Raising Alphas Project - Newsletter 2
New Entrepreneurs, Leading Our Children Through Change, & Burning Trampolines
This week, a really good friend of mine, Matt, has taken a leap of faith, stepping away from the firefighting service after eighteen and a half years to become an entrepreneur. Firefighting for Matt was a legacy he’d inherited from his father, who’d served for over forty years before retiring. Why has Matt stepped away from that tradition?
He’s taken this leap into the unknown to better himself, for his family and his position in life.
I have led people for a long time, from a young man on the soccer field, to the US Army, and then into the fire service as Fire Chief. But I started leading people in a different direction when I left that service to start my own journey in entrepreneurship. I began to teach others what I’d learned for myself: that they’re better than a 9-5 mindset, that there’s more out there. The key to this, which Matt has already learned, is to remain teachable. We are never too old or too late to change for the better.
Matt and I went to fire school together. Like brothers in arms, we raced into headfirst (or I should say maskfirst) into burning buildings. Now we’re in business together (ironically, this also involves putting out a lot of fires). Now, Matt’s looking at the world in a completely new light, and I know he’s on the way to greatness. In turn, he will lead and mentor others to do the same.
This is Your Parenting Story of the Week:
In keeping with the theme, my question to you is how do we lead our children when they want to make their own big leap or life change?
My sons, seeing how busy I am with building businesses, have learned those same skills of leadership and vision for themselves. They’ve started groups in school: the Lego Club and the Chess Club. It’s exciting to see my kids look at life differently, reading more books than I ever did and being little entrepreneurs in their own right.
The biggest role models your kids will ever see is you, the parent, Mom and Dad. If you are not becoming the best version of yourself, how can you expect your children to be the best version of themselves? We have to hold ourselves to that standard before we can challenge our children to do the same. But what happens when who we expect our children to be suddenly changes? What happens when our children take their own leaps of faith, just like my friend Matt did, into an unexpected direction?
As a soccer coach, I’ve seen this kind of thing happen many times. For example, one of my young players left the team because he became more passionate about basketball. The change took me by surprise at first. After all, he was talented and always enthusiastic. Yet he never excelled beyond my expectations because he wasn’t in the sport he loved. Now, he’s one of the top players on his basketball team. He took his own leap of faith to make that change, and his parents were the best possible support system for that. Another player of mine left the team to pursue singing and acting, and he’s excelled there more than he ever could on the field. I‘m very happy for both of them.
The lesson I’m teaching you here is that we all have a ‘field’ which we’re destined to play on, whether that’s soccer or basketball or acting or entrepreneurship, we all need to find that place. As parents, when our children are looking for their ‘field’, we need to provide the balance and stability they need to explore the unknown. As I mentioned last week, our responsibility is to provide resources and opportunities. At the same time, as parents, we need to evaluate our children’s choices very carefully.
“Alright, he’s very good at soccer, but baseball is where his passion is… so let’s try that out. Let’s take this leap. Let’s be their support. Let’s be their foundation. And let’s give them what they need— resource and opportunity – to succeed if this is indeed their God-given field.”
This is your insider’s look at the latest in parenting and leadership!
Parenting News
Headlines:
U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on parental mental health and well-being
The U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory warning that parents face far higher stress and burnout than other adults. Nearly one in three call their stress overwhelming, and almost half feel that way most days. Financial pressure, lack of childcare, and the demand to balance work and family without support fuel the problem. Left unaddressed, burnout harms both parents and kids.
So, the question is, how do we guard our own mental health while still showing up as leaders?
My fellow parents, we have to start with taking time for ourselves. Remember that!? In any relationship, any family structure, there’s value in stepping back and asking, “Alright, how can I destress?” For some, it’s the gym. For others, it’s a movie, meditation, church, or just silence. The point is, find a way to pull yourself out so you can come back in renewed.
Even a couple of hours once a week can make a difference. If you’re working a nine to five, take that Friday evening and really unplug. Live a little. Then return to your family ready to give your best.
It’s the same thing in our marriages. I often talk about ‘remembering to date your spouse’. Marriage can become routine: lunches, work, bedtime, repeat. Break it up. Be spontaneous. Plan something simple. You don’t need a big budget. Go to the beach, hike, picnic in the park. Camping, fishing, these are all low-cost ways to step away and reset.
Find time to be alone; find time also to be with your family. It’s a balance. That way, you’re recharged, refreshed, and ready to lead.
Alpha Parent of the Week: Everyday Heroes and the Unexpected Uses of a Trampoline
Three Iowa construction workers—John, Gabe, and Damian—are being hailed as heroes after rushing into a burning home. They pulled a mother, grandmother, and young girl to safety, suffering burns themselves. When they discovered a teenage boy still trapped upstairs, they dragged a trampoline beneath his window so he could leap to safety.
What strikes me is that these men weren’t trained firefighters. They had no protective gear, no training behind them. Yet something deep inside, the hero that lives in every man, rose to the challenge. At the risk of their own lives, without hesitation, they acted.
Our culture doesn’t applaud masculinity or courage like it used to. But real leadership shows up in moments of danger. These men responded to the alarm not with questions, but with
action. That’s heroism. Maybe they’re in the wrong business! Maybe they should be firemen. Either way, I applaud them as the true alphas of the week.
Alpha Challenge of the Week: Pass it Down
This week I challenge you to find balance. Take a moment for yourself every day, even just a couple hours a week. Church, meditation, music, working out, time with friends, whatever helps you reset. Once you’ve recharged, pour that energy into your family. If you don’t have a spouse or kids, spend it with parents, grandparents, or close friends. Enjoy life together. Talk about something other than work. And try something new: join a group, read a different kind of book, push yourself out of your comfort zone.
A better you means a stronger family, and stronger families change the culture.
Thank you,
~ Chief Stephen Davis