Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Ray.
Hi Anthony, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been an avid podcast listener since 2016. I started out with the true crime genre. Soon after, I discovered there was this huge world podcast world out there. One day I was looking through the family section for fatherhood podcasts. I discovered that there were no fatherhood podcasts with a black host. So they didn’t really speak to my experience. I decided I wanted to be the one to fill that gap, because I was very passionate about fatherhood. I’m a father to three children, ages 13, 10, and 9. I’ve always received compliments for being a great dad, but sometimes people made it seem as though I was an anomaly, being a young black man that cared for his children. From my vantage point, that’s not what I was seeing. I knew plenty of guys that were just like me. Because of this, I decided to create “Dad, Can We Talk?” Podcast, a platform that tells the story of fatherhood one story at a time. I give dads the opportunity to tell their story of fatherhood and family in their own way. The first episode was recorded in February 2020. I am 156 episodes in to this current day. I have interviewed dads from all over the nation, with actor Taye Diggs being a part of that number.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been smooth at all. Only 8% of podcasts reach episode 50, 5% reach 100 episodes, and reaching 21 episodes puts you in the 1% of all podcasts. This has much to do with consistency. For me, I’ve been the producer, host, editor, graphic designer, web designer, marketer, social media manager, everything for the podcast for years. That gets tough for the numbers aren’t looking the way you think they should. But I will say, there have been many people that have come alongside me to help throughout the years. I’m forever grateful for that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Outside of my podcast, I am a fatherhood educator. I work for TEAM Dad of North Central Florida. In essence, I am a life coach for dads. I meet with dads in their homes to work through the 12 session 24/7 Dad curriculum. I am also a Christian Life Coach for Rising Calm Center. My entire life revolves around fatherhood and helping others navigate through the challenges of life.
I would say the thing that I’m most proud of would be going back to receive my bachelors degree in Media Communications from Full Saul University in 2021. It was one of the toughest challenges for me being that I was a full time student, a father to 3, working a warehouse job, and navigating marriage at the same time.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
My children matter most to me. I believe that God placed them in my care and I am responsible for their well being. Hearing their voices puts a battery in my back to help me keep going. They are my why.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dadcanwetalk.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dad_can_we_talk
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-ray-17b66618a
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@dadcanwetalk
- Other: https://www.chsandhsncfcoalitions.org/t-e-a-m-dad/
