Every father should have honest conversations with his son. In this episode of The Dear Son, Show, we explore the lessons fathers must teach their sons before adulthood.

From Daycare Abuse to Autism Advocacy: Will Adams on Fatherhood, Purpose & The Village Network

In this episode of The Dear Son Show, host D Johns sits down with neighbor and nonprofit founder Will Adams, Sr. to discuss fatherhood, identity, and purpose through the lens of raising a son with autism. Will shares how his family discovered his youngest son’s needs after a daycare abuse case surfaced six months later through CPS, leading to a difficult diagnosis process and years of depression he largely masked while in corporate America. He explains the importance of early intervention, therapies, and ABA, and describes meaningful milestones like hearing his son say “Happy New Year” and progressing to full sentences. Will also talks about being laid off, ego and provision, building The Village Network to support fathers and families navigating autism, and challenging misconceptions while encouraging kindness and education about special needs.

00:00 Daycare Abuse Shock

01:21 Show Welcome Guest Intro

02:48 Life After Corporate Exit

04:00 Building The Village Network

06:42 Layoff Ego And Purpose

13:30 Kids Notice The Changes

16:20 How Autism Was Discovered

19:58 Diagnosis Depression And Masking

21:50 Early Intervention And ABA

25:08 Accepting A New Fatherhood

28:33 Learning Love And Communication

30:26 First Words Moment

32:19 Milestones Worth Celebrating

33:42 Family Shift and Legacy

35:52 Autism Misconceptions

38:28 Advocacy as a Black Dad

40:24 Dad Linkups Safe Space

42:28 Authenticity Over Clout

44:23 Called to the Work

51:33 Grace and Fear of Success

58:19 Fatherhood Without a Dad

01:01:03 Where to Find The Village

01:01:45 Final Message Be Kind

#fathersonrelationship #adviceformen #modernfatherhood #adultchildren #lifelessonsformen #raisingmen #raisingkids #mantalk

Channel Focus Areas:

“What Fathers Should Teach Their Sons”

“How to Be a Better Father”

“Father Son Relationship Advice”

“Mistakes Fathers Make”

“Lessons Every Man Should Learn”

Shop DSN Merch: https://thedearsonshop.store

Follow Will: https://instagram.com/thavillagepodcast

https://instagram.com/bigsir_84

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. subscribe to the channel,

2. turn on the notifications,

3. like this episode,

4. leave a comment, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors:

Love Kisha J Studios: https://houseoflkj.com

Let’s connect socially:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Man. Better Father.”

The Dear Son, Network ®

Every father should have honest conversations with his son. In this episode of The Dear Son, Show, we explore the lessons fathers must teach their sons before adulthood.

Dear Son: Don’t Get Your Qualifications Disqualified

On The Dear Son Show, hosts Jey Blac and D Johns discuss how people can “disqualify” themselves despite being qualified—through pride, distractions, emotional reactions, or poor decisions. They reflect on fatherhood challenges like knowing when to let sons learn lessons the hard way, recognizing different expressions of focus, and helping children seek support such as tutors or therapy without making it about parental failure. The conversation covers owning outcomes and opportunity cost, finding mentors, staying consistent when consequences from the past surface, and not letting one negative comment outweigh broader impact. They also share workplace lessons about power, courtesy, and long-term cycles of authority, plus a personal story about wasting time over a $25 tire plug as a reminder to pause before acting on frustration.

00:00 Let Them Learn Lessons

01:10 Welcome to Dear Son

01:33 Fall Check In and Community

02:26 Making Space for Priorities

03:57 Qualifications Disqualified

05:49 Don’t Let Doubt In

09:36 Distractions After Graduation

13:44 Pushing Without Controlling

17:00 Asking for Help Matters

20:27 Own Your Outcome

21:55 Mentors for Young Men

24:14 When You Need New Tools

26:41 Learning Through Deficiency

28:04 Understanding Depression Together

28:56 Ego and Asking for Help

29:41 Stop Justifying Relapse

34:05 Consequences Lag Lesson

34:45 Money Habits and Lifestyle Creep

38:48 Gatekeepers and Compassion

43:09 Seize Teachable Moments

46:04 Power Leapfrog and Humility

48:53 Yesterday Today Tomorrow Balance

50:41 Tire Shop Value Lesson

54:45 Final Fatherhood Takeaways

#fathersonrelationship #adviceformen #modernfatherhood #adultchildren #lifelessonsformen #raisingmen #raisingkids #mantalk #newtofatherhood

Channel Focus Areas:

“What Fathers Should Teach Their Sons”

“How to Be a Better Father”

“Father Son Relationship Advice”

“Mistakes Fathers Make”

“Lessons Every Man Should Learn”

Shop DSN Merch: https://thedearsonshop.store

Follow James: https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. subscribe to the channel,

2. turn on the notifications,

3. like this episode,

4. leave a comment, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors:

Love Kisha J Studios: https://houseoflkj.com

Let’s connect socially:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Man. Better Father.”

The Dear Son, Network ®

Every father should have honest conversations with his son. In this episode of The Dear Son, Show, we explore the lessons fathers must teach their sons before adulthood.

A Father-Son Conversation on Legacy, Loss, and Breaking Cycles | Dear Son Network (Ep. 4 – 5-Year Anniversary)

D Johns re-releases and remasters his first unscripted podcast conversation with his father, Leonard Johns, for the show’s five-year anniversary. Leonard reflects on growing up in a stable two-parent home, his father’s early death at 46, and how a largely nonverbal, hardworking dad shaped his own parenting style. They discuss fond memories of his father’s carpentry, the pain of returning from Vietnam to face family loss, guilt and unprocessed grief, and how those experiences influenced Leonard’s distance, discipline, and later self-reflection—especially after a prostate cancer diagnosis that refocused him on legacy and family. The two address misunderstandings from D.’s childhood, generational differences, marriage and affection models, and the purpose of the platform: clarifying, healing, and ending negative cycles. Subscribe and share, and comment which part of their conversation resonated most with you.

00:00 Welcome Back Episode Four

00:58 Introducing Dad Leonard

02:31 His Fatherhood Snapshot

04:01 Growing Up Without Feeling Poor

05:20 Losing His Father Young

06:29 Quiet Dad Big Impact

09:02 Expectations And Validation

12:52 Vietnam Hospice Goodbye

15:06 Tools Shipped From Vietnam

17:58 Grandfather Anchor And Legacy

19:18 Grief Guilt And Mentors

22:44 Becoming A Father Without Dad

24:09 Distance Overcorrecting And Discipline

28:03 Fear of Disappointing Dad

28:53 Running Away Memory

30:36 Dad Reflects on Parenting

31:19 Family Sayings Explained

36:57 Puberty Talk Regrets

38:50 Watching You Parent

44:00 Grandparents Go Softer

46:19 Losing Dad and Cancer

50:14 Legacy After Diagnosis

51:46 Saying What We Feel

55:21 Breaking Negative Cycles

57:25 Father to Father Advice

59:19 Closing and Call to Action

#fathersonrelationship #adviceformen #modernfatherhood #adultchildren #lifelessonsformen #raisingmen #raisingkids #mantalk #oldschool

Channel Focus Areas:

“What Fathers Should Teach Their Sons”

“How to Be a Better Father”

“Father Son Relationship Advice”

“Mistakes Fathers Make”

“Lessons Every Man Should Learn”

Shop DSN Merch: https://thedearsonshop.store

Follow James: https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. subscribe to the channel,

2. turn on the notifications,

3. like this video,

4. leave a comment, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors:

Love Kisha J Studios: https://houseoflkj.com

Let’s connect socially:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Man. Better Father.”

The Dear Son, Network ®