The Soul of a Father

With Father’s Day just around the corner, now is the time to think of the man that stood tall in your life from day one and the childen who look up to that man. We consulted our resident experts at Yalo about what it means to be a good dad and what they hope their children learn as they grow up. 

“Being a good father is my top priority”, says Eric Cantini.  “Each day, I hope that my children see me working hard to provide for them, while maintaining a positive attitude about life. I do my best to set a good example, so they learn to work hard to achieve their goals, and to treat people with respect along the way.” Those are some good looking Clevelanders!

The dad we refer to as Big Dawg, Lance Shoulders, hopes to teach his kids these important lessons about:

• Communication: whether it is social, or providing instructions – communicating early, and simply is one of the key ingredients to getting things done right. People cannot read minds. This communication message also goes for messages that are not always easy to deliver – do not delay.
• The Customer: whether you are a services or product business – but specifically services. The Customer is key – this might mean making sacrifices late a night or weekends, but it also important for them to know the customer comes first at work, family comes first in life. Those smiles, though!

Huff Daddy, Arnold Huffman, says “I constantly encourage my kids to do the same things that are important in my everyday life (both work and personal). And that is listen, pay attention, and focus…in everything they do. This reinforces good behaviors such as being present, learning new things, recognizing when you are being nice to others or not, making good decisions, and thinking ahead. If they can do that, I believe they will lead rich, exciting, positive lives. A crazy crew on a crazy ride fo sho!

And we’re saving the best for last. Our other Cleveland dad, Brian Miller, wants his kids to learn to follow their passions in life and make the most of every opportunity. Well said friend, well said!

And of course, we have a playlist for that. As you celebrate your father or being a father here are some daddy-related cuts to let ring this Sunday. Happy Fathers Day from our tribe to yours.