TL;DR - Everything. Happy Father's Day to all the awesome dads out there!
Sunday, June 17, 2018 (Father's Day Edition)
By Colin McIntosh, Founder & CEO of S&G
It's late at night on Father's Day 2018. On the heels of an incredible 45-day Indiegogo campaign, this past weekend I took a moment to head home to South Florida and relax ahead of a planned trip to India to visit with S&G's manufacturer. Being home in FL brings back so many amazing memories of fun times spent with my dad; it also reminds me to appreciate the humidity levels in Denver.
It might sound cliche, but in my life, there's really no one I look up to and respect quite like my father, Doug.
The fam; Dougie on the right
I'm currently writing this on a plane to Mumbai for our visit with S&G's manufacturing partner to ensure that all of our preorders are up to our expectations and on pace to ship on time.
And Dougie is peacefully asleep next to me.
He's S&G's first investor, attorney, and supporter, and in many ways, he's my cofounder. Before we incorporated in October 2017, he listened and gave me feedback when I told him about my idea for sustainable bedding, and he laughed with me (maybe at me?) when I told him the name for the company. As we take this business trip together, it's not lost on us how special it is to spend father-son time on a joint venture.
My dad, like my mom, is an entrepreneur. He started his own law firm 28 years ago, and he had an enormous influence on my way of thinking as I grew up. Every day as a kid, I watched him leave at 6am and come home at 10pm as he started his new business, and I think his work ethic was impressed upon me very early on. Despite his insane hours, he still somehow managed to make time for me and my sister, often showing up to our soccer and baseball games in a full suit, having come straight from the office.
My dad showed me what it means to put other people before yourself; he inspired me to try to leave behind a better world than I was born into; and he stressed the importance of time management and always arriving early (sorry that last one didn't take, Dad).
Since I moved out to Denver a few years ago, we've started a bit of a Father's Day tradition of fly fishing somewhere in Colorado in June. This year, we may not find the time to cast a few lines, but we're about to take our greatest father-son adventure yet, and it's honestly so fitting that we're taking off on Father's Day.
I only hope my dad is as proud of me as I am of him. I love you, Dad, and I can't wait for all our future adventures together.