Category Archives: Best advice from dads

Bored? Here, Read This.

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“Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled, ‘This could change your life.'”

—Helen Exley

Story contributed by Barbara Shallue.

I was seven or eight when I uttered that inevitable childhood chant to Daddy, “I’m bored.”

“Bored?” he said, handing me an old, mildewed copy of ‘Black Beauty’.

“Here, read this. You’ll never be bored again.”

I was hooked.

Here, read this

Barbara Shallue and her dad

I’m Barbara Shallue. I’m a writer, blogger and photographer. I can trace my passion for words and images back to Daddy’s early tip. And Daddy was right.

As long as I’ve had something handy to read (and I try to make sure I do), I’ve never been bored again. Besides Anna Sewell’s ‘Black Beauty’ — and hence, every horse book I could get my hands on — Daddy got me hooked on historical fiction. READ MORE 

What My Father Taught Me About Being An Entrepreneur

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“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”

Author Unknown

Story contributed by Brad Handler*

Brad Handler entrepreneur

Brad Handler

My younger brother, Brent, and I are fifteen months apart. We grew up with a father obsessed with business and real estate. Any time we passed a lot for sale my dad would take his eyes off the road and wonder aloud if the parcel was a good buy. My mom had to remind him every time he had my brother or me in the car, to pay attention and not let his eyes wander. He was constantly looking for the next “big deal” in Denver’s real estate market.

Other kids would play catch with their dad but not us. The only competitive sport in our house was Monopoly. My dad, brother and I would spend long weekends in marathon games at the kitchen table. Dad would coach each of us on how to best build an empire. He’d then go off to work on Monday morning and build his. READ MORE 

Burnt Biscuit

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“A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.”

—Tom Stoppard

Today’s story is from Art Ernst.

Burnt biscuit

Art Ernst

Most Savvy Dad stories are special. Some are what we call 10+. That means as good as they get. On that scale, this is an 11.

We found this story floating around the Internet in different forms, “author unknown”. A bit of detective work by our own Chris Neck turned up the original author, original story and some very cool background.

Heat up your coffee. Pour some more tea. Savor this moment. You’re in for a treat.

We’ll start with the email Chris received from the now 85-year old author. Then, in its original form, enjoy one of most touching dad stories (and best life lessons) you’ll ever read. READ MORE 

Failure … High Five From Dad!

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“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

—Thomas A. Edison

Today’s story is about Sara Blakely.

Every night at dinner Sara’s dad asked, “What did you fail at today?” Sara would excitedly report back, “Dad, I tried out for this sport today and I was horrible!” Or that she auditioned for a play—and was wonderfully bad!

Dad’s response? “Way to go!” A high five came next.

Sara Blakely, high five

Sara Blakely at the 2012 Time 100 Gala
Photo: David Shankbone

Sara Blakely’s nightly failure reports, and celebratory high fives, ended up shaping her life. It was a lesson from Dad that paid off big! This 42-year-old entrepreneur recently graced the cover of the Forbes billionaire issue. (The youngest self-made female billionaire to do so).

Sara is the founder/inventor of Spanx — special slimming, no panty-line underwear. Thousands of women around the world swear by them. Reality star Kim Kardashian wears Spanx. Jennifer Lopez does too. Over 10,000 retail locations carry the product.

There are over 200 types of the body-shaping garments, even Spanx designed for pregnant women. Spanx swimwear. Yes, even Spanx for dudes, too. READ MORE 

Six Lessons I Learned From My Dad

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“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.”

—Vernon Law

Today’s story is from Josh Linkner.

Six lessons from dad

Three generations: Josh (red shirt), his dad, and his son Noah (who will be 16 next month).

Robert Linkner was one strange dude. He forged his own path as he journeyed from hippie to psychologist to retailer to financial planner. He had a hilarious, dark sense of humor, was an incredible chef and had a series of oddball hobbies. He took pride that his tastes in music, travel, food, and life were always a bit different than the average Joe. His life ended far too early when we lost him to cancer in 2007.

It’s natural to miss your dad on Father’s Day, but this year I began to reflect on the lessons he taught me. Sometimes mysterious in his ways, I now realize he was quite deliberate as he instilled his philosophies in my sister, brother, and me. His wisdom has shaped who I am today, and there’s much to learn from his irreverent, non-traditional approach. READ MORE 

Dad’s Incredible Toaster Plan

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“Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it explodes in your face. Keep your eyes open. Be fleet on your feet.”

—Harold “Chubby” Hague, Businessman, Remarkable Dad, Toaster King

by Greg Hague

My dad’s nickname was Chubby. I never knew why though, he was so fit and trim. “A name he picked up in the Air Force during the war,” Mom said. I asked him once… “I had that name before I knew I had it!” he laughed. “My old war buddies stuck me with it. I still have no idea why. I mean, look at me!”

After the war, Chubby came back home to Cincinnati. Married mom. Had me and my sister, Linda. Many of those war buddies came home too, and they needed to buy homes. Dad saw an opportunity.

Dad's Incredible Toaster

Dad’s Incredible Toaster Plan

A short exam. A fifty-cent fee. He picked up his real estate license at the local apothecary (how times have changed). The Harold W. Hague Company was born.

Dad worked incessantly. His company flourished. Most clients needed loans to buy homes. He saw another opportunity.

Dad founded Columbia Savings and Loan. Rented a small building right across the street from his real estate office. In those days, a savings & loan earned a profit the old fashioned way — by accepting deposits, then making loans from those deposits. Dad needed deposits.

Introducing Dad’s Incredible Toaster Plan!

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One in Each Eye

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If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

—Wayne Dyer

Today’s story is from Brian Hague about his dad, Greg Hague.

Winter of ’92. I was 14. Denver bound. A father-son ski trip. Dad had a conference for his company there, too. I would finally get to see him “perform” for a big audience.

dad

Dad and me before our spaghetti dinner, 1992

The first day was incredibly fun! Bombing the slopes, racing to the bottom on every run. A battle against each other. Against ourselves. Against the mountain. We capped the day with an incredible spaghetti dinner.

The next morning — the conference was HUGE! Five hundred people looked like five thousand! I was terrified. What if he choked? Froze up?

I sat in the back corner, holding my breath as Dad took the stage. What happened next remains one of my most vivid memories, and a valuable lesson on life. No outlines. No cue cards. No charts or graphs. He spoke to that crowd like he was speaking to us at the dinner table. Totally relaxed. Poised and assertive. Funny and engaging. READ MORE