When I first began my blogging adventure one of the first websites I stumbled upon was Dadlabs.com. I’ve been a big fan of their videos for quite some time and needless to say I was excited and humbled when Daddy Clay agreed to do an interview for my readers.
I wanted to get to know Clay as a member of Dad Labs as well as a father. His answers give you a good insight into his thoughts on fatherhood and parenting as well as little behind the scenes of the great selection of videos from Dad Labs.
On their home page, Dad Labs is described as:An edgy, fun and informative place for dads and the women who tolerate and/or love them. Humorous tips and advice from dads on parenting, fatherhood, children, and coping with wives and mothers. Tune in as the Dads tackle the issues of today: from breast feeding in public to head lice to poop in the tub.
Tyler: Tell us about yourself and how you got started at Dad Labs. Where did the idea for Dad Labs come from?
Clay: My co-founders Troy Lanier and Brad Powell and I were all working at a school together. Troy and I had just published a book about our experiences teaching film and decided to have any credibility; we should probably do some actual filmmaking of our own.
We started meeting once a week to brainstorm movie ideas, but it almost always devolved into comparing notes about our wives’ pregnancies or how we were dealing with having newborns. We complained about how little was out there for dads, and that was pretty much the beginning. We started out making DVDs, but then migrated to web video.
Tyler: You’re the Chief Creative Officer at Dad Labs and you guys have some of the most relevant and entertaining videos on the web. What inspires you to create such great videos? How much of your time is spent coming up with and creating your videos?
The latest video from Dadlabs.com: Parenting, Fatherhood and a dose of humor
Clay: I wish we had more time. Our production schedule is pretty crushing. We produce about 20-25 minutes of finished video every week, which is the rough equivalent of a half-hour TV show. But we do it with a cast and crew of 7-8 guys, on a very tight budget. We write, produce, direct, host, edit and publish (and market and sell ads and raise money…).
We’ve produced over 275 videos at this point and I still feel like we’ve only scratched the surface of all the issues that face parents today. I never worry that we’ll run out of things to talk about. I mostly worry that we’ll run out of time to get the segments shot. My big fantasy at the moment is about being able to focus more on a smaller number of shows.
Tyler: How has Dad Labs influenced your parenting? How have you become a better father since working at Dad Labs?
Clay: Running a business about being a dad does a really good job of keeping you honest. Every time there is a conflict between work and family in our office, there just isn’t any choice. How big of a hypocrite do you want to be? I think the great thing about DadLabs is that it forces you day-by-day to live up to your own ideals when it comes to being a parent. We have ambitions and dreams, and we work hard, but the priorities are easy to keep straight.
Tyler: Based on your experience, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges new and seasoned dads face when it comes to maintaining a positive outlook on fatherhood?
Clay: Lots of challenges. I think the work/life balance is the toughest. We’ve really been taught that success is working harder to get more. I think it is really challenging to accept compromises in your professional life to enhance your parenting. The social backup just isn’t there for guys. At this moment, with three school-age kids, my big challenge is finding good one-on-one time with each my kids.
Tyler: Obviously all fathers are different, but what do you feel are some of the most important traits fathers should have in order to embrace the joys of fatherhood?
Clay: I don’t think you can take yourself very seriously. My oldest is ten now and he just loves to give his dad a hard time, make fun of my ever-failing gadgets, my Wrong-Way sense of direction. And that cracks me up. I also think the ability to slow down is crucial. I think the greatest moments in my life as a parent would appear absolutely insignificant to an observer. You have to stop and look — to observe those rugrats, to listen to them and what they say to each other. That’s the good stuff. And you have to be good and negotiating with your male ego.
I want to sincerely thank Clay for taking time to answer these questions. I hope you all check out Dad Labs and join their community. You can sign up for an account at http://dadlabscrib.ning.com/ and make sure to grab their videos in iTunes.
