About Ron
Not a Perfect Dad
Let me say this up front: I wasn't a perfect dad — and I'm still not.
I was present physically but sometimes missed things I can't get back. I'm not here as a master, but because God is still refining me.
Just Getting Started
I'm a long-time husband, father, and grandfather who recently retired to Spring Hill, Tennessee, near my first grandchild. Not sitting in a rocking chair kind of retirement — active and focused on this next chapter near family in Tennessee.
For me, retirement isn't a finish line—it's a launchpad. I'm nowhere near finished. High-energy, full of fire, and backed by decades of hard-won lessons, I'm giving this next chapter to Prayer-Centered Fatherhood—walking alongside men who want to become the Servant-Leader Dad their families need.
How I Roll
The Uniform — Strictly a jeans and t-shirt guy, a button-down on rare occasion. Often seen in sandals and socks—don’t judge. Occasionally, I'll don a cowboy hat. No apologies.
Laidback But Fierce — I live a simple life and keep things low-stress, but I am full of fire when it comes to helping men step up.
Car Lover, Kept Simple — I love cars, but I keep my own ride straightforward and functional. No need for too flashy of toys.
The Rare Pour — I enjoy a good red wine or a fine whisky, but on rare occasions and with extreme moderation.
The Real Credentials — I’ve been married to my closest friend for over 30 years. We have two adult children who are married, and my absolute favorite title these days is Grandpa.
No Zoom Fatigue — Coaching happens over a simple phone call — often while you're in your truck. In-person when and where appropriate.
Built for Brotherhood — I value deep friendship and straight-shooting conversation over small talk.
High Fun, Zero Drama — Life is too short to be rigid. We’re going to do some heavy lifting here, but we’re going to have a lot of fun doing it.
Who I've Walked With
I've spent over 30 years with pastors, ex-cons, and ordinary dads carrying hidden burdens. True change comes when they stop carrying it alone and let God meet them. I've walked longest with Jesus — through every win and wreckage.
Read the full story: Thirty-Five Years in the Forge with Men →
What I Bring
35+ years mentoring men
20 years in bi-vocational pastoral ministry
20 years in premarital coaching
12 years as a certified coach
10 years leading prayer ministries
6 years as a law enforcement chaplain
Licensed and ordained through the local church
Author of Black Diamond Dads™
Creator of the Black Diamond Legacy Refinement™—a proprietary process developed over decades
The credential that matters most: I've lived every bit of what I walk men through.
Forged, Not Broken
A carbonado is a black diamond—the toughest on earth. Where an ordinary stone would crack and fail, a carbonado holds: the pressure fuses it into something stronger.
God forms men the same way.
The pressure you're under doesn't have to break you. Under God's hand, it can be the very thing that shapes you—not by remaking you into someone else, but by revealing the man He's been forming all along. Prayer is what brings it into the light.
It Outlives You
This is not just about a better prayer life.
When a father is refined—when he stops carrying it alone and starts leading from settled strength—he doesn't change alone. His kids feel it. His home steadies. And the way he prays becomes the way they'll pray, long after he's gone.
That's the vision: not one program, but a generation of Servant-Leader Dads raising the next. Fathers forged under pressure, teaching their children to stand under it.
It starts with one dad, willing to do the work.
Ready When You Are
No performance required. No need to have it together first. Just a man who's walked the hard road and will walk it beside you.
Explore The Carbonado Intensive™ →
Not ready yet?
Start with the free Black Diamond Dads™ book series →
Flat-Footed Conviction. Wholehearted Grace. Better Dads.
Ron Maxson, Jr. | The Dads Prayer Coach