And Speaking Of... Lessons Learned From My Dad

For my weekly article, I wanted to share a little bit about a man who inspired my entrepreneurial journey, my dad.

My dad just had his last “official” day at Noble in Toronto, Canada, on Friday as he finally gave his notice for retirement and is ready to scale back and take it easy after decades of hard work. I intentionally put the word official in quotations because there are currently bets to see if my dad will actually stick to his retirement plan! My dad was highly valued at Noble and absolutely left his mark on that company, as he always does.

After his last day on Friday, my parents made the 12-hour drive from Toronto to Mooresville, NC, to kick off a month-long road trip. My husband made a fantastic dinner to celebrate my dad’s retirement, and while we were all enjoying our meal, I asked him to share stories about his favorite jobs and moments of his career over the years.

We learned some interesting facts about my dad and his upbringing during our dinner. It reminded me of his resiliency and how he had to reinvent himself so many times over six decades of working to create a life for himself and his family. 

Early Life in Peru

My dad was born in Peru after his parents immigrated from Czechoslovakia. He was the middle son, and shortly after his youngest brother was born, his parents divorced. After his father remarried, he gained three stepsisters. Later, his father and stepmother had another child, who became his youngest sibling. It was a full house for my dad, and growing up was difficult.

At 18, he was sent to Canada from Peru by my grandfather to start a job, despite having no familiarity with the language or weather. This experience was not of his own choosing, but he persevered and built a remarkable life in Canada through hard work and determination. His journey has been one of constant reinvention and grit.

Entrepreneurial Journey

My dad’s favorite job was at his Pizza Store, Pedro’s Pizza. He started his venture after a devastating layoff.

I still remember when my parents sat me down and told me my dad had lost his job at the canning factory. It was heartbreaking to witness, even as a child, but the gift at that moment was my parent’s vulnerability and their ability to pivot and start a new path.

For my dad, this meant starting a business for the first time in an unfamiliar industry, but he forged on, and our small town of Whitby, Ontario, loved his pizzeria.

At the height of my dad’s success with his store, he supplied schools for pizza days, the local hockey rink, pool halls, and a roller skating rink where I worked in high school. He had ice cream in summer and always had a line out the door and around the corner after baseball games. My dad built that business from scratch, employed local students, and made a strong business name for himself in the community.

I was proud to be Pedro’s daughter of Pedro’s Pizza! I worked in the store, taking orders on Friday and Saturday nights. I even worked at the store during my middle school lunch break, serving slices to the high school kids.

My favorite was serving ice cream in the summer because I would invite my friends to help me, and we always gave out free scoops when my dad wasn’t looking!

Words of Wisdom

I asked my dad to impart some business wisdom to me over the weekend to inspire my next LinkedIn article, and he anchored in on this:

“Don’t be scared to make mistakes. If you are not making a mistake, you are not working.”

My dad shared that he sees many people doing everything they can to avoid a mistake, or they think it is the end of the world if you make a mistake. His point of view on mistakes struck me because he approached this topic with excellent neutrality.

Making mistakes is part of the journey and unavoidable. Yet, we often demand perfection in others and ourselves, which can only lead to disappointment and self-sabotage because it is not a realistic expectation to expect perfection. I found this reminder incredibly sobering. 

I have to believe that my dad’s ability to neutralize a mistake or misstep is why he is so resilient.

Personally, I find resiliency as a character trait lacking in so many facets of life. Maybe it is due to the grit I inherited from my dad, but this is necessary as an entrepreneur and also something to increase the overall happiness of our lives.

My dad imparted my ability to be comfortable with risks and not beat myself up if I make a mistake. My dad also taught me to stand up for myself and not let anyone take advantage of me.

I remember leaving for a high school trip to Italy, and while at the airport, my dad leaned in close to me and said, “Vanessa, make sure you get everything you are supposed to get on that itinerary, and don’t let anyone take advantage of you.”

This last-minute guidance served me well as the tour guide tried to charge us for a night walking tour that was already included in our total cost. I advocated on behalf of my fellow students, and we didn’t get charged! That confidence all came from my dad!

I hope you enjoyed my personal tribute this week. I love my father and deeply respect the path he has taken. Congrats, Dad, on your richly deserved retirement!