051 - What Started It All (feat. ILLUMENATE Podcast) - Chris Tidrick and Nick Gaylord

Our Dead Dads

For this special episode, we’re flipping the script. Nick Gaylord — host of Our Dead Dads — joins Chris Tidrick as a guest on ILLUMENATE, a podcast focused on men with open hearts, deep purpose, and the courage to grow. In this wide-ranging conversation, Nick reflects on the loss of his father, the complicated grief that followed, and how that pain eventually became the fuel behind a podcast dedicated to making grief conversations feel more human.

Together, Chris and Nick talk about masculinity, vulnerability, and why so many men are taught to silence their pain. Nick opens up about his own deconstruction process — what he was taught to believe about grief, what he had to unlearn, and what finally cracked him open enough to create space for others. He also shares the unlikely backstory behind Our Dead Dads, the fear of hearing his own voice, and the strange gift of losing a job at exactly the right time.

This episode isn’t just a rehash of Episode 1. It’s a deeper, more spacious telling of Nick’s story — with thoughtful, reflective questions from a host who truly gets it. If you’ve ever wanted to hear how Our Dead Dads came to be — and what it’s really like behind the scenes — this one’s for you.

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