Tag Archives: Chubby

Savvy Dad on Chit Capital

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Millions of words exist on how to make it in life.

by Greg Hague

Chubby taught it in few. Here are two: Chit Capital

chubbyThis is about that.

In 1962, I wanted to start my first business. I was 14. I needed 75 bucks to buy a lawn mower. I was going to cut grass.

My plan? Door to door with a flyer. “I Cut Grass. Good. Cheap. Greg.” When I asked Dad to loan me the $75, he asked why. I expected that. I told him my plan…the flyer, “I Cut Grass. Good. Cheap. Greg.”

Chubby thought for less than a minute. He pulled out his money clip and counted out 75 bucks. He spread it on the table and walked away.   READ MORE 

Dad’s Prized Possession

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Dad’s Prized Possession

The Hamilton — a gift from mom to dad.

by Greg Hague

Dad wore it for most of his life. Hamilton was the brand inscribed on the face. Piaget, Rolex…many cost more.

Greg Hague's Hamilton

The Hamilton. Mom to Dad. Dad to me. Me to Jason last Christmas.

But The Hamilton was priceless to Dad. It was Mom on his arm, Mom at his side. The Hamilton had a black leather band, a pearl face and a bezel of platinum. Mom had the jeweler set small diamonds at 3, 12 and 9.

A small hand in a cross, centered below, counted the seconds. The Hamilton was kept in Dad’s top bureau drawer. It had a place of its own. It always lay flat, perfectly straight, with the band pointing north. The Hamilton was positioned an inch from the left side of the drawer. Dad’s money clip sat angled, just to the right…also a gift from Mom.   READ MORE 

7 Little Sentences. 7 Big Thoughts.

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7 Little Sentences. 7 Big Thoughts.

I’ve been fortunate. Most of my life I’ve been surrounded by people with smarts.

by Greg Hague

Greg Hague

My kids say this is my “smart guy” photo.

It started with my dad, Chubby. He taught me a ton and made me want to know more. I learned that big concepts can often be expressed in just a few words. Chubby was a master at that.

Over 30+ years, I’ve assembled quite a collection of these nuggets of life. I call them “Chubby Rules,” named after my dad. I thought I would pass on a few of my favorites. Some are my own. Most are what others have said or I’ve read. If you’ve heard them, a reminder can’t hurt. Most of us know what we ought to do. We just need a nudge.   READ MORE 

All of Us Crave Appreciation

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My dad, Chubby, had a way of condensing big life lessons into short, memorable phrases. I lovingly call them Chubby Rules. I’d like to share one of his best:

When you think nice, you’ve gotta think NOW.

Greg Hague's Dad

Chubby

Most of us want to make others feel good. Good about us. Good about them.

That’s an aspiration. The question is how. The answer is NOW.

Dad said when you think something nice about someone, don’t drag your feet, let them know now.   READ MORE 

Rush with good news – drag your feet with bad

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Rush with good news – drag your feet with bad

My dad, Chubby, had an uncanny knack for condensing life savvy into short, memorable phrases that I now lovingly call Chubby Rules.

Brian Hague

Brian with gifts. Always good news!

Chubby observed that the world (particularly the media) operates in reverse. So many people revel in listening to and spreading reports of mass shootings, scandal, infidelity, gossip, reputational ruin and the bad breaks/hard times of others. It seems to consume their life.

We have a television in the dining room at our law firm. When the televised news is normal or good, everyone eats and chats, barely noticing. When the news becomes bad, the chatter quiets as all eyes become glued to the screen.
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“Tomorrow: Perfect and Right”

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It’s painful to recall that icy-cold night when Mimi so hopelessly cried. And, a father who acted so badly.

It was the winter of ’63. I was 15. Chubby asked if I’d like to sit in on one of his new agent real estate training sessions. He held them three nights a week in the conference room at the office.

What “boss’s son” wouldn’t? This would be totally fun. Soon I would learn, actually not.

Every new agent attended. A doctor’s note was your only excuse.

A young cowboy

A young cowboy…

Chubby started the evening by calling on a sweet, middle aged, soft spoken lady named Mimi. He asked her to stand. “Mimi,” he said, “Give us the definition of real estate.” She did. It was totally right, just not word-for-word perfect, what I came to call “Chubby-Right.”
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Spend Another Day with Dad

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The Savvy Dad is about how fathers impact our lives. Today is an exception. It’s about how we impact theirs.

The young graduate

The young graduate

It was 1966. I was a senior at Cincinnati Country Day High School. The family was proud. No one – not Chubby, my dad, not my mom, not my sister, not one of my grandparents or a parent of theirs had ever attended one day of college. I would be first.

This meant so much to my dad. It was an unfilled dream realized through me.
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