February 17, 2024, marked seven years since my dad died. It wasn’t unexpected. From 2011 to 2017, he faced health challenges that drained him, and it was difficult to watch this strong, robust man lose agency over his body.

But, Dad had lived a long, full life. From his dedication to his family to his work in accounting and ultimately as a bank owner, Dad was loving and intelligent, hardworking and good-hearted. He was, as I hope you can tell, my hero. Still is, despite seven years of emptiness.

My Dad’s Influence on My Career

Dad continues to influence my life in many ways, including my career. He had an impeccable work ethic, one that I try to emulate. Here are a few more ‘Lessons from Dad’ that I’ve applied to my professional life.

1. Put some elbow grease into it. This was his favorite phrase when my effort was lagging during childhood chores. But it’s true today: Push yourself. Don’t slack on the job.
2. Embrace books. Dad taught me to love books. Colleagues who’ve seen my non-blurred background on Teams calls know that I’ve taken the book-collecting to the extreme. Dad filled my life with books that continue to influence me, like Night by Elie Wiesel. Whether I’m observing a fiction writer’s talent with syntax and voice, or I’m reading about non-fiction about new marketing initiatives, books bring me knowledge, and Dad taught me to love them.
3. Treat education like a job. Dad influenced my love of education. He expected top grades because he knew I had the capacity to attain them. When I left for college, he sat me down to talk about how my undergraduate classes were my 9-to-5 job and how I should expect to study at least three hours for every hour spent in class. Honestly, I can’t say that I followed that advice during most of undergrad, but I see why he told me that now. I know he was proud of me and the hard work I put in to earn my Master’s degree and top honors. One of my regrets is that he didn’t see me finish my doctorate or read my dissertation. I know he would have had questions and would have wanted to discuss my research.
4. Ask questions to define your opinions. He wasn’t afraid to ask big questions about commonly accepted beliefs. He challenged me and helped me define myself. It’s a 2024 goal to ask more questions of myself and others.
5. Don’t forget the why. Dad wouldn’t like the cliche work/life balance, but he would agree that the why is most important. He dedicated his time to being an accountant and then banker, but he did it all for his family. He did wonderfully. I’ve lost track of my why on many occasions, but I know I need to get back on track to make him proud.

I learned many other things from Dad, but working hard, embracing books, respecting education, asking big questions, and knowing your why stand out as I think about him today and look toward all that 2024 has to bring.