Who is Neil M White? – Author, Adventurer, Father
Neil M White is an author father, adventurer and creator of This Dad Does. But who is Neil M White? And how can he claim to be all these things?
It’s just as well I’m on hand to tell you isn’t it?
It’s entirely possible that you’ve never heard of me. Or if you have, know very little about me. So here’s your chance to find out.
I’ve Been Writing for Eleven Years
What happened eleven years ago? I was living in rural East Africa on the border between Northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Equatorial countries with little electric light mean one thing – long nights. To pass the time I started to write. First I wrote a journal, then started a novel, penned long letters home and then began reviewing books.
Back in the UK a year later I tried to ‘make it’ as a writer. I failed. But I learned a lot. The results? Read them for yourself:
- Five Ways to Fail as a Freelance Writer
- What I learned from a Year of Writing
- How to Write Your First Book
Seven years after starting my handwritten journal by kerosene lamp (yes that really happened), I decided to write again. The eventual result? This Dad Does and a catalogue of freelance clients.
What started as a fitness blog for Dads has quickly turned into something more and something much bigger than me. Is it a movement? Not yet, but one day it will be.
Now, as well as this website, you can:
- Follow my musings, opinions and more on Twitter
- Read and share my latest articles on Facebook
- Watch the latest broadcast on Periscope
- See what I’ve been up to Instagram
- Follow and chat on Gab
Neil M White is a Father
You’d hope so wouldn’t you! If I’m writing a blog about how to ace being a Dad, you’d hope I know what I’m talking about.
I started out writing about fitness, nutrition and the gym. And those things are important. But more recently I’ve been exploring our identity as Dads in our modern times.
What is our job?
How do we interact with our kids?
What are we supposed to teach them?
This has led me to some great chats with other dads. This was my first Podcast interview with Scott Gulbransen of The Manlifesto Podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/manlifesto/manlifesto-podcast-1-91216
I also had the opportunity to feature on the Becoming the Alpha Muslim Podcast with Nabeel Azeez. We covered a lot of ground in what turned out to be my most candid interview yet.
I’ve appeared on the Mark Baxter Podcast which was the number one lifestyle podcast for men. Mark and I really hit it off and covered a lot of ground.
You can listen or download the full episode here:
Soon after, Todd and Biz (aka The Hanging Chads) invited me for a ‘chad’ on their irreverent politics and current affairs programme. We had a lot of laughs and a few Braveheart references. Check it out here:
In September 2017, I was invited by Craig James to join him on the Masculine by Design Mancast in what was my most indepth and personal interview yet. If you want to know more about my mission, and how to build yours, that’s a good place to start.
My two kids constantly keep me on my toes and provide endless enjoyment and inspiration for things to write about.
Living the Adventurous Life
What does it mean to be an adventurer? Does it mean:
- Travelling by Jeep through disputed Kashmir on the Karakoram Highway?
- Living among a remote tribe in Sub Saharan Africa?
- Jumping out of a plane in the dark at 800 feet?
(I’ve done all these things)
Yes, but you don’t have to do outrageous or dangerous things to be an adventurer. You do need to be constantly pushing the boundaries of what other people see as impossible.
And smiling quietly when you succeed after they said you’d fail.
Neil M White: Creator of This Dad Does
When I started This Dad Does, I had a clear vision of what it would look like. I knew I had a lot to offer. For more on this read my ‘About’ page:
Since starting this blog, tens of thousands of men have read my articles and been helped as a result. My social media has millions of hits and impressions
This isn’t a ‘Dad-Blog’ in the sense that it’s not a front for companies and brands to advertise their products like so many are.
For more on what Dad Blogs really are, read these:
I regularly turn down requests from brands to feature their products on my site. The reason is this: I’m committed to giving you, the reader, value whenever you click on to This Dad Does. If that doesn’t happen, I’ve failed.
That’s why you won’t see ads or sponsored posts by some corporate giant selling you soap. If you leave my site with a resolve to be a Dad who does more, then I’ve succeeded.
Neil M White: Published Author
In 2017, my debut book ‘A Father’s Mission: Strong Fatherhood in Our Modern Times’ was published on Kindle, paperback and a host of other formats.
The book represents a collection of the best articles from this site as well as all new content which has been edited and organised into six parts or ‘pillars’ of modern fatherhood.
You can read the introduction for free here.
Or buy the book on Amazon
(Psst, you can get a free copy too. Read this for more)
Thank You For Reading – This Site is for You
I appreciate you taking the time to read this and engage in This Dad Does. If you read something and it makes you think, let me know. I love getting comments (even negative ones) and will take time to answer any questions you might have.
If you need to get in touch directly, try my Contact page.
Neil
P.S. I also write a regular email for subscribers. They are the crack-commando team of Dads who take their fatherhood and male identity seriously. Join them here:
