I have a natural passion for being a dad
Mostly borne from the fact that I grew up without a dad. My parents divorced when I was 3 years old and I have no real memories of my dad… I grew up wondering why I never heard from him, on holidays, my birthday… but since I never had him around I never really knew what it was like to miss having him there… In that sense maybe I was lucky… Since then, I've always told myself that when I had kids I was going to be the best father I could possibly be… Not a perfect dad, but always present and involved with my kids - no matter what.
Working for myself and making my own hours from time to time over the years, I have been lucky enough to be able to be more available to my kids for all the things working parents generally have to miss out on, ironically, to provide for their families…
When I was thinking about my next venture, I kept recalling the advice I've heard from successful entrepreneurs hundreds of times: "Build your business around something you're passionate about". Well, I can tell you, if there is one thing that's true about me,
I'm passionate about being a father.
As for my dad, I learned his lack of dedication or responsibility in being a father wasn't completely intentional…
After some time, my mom lost touch with my dad, and I rarely asked questions about him and their marriage. I spent many years throughout my childhood considering whether or not I should try to track him down. Eventually the internet made it pretty easy to dig up info on lost friends and relatives and being that my dad had been in the military, it was easy to find him. A few years back, I decided to look him up and found he had passed away when he was about 34... Which would have made me about 9 years old at the time. And then all those years never hearing from him made sense… Even if he had wanted to be there, it was too late for both of us... I spent all those years wondering and I'm sure had he known his own life was limited, he might have made more of an effort to be a part of mine.
And that is the genesis of this brand, The PopLyfe. It's not to declare that dads are better than moms, not to pat dads on the back. It's about showing pride in being a father, wearing your dedication, and representing responsible men that consider fatherhood a privilege and a joy. A reminder to always be there and be present in your kids lives.