DADXDESIGN®
Life unfolds in one of two manners:
by default or by design.
DADXDESIGN® is a Newsletter for Dad’s who choose to parent with purpose.
Fatherhood.
by design.
Past Newsletters:
You can do all the reps—show up early, stay late, hustle harder than anyone else—and still miss the transformation. Because reps build results, but posture builds character.
At 1st Phorm HQ, you can feel it in everything: the culture, the energy, even the way every weight plate is turned perfectly upright. That’s not an accident. It’s a decision.
What driving a Cybertruck for the past year has unexpectedly taught me about projection, judgment, and the power of choosing curiosity over outrage.
Embracing High Agency—owning your outcomes and taking imperfect action—is the key to turning setbacks into forward progress.
A packed schedule, zero sleep, and a sore shoulder turned me into the worst version of myself this Easter weekend.
This post might look like it’s about a toddler spa day—but it’s really about permission. Permission to slow down. To stop earning. To remember that being still doesn’t mean falling behind.
Thirteen hit different this week. The trip was fun, but the real adventure? Watching her become exactly who she was made to be.
What we build is important, but who we become matters most.
What we build is important, but who we become matters most.
What we build is important, but who we become matters most.
What we build is important, but who we become matters most.
What we build is important, but who we become matters most.
What we build is important, but who we become matters most.
Reasonableness feels safe, sensible, and even wise. But if we’re not careful—it’ll quietly squeeze the life out of the things that make life meaningful: creativity, passion, and purpose.
Dictum at tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum. Eu volutpat odio facilisis mauris sit. In ornare quam viverra orci sagittis eu volutpat odio. Vestibulum lorem sed risus ultricies.
In 2006 I found myself recording my first album in Brooklyn, New York and simultaneously preparing to perform live on MTV in Times Square for New Years. It was wild.
Dictum at tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum. Eu volutpat odio facilisis mauris sit. In ornare quam viverra orci sagittis eu volutpat odio. Vestibulum lorem sed risus ultricies.
Dictum at tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum. Eu volutpat odio facilisis mauris sit. In ornare quam viverra orci sagittis eu volutpat odio. Vestibulum lorem sed risus ultricies.
Dictum at tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum. Eu volutpat odio facilisis mauris sit. In ornare quam viverra orci sagittis eu volutpat odio. Vestibulum lorem sed risus ultricies.
Dictum at tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum. Eu volutpat odio facilisis mauris sit. In ornare quam viverra orci sagittis eu volutpat odio. Vestibulum lorem sed risus ultricies.
Dictum at tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum. Eu volutpat odio facilisis mauris sit. In ornare quam viverra orci sagittis eu volutpat odio. Vestibulum lorem sed risus ultricies.
Dictum at tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum. Eu volutpat odio facilisis mauris sit. In ornare quam viverra orci sagittis eu volutpat odio. Vestibulum lorem sed risus ultricies.
Dictum at tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum. Eu volutpat odio facilisis mauris sit. In ornare quam viverra orci sagittis eu volutpat odio. Vestibulum lorem sed risus ultricies.
My short stint as a musician
In 2006 I found myself recording my first album in Brooklyn, New York and simultaneously preparing to perform live on MTV in Times Square for New Years. It was wild.
I used to be a musician.
Not a very good musician. But a musician nonetheless.
When I was pursuing the love of my wife (currently my wife), to my cringe-worthly dismay, 20-year-old Josh actually wrote and recorded a song for her in an attempt to win her over. As painful as it sounds, it somehow worked and ultimately gave me enough confidence to keep writing.
In an unexpected turn of events, Bre and I somehow got married on an MTV reality show (a blog post for another time), and that opportunity opened a few doors for me.
In 2006 I found myself recording my first album in Brooklyn, New York and simultaneously preparing to perform live on MTV in Times Square for New Years. It was wild.
I enjoyed the ride, but never had intentions of making a career out of it. I loved writing music (I’ve always been a creator at heart), but didn’t love performing.
In 2010 I hung up my guitar and removed all of my music from iTunes and Spotify. It was fun while it lasted, but I didn’t want to be known as a musician.
Fast forward to 2023. My daughter, Gwyn, found a box of my old albums in our basement and started asking questions. She listened to my music and became my biggest fan overnight (it only lasted about a week or two, before Ben Rector took my place). It was endearing and fun while it lasted.
She asked me why my music wasn’t on Spotify—I told her it used to be, but I took it all down. She thought that was a bad move and convinced me to put it back up.
In an effort to appease my 9-year-old, “Songs for Jude” by Josh Stewart is now available on Spotify (and everywhere else you might stream music).
I still cringe a little bit when I hear my 20-something-year-old voice, but I’m proud that I’ve always been willing to take chances and push myself out of my comfort zone.
Continue Reading
You can do all the reps—show up early, stay late, hustle harder than anyone else—and still miss the transformation. Because reps build results, but posture builds character.
At 1st Phorm HQ, you can feel it in everything: the culture, the energy, even the way every weight plate is turned perfectly upright. That’s not an accident. It’s a decision.
What driving a Cybertruck for the past year has unexpectedly taught me about projection, judgment, and the power of choosing curiosity over outrage.
Embracing High Agency—owning your outcomes and taking imperfect action—is the key to turning setbacks into forward progress.
A packed schedule, zero sleep, and a sore shoulder turned me into the worst version of myself this Easter weekend.
This post might look like it’s about a toddler spa day—but it’s really about permission. Permission to slow down. To stop earning. To remember that being still doesn’t mean falling behind.
Thirteen hit different this week. The trip was fun, but the real adventure? Watching her become exactly who she was made to be.
What we build is important, but who we become matters most.
What we build is important, but who we become matters most.
What we build is important, but who we become matters most.