Intro to The Company of Dads and Me

I’m Paul Sullivan, Founder of The Company of Dads, a platform where we explore the sweet, sublime, strange and silly aspects of being a Lead Dad in a world where men often feel they have to hide or at least not talk about their parenting role.

I know this from first-hand experience, as the Lead Dad to my three girls, three dogs, three cats and, somewhat remarkably, three fish who just keep on living. Like a lot of you, I’ve been doing this while managing my career, striving to be an above-average husband, supporting my wife and making sure what needs to be done at our house gets done – eventually.

After 13 years as a Lead Dad…

…there is only one thing I know for sure: being a Lead Dad is not a normal role. We’re not doing what dads have traditionally done – going to work and leaving the parenting to mom or a caregiver. While we’re in there raising, driving around and scheduling our kids, we’re not always welcome into the world where men are not usually the primary caregivers. While it’s been awesome to do, I’ve felt kind of lonely at times

And that’s why I’ve started The Company of Dads, where our goal is to shake all that off and focus on what really matters to Lead Dads and their families: Family. Friendship. Finance and Fun.

I want to provide some content that helps you, inspires you, makes you laugh and most of all, allows you to feel part of a wider group of Lead Dads. I want to create some cool merch, too, because if you’re anything like me you like clothes, hats, cups that remind you of things that make you happy – sports teams, buddy trips and now being a Lead Dad.

But most of all I want to create a community where we can all come together and talk. About what? That’s up to us. The good parts, the tough parts – of course. But also the questions. I’ve lived the Lead Dad Movie three times, but I’m only as far as age 12 1/2. I’ve got lots of thoughts to this point when it comes to daughters. But I know very little about 13 and up. Same holds true for what it would be like to be a Lead Dad to boys (though I’ll take a guess that there are fewer Barbies and American Girl Doll toys).

So let’s come together here and share what we know. While The Company of Dads isn’t going to get us invited into the playground chatter, at least we now have our own place to go.