Why does work that once energized you start to feel like something you can’t turn off?

Dr. David Shar studies what happens when people fall out of love with their work and why that shift often happens long before anyone notices. His research shows that for working dads, the challenge is not just workload. It is how work connects to identity, purpose, and the life you are trying to build at home.

This conversation reframes passion in a way most people never consider. Not all passion is healthy. Some of it quietly creates burnout, tension, and distance from the people who matter most.

David shares how to:

• Understand the difference between healthy passion and the kind that leads to burnout

• Recognize when guilt at home or at work is a signal of misalignment 

• Identify when your work is integrated into your identity versus competing with it

• Shift from obsessive work habits to a more sustainable, balanced approach

• Influence culture and energy at work even without a leadership title

• Align your impact at work with who you are as a parent

• Create meaningful work without sacrificing presence at home

We talk about fatherhood, identity, and work-life balance that actually holds up under real pressure. Not less ambition, but better alignment between who you are, how you work, and how you show up at home.

Dig Deeper

University of Maryland

Cold Stone Creamery

The Crips and Bloods

Safeway

ChatGPT

Wicked

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Dinosaur Train

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Follow David

On his website: http://www.davidshar.com

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshar

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On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/

What if the biggest gap between your work and your life is not your schedule, but how you define success?

Alan Lazaros built what most people would call a successful life. High income, fast growth, and clear upward momentum. But after a near-fatal car accident at 26, he was forced to confront a harder question. Was any of it actually meaningful?

For working dads trying to balance ambition, work-life balance, and presence at home, this conversation reframes what meaningful work really means and how easily success can drift away from what matters most.

Alan shares how to:

• Shift from chasing external success to building a life from the inside out

• Recognize when your goals are driven by validation instead of values

• Avoid building a life that looks successful but feels empty

• Focus on long-term growth instead of short-term approval

• Close the gap between your intentions and your daily actions

• Redefine meaningful work in a way that actually fits your life

This conversation is not about abandoning ambition. It's about aiming it in the right direction so your work, your values, and your life are moving together instead of pulling you apart.

Dig Deeper

Agfa

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

Adverse Childhood Experiences Score

Pride Rock

Hey Arnold

Ice Ice Baby

Follow Alan

On his website: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com

On Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/alazaros88

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc

On his podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NextLevelUniversity

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On your podcast player of choice: https://rss.com/podcasts/gaptogig/

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Why do so many working dads feel disconnected from their kids even when they are physically present?

Modern fatherhood comes with pressures that did not exist a generation ago. Constant work demands, two-income households, packed schedules, and technology that never turns off have pushed many families into reactive mode. And when stress builds, connection is often the first thing to break.

Dr. David Marcus, a clinical psychologist with over 40 years of experience working with families under stress, explains what is really happening beneath those moments of disconnection and how dads can show up differently.

David shares how to:

• Become a calming, steady presence when your child is overwhelmed

• Understand why kids fear their emotions will push parents away 

• Avoid reactive parenting patterns that get passed down unconsciously

• Help children develop an emotional language instead of acting out

• Respond in a way that allows your child to open up rather than shut down

• Handle conflict without damaging trust or connection

• Repair moments when you lose your temper and rebuild respect

• Stay emotionally present even when work stress is high

• Recognize when you are “filled up” and shifting into reaction mode

• Create a home environment where kids feel safe expressing themselves

This conversation is for working dads trying to balance fatherhood, work, and emotional presence in a world that rarely slows down.

Dig Deeper

My Big Fat Greek Wedding: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259446/

Michael Jordan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan

The Waltons: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068149/

Cats in the Cradle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u-KWa3tL-0

Father & Son: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6zaCV4niKk

Sunrise, Sunset: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBJeF_Lav2o

Follow David

On his website: https://parentrx.org

Email: dsmarcusphd@parentrx.org

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On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/