The BeatiDudes (2025)

31/10/2025

Closing the Loop: Leadership Lessons from India to Halo

The 'Dudes welcome back Rob McKenna, PhD, to keep exploring trust, formation, and the quirky on-ramps God uses to shape leaders.

Rob shares the origin of the WiLD Leaders washer symbol and a powerful “generational loop” story that began with his parents and found unexpected completion through his trips to India.

The Dudes trade formative childhood moments and what they learned about resilience, agency, and identity. Rob explains how a Halo map and a rocket launcher inspired a real-world assessment platform that highlights the metrics that drive behavior and build leaders. The conversation takes many twists and turns, including jaunts into vulnerability, the costs of public leadership, melodic metal, video game soundtracks at the gym, and the hope that sits right on the edge of despair. Along the way, you will catch movie trailers that never were, a Scooby-Doo villain named Mr. Parrot, and a Pac-Man sprint set to Final Fantasy.

28/10/2025

Whole Leaders, WiLD Trust

This week, The BeatiDudes welcome Rob McKenna, PhD, psychologist and founder of WiLD Leaders, for a fast-moving conversation about trust, leadership, and the kind of vulnerability that builds thriving organizations. Dr. Rob shares how growing up in a very public ministry home shaped his view of leadership, why Psalm 13 is a masterclass in honest prayer, and how “the little i” in WiLD points to whole and intentional leader development.

Rob and The BeatiDudes (Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein) unpack the WiLD Trust Index, explore how faith fits into a healthy workplace, and WiLDly launch into a round of Blessed Are the Joke Makers. Along the way, you will hear practical ways to spark better one-on-ones, cultivate humble curiosity, and turn culture talk into culture traction.

Dr. Rob also previews his new book, Whole Leaders, WiLD Trust: The Courageous Path to Personal, Relational, and Organizational Change, with a foreword by Stephen M. R. Covey.

25/10/2025

The BeatiDudes are back at the Tiny Table with Patrick Thornton from Catholic.Store and Tiny Saints, LLC.

Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein start the episode with playful banter about names, shirts, and biceps, before Patrick shares a heartfelt family story that changed his life. Not too long ago, Patrick’s oldest son survived a serious car accident, spent weeks recovering, and then stood at his wedding after a last-minute clearance from the doctor.

The conversation turns to the gift of proximity, since all six Thornton kids now live within fifteen minutes of mom and dad in Irving. Patrick talks about ordinary names that feel wonderfully normal, the joy of grandparent life, and why Texas weather just works. The crew riffs on Tiny Saints as small reminders with a big mission, previews the red tiny table activation for the Catholic Music Initiative, Inc concert, and laughs through Catholic dad jokes, Tim Tebow sightings, and a legendary line delivered to Pudge Rodriguez.

The show is equal parts comedy and consolation, the kind of episode that leaves you grateful for faith, family, and friends who keep showing up.

20/10/2025

Tiny Saints Show = Catholic Bluey

Patrick Thornton, marketing vet turned Catholic entrepreneur behind Tiny Saints and Catholic.store, joins Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein at the famous Tiny Table for an episode that’s part improv, part inside-baseball for Catholic media, and all heart.

From Chicago to Denver to Irving, life moves and father-of-many/grandpa stories, to the ‘Tiny Saints Show’ (think “Catholic Bluey”) and why quality family content deserves real investment, Patrick keeps a dry wit while the Dudes serve up URL shenanigans, saint jokes, and a game of ‘Blessed Are the Joke Makers.’ The throughline: build excellent, joyful Catholic storytelling that the whole family can love, and help fund the pilot.

Call to Action

Back the Tiny Saints Show pilot and help bring joyful, excellent Catholic family animation to life. Goal: ~$175,000 for the pilot episode (as of the episode’s recording). The Kickstarter campaign runs through October 23. Visit tinysaints.com and click the banner to watch the pitch video and support.

17/10/2025

The Church Fully Alive

A mission-trip porch in Porto Giorgio, waves breaking in the distance, and a priest listening like a dad - that’s the heart of this Friday episode.

Fr. Mark Garrett returns to share how a lifelong attraction to service, prayer, and spiritual fatherhood led him through nine years of seminary and into a vocation that still fills his “father” cup daily. Along the way, the Dudes riff on VHS baptisms, “formators,” the propaedeutic year (aka “propaDudes”), and why the Church is very much alive through a new generation of priests. Hosted by Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein - with banter, gratitude, and a sincere invitation to come (back) to the Sacraments.

15/10/2025

SPECIAL SHOW ALERT -

Dave Moore returns to the Tiny Table for a special and heartwarming promo for his wife's upcoming return to the stage at THE MOORE WE ARE concert in November.

That’s right! The BeatiDudes welcome back their longtime friend and collaborator, Dave Moore, the heartbeat behind the Catholic Music Initiative, Inc and co-founder of the upcoming benefit concert The Moore We Are, featuring Dave and Lauren Moore at the Morton H Meyerson Symphony Ctr in Dallas on November 4, 2025.

What starts as a fun reflection on the early days of the BeatiDudes quickly turns into a moving testimony of faith, perseverance, and God’s faithfulness. Dave shares the incredible story of his wife’s recovery from Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a journey that took Lauren from paralysis and months in the ICU to now preparing for her first public performance since her illness. Through laughter, tears, and a few off-the-wall tangents, the Dudes uncover what it really means to experience John 10:10 — to have life and have it abundantly.

The November 4th concert isn’t just another show. It’s a resurrection moment for Lauren, a celebration of hope for the Catholic community, and an invitation to everyone to be part of something bigger than themselves. Attendees will witness Lauren’s return to the stage, hear stories of healing and gratitude, and experience a night that honors faith through beauty and music.

All proceeds benefit the Catholic Music Initiative, helping the Moore family continue to compose, record, and lead worship that lifts hearts toward heaven. Whether you attend in person, sponsor a table, or donate from afar, your support fuels this movement of faith and artistry.

13/10/2025

Fr. Mark Garrett joins BeatiDudes Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein for a moving, funny, and deeply Catholic conversation about hearing God’s call and answering it with courage.

Fr. Mark shares life on the road as a nomadic vocation director, offering Mass across the Diocese of Dallas, inviting young men to discern with the Church, and showing up when people suffer. The episode centers on the power of the sacraments: anointing the sick during COVID, blessing workplaces on short notice, and the heart-stopping beauty of fully initiating a newborn into the Church before her short life returned to the Father. Sorrow and joy coexist, and grace is real.

10/10/2025

Protractors & Providence

The BeatiDudes and Kyle Hatfield are at the tiny table, and this time, Kyle is unpacking the full roller coaster of faith, foolishness, and Divine Providence. From a Lutheran kid who once called Catholics “cannibals” to a man discipled into joy by Fr. Eric Shield, Kyle’s story proves God’s grace has a wild sense of humor. He went from writing a handwritten list of 20 reasons to become Catholic to completely falling away in college, only to find his way home through a Life Teen summer, daily holy hours, and an unexpected transfer to Franciscan University (where he met his future wife Angela)

Kyle shares two lines that changed his life: “If you’re humble and submissive to Christ, you’ll find peace in all you do,” and “Abandonment to the Father frees you from anxiety about tomorrow.” Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein mix in wisdom, laughter, and a few “ball-and-chain” lessons of their own as they remind us that holiness doesn’t start with perfection; it starts with surrender, a smile, and sometimes, a breakfast gone wrong.

29/09/2025

This week the BeatiDudes - Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein -welcome Joseph Bionat "JB", Marketing & Communications Director at St. Ann Catholic Parish.

JB shares a winsome conversion arc: cradle Catholic to questioning student, then a reasoned return to the Church through scripture study, history, and a lived encounter with Jesus. Along the way: Aggie hospitality, ministry in the workplace, late-night adoration, grad studies at UD, a stint at Word on Fire, and the joyful story of meeting his wife at St. Ann. We also “prep” JB for new-dad life with a hilariously helpful quiz and a round of Blessed Are the Joke Makers. Humor + holiness = home base.

Highlights
· Aggie roots - Hospitality that feels like home; why a random campus tour sealed the deal for Texas A&M.
· From rules to relationship - Bible study (Ephesians), Breakaway invites, and asking better questions about Jesus.
· Thinking it through - JB’s route from monotheism vs. polytheism to the historicity of the Church (“one true church founded by Christ”).
· Undivided life - Consulting career, witnessing with charity at work, and mid-week adoration near a client site.
· Formation season - Pandemic discernment → Master’s in Pastoral Ministry (UD) → Word on Fire Institute marketing → St. Ann.
· Love - Women’s Night of Worship, a camera, one providential photo, and a two-year courtship to marriage.
· New-Dad Readiness Quiz - Midnight snacks, diaper math in the Target parking lot, and the proper lullaby (hint: “Bohemian Rhapsody”).
· Game time - Blessed Are the Joke Makers - sour school-teacher edition.

26/09/2025

Heritage, Holiness, and Cheesy Hot Chocolate

Nicholas Cabrera MBA joins Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein as he delves into the healing power of family, the beauty of choosing to grow, and why quality time together is what truly matters. From Colombian traditions (yes, cheese in hot chocolate and bananas with soup) to the sacred “movie moments” with nieces, to the case for showing up in person instead of living on Zoom, Nico threads humor, heritage, and holiness into a warm reflection on belonging. Along the way, we detour through pork-chop poetry, airport theme songs, and the working rule of family life: when you’re together, don’t look at the bill, look at the people.

Highlights
· “Choose to be better.” Nico shares how his parents’ decision to grow and heal reshaped the family’s trajectory, proof that humility and conversion change generational outcomes.
· Presence > platforms. Trust and creativity accelerate when we’re physically together; Zoom can maintain momentum, but real relationships are built across a table (or next to each other at 6 a.m. work sessions).
· Time turns holy. As parents age and siblings get married, mundane moments (sharing ice cream, chasing toddlers) become sacred snapshots.
· Colombian comfort: Try it before you knock it, melty mozzarella in thick hot chocolate, and sweet banana alongside hot soup
· Family finance rule: When you’re with your people, stop itemizing the joy.

22/09/2025

At the tiny table, Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein welcome Nicholas Cabrera MBA - a Colombian‑American Catholic whose path runs from teaching high school students, to leading worship on massive international stages, to building partnerships inside a fast‑paced cybersecurity startup.

This episode mixes humor (Zara cologne, “fat lips,” and the quest for a decent USA chant), culture (Spanish nicknames, rich family traditions, and Latin musical energy), and faith (music that exalts God, business that genuinely adds value, and choosing joy in each circumstance). Nico recalls playing right after the Pope at World Youth Day for 200,000+ people, reflects on being “rich and wild” in Spanish culture, and shares how Viktor Frankl’s insight - our freedom to choose a response - guides his work and prayer. The Dudes also attempt a color‑coded parody of I Will Survive…

19/09/2025

In this fun-filled episode, Paul Kolker, Nick Bezner, and Jeff Schiefelbein welcome back Michael Greene, the “grandpa” from Grandma and Grandpa Camp and now officially dubbed the James Bond of Grandparents. Today’s conversation flows around powerful “God moments”, those surprising, providential times when the Lord shows up in unexpected ways.

Michael shares stories of houses that fell through (thankfully, thanks to termites and a title dispute), and how God sometimes needs to hit us with a 2x4 to get our attention. Michael unpacks how prayer and forgiveness have shaped his family through decades of life and marriage with his wife, Rosemary.

Together, the BeatiDudes and Michael explore when they feel closest to God, whether in early morning prayer, praying over a child during nightmares, or writing prayers directly into emails instead of just promising them.

The BeatiDudes