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Modern Fatherhood & Building a Supportive Dad Community with Ash Metfield 🎙️

This week on the TRUUMAN Podcast, we sit down with Ash Metfield, founder of New Dad Life, a growing community dedicated to helping dads navigate fatherhood together—without the pressure to be perfect. Ash’s journey into fatherhood is a relatable one. As a first-time dad to 18-month-old Leo, he quickly realized that there weren’t many spaces where dads could openly share their struggles, ask for advice, and get the real support they need. So, he decided to create one. Before launching New Dad Life, Ash was a creative force behind brands like War Paint for Men and JAAQ—helping the latter grow from zero to a £30 million mental health platform. Now, he’s applying his storytelling, branding, and community-building expertise to redefine what it means to be a modern dad.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔹 Why fatherhood can feel isolating—and how community changes everything

🔹 How social expectations shape the way men experience parenthood

🔹 The challenges of being a present dad while balancing work, relationships, and personal growth

🔹 How Ash built a thriving online space where dads can connect, learn, and support each other

🔹 Lessons from travelling the world as a new dad

🔹 Why modern masculinity needs to evolve to support fathers better

Key Takeaways:

✅ Dads need community too. Fatherhood isn’t meant to be navigated alone.

✅ There’s no ‘one way’ to be a great dad. Perfection isn’t the goal—presence is.

✅ Mental health and fatherhood go hand in hand. Supporting dads means supporting families.

✅ Building a business, raising a child, and traveling the world at the same time? It’s possible—but not easy!

Quotes from Ash:

“Dads are told to just ‘get on with it.’ But the truth is, we need each other.”

“I wanted to create a space where dads could show up, be real, and grow together.”

“I’ve built brands from scratch, but building a family? That’s the real challenge.”

“The best thing a dad can do? Just be there. Show up. That’s what matters most.”

Links:

Website: www.newdadlife.com

Community Direct: www.nas.io/newdadlife

Social Links:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/newdadlifeofficial/

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@newdadlifeofficial

www.truuman.io

www.thrfoundrycic.org.uk

www.instagram.com/lewishackney