Bussin’ With The Boys – For The Dads Ep. 13:

A Father’s Ambition VS Guilt, Encouraging Your Child + Sherm's Intense Football Fight

Release Date: September 3, 2025
Hosts: Will Compton & Sherman (Sherm)
Summary by: Podcast Summarizer Pro

Overview

Episode 13 of For The Dads—a special series on Bussin’ with the Boys—dives deep into the realities of intentional fatherhood. Will and Sherm bring their trademark humor and vulnerability as they explore the balance between ambition and guilt, the importance of encouraging your kids’ dreams, communicating with your spouse, and the chaos of real dad life—culminating in Sherm’s wild football game story. Listener feedback, relatable anecdotes, survival hacks, and emotional voicemails round out this heartfelt and hilarious episode.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Community Shoutouts & Comment Section Love

[04:39-20:00]

• Will and Sherm read YouTube comments and community shoutouts, showing gratitude and engagement with fans.
• They spotlight messages on marriage struggles, fatherhood, scheduling, and appreciating vulnerability.
• Example: Will reads a message from a listener about an IVF journey, expressing solidarity and inspiration.
  • “The advice they gave on that episode…was inspirational…I felt so hopeless. At one point…but being more open about it…helped.” –JJ Smith excerpt ([11:02])
• Sherm owns up to not talking into the mic, humorously apologizing and promising to improve:
  • “I’ve been leaning away from the mic, and I am sorry. I’m going to try and get better.” –Sherm ([10:21])

2. Candid Talk: Ambition, Guilt, and Time Management as Dads

[30:10-37:05]

• Will and Sherm reflect on their own struggles to balance ambitions at work with family responsibilities, especially as football and podcasting careers heat up.
• Will emphasizes the importance of intentionally scheduling time with family, not just paying it lip service.
  • “If you don’t write it down, it won’t happen…You want to be so good at everything… So even when I’m home…I still feel like I gotta prep.” –Will ([34:56])
• Sherm recounts Jill feeling “not prioritized” and how awkward communication led to a breakthrough and a scheduled date night.
  • “My dad loss was, I kind of screwed up on being able to schedule that time and prioritize that time.” –Sherm ([33:10])

3. Supporting Your Partner During Difficult Times

[26:01-29:47]

• Listener voicemail (“Chuck it up 04”) shares about his fiancée’s medical complications and asks how to support her while experiencing his own grief.
• Will and Sherm discuss the need to “just be there”—offering presence over platitudes.
  • “Your presence will be better than any advice you could give… Don’t minimize your own grief to posture and be strong… just sit in it with her.” –Will ([26:35])
  • “Be accessible to your wife emotionally…have your own person to offload with too.” –Sherm ([28:05])

4. Wins & Survival Hacks

[42:55-53:57]

• Dads share “Crack a Cold One” wins, like kid milestones and making new ‘dad friends’ at school.
  • Will tells a story about encouraging his daughter Rue to befriend a new classmate, tying it to lessons from Bluey.
    • “It warms my heart…that Rue’s taking the practice tape and taking it out to the game.” –Will ([46:13])
• Sherm highlights taking newborn Scarlett to a Baylor football game and managing travel stress:
  • “Scarlett…was my crack-a-cold-one. She killed it at the football game, killed it at the wedding, killed it on the flight.” –Sherm ([55:38])
• Survival Kit/Dad Hack segment:
  • Will: Wubbanubs for soothing babies.
  • Sherm: Travel bottle brush and using ChatGPT for custom bedtime stories.
    • “Write a story about Scarlett, her mom, Jill, and her dad, Sherman…It was the best story of all time.” –Sherm ([74:04])

5. “Intense Football Fight” – Dad Stepping Up at a Game

[61:58-66:31]

• Story highlight: Sherm recounts a tense confrontation at Baylor-Auburn, where drunk fans repeatedly bump his family, and he’s pushed to set boundaries.
  • “I slowly turned over him and said, ‘Hey, what’s your ticket for?…You’re bumping me and I’m hitting my two month old baby right there…’” –Sherm ([63:43])
  • Jill’s intervention “finishes” the confrontation, supported by bystanders.
  • The discussion underlines both the anxiety and pride tied to “stepping up” as a dad.

6. Listener Voicemails: Real-Time Dad Moments & Emotional Impact

[79:19-84:56]

• Tyler Pruitt calls in moments after his wife’s water breaks to announce he’s joining PT6 ("Papa Team 6").
  • “I was at work Friday…Wife calls, water broke, headed to the hospital…Ready to join PT6. This shit’s crazy.” –Tyler ([79:27])
• Aaron, a young woman with “the best girl dad in the world,” shares what her father’s love and support has meant—moving the hosts to tears.
  • “Just wanted to say…your love for your daughters is so encouraging…My dad’s the biggest influence on me, just in sports…He’s my favorite person in the whole world.” –Aaron ([81:39])
  • Will: “That’s every girl dad’s dream right there…you hope in 20 years that’s how she’s talking about her old man.” ([85:05])

7. Lessons: Encouraging the Dream & The Power of Nostalgia

[85:45-91:00]

• Will reads from The Daily Dad by Ryan Holiday about supporting your child’s ambitions without fear or skepticism.
  • “Encourage the Dream…Give your children permission to try, along with permission to fail. The signal that you’ll support them either way.” –Ryan Holiday (read by Will, [86:40])
• Sherm shares a heartfelt reflection on the nostalgia of returning home, wanting to create similar memories for his daughter.
  • “I am overwhelmed with excitement for the opportunity to build her nostalgia bank…to provide her the family home that my parents provided me.” –Sherm ([89:19])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dads Supporting Each Other Virtually:

  • “From 8:30 on every night I’m going to support him over the headset…this little place we call Discord.” –Will ([22:08])

• On Balancing Ambition and Fatherhood:

  • “The action usually looks like…you’re so balls to the wall career-wise…if you don’t intentionally get something on the calendar to prioritize my wife…it gets pushed under the stack…” –Will ([34:56])

• Sherm on Emotional Support:

  • “Make sure you have that person, maybe not your wife, that you’re able to offload with too…so you can be there for her.” –Sherm ([28:05])

• Epic Listener Check-In:

  • “I was at work grinding away…wife calls me, water broke, headed to the hospital now. Ready to join PT6. This shit’s crazy.” –Tyler Pruitt ([79:27])

• Touching Daughter-Dad Reflection:

  • “…My dad’s had the biggest impact on me…because of him I work in sports. He’s my favorite person in the world. I hope your girls feel the same.” –Aaron ([81:39])

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Event | |---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:39-20:00 | Reading community feedback, YouTube comments, and shoutouts | | 26:01-29:47 | Supporting partner during pregnancy hardship | | 30:10-37:05 | Balancing ambition and guilt; scheduling family time | | 42:55-53:57 | Wins of the week; kid milestones & survival kit hacks | | 61:58-66:31 | Sherm’s football game confrontation—“intense football fight” | | 79:19-81:10 | Listener Tyler calls in during wife’s labor | | 81:39-84:56 | Aaron’s emotional voicemail on the impact of being a “girl dad”| | 85:45-88:44 | Will’s “Encourage the Dream” reading from Daily Dad | | 89:16-91:00 | Sherm’s written reflection on family nostalgia |

Final Thoughts & Tone

The episode blends humor, football dad energy, and candid, sometimes raw looks at the emotional turmoil and joy of fatherhood. Will and Sherm are irreverent and playful, but don’t shy away from big feelings, hard conversations, or giving absolutely earnest advice.

For new or seasoned dads—and for anyone who values family and growth—this is a must-listen example of the modern “dad pod”: equal parts banter, big heart, and shared learning.

Papa Team 6 Out!

“If you enjoyed, please subscribe, comment, and join the community. If not, call us Willie One Shelf and Fat Stafford in the comments…” –Will & Sherm ([91:24])