How Kelly Clarkson’s well-timed Father’s Day gift boosted a KC entrepreneur’s nonprofit

Life’s recent whirlwind initially shocked James Hogue — the newly-minted “rad dad” who earned a shoutout (and a couple thousand dollars) on the Father’s Day edition of Kelly Clarkson’s hit daytime talk show.

James Hogue discusses his nonprofit, Fathers Assisting Mothers, with Kelly Clarkson on an episode of the Kelly Clarkson Show; still courtesy of the Kelly Clarkson Show

“My first thought was, ‘Is this really happening?’” the Kansas City dad and certified doula said.

The founder of Fathers Assisting Mothers — which is dedicated to equipping expectant fathers with birth education through a male-focused doula training program — Hogue recently earned the opportunity to share his nonprofit’s on the celebrity-focused TV show, clips from which frequently go viral on social media.

“It felt good from the standpoint of them — not only just trying to fill a spot on their Father’s Day week — but really wanting to learn more about the organization and our why behind what we do,” he said. “And we’ve been so grateful for the exposure on that level.”

Watch a clip below from the Rad Dad Father’s Day Edition of the Kelly Clarkson Show, then keep reading.

Fathers Assisting Mothers — which Hogue launched after the birth of his son and his wife’s experience with preeclampsia and low amniotic fluid — empowers dads-to-be to engage actively and knowledgeably in the childbirth journey through coaching, bootcamps, and events. 

Hogue cites CDC data that shows Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications and 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.

“To be clear, it’s not that they’re dying from childbirth,” he explained. “Women have been birthing babies since the beginning of time. The reality is that they die from neglect.”

“So how do we help avoid that or fight against that?” Hogue continued. “It’s by having individuals who are in the moms or the birthing person’s circle or village that is aware of what’s happening and being able to effectively speak up. We want to provide the fathers with the information and the empowerment to ask the right questions to be aware of what’s happening so that these disparities can be reduced.”

Kelly Clarkson applauds the work of James Hogue on an episode of the Kelly Clarkson Show; still courtesy of the Kelly Clarkson Show

On the TV show, the nonprofit was awarded $1,000 from sponsor Pilot Pen and another $1,000 from Clarkson herself.

“You are incredible,” Clarkson told Hogue during the Father’s Day episode. “I’m actually so moved by you that I’m going to double it. I’m going to throw in a thousand, too, because this is so cool what you are doing. It’s so, so important.”

Fatherhood doesn’t just begin after the baby is born, shared Hogue, who also won $10,000 during The Porter House KC’s Cohort 5 Pitch Night and who credited the Porter House team for preparing him well for his time on national TV. 

RELATED: Doula bootcamp founder wins PHKC’s $10K pitch after setting due date for success

After going through the dad doula program, one dad told Hogue that he now knows he can play a bigger role in the birth process than just fetching food and staying out of the way, Hogue recalled.

“We are helping guys to see that you belong in this space, and because you belong in this space, you have a specific role to play,” he explained.

James Hogue, founder of Fathers Assisting Mothers, receives $10,000 check from Porter House KC; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

The national exposure from the Kelly Clarkson show has also brought validation for Hogue and Fathers Assisting Mothers, he noted. Since the episode aired, he’s received a lot of inquiries about programming from around the country. One program in Chicago reached out asking how their members could be a part of the training.

James Hogue details his nonprofit, Fathers Assisting Mothers, on an episode of the Kelly Clarkson Show; still courtesy of the Kelly Clarkson Show

Even before, Hogue had begun working on turning the in-person curriculum into a self-paced module that can be done from anywhere, he said. 

“They’re affirming us and what we know is the need for the community, what we know that fathers are looking for,” Hogue said. “So it was encouraging to know that ‘OK, we’re on the right track with what we’re doing, and that individuals across the country are seeing and wanting what we’re doing.’”

He’s especially grateful for the timing of being given airtime alongside a media figure like Kelly Clarkson, Hogue said.

“We’ve been planting seeds over these last three years and it just seems like it’s time to reap some of those harvests of what we’ve planted,” he explained. “I believe if we had this exposure a year ago, or a year and a half ago, I don’t know if we were exactly ready for that type of exposure at the time. But where we are now. We feel as if things are built out to the point where we’re able to really provide the resources with the exposure that we receive.”