THE START

An online, 90 minute conversation with other dads about
what it means to do fatherhood well.

A silhouette of an adult and a child holding hands, each with a heart or star symbol on their chest, above the text 'The Start The Adventure' in white and orange.

THE START

You already know your worst moments as a father.

You could list them right now. The time you snapped. The thing you keep meaning to do and don't. The version of yourself that walked in the door last Tuesday.

Every dad carries that list. Nobody needs help finding it.

Here's what you almost certainly can't list…what you're already good at.

Not "I love my kids" — that's a given.

But the other essential pieces…the parts of fathering you're genuinely strong in.

The ones your kids would name without hesitating.

The ones that came from somewhere you've never given yourself credit for.

Most dads have never been asked what they’re good at as fathers. Not because they're not doing the dad things, but because nobody has ever shown them which parts of fatherhood have the most impact on kids, partners, and their own identity as a dad.

That’s a lot to go without, for something this important.

DadLife: The Start is where you start thinking about fatherhood in a very different way.

Ninety minutes, eight to ten dads, and a personal fatherhood development profile based on eleven areas of fathering, drawn from fatherhood research.

Each session is designed around your group’s combined Fire results, so the conversation stays focused on what matters to the dads on the call, not material that doesn’t apply to anyone.

THE DETAILS

Format: Online — join from anywhere using Zoom
Duration: 90 minutes
Group size: 8–10 dads
Cost: $129.00

What's included:

  • 90 minutes of professionally facilitated conversation with 8–10 other dads

  • Your personal DadLife: Fire Profile — a snapshot of your strengths and room to grow across 11 areas of fathering, informed by fatherhood research

  • The complete Fire Model guide — a clear, practical breakdown of every dimension and what to actually do about it, wherever you're starting from

  • — You name the pressures actually shaping how you show up at home right now

    — You look at your own approach to fatherhood through the DadLife Fire Model that explores what it means to do fatherhood well, and provides a personalized snapshot of your strengths and opportunities for growth.

    — You spend 90 minutes talking honestly about your experience as a dad.

    — You take away some self-awareness and some fathering tools you can use right away.

  • This is for any father who:

    — Wants to be more intentional and less reactive

    — Feels the gap between the dad he is and the dad he wants to be

    — Is carrying more than he's talking about

    — Is ready to do something about it

    You don't need to have it figured out.

    You just need to show up.

  • No. The Start is fatherhood development, not therapy.

    It’s a guided group conversation about where you are as a dad right now and what to work on next. It doesn’t diagnose or treat anything, and you won’t be asked to dig into your past.

    If you’re dealing with something heavier, like mental health concerns, trauma, or a relationship in crisis, a counsellor is the right place to start. That’s a strong move, not a weak one.

  • Nobody is required to share. But if nobody talks, it gets pretty quiet, so it’s strongly encouraged.

    We do everything we can to make it a comfortable place to open up as much or as little as you want.

  • Camera on is strongly encouraged. It’s a conversation, and it works a lot better when the dads in the group can see each other.

  • Life happens. We get it.

    Email us at admin@thedadlife.ca to let us know your plans have changed, and we’ll move you into the next available group.

    Sorry, but we don’t offer refunds.

  • The Start can be completed as a ‘one-and-done’, but for those who want more, it is the perfect entry into The Work — a six-week cohort program for dads who want to go deeper.

    If The Start lands for you — if the conversation opens something up, if the framework makes sense, if you leave thinking there is more work to do here — The Work is where it goes next.

    If The Start is not enough, but you don’t want to join a group….

    For some dads, the group setting is not the right fit. If you want something more tailored — a one-to-one process built entirely around your specific situation — DadLife: One to One is that option.

    The Start. The Work. One to One. Three different entry points, depending on where you are and what you need.

COHORT DATES AND TIMES

FALL 2026

Thursday, September 24, 2026

7:00-8:30 PM (PT)

REGISTER

Not ready to register yet? Try one area first.

Reading Your Child is the skill of seeing what’s underneath your kid’s behaviour: the slammed door that isn’t really about the door. It’s one of the eleven areas in the DadLife: Fire profile. Answer 3 questions, see where you land, and get two things to try this week. Takes about 2 minutes.

It’s $10, and your $10 comes off The Start if you join.

Try it - $10