Meet Joe Kulak, Co-Founder of Healthybaby

Tell us about yourself 
I'm Joe and I'm the proud father of Zane and Asha (Rooney + Furman too) alongside my wife Shazi!

Tell us your favorite dad joke!
What did Tennessee? The same thing Arkansas.

What was your most rewarding moment as a dad?
Undoubtedly the days that both of my children were born are easily the two most memorable times of my entire life. One was boundless hope and. Innocence and the other was pure celebration of life after being told it was impossible.

What's a common dad-misconception? What do you wish people wouldn’t assume about being/becoming a dad?
A common misconception about being a dad is that your most athletic years are behind you and you now have no choice but to accept the dad-bod. There's this image of the beer belly and being over the hill, but becoming a dad can be just the motivation you need to be in great mental and physical shape because you need to be for your family. People don't always mention that being a parent can be one of the most physically challenging things you'll ever experience. I have a unique lens being a special needs dad, but I'm in as good of shape as I ever was before kids because I need to be. I would encourage all parents to use the demands of parenting - picking up baby, picking up strollers, etc - as the inspiration and reason to get in awesome shape so you can ultimately feel good and be available to your kids. You have parental instincts and reservoirs of strength that you didn't know existed, now is your time to discover those.

What is your most valuable dad advice and how would a new parent apply it to their daily life?
My advice to all parents is to enjoy the early days for all the highs and lows. Time flies like it's in fast forward and they really are so damn cute when you look back and see the "baby them" in their eyes as they grow. I'd tell every parent to find the presence of mind to enjoy every moment and let go of little stuff that distracts from the beauty of new life.

Whether at home or on a larger scale, how are you bringing awareness to a dad’s role in your child's life?
On a larger scale I'm passionate about bringing awareness to the challenges that special needs parents face and I try every day to be as loud an advocate as I can for inclusion, compassion, and kindness.