Blend Don't Break - Craig Brignac
Chad M Brignac · May 16, 2025
Interview with Chad M Brignac
Podcast: The Nacho Kids Podcast: Blended Family Lifesaver
May 16, 2025 · 43 min
Listen to Chad M Brignac on The Nacho Kids Podcast: Blended Family Lifesaver.
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About Chad M Brignac
Transformationist, Coach, and Author of Blend Don’t Break, Helping Leaders and Families Position Themselves for Lasting Change
30+ years Construction leadership experienceFounding member John Maxwell TeamFeatured USA TodayCo-author Blend Don't Break
Chad M. Brignac believes the measure of leadership isn’t what you build—it’s who you become, and who you uplift along the way. With more than three decades of experience in the construction industry, leading high-stakes projects and complex teams, Chad knows firsthand that outward success can come at the cost of internal misalignment. For him, the real transformation began not in the boardroom, but in a deeply personal wake-up call that almost cost him his family. That moment reshaped how he lives, leads, and helps others.
As a transformationist, Chad helps leaders uncover blind spots, reconnect with their core values, and lead with emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and compassion. As co-author of Blend Don’t Break, a book written with his wife to guide blended families, Chad unearthed a deeper framework for change—one that applies far beyond family life. His approach resonates with entrepreneurs, executives, and faith-led professionals who are ready to lead more intentionally, both at work and at home.
Chad’s background as a founding member of the John Maxwell Team has sharpened his ability to coach not just for performance, but for purpose. He doesn’t promise to transform you—he helps you position yourself for transformation. Through small internal shifts, he believes, people can experience real, lasting outcomes.
As a podcast guest, Chad brings depth, vulnerability, and practical wisdom.
About this episode
On today's episode of the Nacho Kids Podcast, Lori sits down with Chad Bignac, transformationist, consultant, author, and coauthor of the new book "Blend, Don't Break." Drawing from over 22 years of blended family experience, Chad opens up about the challenges he and his wife faced merging their families after personal tragedies, including the loss of his first wife and his current wife's ex-husband.
Chad shares candidly about the painful missteps and valuable lessons learned along their journey, from clashing parenting styles and personal assumptions to the importance of unity, compassion, and self-growth. He details the turning point in his family's story, catalyzed by his wife's severe health crisis, and how choosing to respond rather than react helped heal deep family rifts.
Through heartfelt stories and practical wisdom, Chad emphasizes the power of compassion, influence over authority, and the need to unpack old emotional baggage before starting anew. Whether you're in a blended family or looking for guidance on overcoming personal and family struggles, this episode offers honest insights and hope for healing and connection.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Early Challenges in Blending
- Authority vs. Influence in Parenting
- Becoming a "Student of Your Children"
- Creating Environments for Healing in Blended Families
- Advice for Prospective Stepfamilies
Nacho Kids Success Story:
I thought stepping up meant stepping all the way in, but it was destroying me.
As a stepdad, I believed it was my job to take the lead and fix everything. I disciplined, managed homework, scheduled appointments… and got nothing but pushback. My wife and I were constantly arguing, and I felt like an outsider in my own home. Then we found Nacho Kids. Learning to Nacho helped me stop parenting by proxy and start supporting my wife as her partner, not as a replacement dad. The stress lifted, and surprisingly, my stepkids started warming up to me once I stepped out of the power struggle. Nacho Kids didn't just change our home, it gave me my peace back. ~Mark T., Stepdad of 2
Guest: Chad M Brignac
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3+ podcast & stage appearances. Remote or in studio, broadcast-grade audio.