Professional Background

I spent the first decade of my career helping build some of the fastest growing startups in the Bay Area. As an early employee at companies like Lyft (ridesharing), Calm (mindfulness and mental health), and Mill (climate tech), I had the chance to lead community, marketing, and growth programs that impacted millions of people around the globe. 

It was also during this time that I began my journey with coaching and mindfulness, which were key tools to help me manage startup stress, become a more effective leader, and eventually becoming a better dad.

Mindfulness and Coaching Background

I can confidently say that mindfulness and coaching have been the two greatest investments I’ve ever made in my personal growth and overall well-being. 

I began my mindfulness practice seven years ago and have been a regular meditator for the last five years. My passion for mindfulness brought me to Calm in 2019, where I spent 3 years leading efforts to bring mindfulness tools to over 1,000 companies across the globe. Then, in 2022, I completed a two-year mindfulness teacher training program led by renowned meditation teachers Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. 

Mindfulness has been a huge asset in my fatherhood journey. It’s helped me be more present with my daughter, better manage my emotions, and remain calm through the chaotic early phases of parenthood. 

My journey with coaching also started seven years ago, when I needed help navigating a career transition. The experience was so valuable that I still work with my coach today — and she now works with more than half a dozen of my friends. 

At Calm, I helped with the development of group coaching and mindfulness training programs, where I saw firsthand the power of combining coaching techniques with community. Now I’m training to be a certified coach through Co-Active, one of the most rigorous and reputable coaching programs in the world. 

Starting the New Dad Guide

I started The New Dad Guide because I learned something pretty wild over these past few years: becoming a dad is one of the most profound and challenging experiences you’ll ever go through in your life. It will impact your life goals and priorities, day-to-day schedule, mental and physical health, romantic relationship, social life, work life, finances, and your identity. 

Yet most of us go through this transition with next to zero guidance and support. And without support, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the stressors and anxieties of parenthood. 

But it doesn’t need to be this way. If we can proactively acquire the skills, knowledge, and community needed to support us through this transition, we can navigate the challenges more calmly and effectively. And it gives us the capacity to more deeply enjoy the beautiful and wild journey that is parenthood. 

My own fatherhood journey felt lonely at times. I was one of the first in my friend group to have kids, so I didn’t have a group of other dads to commiserate with, ask questions to, and share in the highs and lows of parenthood. And in my own search for dad communities and resources, I didn’t find anything that resonated with me.

So, what I’ve created with the New Dad Guide is essentially what I wish I had access to when I was first becoming a dad: high quality resources, mentorship from more experienced dads, and a community of fellow expecting dads on the same journey.

My aspiration with this work is to help men become better versions of themselves through the fatherhood journey, so that they can be better partners, better fathers, and enjoy the journey more fully.