Category Archives: Life lessons

Sophisticated Fathering

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Sophisticated Fathering

Want to be a good dad? Be a role model.
Want to be a great dad? Make your kids the role model.

Corey Hague

I told my son Corey when I come to a fork in the road and don’t know which way is right, I ask myself “what would Corey do?”

It’s the next level.

Every day I hear stories of fathering. I’ve learned something I didn’t expect. Being a role model for your daughter or son is not as important as making them want to be a role model for you.

I’ve seen examples of not-so-good dads, with a child intent on setting him straight. How? The child becomes an example of everything right. I don’t recommend being a bad dad in the hope your kids will come to the rescue. But, consider this…   READ MORE 

Dad, I’m so proud of you.

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‘Dad, I’m so proud of you.’

Greg Hague's sons

Corey, Brian, Casey & Jason
I’m so proud of my sons.

This morning my son made me sad. We were talking about Savvy Dad stuff. There was a momentary lull in the conversation. Then Brian said,

“Dad, I’m so proud of you. What you’re doing is so special – and you’re working so hard. Just wanted you to know how I feel.”

My heart lit up. Are there more powerful words between father and son?
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To Your Child —A Promise Kept is Invaluable

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A promise to his little girl long ago. It was time to deliver, he knew. The price he would pay! Leave a career. Start over. Forge a new life.

Lise Webb Johnson, executive editor of John Wiley and Sons, is our Savvy Dad guest today. A mom herself, Lise told us she often thinks about a special day, her dad, and a promise he made.
Lise Webb Johnson

Lise Webb Johnson

Lise was just 9. She sat weeping on the floor of a hall closet in their Springhill, Kansas home. It was moving day…again.

“Dad was in senior management while I was growing up,” she recalls. “We had to move—a lot. This was our fifth in ten years.

The strain of always being the ‘new girl’ wore thin. It was hard to make new friends, to adjust and fit in.   READ MORE 

Feeling Uncomfortable — A Trade-Off

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Feeling Uncomfortable — A Trade-Off

The first date. That big interview. A trip to strange lands.

This is about strain…and the chance for gain.

Our guest today is a new father, author, speaker and entrepreneur, soon a PhD. Jordan Jensen is a young man, an overachiever extraordinaire.

Jordan Jensen

Jordan Jensen and his father

Who showed him the way? A quite savvy dad…a long ago time.
It’s a childhood story of fear. It’s a life message all kids should hear.

At 11 years old, did I ever feel uncomfortable on that camping trip? A week in the woods, the longest I had ever been away, a lifetime it seemed. I wasn’t making friends. I felt alone. I was out of place.   READ MORE 

Learning a Lesson by Contrast

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Like the thorn in a rose, lessons born of pain often stick with us most.

Michael Leboeuf

Best-selling author,
Michael Leboeuf

Our Savvy Dad guest today, Dr. Michael LeBoeuf, is a best-selling author. Sometimes a father’s gift is by example of what not to do.

In his own words, Michael takes it from here:

“In many ways my father was a very good family man. He and my mother were married almost 63 years. He was faithful to my mother and brought home every penny he earned.   READ MORE 

The True Meaning of Accomplishment

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Some talk big…then fade away.
Others do what it takes…they find a way.

Rudy Ruettiger

Rudy, the movie

One of the defining qualities of life’s winners is this thing I call “grit.” It’s stopping the talk and starting the walk.

Grit is about getting things done. It’s the night & day work it takes to succeed. It’s the “all in” commitment that “nothing will stand in my way.”

Grit is guts, resilience and staying power. While others discuss dreams, those with grit do something about it.

Our guest today is a portrait of grit. As you will learn, so was his dad. He is a friend, author, motivational speaker and personal hero of mine.

The Savvy Dad welcomes Notre Dame football legend, Rudy Ruettiger, subject of the movie ‘Rudy.’

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