Dadville with Dave Barnes and Jon McLaughlin

We sat down with 4-time Grammy winner Sara Watkins to solve a problem every professional faces: How do you maintain a 30-year career without burning out or losing your creative edge? From founding Nickel Creek at age eight to touring with icons like Jackson Browne, Sara has mastered the "communal dance" of longevity.

In this session, we tackle the high-stakes pressure of performance anxiety. Sara reveals the counterintuitive secret that transformed her art: how motherhood taught her to stop "sweating the small stuff," making her a more fearless performer. We break down her blueprint for navigating complex team dynamics, the power of "side-person" leadership, and why she treats music as an essential life skill—like math or cooking—to avoid the traps of forced practice. If you’re struggling to balance ego with collaborative success, Sara’s "osmotic" approach to learning will revolutionize your workflow. This is your masterclass in staying grounded while scaling your talent.

Check out Sara here: https://www.sarawatkins.com/

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All Things Dave: https://www.davebarnes.com

All Things Jon: https://www.jonmcl.com

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Welcome to a special video edition of Dadville! We’re kicking things off with Dave’s high-energy celebration of Arsenal’s Premier League victory and a deep dive into why sports culture feels like family.

Then, we pivot to the "frontal assault" of summer parenting. As school rhythms fade, we share our best survival "tips and tricks" to keep the chaos at bay. Discover the power of tangible bucket lists—featuring everything from Walmart trips to visiting local glass-blowing studios—and learn how to manage screen time by treating it as "capital" earned through reading or chores. We also discuss Jon's $100 piano challenge and why local summer camps are a strategic win for every parent.

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All Things Dave: https://www.davebarnes.com

All Things Jon: https://www.jonmcl.com

Thanks to our sponsors!

Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shopify.com/dadville

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp: Our listeners get 10% off their first month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://betterhelp.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠

Boll & Branch - Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at http://bollandbranch.com/dadville Exclusions apply.

Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!

The Wonder Project: Subscriber support makes more great content like I Gotta Ask with Annie F. Downs possible. The Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video is available in the U.S. for $8.99/month or $89.99/year after a 7-day free trial. Visit IGottaAsk.com to learn more!

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Today we’re hanging out with the legendary Anjelah Johnson-Reyes. You’ve seen her viral "Nail Salon" bit and her iconic characters from Mad TV, but in this episode, we get into the nuts and bolts of her career and life as a mom. Anjelah shares her fascinating process for building a comedy hour, from recording every set to "cut the fat" to the daunting anxiety of starting a project from scratch.

We dive into her self-produced special, Ugly Baby, and how she "sleuthed" her own audio archives to find the perfect family footage. Beyond the stage, we talk about her husband Manuel’s "resplendent" hair and her daughter Rosie’s hilarious two-year-old sass. Most importantly, Anjelah offers a powerful perspective on parenting: Your child isn't "giving you a hard time," they’re going through a hard time.

Watch Angela's New Special, Ugly Baby, HERE!

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Today, we’re hanging out with our friend Erin Napier, who is busy saving Laurel, Mississippi, one 25,000-square-foot hotel at a time. We dive into the "unfortunate" (that’s code for ugly) projects and the heart behind her latest restoration, The Heirloom, which survived a "devastating" fire just weeks before opening.

Erin spills the tea on her first year as a homeschooling mom—turns out it only takes two hours a day, leaving plenty of time for her daughter to job-shadow a vet. We also discuss her strict "no-weekend-work" policy and why Ben is a nearly perfect husband, despite his chaotic habit of leaving every single cabinet door open.

From air-conditioned mattresses to dodging a massive Great Pyrenees puppy at the breakfast table, Erin reminds us that—no matter what the world says—not everything is an emergency. Come for the design tips, stay for the wisdom on building a life, not just a brand.

Follow Erin: https://erinandben.co/

Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!

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Welcome to Momville! In this episode, we’re hanging out with the legendary Lori McKenna, a three-time Grammy winner who somehow balanced raising five kids with a world-class songwriting career. We dive into her "internal rhythm" of 74 BPM and the hilarious reality of her early days showing up to open mics with a minivan and actual peanut butter on her guitar.

Lori gets real about her 30-year marriage to Gene, their legendary four-degree thermostat war, and her self-described "underwhelming" mom status. From failing at selling Tupperware to writing hits for Taylor Swift, she shares how she won the lottery without ever buying a ticket. Whether you're obsessed with an empty kitchen sink or currently orbiting your adult children, join us for some funny thoughts and deep talks.

Visit Lori: https://www.lorimckenna.com

Join us: http://dadville.substack.com

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Quince - Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!

Cove - Check out Cove at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://covesmart.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code DAD for an additional 10% off your first order!

Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shopify.com/dadville

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp: Our listeners get 10% off their first month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://betterhelp.com/dadville⁠⁠⁠
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