Latest news with #JoeGonzales
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brooklyn Dad's Push for Support Transforms into a 1,500-Strong Fatherhood Community
When Parents Next Gen winner Joe Gonzales became a father, he noticed how isolating it could be. That's why he created Brooklyn Stroll, a community for dads that's taken the borough by storm. After the birth of his son, Joe Gonzales was struck by how isolating new parenthood could be. He searched for a community of dads, somewhere to share everything from teething tips to the more vulnerable sides of fatherhood, like mental health, but came up empty. So, he created one himself— the Brooklyn Stroll Club. Gonzales' dedication to improving his community by creating connection is why he's a Parents Next Gen winner. Gonzales introduced the idea on TikTok, and it quickly took flight. His post went viral, drawing thousands of views, likes, and comments from dads craving the same connection. What began as a simple idea has grown into a thriving community of more than 1,500 fathers, offering online and in-person connections. While many members are still deep in the trenches of sleepless nights and midnight feedings, the Brooklyn Stroll Club has become a space for dads in all stages of parenting. It's a place to share stories, get advice, and build meaningful relationships rooted in shared experience. We sat down with Gonzales to learn more about the future of the Brooklyn Stroll Club—and his vision for a more connected, compassionate generation of fathers. What inspired you? How did this start? I started the Brooklyn Stroll Club in 2024 when I became a dad, and my life changed completely. Really, we just started in the park as dads just wanting to meet up. And it quickly grew to over 1,500 dads who are on our online community who chat daily about their experiences, tips, and are really just looking for encouragement in fatherhood. And then we do monthly meetups to really help dads build confidence. For some dads, it's their first time outside with their child. I know your son is young. How are you raising him to be a changemaker? I'm raising my son to be a changemaker by showing him that his parents take risks, love deeply, and pursue things they're passionate about. And I want him to feel confident in everything he does, in everything he tries. Even though he is little, he is always watching. I'm modeling the behavior for him so he can implement it later. I'm raising my kid to be a changemaker by the way we live our lives. It's nice that you'll get to grow with these fathers because it sounds like you're all kind of in the same phase. Are there other dads at different stages of their journeys? It's been really cool being a dad with a one-year-old because we've seen dads in the community who have just learned they are expecting. Then some dads have newborns. Those guys are in the trenches of figuring out how to do it. Then we have dads who have older kids, so they can share knowledge from their experiences with us. There's a little bit of everything. We hope to encourage not only the dads who are coming in, but also ourselves as we grow together. The community changes every year, and it changes with every kid. Every person's journey of fatherhood is unique. And so you can find somebody who has at least something you can relate to in the community. And I think that's super important. With all of the people you've met and talked to, what's one thing you've heard that stuck with you? One sentiment that I hear from the community is that they didn't know how much they needed the community, and I think that's the most important thing: being able to be vulnerable and open. And when you can find that and truly understand that it's helping you and growing you, I believe we can shape the next generation of fathers. At some point, the strollers get retired. Do you see meet-ups where it's sometimes just dads without their kids? We want to create experiences not only for dads and their children, but also experiences to help dads with mental health, self-care, and everything that goes along with processing fatherhood. Once we did a boxing meetup, and in the future, we want to do meditation classes, things like that. It's like this: How do we serve ourselves better? How can we better serve our families? How can we better serve the community around us? Those are the questions that we hope to answer as we become better fathers. Fatherhood is complex. Our hope is to give dads the tools that they need to be better for their families and themselves. The conversations I've had with dads are that they put themselves last, and I think that's always tough to hear. I'm sure people hear 'Stroll Club' and think you're just having meetups with your children. But this is really about dads finding connection and that friendship. Yes, that's the most important thing. Dads in a group chat talking about what they're going to do for dinner, what they're going to do for bedtime, or how they're going to do it. To me, that's the most impactful part of it. When you're with your kid, it's always chaos, but there's beauty in that as well. Read the original article on Parents Solve the daily Crossword
Hypebeast
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Portraits of Fatherhood from the Barbershop With Vince Garcia
Ahead of Father's Day on June 15,Dior Beauty, in conversation with renowned barber andDior SauvageGrooming AmbassadorVince Garcia, celebrates a new generation of men redefining what it means to lead with intention in their respective communities as professionals and fathers. Centered in the heart of the barbershop — a cultural hub in its own right — Garcia talks shop with founder and managing partner ofTeam EpiphanyColtrane Curtisand the founder ofBrooklyn Stroll Club,Joe Gonzales, about the importance of self-care and shaping their legacies through fatherhood, community building, and entrepreneurship. Hypebeast met up with the squad at Well Connected, a barbershop in the Lower East Side neighborhood, to see Garcia's expert lineups in motion. A trusted barber for over 23 years, Garcia has become a go-to name for celebrities and athletes. His ability to provide razor-sharp advice for friends and loved ones lucky enough to grace his chair has catapulted his career to new heights. Appearances on HBO'sThe Shopand his ongoing Dior ambassadorship showcase a growing legacy forged by precision, authenticity and dedication. Garcia often jokes that barbers double as therapists — his service creates space for candid conversations about fatherhood, success and raising the next generation to stay true to their values. Coltrane and Gonzales, both arriving for a well-deserved shape-up, speak with the A-list barber about how he keeps himself and his clients in top shape and the nuances of balancing work ventures with familial commitments. During his sessions, Garcia spotlights the benefits of theDior Sauvage Skincare Ritual Set, including the charcoal-infused cleanser, a toner formulated with cactus extract and a serum. Combined in a three-step program, these products help minimize the appearance of pores and clarify the skin, bringing anti-aging benefits and casual luxury to men's daily routines. 'More people are tapping into self-care, especially with men sharing more self-care routines on social media, there's more out there to help men feel confident. It's a part of my job to help educate my clients on products they can benefit from,' says Garcia. He credits the serum with providing a glowy complexion post-shave, using it in combination with the toner to help soften and hydrate Coltrane's skin and beard. Beautifying is rarely perceived as masculine, but in Garcia's chair, it becomes a badge of strength, where men see the real-time benefits of carving time out in the day to maintain their appearances. Grooming, like fatherhood, has a transformative power to radically change how one self-actualizes. 'When it comes to grooming,' shares Gonzales, 'I want my son to see me looking and feeling amazing so he can do the same and know how to represent himself out there.' On the subject of strength and teaching his children the equal importance of vulnerability, Garcia admits it's a delicate process that continues to illuminate his parenting. 'Communication is key. I'm still learning and trying to improve every day,' he says. 'It's the balance of finding those moments of vulnerability and showing your kids that it's okay to feel. It's okay to express. They are like sponges, so they see and hear how I react to certain situations. It's about being more mindful and intentional with their time, being as present as possible, and giving them the tools to feel safe to move throughout the world.' Coltrane Curtis also attests to teaching his boys that strength is not the quality of tearing others down. At the helm of Team Epiphany, a full-service marketing agency known for buzzworthy campaigns and experiential events, Coltrane manages a hectic schedule alongside his wife, who he shares two sons, ages six and thirteen. 'I was just having a similar conversation about earning your place in culture,' he tells Hypebeast. 'Image, appearance, presence — everything that you do creates a conversation that allows people to understand your depth, your brilliance and how sharp you are. There's still the need to have substance, but your image is the gatekeeper in a sense to those entry points — to socializing and opportunities made from first impressions.' As the conversation shifts to support systems that help men grow into fatherhood, Coltrane also shares thoughts on the importance of establishing a chosen family through communal outreach. 'It's a matter of being able to wholeheartedly trust the community that you build around them and help raise them with. I raise my children with the same amount of love and protection that I want my community to give.' Next up in the chair is Joe Gonzales, the founder and heart and soul behind theBrooklyn Stroll Club, a community of fathers in the tristate area who meet up for casual hangouts around the city with their children. Before providing a razor shave, Garcia applies the charcoal cleanser to Gonzales, massaging the product in and letting it rest as an impromptu facial mask to remove impurities and refine his complexion. Enjoying the benefits of the mask as it dries down, Gonzales notes that forging community is a self-care gesture ingrained in self-perseverance, and as a first-time father, the Brooklyn Stroll Club is his social lifeline. 'I see it being the place where dads can feel seen. I don't even know who I was before I became a dad, and it's such a beautiful process,' Gonzales shares with the group. The club provides a space for dads to bond with their children and build support structures that strengthen their ability to acclimate to the demands of parenting — from diapers to nap schedules. 'We hope to continue to build a space that gives dads community and confidence, and hopefully that builds into more as time goes on. It's a space for me to find people who are going through similar things [as a father].' Similarly, mentorship opportunities have allowed Garcia to make impactful connections with the city's youth. 'I've worked a lot with the Boys and Girls Club and was previously a part of a foundation called Trade-Works, where we would go to Jamaica and Kingston and teach kids the importance of barbering and tools to become confident and successful,' shares Garcia. 'It's as simple as giving back, embracing my culture as a Filipino, and exploring larger ways that I can elevate and educate those around me.' Many parents can attest to reevaluating their relationships to health upon the arrival of their first child. At one point during the discussion, Coltrane cites the passing of his father as emotional fuel to invest in his long-term health while also passing along the importance of maintaining one's mental health and spirit. 'I've been vulnerable and honest with [my kids] about my experiences regarding health and mental health. Hopefully, my goal is to help them not walk through the same portals of sheer ignorance and fear. Things happen, things come up, but there are solutions. Sometimes it's just a matter of reminding yourself that your children are emotionally intelligent and capable of learning hard life lessons with grace,' he shares. Those little moments of care, for oneself and for others, reverberate throughout a lifetime. It takes a village, and for what it's worth, fathers deserve their flowers too. Start your self-care regimen or treat the mentors in your life to the Dior Sauvage fragrance and Mencare, available Explore the Dior Sauvage Mencare Ritual Sethere.
