What does it look like to bet on yourself while still showing up as a husband, father, and leader?

This week on Daddy Wants To Play, we sit down with Javier Milian—former college football player, competitive bodybuilder, CrossFit athlete, coach, entrepreneur, and founder of Truemade.

Javy takes us through the journey from chasing performance on the field and in the gym to building a thriving business and raising a family. We discuss the lessons football taught him about leadership and discipline, the role competition has played throughout his life, and the leap of faith required to leave security behind and build something of his own.

But at the heart of this conversation is fatherhood.

Javy opens up about how becoming a dad changed his definition of success, the responsibility that comes with being a provider, his family's decision to embrace homeschooling, and the values he's working to instill in his son and daughter. We also explore the challenges of balancing ambition with presence, building a strong marriage, and creating a family culture that will last long after the business is gone.

Whether you're an athlete, entrepreneur, parent, or simply someone trying to build a meaningful life, this episode is packed with lessons on leadership, sacrifice, and the courage to pursue a vision.

In this episode:
🏈 Lessons learned from football and competition
💪 Bodybuilding, CrossFit, and the pursuit of excellence
📈 The story behind Truemade
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fatherhood, homeschooling, and family culture
💍 Marriage, responsibility, and leadership at home
🔥 What it really means to bet on yourself

Daddy Wants To Play is where competition, leadership, and fatherhood collide.

⛽️ ALL GAS. NO STATS.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Journey of a Competitor
• 06:39 Early Years and Academic Focus
• 14:57 Lessons from Football
• 27:22 The Journey of Personal Transformation
• 32:56 Transition to Entrepreneurship and TrueMade Origins
• 43:48 Fatherhood and Changing Perspectives on Success
• 52:51 Balancing Parenthood and Personal Freedom
• 59:22 Challenges and Growth as a Father and Husband
• 01:05:59 Vision for the Future: Business and Family

The conversation covers the NFL schedule release, the challenges in the Dolphins' schedule, win predictions, game analysis, De'Von Achane's contract extension, running back rankings, highlights of the NFL schedule, and fantasy football league planning.

The New Era Begins.

Welcome to the new chapter of Daddy Wants To Play.

This week, we officially launch the new direction of the show — real conversations centered around competition, leadership, fatherhood, and identity through the lens of sports and life.

To kick things off, we’re joined by Ryan Verdecia.

From CrossFit athlete and fitness coach… to firefighter, entrepreneur, Airbnb host, husband, and father — Ryan opens up about the mindset behind wearing so many hats while still trying to show up fully for his family.

We dive into:

• where his work ethic comes from
• what drew him toward competition and coaching
• why he became a firefighter
• balancing entrepreneurship with fatherhood
• the challenge of being present at home while constantly chasing more
• and what kind of example he hopes to set for his boys moving forward

We also discuss coaching your own kids, discipline vs confidence, and the lessons competition teaches that carry over into everyday life.

Plus, Ryan becomes the first guest to “Pass The Mic” and leave a question behind for our next guest.

This is more than sports talk now.

This is Daddy Wants To Play.
Competition. Leadership. Fatherhood.

ALL GAS. NO STATS. ⛽️