Father’s Day didn’t just make us miss our dad. It exposed a fear we’d been carrying quietly for two years: what if he wouldn’t be proud of who we’ve become under pressure?

We talk honestly about the weight of trying to do it all at once running a small business and building a brand, being a husband, learning fatherhood, and taking on the responsibilities our dad used to handle without complaint. Grief doesn’t always look like tears. Sometimes it looks like doubt, anxiety, and that looping question you can’t shut off: “Is he still proud of me?” Living on family land surrounded by reminders of him made it harder to escape the noise in our head.

Then we share the moment everything shifted. We asked for help because we couldn’t keep going without answers, and a medium reading with Melissa from Roots of the Soul gave us something we didn’t expect: specific validation, real comfort, and a message that cut through the fear. We talk about faith, baptism, trusting God’s plan, and the practical guidance we took from that conversation: stop carrying everything alone, celebrate small victories, and remember what matters most.

If you’re dealing with bereavement, depression, financial stress, or the loneliness of becoming the parent you wish you still had, this one is for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the question you’d ask someone you miss.

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Four hours from home, a brand-new fair, and a plan that looked simple on paper. Then reality hit: 90-degree heat, a solo tent setup, black flies so thick they sounded like rain, and four nights trying to sleep in the back of a Yukon because the camper wasn’t an option. We’re telling the whole road story from Springfield, Maine, from the small-town moments that restore your faith in people to the kind of setbacks that make you question why you even signed up.

Along the way, we break down how we choose vendor events and fairs using a “checkbox” system, and why there’s an even bigger internal checklist that matters more than sales. When you’re building a small business, chasing an American dream, and trying to provide for your family, discomfort becomes data. The sacrifice, the commitment, the decision to stay open when it’s slow, and the ability to adapt when the weather turns are what prove you’re serious. We also talk about customer service, staying grounded, and why being part of something early, whether it’s a growing fair or a growing brand, creates its own kind of pride.

The weekend starts rough, gets wetter, and nearly turns into a morale breaker. Then the comeback shows up: Saturday and Sunday flip the whole result, beating last year’s numbers, and reminding us why resilience and faith belong in the same sentence. We close with the late-night pack-up, the dangerous exhaustion on the drive home, making it back for my wife’s birthday, and a look ahead to the Maine State Moose Lottery event at the Acton Fairgrounds.

If the story hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s in grind mode, and leave a review so more people find Share the Struggle Podcast.

If you found value in today's show please return the favor and leave a positive review and share it with someone important to you! https://www.sharethestrugglepodcast.com/reviews/new/
Find all you need to know about the show https://www.sharethestrugglepodcast.com/
Official Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077724159859

Join the 2% of Americans that Buy American and support American Together we can bring back American Manufacturing https://www.loudproudamerican.shop/
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Thank you for Supporting My American Dream!

Rejection emails are one thing. Rejection that makes you question your identity, your message, and your future is something else. We’re coming off a week that started with baptism and ended with two moments of real relief, and we’re telling the full story, messy parts included.

We talk through the “season of new” around Loud Proud American: taking bigger swings for America 250, applying to major concerts and country festivals, and pulling back from familiar local events even when they used to be reliable. Then the doors keep closing. We unpack why big events often say no to small vendors, how exclusivity deals protect official merchandise, and why a patriotic, American-made apparel brand can still get treated like a risk. If you’ve ever tried to grow a business and felt like the gatekeepers never even saw you, you’ll recognize this struggle.

From there, we share a weekend recap at a new off-road venue, the long drives, the slow sales, and the disappointment of learning the busiest event on the property might be off-limits. But the road trip also delivers something unexpected: a bald eagle moment that hits deep, ties back to losing Dad, and turns into a long, honest prayer about grief, purpose, and trust.

Finally, we get real about the financial pressure behind the scenes and why one approval email felt like a lifeline. Then another email lands: acceptance to the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, New York, a million-attendee opportunity that could change the year. We leave you with the lesson we’re learning the hard way: growth is not just on the other side of discomfort, it’s on the other side of obedience.

If this story helps you, subscribe, share it with someone in the struggle, and leave a review. What door have you been praying would finally open?

If you found value in today's show please return the favor and leave a positive review and share it with someone important to you! https://www.sharethestrugglepodcast.com/reviews/new/
Find all you need to know about the show https://www.sharethestrugglepodcast.com/
Official Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077724159859

Join the 2% of Americans that Buy American and support American Together we can bring back American Manufacturing https://www.loudproudamerican.shop/
Loud Proud American Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Loudproudamerican
Loud Proud American Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loud_proud_american/
Loud Proud American TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@loud_proud_american
Loud Proud American YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYQtOt6KVURuySWYQ2GWtw

Thank you for Supporting My American Dream!