Friday, September 23, 2011

Introducing the Upbeat Dad You Tube Channel!

At the Upbeat Dad, we are committed to sharing the message that kids need their fathers in order to become their very best. After almost a year on this journey, it’s become quite evident to me that this message is very much needed in our society. In so many ways, we see signs that when fathers are not actively involved in their kids’ lives, these kids become vulnerable to different forces that cause them to become less than their very best.


So within our organization, we are developing different strategies to “package” and share this message – so that positive change can take place on our kids’ behalf. Over the next several weeks and months, we will begin rolling out different parts of our strategy. With this post, let me say that I’m pleased to announce the launching of our You Tube channel!

On this channel, we will post videos that highlight the work that we’re doing beyond the virtual world of the internet. I often liken the blog to the air campaign in military combat – a strategy in which an area is subdued from the air; in our case, this is the blog. But it’s the ground campaign where the victory is won. The ground campaign part of our strategy will be in-person, live events and other activities that make an impact on the lives of men, women and children.

With our You Tube channel, we’ll share with you some of the work that we’re doing. Earlier this year, we launched the first phase of our ground campaign strategy with our Upbeat Dad Community Forum. Check this post – Click Here – for more information on the vision for the forum. To date, we have had two such events and they were quite successful, as men and women came out to hear professionals such as family law attorneys, family therapists and community leaders share their perspectives on matters regarding fatherhood. The word forum suggests public discussion so a significant portion of the time was spent on interaction between the audience and the professionals.

On our channel, we have posted different video clips so that you can see what it’s like to be at the forum. Do take the time to check out these clips. I strongly believe that you’ll benefit greatly from watching them. As time progresses, we’ll add different clips from future forums as well as other live events. We will also produce other videos through which we will share different aspects of our message.

Our vision is truly a global one – one which I believe will empower families across the world. My hope is that with the launching of our You Tube channel, it will become a resource, just as our blog has become. Over the past several months, we have averaged over 8,000 monthly blog hits. As I always say, each blog hit represents a life that can be touched so I like to see these numbers; they’re not numbers to me, they’re lives.

I often say that the simple message that we share can be packaged in different forms. So, to date, we have successfully launched the blog and the Upbeat Dad Community Forum. We are also quite active on social media – with our Twitter and Facebook accounts. 


If you haven’t connected with us by these means, please do so today. I believe that you’ll have an enhanced experience with our vision and mission as you interact with us using these tools. Sharing thoughts with readers and supporters like you through Facebook and Twitter is something that I thoroughly enjoy because I believe that through dialogue and exchanging ideas, we can find solutions to many of the issues that each of us encounter in our lives.



And as you will see in the coming weeks and months, there are so many more tools that we’re developing through which we will share the message. So whether it’s in the form of books, conferences, documentaries, etc., as long as the essence of the message is clear, I believe that the impact on the lives of others will be significant. So do stay tuned – we’re going somewhere with this.

The crisis of fatherhood is a global phenomenon and the lives of children hang in the balance. I hope that by watching the videos, the hearts of men would be touched so that they step up and become the dads that their kids long for. I also hope that these videos would encourage those who have experienced the horror and heartbreak of divorce and what the family law system often does to families.


As I’ve shared in blog posts such as The Story Behind the Upbeat Dad and How I Could Have Become a Deadbeat Dad, I had a very awful experience going through the legal system. On the You Tube channel, I share my experience in the clips The Story Behind the Upbeat Dad – Part 1  of 2 and The Story Behind the Upbeat Dad – Part 2 of 2.

As you check out the channel, do share the videos with others whom you feel would benefit. We never quite know just what people might be going through. Interestingly, it was 10 years ago this week that my life got turned upside down when my former wife and I separated and I was thrust into the new phase of my life – divorce and everything that came with it.

Now years later, I’ve moved on but I realize that for many, their story is just beginning – and for others, they’re in the midst of their struggles. That’s why, as I see it, everything we do at the Upbeat Dad ought to serve as a source of encouragement to others; we just don’t quite know all that others are going through.



Finally, do check the channel often because we will constantly add new videos that convey the message. At our organization, we’ll always have something fresh and new to share. So do chime in every now and then – I believe that you’ll benefit greatly.

I hope that you and your family enjoy the best that life has to offer. And if you should happen to be going through a rough patch right now, just be encouraged with the quote that many of us have heard for years: tough times don’t last – but tough people do. I’ve found that to be true.


Do enjoy your day.


The Upbeat Dad