The Great Sea Ahead: Overcoming Challenges and Living the Life You Didn't Expect with author Marc Cappelletti
Marc Cappelletti— Author of The Great Sea Ahead, former college athlete & dad
Show notes
Episode 23: Finding Your Way Through Setbacks, Fatherhood & The Great Sea Ahead with Marc Cappelletti
What happens when life doesn’t go according to plan?
In this episode of MomsWork, Kristin sits down with Marc Cappelletti — former college athlete, world traveler, author, and dad of two — to talk about resilience, identity, and the unexpected paths that shape us into the parents we become.
Marc opens up about his experience as a college baseball player facing the “yips,” injuries, and mental health challenges that ultimately led him to step away from the game he loved. From there, his journey took an unexpected turn — working on a cruise ship in Alaska, traveling the world, and eventually working with National Geographic — experiences that now inspire his upcoming book, The Great Sea Ahead.
Together, Kristin and Marc explore how life’s setbacks can become powerful teachers — not just for ourselves, but for how we show up as parents.
In this episode, we talk about:
How setbacks and identity shifts shape us as parents
Raising daughters with openness around mental health and emotions
The lasting impact of family legacy, loss, and storytelling
Lessons from sports and how they translate into parenting
What resilience looks like in everyday family life
How travel and adventure can shape your children’s perspective
Encouraging curiosity and connection across generations
The process of reflecting, growing, and writing your story
Marc shares:
Meaningful ways he brings adventure into his daughters’ lives
What writing The Great Sea Ahead has taught him about his younger self
The message he hopes his daughters — and readers — take from his journey
For parents who feel like life didn’t go as planned…
This episode is a reminder that there is no “perfect” path — and sometimes the detours are what shape us most.
Where to find Marc:
You can follow Marc’s writing and read/listen to chapters of The Great Sea Ahead on Substack: https://marccappelletti.substack.com/
Positive Coaching Alliance: https://positivecoach.org/
John Cappelletti, Heisman Award Acceptance Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfyz81vKUCk
Something for Joey Made for TV Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076738/
Something for Joey novel: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Joey-Richard-Peck/dp/0553271997
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