation, but when you own your own business, you need to plan for that.

Eight Tiny Reindeer, Two Great Friends, One Awesome Episode!

One thing 2018’s taught me is that I need to get ahead of my schedule if I ever want to spend any time apart from it.

Chatting With Casey 0013—It Takes Two to Tango in Friendship—Rob, Casey and Carlos

The last third of this year’s had me hustle to get everything off my plate, knowing that as soon as the holidays finish, I have substantial obstacles ahead. So I’ve been working days, weeks and even months ahead to create my best content to avoid ever being backed into a corner again.

And this podcast episode’s no exception.

Recorded on November 15, 2018, after plenty of texts back and forth between Carlos Diaz and me, Chatting with Casey episode 13 started up with a misbehaving SD card, quick sprints to Shoppers and Rexall, and the hope that one day I get myself a studio so I can do these conversations justice.

But regardless, it was a great convo between Carlos Diaz, Rob Tinkler and myself, and I hope you’ll be ready when 8 Tiny Reindeer debuts this Saturday—may you enjoy listening to it as much as these guys did making it!

But for now, you can hear all about it on the podcast!

Why Father’s Day Isn’t Mother’s Day II

Last updated on April 13th, 2021 at 09:23 pm

“Happy Father’s Day to the single mothers out there doing both jobs.”

No.

Why Father's Day Isn't Mother's Day II—An Exercise in Fatherhood by Casey E. Palmer—Reading to My Eldest

Oh, I get it. And I agree that we should celebrate single Moms for everything they do to raise their kids—it ain’t easy; I have a hard enough time with two of us in the house. But let’s not diminish the efforts of the Dads who work hard to be worthy of their children’s love by treating Father’s Day like Mother’s Day II.

Real talk—we haven’t embraced the idea that we’ve got single Dads at home managing everything despite that it’s a growing demographic. I don’t see anyone wishing them a Happy Mother’s Day because they’re doing both jobs. And it doesn’t even reflect the modern family anyway—are you saying that same-sex couples need to decide what roles they’ll play? Why can’t you have two Moms or two Dads instead of trying to force them into a model that’s not as universal as it once was?

I’m down with celebrating single Moms and everything they do. But I’m going to do it on Mother’s Day. You know? The holiday we celebrated just over a month ago? The second-largest holiday for card giving in the entire year? I mean, it’s already hard enough for Dad to be taken seriously in a world convinced we’re all sub-par—let’s not continue pushing that narrative just because it’s easier to believe that “all men ain’t shit”.

Mark’s | In Search of a Superhero Dad

Last updated on April 8th, 2023 at 11:59 pm

It took me nearly thirty years to realise how good a man my Dad is. He did everything he could to give us the life he couldn’t have, sparing none of his time, energy or resources to make it happen. And now that I’ve got my kids, I appreciate it all so much more, hoping my kids can come to that realisation with me sooner.

But here’s the million-dollar question to all Dads—are you your kids’ superhero, or are you the guy they love because they should?

Are You a Superhero Dad? Then Mark's is Interested in YOU.—With my Kid at the Zoo

I might not always be my sons’ favourite, but the smiles on their faces when I get home each day don’t lie. The joy I hear as we horse around tells me I’m doing something right.

It almost made me wonder why I didn’t have kids sooner.

But in any case, I’m grateful that my parents paved the way for a life where I regularly hang with my kids—it allows me to keep being their superhero!

Parenting 101 | It’s Hard Out Here for a Dad

Last updated on April 21st, 2021 at 09:23 pm

“It’s Hard Out Here for a Dad” is my call-out to a world that doesn’t fully understand its fathers. We’re foolish, we’re simple, we’re less than competent—this is a first chance in setting the record straight and giving Dads the chance they deserve. Check it out!

“Just because he got her pregnant doesn’t mean he needs to be a Dad.”

“How do you know she wasn’t trying to trap him into a relationship? These women will go to extremes to lock a brother down!”

“Why does he have to change his life because something unexpected happened?”


The allegation that Drake may have fathered a son has brought out an ugly side in people I thought I knew. Men who want to shirk the responsibility of fatherhood when it stares them in the face, preferring to live in pursuit of fun instead of going for something perhaps more meaningful. Guys who see women as objects and children as burdens—who’ve yet to mature enough to understand the value of family and the joys it can bring you.

These worrisome thoughts took me back to my second keynote at Parenting 101—”It’s Hard Out Here for a Dad”, my talk on what it’s like to be a Dad, and why we all need to get a better understanding of it!

I hope you enjoy it!

Another week in the bag, and until next week, I remain,

The second logo for Casey Palmer, Canadian Dad
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