The Dad Manual

What if the most powerful classroom for your kids was the breakfast table every single morning?

Tony sits down with Jay Bourgana — entrepreneur, turnaround consultant, and founder of the Raising Lions community — to explore a radically intentional approach to fatherhood. Jay shares how daily two-hour morning conversations with his 10 and 12-year-old children have become the engine behind one of the most active and engaged communities in the parenting podcast space. From lemonade stands to product-market fit, from ikigai to the theory of constraints, Jay packages adult-level wisdom into real, actionable experiences for kids — and for the dads raising them.

Key Takeaways:
  • Why getting involved from day one of fatherhood is non-negotiable — and why you can't re-engage later if you disengage early
  • How to teach children the three non-negotiables: health, wealth, and relationships — and why "wealth" isn't about money, it's about freedom
  • The three types of capital every dad can transfer to his kids: financial, intellectual, and relational — and why relational capital matters most
  • Why autonomy, mastery, and purpose (Daniel Pink's Drive) are the real motivators for children — and how to use them
  • How to identify every child's natural "superpower" and channel it toward entrepreneurship and value creation
  • Why small business ventures teach responsibility better than almost anything else — and how to sequence those lessons as kids grow
  • The four business profiles kids fall into (leader, salesperson, product manager, systems manager) — and how knowing them builds teamwork and self-awareness
  • How to build a kids' business school from scratch: goal-setting, conversion rates, product-market fit — explained to a 10-year-old
  • Why dads must step into leadership the moment their child is born — not wait until the kid can "talk"
  • The concept of raising value creators, not consumers — and why that distinction changes everything about how kids show up in the world
If you enjoyed The Dad Manual, leave us a rating on your podcast app! If you loved it, share this episode with a Dad! Send your questions to dadmanualpodcast@gmail.com.
Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/

00:00 Intro & Jay's opening lesson
01:37 About Jay's kids & Raising Lions
03:53 Morning rituals: 7–9am with the kids
06:11 Entrepreneurship: nature vs. nurture
08:51 Lemonade stands & creating incentives
10:33 Health, wealth & relationships framework
12:41 Packaging adult concepts for kids
14:49 Autonomy, mastery & purpose (Daniel Pink)
17:30 Responsibility earns freedom
19:58 Visualizing responsibility for kids
21:35 How quickly kids connect to purpose
23:20 Teaching cost of goods & unit economics
25:19 Product-market fit as a kids' lesson
27:15 From gross margin to capacity planning
30:00 Jay's background: Morocco to Morocco to M&A
35:03 The entrepreneur's real freedom
36:00 Three types of capital to pass down
38:18 Pour into kids early: beat the clock
40:41 Raising givers, not takers
42:01 Rethinking education post-Covid
44:00 Ikigai & finding a child's superpower
46:00 The four business profiles in kids
47:56 The kids' business school explained
51:00 Setting goals, conversion rates & action
54:53 What 30 years of entrepreneurship taught
56:11 Purpose as protection from trauma
58:18 Paper bills, grocery runs & real money
1:01:03 Advice for brand new dads
1:05:25 Wrap-up & how to find Jay

Creators and Guests

Host
Tony Cooper
Tony Cooper is the founder of Playing the Game of Business, a business coach, father, and podcast host.

What is The Dad Manual?

The Dad Manual is a fatherhood podcast hosted by Tony Cooper, featuring honest conversations with dads about the real, unfiltered journey of parenthood. This parenting podcast for dads explores everything from the excitement of being a first time dad to navigating the teenage years. As one of the best podcasts for expecting dads and experienced fathers alike, we dive deep into what it actually means to be a modern dad—the struggles, the growth, the mistakes, and the moments that change you forever. Whether you're looking for a new dad podcast or seasoned parenting wisdom, this family podcast delivers the honest guidance you won't find in books.