An unexpected role: People & Companies

This summer has been hectic, both professionally and personally.

The business side has been a roller coaster, requiring intense management. Personally, I had the pleasure of seeing my third of four kids graduate from high school and begin developing an interest in our family business.

His lightbulb came on much earlier than mine, realizing the value of an opportunity in the manufacturing industry. So much so that he motivated three of his friends to seek the same opportunities by recruiting them to join our company. We needed some entry-level labor, and this was an opportunity for them to determine if a shop career was of real interest or not.

My son’s friends largely spent their teenage years around my house and our family, focusing on the usual teenage priorities and being generally clueless about our shop. As they neared graduation and were forced to consider life after adolescence, the challenges of adulthood came into focus.

Unbeknownst to me, my role began to shift from goofy Dad to mentor and “man of wisdom.” Suddenly, my advice and guidance about life mattered more, and my son and his three friends began to notice business conversations at our home. No longer did their conversations revolve around sports, teachers, cool cars and video games. Instead, they were sitting with my wife and me, asking us about career opportunities, the value of college and work training classes. They listened and took our ideas to heart.