Shortly after the doors locked shut on another day at the family business, I often wandered up to my dad’s office in search of something, anything, to eat. A seemingly tireless work ethic often meant my dad could be found in his office well past dinnertime. Perhaps he would have something extra left over?
I would approach his desk with caution, so I wouldn’t disrupt the countless piles of paperwork, stacks of boxes full of new product ideas, and knick-knacks scattered about. Desperate for food, I would slowly sink into one of the desk chairs and lazily ask, “What did you bring for dinner?”A natural salesman and professional small talker, my dad would completely ignore the pressing issue at hand—food. Instead, a simple question would roll off his tongue. “What’s the best thing that happened to you today?” he would ask while peering over his computer. The way he would methodically ask, listen, and express genuine curiosity in my answers is something I reluctantly embraced.
