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By Rocco Falleti Photos courtesy of Ray LaVoie and Matt Lofy
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The Dad and the Dude
Podcast delves into parenting and relationships
F
or Matt Lofy, being a dad was always the dream. In October 2019, that dream became a reality when Lofy and wife Heather welcomed their newborn son, Tuckerman, into the world. “All the men I’ve ever admired seem to have one thing in common – they’re all dads,” Lofy says. “Now that I’m one, it’s the title I love most and want to be defined by (and husband).” As Lofy entered his new role as dad, he began to think of ways he could help
8 March/April 2021
navigate this new experience and connect with those in similar situations. Thus came the idea for a podcast. “I just didn’t want it to be two more dudes in a basement talking about nothing,” Lofy says. “At the time, I had just become a new dad and wanted to learn from other dads. I want to be the dad that my father was.” Originally, Lofy planned for the podcast to have guest appearances from dads of all ages, experiences and backgrounds.
That idea slowly morphed into the Dadass podcast when Lofy’s friend, Shaun Ditty, entered the picture. Ditty has a counseling background and was one of the first guests on the early iterations of Dadass. The two discovered they had great chemistry and rapport and decided to grow the podcast together. “What started as this sort of dad-centric thing has shifted to families and partners and spousal relationships,” Ditty says. “It www.westervillemagazine.com
