High Performance Father Podcast

Head Coach of the Firebreathers Ed Armstrong joins Al for a long overdue conversation on what drives him, the legacy of his father Mighty Pete, and what four years walking alongside men in HPF has taught him about leadership, drift, and what it actually takes to rebuild a man from the inside out. Ed shares real wins from real men and the balance between holding space and calling men forward. Enjoy a thought and action provoking episode that will draw the best out in you.

Two one-liners that carry serious weight. You can grow 1% a day, that's 3.5 times the man you are in a year. You won't see it today, but stack those tiny increments and the avalanche comes. The same law works in reverse though, and you won't notice it until it's too late. The catalyst of pain birthed everything I've built, and your pain is trying to do the same for you. Not to you, for you. Enjoy a thought and action provoking episode that will draw the best out in you.

The wall in front of you is smoke and mirrors, you just haven't pushed through it yet. Every man has a fire inside him, some just need the kindling and another ripper coupled with a perspective on growth and regret have this sitting as a powerful Podcast episode that will light you up and direct the way forward. The mirror can be a powerful thing when it carries the right intention and purpose, enjoy this deep and thoughtfull episode...

You're not building a family, you're building a culture - and culture starts with the chief. That's you. This plus 2 other one liners will have you deep in thought but more importantly armed towards action to carve the path you and you're family desire. Harmony over truth, pain as a signal for change - this is an episode not to be missed...

If you asked most men what makes them unhappy, they'd say nose hairs, stepping on Lego, and women. But the real answer is deeper than that. Today I'm breaking down the 7 pillars behind why men aren't happy, and what to do about each one. Let's get into it.

Life's a million moments a year. Most of your days will be tough. And whilst it feels like failure, it's part of the recipe of success. Stack the small wins. Stop chasing the big Hail Mary. Be present with your kids instead of rushing to closure. This episode of Al's insights covers all areas in perspective and shaping your mind to move forward - for yourself and others counting on you...

Premiership coach Paul Roos goes far beyond football in this one, sharing the leadership lessons that shaped one of Australia's greatest sporting cultures, and the fatherhood lessons that mattered even more. Al and Paul unpack standards, ownership, purpose and legacy, and land on the line that stops the conversation cold: your resume is what you do, your legacy is how you do it. Then comes the story that proves it, told through his son Dylan. Every father is already creating a culture inside his home, whether he realises it or not. This episode shows you how.

Who are you when you're tired? When nobody's watching? When you don't have to? In this episode, Al unpacks the quiet habits, hidden standards, and hard truths that define a man's character. You'll learn why drift is so dangerous, why avoidance masquerades as stress, and why champions are built in the moments where there's no applause. A powerful conversation for fathers, husbands, and leaders committed to building a life they can be proud of.

Phil Britten is a survivor of the 2002 Bali bombings. He lost seven close mates that night and was left with burns to over 60 percent of his body. For 12 hours, he was believed to be dead. But this is not a survival story. It is about what happens after. We went deep into the moment everything changed, the years that followed, the guilt, the darkness, and the rebuild. The decision to keep going when there were more reasons to quit than continue. What stood out most is this. Phil did not just survive. He rebuilt himself into a man, a father, and a leader with purpose. This is a conversation about identity, responsibility, and one question every man must face. Why am I here, and what am I going to do with it?

Join us in an episode that cuts through the noise and brings you back to what actually matters. The world is noisy, uncertain, and always throwing something at you. None of that changes your responsibility as a man. Your family is not listening to what you say. They are watching how you show up. Your behavior, your energy, your leadership. That is what they feel. Stop chasing control outside your life and start taking ownership of what is in front of you. You do not need more time. You need better choices, made in the right order, with discipline. At the end of the day, it comes back to this. The man you became and the stories you created while living it.

*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-(--header-height)" dir="auto" data-turn-id="8214d936-5e32-4584-9439-c254b5c54d35" data-testid="conversation-turn-5" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn="user"> *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:326f4e04-81de-4781-8a73-01f12d08e1c4-2" data-testid= "conversation-turn-6" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> 4 hard truths to lead your life - purpose must outweigh pleasure, growth comes from the discomfort you avoid , not the one you choose, fear is a signal (not a stop sign), and your future capacity is built by exceeding today's standard. Most men miss it because it's simple - structure your life, raise your standards, and execute daily. Bottom line: Do the hard things now, or live with the cost later.

One day your kids will remember how you were. Not what you said you wanted. This episode is the HPF Tenets. The code we live by when life is heavy and nobody is watching. We break down the North Star that sets your standard. The Spine that keeps you steady. The Above The Line traits that stop drift and build real leadership. If you want to be the man your family can trust, follow, and feel safe with, this is the starting point.

Harding runs the HPF Knights Squad. He's seen what changes a man and what destroys him slowly. This episode is straight about time, drift, and the lie of "I'm providing" while your kids grow up without you. Harding talks FIFO, missed birthdays, the moment he realised he was repeating his old man's path, and why the answer is always the same. Take action. Start small. Don't wait for life to hit you harder. If you need a gut check, take the walk. The reminder is real.

Behind every strong man is a battle he had to win in private. Divorce. Addiction. Burnout. Identity loss. The pressure to provide. The fear of not being enough. The silence no one sees. In this raw panel conversation, real men unpack the war fought in Family, Self, and Service - and what happens when you stop fighting alone. Because the real victory isn't success. It's becoming the man your legacy demands.

A raw, unscripted panel with three HPF men from WA - Critz, Darren, and Callum - talking about what actually changes a man when life hits. They unpack: what brotherhood does when you're in the dark why most men drift into isolation (and how to break it) setting standards that hold under pressure becoming "100 to give 100" - without guilt and the moment Callum realised his daughter was watching… when she put his Kozzie coin under her pillow to feel safe No hype. Just truth, scars, and men choosing to rise.

Holding baby Flossy in one arm, Al delivers a raw, punchy reminder of what fatherhood really teaches a man. Four kids, four lessons: identity, capacity, time management, and the newest one, self control. Not the pretend version. The real version, where you are tired, tested, tempted, and still choose the standard. He unpacks why comfort kills growth, why discomfort is the gateway, and finishes with a gut check every man needs to face: If your son grew up to be the man you are today… would you be proud, or ashamed? If your daughter grew up to marry the type of man you are today... would you be proud, or ashamed?

For 30 years, Jason Crittle told himself he had it under control. But at home he was gone. Drinking early, smoking late, sitting on the verandah all night, kids in their rooms, wife in the other room. No presence. No leadership. Just a man hiding behind the mask of "I provide." Then Father's Day hit and everything erupted. Jason walked out and faced the truth: he wasn't functioning at all. He was losing his family. In this raw conversation, Jason shares how he went from "I'm lost, I've got no goals" to quitting alcohol and smoking, dropping 20kg, rebuilding trust, returning to date nights, and stepping into a new identity: becoming a gentleman. If you've ever looked in the mirror and thought, "I need to change… but I can't," this one will hit you right in the chest.

Burnout isn't a character flaw - it's your biology waving a red flag. In this episode, accredited naturopath and nutritionist James Marr breaks down why most men are stuck treating smoke (fatigue, gut issues, low libido, anxiety, poor sleep) while the real fire keeps burning underneath. We talk adrenal dysfunction, cortisol rhythms, gut-to-brain links, testosterone myths, and the brutal truth: your "normal" bloodwork can still hide a wrecked system. If you're relying on caffeine to function, waking up tired, feeling flat by 3pm, or quietly watching your body decline - this is your wake-up call. Stop patching the dashboard. Find the fire. Fix the machine.

This isn't a Christmas episode. It's a message about pressure, expectations, comparison, and the moments in life that amplify everything — whether that's Christmas, birthdays, grief, or change. In this episode, Al speaks candidly about: seasonal pressure and emotional overload why comparison quietly steals your power the illusion of calendars and "fresh starts" preparing for what's inevitable in life why presence matters more than performance and the truth that no man becomes great alone Listen to this when life feels loud — or when you need to come back to centre. Because one day, every father becomes a memory. The question is: what memory are you building right now?

This is a raw, unscripted conversation with men living the work inside High Performance Father. They talk about: what broke before things changed the cost of raising standards why brotherhood accelerates growth what got harder after joining and why HPF isn't for everyone No hype. No masks. No shortcuts. Just men choosing to rise, together.