From Absent Father to Present Dad: Building Emotional Intelligence While Growing a Business: Edward Rivera

Edward Rivera shares his powerful journey of breaking generational cycles, building emotional regulation skills, and creating the family presence he never had growing up. This conversation dives deep into practical strategies for managing anger, communicating vulnerably with children, and balancing entrepreneurship with intentional fatherhood.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:[00:02:44] - Intentional Business Growth for Family PresenceEdward explains how he structured his 10-year business journey to avoid becoming an absent fatherKey quote: "I didn't want to be that guy 20 years deep, right? Didn't know his kids and stuff."[00:04:59] - Breaking Generational CyclesDiscussion of Edward's relationship with his absent father and commitment to being presentKey quote: "I always told myself, when I have a family and kids, I'm going to do my best to try to be there as much as possible."[00:07:22] - Managing Inherited Anger TriggersEdward shares how he catches himself in moments of road rage and family protection instinctsKey quote: "I'll have this inner dialogue right in the moment too. I was like, all right, calm down. It's not big deal."[00:08:54] - Early Therapy and Self-Regulation SkillsChildhood therapy experience that taught breathing techniques and emotional regulationKey quote: "She was like, you, you're growing up too fast. Try to be a kid. Just do kid things."[00:12:09] - The Relationship Turning PointEdward's realization during an argument with his wife that led to years of communication workKey quote: "I remember she started crying and I was like, holy crap. I felt like shit. You know what I mean? I'm like, what am I doing?"[00:15:02] - The Coffee Bean PhilosophyExplanation of how Edward approaches every interaction with positivity and serviceKey quote: "Every environment you go into, every person you have interaction with, try to spread positivity, love, try to serve others."[00:19:46] - Emotional Regulation StrategiesEdward's practical approach to managing bad moods and protecting family from negative energyKey quote: "I've even texted my team before, Hey, I'm in a bad mood. I'm going to be no good to anybody right now."[00:20:52] - Teaching Emotional Intelligence to ChildrenHow Edward and his wife model vulnerability and emotional processing for their kidsKey quote: "We try to be as open, as transparent as we can with the kids at a safe level, not trying to stress them out and trauma dump on 'em."[00:25:35] - Homeschooling Decision and PartnershipThe family's choice to homeschool and how Edward supports his wife's educational leadershipKey quote: "I feel so blessed now to finally get to this point where I'll be able to help sometimes."[00:32:57] - The Power of Vulnerable Male FriendshipsEdward emphasizes the importance of having men to talk to about struggles and mistakesKey quote: "The biggest thing, again, man, is finding other men who are willing to talk about these things and being vulnerable."On June 17th, I’m hosting a free, live workshop, Become a Better Leader By Becoming a Better Dad, for fathers who are tired of living a divided life. We’ll explore how “Default Dad” shows up when you’re tired, overloaded, or distracted, and how those same patterns affect your leadership at home and at work. Register here: https://www.ambitiousdads.com/better-dad-better-leaderSign Up for the Ambitious Dads Newsletter: https://www.ambitiousdads.comConnect with Jeff Hittner: https://jeffhittner.comSubscribe on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ambitious-dads/id1815863328Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xCHG30Ms9wcGRJmDqHcW8?si=46654ba2a0654099 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmbitiousDads