Both Mother’s and Father’s day are incredible important –– though perhaps not for the reasons most of us immediately think. Yes, these holidays do produce some $12.5 billion in revenue for companies across the globe, but there is a lot more to these days that money simply cannot buy.
We know that our childhood years are formative. We know that while nature plays a part in who we ultimately become, nurture is what comprises our memories, our habits and ultimately our decisions. In that way, our parents have a significant say, whether or not they want it, in our adult mindset –– or what inevitably makes us dreamers, warriors, entrepreneurs.
Father’s Day generates some $12.5 billion in revenue per year.
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This Father’s Day, we wanted to learn more about the dads behind some of Bigcommerce’s most popular online stores for this time of year. Below, hear from three successful owners who have taken the time to recount the lessons their fathers taught them, and how they are passing down those same values to their own children.
Man Crates: On The Importance of Striking an Intentional Balance
Meet Jon Beekman, founder and CEO of Man Crates, an online store selling gift sets geared toward –– you guessed it –– men. Man Crates’ success story is what so often gets this company press. After all, their team managed to hit record-breaking sales during the 2014 holiday season –– and Man Crates is hardly even four-years-old. We caught up with Beekman to talk a bit more about the personal side of the business, how his father helped influence his career, and how he hopes to do the same for his own kid.
“My dad was the biggest driving force behind the man I am today and after having recently become a father myself, seeing that impact from the other side of the paternal relationship has been incredibly humbling. I’m doing my best to follow in my dad’s footsteps and believe that men are called to be deeply involved in the lives of their families, coworkers and neighbors. At Man Crates, we try to build products and services that honor this aspirational role men have in the lives of the people around them.
Fatherhood is all about investing your time in the places that really matter.
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I think fatherhood is all about investing your time in the places that really matter. Balance becomes critical –– making sure one’s family, work, physical and spiritual life are all being tended to. Unfortunately, that’s often much easier said than done. At Man Crates, we’ve been growing like crazy and still have to break into an all-out sprint from time to time to keep up. But fatherhood has helped me become a better business owner by forcing me to make much more intentional decisions for myself, my family and my employees that reflects the desire for this kind of balance.
It’s amazing how quickly going four months without sleep after having a baby will break a man of the illusion that he’s in full control of his own life. As painful as those early months were, they helped me focus on the things I do have more control over –– being a better man, friend, mentor and coach to the people around me and living in a way that would make both my dad and my son proud of me. And that’s the most inspiring and daunting part of being a father, the realization of just how much of an impact you’ll have on your kids, and through them, the world they’ll inherit.”
DLT Trading: The Value of Family, Both Blood and Brethren
Meet Jason Thoune, owner of DLT Trading Company, an online store selling engraved knives and high quality cutlery from around the world. For Thoune, Father’s Day is a chance to increase sales via knives personalized with initials or a favorite quote, but his dedication to customer service, a business aspect for which DLT Trading is well-known, comes from a place of respect and reverence. We caught up with him to talk about how his father and the birth of his son have influenced his overall business –– and found out that, according to Thoune, the experience itself has made him a changed man.
My employees and customers really are part of my extended family.
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Being a father has also helped me to focus on my business, prioritize projects and put the needs of our customers in the forefront more than ever. I think when you become a father you change, you become a different person than you were previous to fatherhood. These changes, without exception, are good for me personally.
Shortly after I became a father, I was told by a friend that you never realize how much your dad loves you until you become one. Although my Dad and I have always been extremely close, being a father has made our relationship even closer. Little Brayden serves as an inspiration to me every day to try to strive to be the best person I possibly can be and that clearly carries over to the way I run my business.”
Tortoise Supply: Why Families Selling to Families Generates Success
Meet Tyler Stewart, founder and CEO of Tortoise Supply, an online store selling turtles, most often as pets. Stewart’s love for animals goes back to his childhood in the desert and a love for chameleons –– the breeding of which earned him credibility within the reptile world. Once married, though, Stewart shifted his focus over to turtles and hasn’t looked back since. We caught with him to get the inside info on how his current fatherhood helps him build a better business.
“Fatherhood helps me to understand my business and potential customers better because we often sell to families that want pets for their children. By having my own children interact with our animals, we are able to see which breeds do well with different children of different ages. That helps us to have a better understanding of what to suggest for others that want the same. A large part of our customer base is families just like ours –– and we love it.
A large part of our customer base is families just like ours –– and we love it.
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Having several young boys definitely keeps us busy, but they like to help where they can, from assembling shipping boxes and gathering inventory for the day’s shipments to helping me feed and clean the tortoises and straighten things up at trade shows. Children keep us young and keep us moving, and the expenses that kids can rack up definitely keep us working hard to stay ahead of them!”
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Posted by Bigcommerce on Thursday, June 18, 2015
The post Dads Doing Business: A Father’s Day Dive Into the Men That Shape Our Lives appeared first on The Bigcommerce Blog.
