Why Working Parents Are Assets, Not Liabilities | Alex Egeler (Dad Of 4, Empathic Egg) Startup Dad podcast

Why Working Parents Are Assets, Not Liabilities | Alex Egeler (Dad of 4, Empathic Egg)

1d ago 1:06:20

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Alex Egeler is a former engineering executive turned parent career coach. He’s also a father of four boys, a husband, and a stay-at-home dad who helps other working parents navigate meaningful careers that support, not strain their families.

In this episode, Alex opens up about the unpredictable reality of parenting, the generational mental health patterns he’s determined to break, and how becoming a dad transformed how he views success. We discussed:

Letting go of the career script: How Alex’s first paternity leave revealed the emptiness of his “perfect job” and led him to walk away, and how each child helped him rewrite what meaningful work really looks like.
Undoing generational pressure: Why the deaths of Alex’s father and grandfather pushed him to question everything he believed about work, identity, and what it means to be a good dad.
Parenting with emotional honesty: Alex shares how he learned to show all emotions and not just the “good” ones, and how that shift helped his kids build trust, empathy, and resilience.
Supporting a child with bipolar disorder: Why Alex and his wife approach parenting as a tag team, how they talk openly about mental health with their 12-year-old son, and what they’ve learned about showing up differently in crisis vs. calm.
Building flexible careers for parents: How Alex coaches other working parents to question old assumptions, set realistic job goals, and own their value in the job market — especially in roles that support both career and caregiving.

Where to find Alex Egeler

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-egeler-empathic-egg/
Empathic Egg: https://www.empathicegg.com/

Where to find Adam Fishman

FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
Instagram: https://ww.instagram.com/startupdadpod/

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introducing Alex Egeler

(02:10) How becoming a dad reshaped Alex’s career path

(05:08) The false promise of boundaries between work and family

(09:12) When Alex realized his job wasn’t meaningful anymore

(12:06) Four generations of men and mental health struggles

(16:15) Grieving his father through the eyes of his own son

(20:20) How Alex and his wife talk about depression with their child

(24:05) The invisible support team behind every successful parent

(27:15) Why stepping back from work was harder emotionally than socially

(31:00) Parenting four boys including surprise twins

(34:30) The sibling dynamics that no one prepares you for

(38:15) Teaching emotional regulation to young kids

(44:30) Using Dr. Becky’s “Good Inside” framework in daily life

(54:40) The power of reframing parenting as support, not punishment

(01:03:00) Lightning round: must-haves, mindsets, and moments

Show references:

Inside Out: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/
Batteries Not Included: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092494/ ‘

Alex’s LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-egeler-empathic-egg/

Stanford: https://www.stanford.edu/

Fibonacci Sequence: https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/fibonacci-sequence.html

Good Inside, Dr. Becky: https://www.goodinside.com/

Company of Dads/Paul Sullivan: https://thecompanyofdads.com/

Paul Sullivan’s Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJSbH8uydFo

Midjourney: https://www.midjourney.com/home

ChatGPT.com

If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-i-built-a-house-chris-van-dusen/1109327478

Caillou: https://en.caillou.com/

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For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com

100 episodes

Letting go of the career script: How Alex’s first paternity leave revealed the emptiness of his “perfect job” and led him to walk away, and how each child helped him rewrite what meaningful work really looks like.
Undoing generational pressure: Why the deaths of Alex’s father and grandfather pushed him to question everything he believed about work, identity, and what it means to be a good dad.
Parenting with emotional honesty: Alex shares how he learned to show all emotions and not just the “good” ones, and how that shift helped his kids build trust, empathy, and resilience.
Supporting a child with bipolar disorder: Why Alex and his wife approach parenting as a tag team, how they talk openly about mental health with their 12-year-old son, and what they’ve learned about showing up differently in crisis vs. calm.
Building flexible careers for parents: How Alex coaches other working parents to question old assumptions, set realistic job goals, and own their value in the job market — especially in roles that support both career and caregiving.