Father Friend

Father Friend

Hosted by: Dr. Mike Ayers - Parenting Expert, Educator, Father

I'm Dr. Mike Ayers—welcome to Father Friend, a podcast to help you become the kind of dad your kids trust, respect, and want to be around. With 30+ years as a father, educator, and speaker, I bring research-rooted,...

Episodes

The Strongest Men Heal: An Interview with Roy Wooten

Season #2

Roy Wooten has spent decades helping men confront the hidden wounds that quietly shape their marriages, parenting, leadership, and faith. As Executive Director of The Crucible Project, Roy has watched thousands of men...
View Episode

The First 10 Minutes Home

Season #2

You walk through the door every night carrying more than you realize. The first ten minutes transitioning from work to home decide the tone for the whole evening — and most of us walk through that door on autopilot....
View Episode

The Man Behind the Purpose: 7 Commitments

Season #2

We close out the Fatherhood on Purpose series with the piece that ties everything together: the seven commitments of a Father Friend. These aren't a checklist for perfect dads — they're honest anchor points for men...
View Episode

The Plan (The Father Friend Model)

Season #2

Good intentions aren't a strategy. Hope is not a strategy. This episode lays out the Father Friend Model — a research-backed, Scripture-rooted framework for how a dad's role is meant to shift across four distinct...
View Episode

Fathering From Wisdom Not Wounds

Season #2

Every dad brings his past into his parenting. The question is whether he knows it or not. The wounds we carry don't announce themselves. They disguise themselves as strengths — perfectionism that looks like...
View Episode

What Is A Father Friend?

Season #2

What does it mean to be a Father Friend? In this episode, Dr. Mike Ayers explores the vision at the heart of intentional fatherhood: a dad who leads with purpose, loves through relationship, and remains deeply...
View Episode

Why Purpose Changes Everything

Season #2

In this episode, Mike Ayers makes the case that intentional fathering starts with a decision — not a feeling, not a good intention, but a settled, thought-through purpose that holds you accountable when life gets loud...
View Episode

A Father's Heart and The Subtle Drift

Season #2

Every dad has it — that irrational, sacrificial, overwhelming love that God builds into men when they become dads. Most of us would die for our kids without hesitation. But the harder question isn't whether you love...
View Episode

Welcome to Fatherhood on Purpose

Season #2

Welcome to Fatherhood on Purpose, a new Father Friend podcast series about intentional fathering and raising strong, connected families. Before we jump into the framework and practical conversations ahead, this first...
View Episode

Memorial Day and The Value of Sacrifice

Season #2

In this Memorial Day episode of Father Friend, Mike reflects on the deeper meaning behind a holiday often overshadowed by cookouts and long weekends. Through powerful stories—including the courage displayed aboard the...
View Episode

A Conversation about Anxiety and Depression: An Interview with Amy Ayers, LPC

Season #2

Anxiety and depression are impacting more children, teenagers, and families than ever before. But dads often feel unprepared, overwhelmed, or unsure how to respond, both in their kids and in themselves. In this...
View Episode

Pictures of Mom from Proverbs 31

Season #2

Mother’s Day brings back pictures for all of us. Some are actual photographs tucked away in albums or sitting on our phones. Others are snapshots burned into memory—mom waiting up late, speaking wisdom into our lives,...
View Episode