EVIDENCE & LIMITS
A personal memory I shared in my October 25, 2026 Q&A. The photo is from that recording, not from the childhood events described here.
The part I remember is very ordinary
When I was asked what it was like growing up around the family business, I kept coming back to my dad.
I remember early mornings. He would get up around three to head toward Los Angeles for his plumbing job at the school district. He was trying to get ahead of the traffic.
Then there were the days when he came home late. Sometimes he fell asleep with his boots still on. He would get back up and go to work again.
That is one of the pictures that stayed in my mind. It is not a speech about business. It is a memory of my dad.
There was more work after the workday
The reason he was home so late was that he was doing side jobs as he worked to build the business.
My mom was working, too. My dad also handled bookkeeping. There was the work people could see, and then there was more to do after that.
As a kid, I did not have the full view of what it took. But I could see him showing up. I could see that building something asked a lot of both of my parents.
Growing up around it could be hard at times. It could also be amazing. I got to see effort long before I understood the business behind it.
The results were not the whole lesson
When I talked about this in the recording, I said the results did not show up until years later. But the thing I admired was there before the results.
It was the character. Working hard. Being willing to build something. Believing in what you were doing while it was still a long way from finished.
I think both of my parents have strong character. Being able to grow up close enough to see that was a privilege.
That is different from admiring a business only after it looks successful. I got to see some of what came before.
He is my dad before he is a business story
I work in our family’s service business now, and there is plenty to say about systems, software and how the work gets done. But that was not the heart of my answer that day.
The answer was about a person I know and love. Someone whose example I watched when I was young.
I have also written about Louisville with my dad. That is another part of knowing him: getting to spend time together, outside the usual work.
The boots are a small detail. The reason I remember them is much bigger.
What to remember
- What stayed with me was my parents’ character.
- I saw some of the effort before I understood the business results.
- This is a personal memory, not a checklist for how someone else should live.
STAY IN TOUCH
Follow the record as it is built.
Tim shares plain-English lessons from building companies, serving communities, and improving institutions—work that is developing the judgment and operating range for broader responsibility over time.