The Bond of the Pod

I started Wake. Dad. Drink. Repeat. back in 2019 with my good friend Mike Smith as a way to connect. The goal of the show was to have an honest conversation about life as a dad and explore how all the other roles we have in life intersect with fatherhood. We do this by talking about the tough stuff, by getting a little vulnerable, by sharing stories, laughs, and ideas, and by creating community. And that we did.

Quickly, I recognized a deeper need and a calling for community. Now, Palm Tree Pod Co. is pumped to have an incredible network of podcasts and impressive podcast guests surrounding us and you. But it all started at home, with dads.

My wife, Michelle, and I got married in 2015 and started my fatherhood journey that day. I was lucky enough to have met my daughter when she was 2. After we got married, I adopted her and became an official “stay-at-home/work-from-home dad.” Life started feeling very scattered. We had our son Oliver in the spring of 2018, after a journey of having miscarriages, starting and stopping IVF, and trying to figure out what the next steps were in growing our family.

I became very aware of just how lonely this space can feel as a man. There is a ton of support for women as they go through this process, rightfully so, but most of the time, there is another, often quieter, part of the equation. The reality is that many fathers have experienced this without talking about it at all.

Fast forward a year and change, and I’m standing in the grocery store with Oliver hanging from my chest, cozy in my sweaty chest hair, and a woman looks at me and says, “how nice that you brought your kid to the grocery with you!” I was stunned. How nice?! How nice! No! I needed to get groceries, and who else is going to hang with my kid while I do it? On the way home, I called Mike to laugh about the comment - but also our shared joy of being the primary care dads. And thus Wake. Dad. Drink. Repeat. Was. born. 

I’ve been so fortunate to have had so many guests become friends, clients, and “brothers.” And recently, that rubber has met the road. My family has been through the wringer as of late on the mental health side of things, and I’ve been lucky to have such an intelligent, caring, thoughtful community of people to lean on. 

That community became so potent, in fact, that I was called to create a company to support podcasts, people, and brands who talk about the real shit, the hard shit, the life shit. At Palm Tree Pod Co., we are staunch believers in the importance of prioritizing mental health. Hell, I’ve even had my psychologist on my podcast! For us, podcasts are where the magic happens. We love supporting the special spaces where people can be vulnerable and honest - and we are so grateful for all of our hosts for creating those spaces. 

So, let’s keep working through the real and the hard, on our way to wellness. Thanks for listening.

- Anthony

If you or someone you know has a podcast that needs support, feel free to reach out. We have a ton of options available - you can learn about our services here. Palm Tree Pod Co. is where your story starts.