For many dads, ambition starts with a desire to provide. The pressure to succeed, prove yourself, and live up to expectations can quietly shape your identity, your relationships, and the way you experience fatherhood.Andrew Poles knows that tension firsthand. As a single dad, he started his first business at 23 while raising his daughter and trying to build a future for his family. Over the years, he built multiple businesses, coached thousands of entrepreneurs and leaders, and learned that achievement alone doesn’t answer the deeper questions about who you are and what truly matters.Andrew shares how to:Recognize when ambition is being driven by pressure instead of purposeSeparate your self-worth from your professional successIdentify the “shoulds” that are influencing your decisionsBuild a healthier relationship with achievement and validationCreate space for reflection instead of constant strivingNavigate modern dad challenges without losing yourself in workPursue meaningful work without tying your identity to outcomesAndrew offers a thoughtful perspective on dad identity, fatherhood mental health, parenting and ambition, and the pressure many men feel to prove themselves through achievement.This conversation is a reminder that success is most fulfilling when it’s connected to who you are, not who you think you’re supposed to be.Dig DeeperUniversity of Texas at AustinBaby SharkTed LassoJamie TarttJames TaylorTim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-FurterSephoraFollow AndrewOn his websiteOn InstagramOn FacebookOn YouTubeOn LinkedInFollow Gap to GigOn InstagramOn TikTokOn XOn YouTubeOn your podcast playerSign up for the newsletterFollow MichaelOn LinkedIn