[upbeat R&B music] - You know, when Justin and Lauren originally reached out to me and asked me to be a part of this show, I considered it a tremendous honor.

I had the privilege of being a part of Fatherhood when it was a web series a couple of years ago.

I think it was the first time that they'd ever done it.

And I was a panelist on the show.

And, there's just so much to unpack about fatherhood, and black fatherhood specifically, that I certainly relished the chance and the opportunity to be a part of such a broad conversation, and get the chance to hear from different fathers and learn, right?

To learn about their challenges, their perspectives, their insights, and see how I can not only apply it to my life, but allow the opportunity for the broader community to learn from that as well.

- I agree, 1000%.

So, for me, we did a special, I think it was last year.

It was me and four other guys that was on the special.

I guess the first part of this fatherhood series.

And, doing that and then even telling off to some of these six-episode series learning that the idea of father or fatherhood is just different across the board.

Or not necessarily different, but just in the sense of your idea of fatherhood is different from everybody else's idea.

- Right.

- Right?

And then just being able for everybody to see the different perspectives, see the different type of challenges, and the positivities in the different fathers that's going on, and the conversations that we have, and the conversations, but also just learning the insights and the different strategies and techniques that they use just to become a father.

And even, for me as a therapist of course, the coping skills that they have to use on the every day, just to be a father to someone else, or even just someone that is a father of someone or a son of another father that's with a disability or a challenge.

It's just impactful and insightful to see what different things that they have to go through and some of the things that they just live on a everyday basis, that if you're in your own world you won't even ever know.

- Right.

I view it as two-fold, right?

It's an educational platform, obviously.

But, it's also a platform to celebrate fathers and black fathers, because to your point, people don't see the full picture.

They don't see everything that we go through as fathers, and everybody's story is different.

So, providing a platform to educate and celebrate, you know, I couldn't pass that up.

- Hey, educate and celebrate.

That's a punchline right there.

- I like that, yeah.

- But yeah, even for me my biggest thing is, because I'm a new father.

My oldest is 2 years old, and my wife is expecting twins.

So, this-- - God bless you.

- Right.

[chuckles] So, this had just been just pulling different pieces of every father that's been on the show has just been very educational just for me.

Not just for the platform, not just for the people watching, but just for me alone as a host, or even as a previous panelist or co-host.

This has just been very insightful for me, so.

- Agreed.

Agreed.

You know, I always love to meet new brothers and expand my network and get a glimpse of who they are and what they do.

And, I think this show has provided an opportunity for me to do that but on a deeper level, right?

It's rare, even when you meet somebody, that you get to know them on really personal level.

This platform has allowed me to meet new people and immediately get some insight on really who they are and what they're about, and what are some of the things that are near and dear to them as men.

And, it's been a delight.

- I would agree to that.

Outside of just networking and connecting with brothers I've never met before.

Well, some of them I have.

Some of them I knew in previous whatever spaces that we were in.

Is being able to see these guys in a different light.

The ones I know and the ones I do not know.

And, for some of these guys, they've never been on a personal level like that.

So, for them to have this space and this opportunity, even in front of millions of viewers, that they are able to get real personal and share their stories, I think it's been the greatest thing that I've ever been a part of.

Just to even just sit on the couch and just listen to 'em, I mean there's not an experience like this that I've ever been a part of.

So, I am very grateful for it for sure.

- I share those sentiments exactly, brother.

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