Ryan McFarland, Founder & CEO of Strider Bikes.
Dads with ambition tend to infuse passion into every aspect of our lives. While our passion for our kids motivates us to love and teach, our passion for our startup projects drives us to create something inspiring out of thin air. Electric Bikes
The challenge for us "dadpreneurs," as you well know, is ensuring all our passions—our kids, our families and our work—are well loved and cared for. Our kids crave and deserve devoted fathers, and our new businesses need dedicated stewards to stay afloat.
As Father’s Day approaches, I’m reminded of how I learned to balance growing my business and bonding with my children, not by compartmentalizing my time, but by blending work and play.
Before I was the founder of a bicycle company, my original mission was to just share my passion for riding with my son. I created the first balance bike in my garage simply to teach him how to ride a bike, with no designs on making it into a business.
His success on the bike and his enthusiasm for riding quickly pointed to a business opportunity, and my business was born. However, it was such a small business at the outset that I had to keep working my full-time job, all while my son (and now his younger brother) were still very young. Those early days were a juggling act of growing a business focused on children's recreation and being present in my own kids' lives.
Faced with this dilemma, so many parents choose to shut their kids out of their working life—sometimes literally shutting the office door. I didn’t want that. I wanted to make sure my kids felt like my world was always open to them, which is why I brought them to the office with me whenever I could.
I set up little tracks for them to ride their bikes while I worked. This setup allowed us to share space and moments together, even when I was buried in emails. It wasn't about being with them every second, but about making the seconds count when I could step away from the desk and engage in their world.
Keeping them close to the business as little boys has also meant they’ve wanted to be part of the company as they’ve grown older. From participating in events to contributing new ideas to the business, their involvement has been a source of pride and a way to maintain our connection.
Having that proximity also allowed me to instill one of my core parenting principles: Fostering independence. Even when my kids were at the office with me, I was never constantly hand-holding but rather providing opportunities for my sons to explore, create and sometimes fail.
In addition to bike tracks, I’d always have little projects for them, and I’d encourage them to figure out how to solve the problem in front of them. That independence extended beyond our time at the office. Whether I was working on a motorcycle in the garage or setting up impromptu obstacle courses in the backyard, I aimed to spark their creativity and let them lead their play. This not only helped them develop self-sufficiency but also allowed us to bond over shared interests and achievements.
Of course, we set aside plenty of time to share our favorite activities together. It’s been my great joy to bond with my kids in the great outdoors, and those opportunities became greater as my company grew and my children entered school.
As this eventually became my full-time job, it allowed me to shed my other job and free up more nights and weekends. Even though, as entrepreneurs, we never truly experience a Monday-Friday, 9-to-5 lifestyle, having a more structured work schedule reserved time for bigger adventures and more significant challenges.
From bike rides to dirt biking, we've shared countless adventures that have brought us closer, and I have no doubt that those moments together were aided by the independent play my boys enjoyed while I was nearby growing my company. Both on their own and together as a family, they enjoyed the thrill of learning resilience, building confidence and exploring.
To my fellow dads and dadpreneurs, my advice is to resist the urge to separate your growing business from your family time. Blend work and play when you can and foster independence.
Don't feel guilty about the moments you can't be with your children, and make the moments you do have count. Encourage their creativity, involve them in your world and share in theirs. And most importantly, find time for those outdoor adventures that can become cherished memories and valuable learning experiences.
This Father's Day, I encourage you to reflect on the ways you can deepen your bond with your children, not just for a day but as a continual journey of growth, learning and love.
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