Since an emergency liver transplant at age 21, Brian’s life has been a masterclass in plans going sideways. The transplant ended his dream of a military career, so he pivoted to nursing — only to discover that direct patient care and a heavily suppressed immune system don’t mix. After years as a Facilities Manager overseeing rental properties, earning his Bachelor’s in Industrial Management, and becoming one of the few thousand IFMA Certified Facility Managers worldwide, he retired in 2023 from corporate life to focus on his health and his six kids.

Today Brian runs Squirrelly Meadows Woodworks, designing and building custom furniture and cabinetry. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, their six children (ages 11–18 — two biological, four stepkids), and three dogs. Their house is the neighborhood hub: famous for Brian’s cooking, full of teenagers, and often the place where kids without stable dads come for advice and a listening ear.

When he’s not wrangling carpools, fixing cars, or upgrading the house, you’ll find Brian fishing, competing in 3-Gun or USPSA matches, taking the kids to heavy metal concerts, gaming on his home-built PC, or tearing through 50 or more books a year (mostly history and sci-fi).

Brian co-hosts The Reasonable Person Podcast and launched Unhinged Dads as a no-BS space to talk about raising kids in the modern world, sucking a little less every day, and doing it all from the perspective of someone who’s been through some truly wild shit.

Dave grew up in a small logging town in western Washington as the son of a Presbyterian pastor and an elementary school teacher. In early 2004, he enlisted in the United States Navy — a decision sparked by events during his junior year of college.

At language school he pursued a young lady until she finally caught him. Despite Uncle Sam's efforts to keep them apart for several years, they married in 2007. Deployments delayed starting a family until 2014, but since then Dave and his wife (known affectionately as Mrs. Dave) have welcomed three energetic kids they’re proudly preparing to unleash on the world.

Fatherhood has been anything but smooth. Dave has battled depression and anxiety while the family has survived grand theft, flooding, multiple cross-country moves, a stillbirth, and periods of temporary displacement. Through it all, they’ve learned how to thrive during long duty-mandated separations.

By day, Dave is a stay-at-home dad running the household for his active-duty wife — educating, entertaining, and enduring their three children while fighting to keep his own health and sanity intact. In the evenings, he joins Brian on Unhinged Dads to talk about the beautiful chaos of raising kids in today’s world with honesty, dark humor, and zero filter.