The Daily Dad

Ryan Holiday -- the Stoic philosophy guy behind books like The Obstacle Is the Way -- turns his attention to fatherhood with The Daily Dad. Each episode runs just two to three minutes, which makes it one of the shortest podcasts you'll ever subscribe to. Think of it as a daily micro-meditation on parenting, drawn from historical wisdom, literary references, and Holiday's own experiences raising his kids. The format is simple: one idea per day, delivered in Holiday's calm, deliberate style. He'll pull from Marcus Aurelius one morning and Fred Rogers the next, weaving together ancient philosophy with modern parenting moments. It's the audio companion to the Daily Dad email newsletter, and the brevity is the whole point -- you get a single thought to carry with you through your day. With nearly 1,900 episodes and counting, the back catalog is enormous, but since each one is bite-sized, you can dip in anywhere. Fair warning though: listeners have noted that the ad load can feel disproportionate relative to the short episode length. That's a real trade-off. Rated 4.7 stars on Apple Podcasts from nearly 600 ratings, The Daily Dad works best as a quick morning ritual rather than a deep-listening experience. If you appreciate Stoic thinking and want a gentle nudge toward more thoughtful parenting each day, this fits into even the most packed schedule.