What Every Dad Should Know: Lessons From Literary Legend James Patterson

The Mel Robbins Podcast

SiriusXM Podcasts

Education, Mental Health, Relationships, Self-improvement, Society & Culture, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 10.6K Ratings

🗓️ 12 June 2025

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

James Patterson has sold 400 million books and written hundreds of stories, but the most important one he’s lived is being a dad. In this powerful, personal, and deeply relatable episode, one of the world’s bestselling authors steps away from the writing desk and into the studio to talk about what matters most: family. Whether you're a dad, love a dad, or are simply navigating your own relationship with a father figure, this episode offers fresh perspective and hard-earned wisdom. With his signature mix of humor, honesty, and heart, James Patterson shares the kinds of reflections, stories, and mindset shifts that will inspire you to show up differently for the people you love, starting today. You’ll learn: -How to become a more present, engaged, and emotionally available father -How to handle the unspoken pressure many dads carry and how it gets in the way of connection -The conversations that can shift generations and how to start them now. -What James wishes he’d done differently and what he’s proud of now You don’t have to be a dad to take something meaningful from this conversation. If you’ve ever struggled with what to say or how to connect, this episode will stay with you. And it just might help you start the conversation that matters most. For more resources, click here for the podcast episode page. For an episode about motherhood, listen to this one: What Every Mom Needs to Hear Today If you want to know more about how to make deeper connections with the people you love, listen to this episode next: The One Tool to Transform Your Relationships: The Let Them Theory. Connect with Mel: Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Mel on Instagram The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram Mel's TikTok Sign up for Mel’s personal letter Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free Disclaimer

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins podcast.
0:08.7	You know, I've been thinking a lot about my dad lately.
0:11.6	I've been thinking about how the years have just flown by.
0:14.0	I mean, I can't believe he's already 80.
0:16.6	And the fact is, I want to see him more often.
0:19.4	I want to connect with him on a deeper level.
0:21.7	Learn more about him because if I'm lucky, I've got like 10 or 15 more years with him.
0:26.5	And I really want to enjoy the time that we have together.
0:30.6	Maybe you feel that way about someone you care about too.
0:33.7	You know, one thing I've come to realize is that there's never enough time with the people you love.
0:38.9	And knowing that, doesn't it just create this sense of urgency to say the things that matter?
0:44.5	Ask the questions you've never asked.
0:46.6	Try to do just a little bit better.
0:49.0	And that's what makes today's guest so special.
0:53.9	To say that he has a way with words is a massive understatement.
0:59.2	In our Boston studios today, we have one of the single best-selling authors of our lifetime.
1:07.3	I'm talking about the one and only James Patterson. He's the record-breaking literary legend
1:14.8	who has sold more than 400 million books. And can you guess what his favorite title is,
1:22.7	Dad? And that's the topic of his newest book. I'm so excited for this conversation and thrilled that James is here because he's one of the busiest authors on the planet. In fact, he's currently working on 31 different projects. But today, he has stepped away from the writing desk and is pulling up a chair with you and me for a life-changing conversation about fatherhood.
1:48.8	And maybe you're listening today and you're lucky enough like I am and your dad is still with us. Or for you, maybe dad is the one you miss. Maybe he's the one you wish you had or you
1:55.1	wish you understood. Or maybe you want to know how to be the best dad, the best person that you can be. Or heck, you just want
2:03.1	to know how to do a little bit better. James Patterson is letting you in on the things you don't
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 8 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from SiriusXM Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of SiriusXM Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.