Navigating Fatherhood Through Separation: A Sales Executive's Journey of Balance and Growth: Dominic Hithon

Sales executive and father of two Dominic Hithon opens up about the real challenges of modern fatherhood - from managing technology with kids of different ages to co-parenting after separation. He shares honest insights about setting boundaries at work, the importance of being vulnerable with your children, and how to maintain strong relationships while building a career that requires constant travel.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:[00:01:20] - Family Structure and ChallengesDominic shares his family dynamic: 17-year-old daughter pursuing forensic science, 8-year-old son on the spectrum, managing separation and two householdsKey quote: "It's just kind of balancing that relationship of being in the home. We were together 10 years in our relationship and then now managing it as two separate households."[00:02:17] - Modern Parenting AnxietiesDiscussion of daily challenges including school safety, social media influence, and protecting children from desensitizationKey quote: "In America, we had 48 school shootings last year. There's bullying and me in the world that I work in corporate America, I just know some of the unconscious bias that my children will face out there in this world."[00:04:32] - Technology Generation GapComparing how his daughter grew up with limited tech versus his son who had devices from birthKey quote: "My son, he had tablet and the phone pretty much out of the womb. The first thing is they're pressing buttons and it's to the point where he'll tell me stuff, he'll be like, I want to go to Ikea. And I'll be like, what makes you go to Ikea? He's like, because I saw an ad for it."[00:08:50] - Work Travel and Family BalanceManaging a demanding sales career that requires frequent travel while maintaining family connectionsKey quote: "I try to let them know the best thing about it is you'll get to start seeing the world... But I said, that's the part of life that you'll have to balance because you'll be doing something and then you'll have a partner or anybody else."[00:17:56] - Transitioning Between Work and Dad ModeStrategies for switching from executive problem-solver to empathetic fatherKey quote: "In business, I'm there to fix it, find the problem, do it. As a father, I'm there to understand it and speak to it, but I'm not always there to fix it because if I fix everything, they'll never feel as if they can do it themselves."[00:21:14] - Creating Boundaries with LeadershipSetting work-life boundaries, even with demanding executivesKey quote: "Sometimes I'll even tell my CEO, I'll just be like, Hey, I'm in dad time, so I'm not going to answer you texting me right now."[00:30:46] - Co-Parenting Challenges and SolutionsNavigating different household rules and maintaining family unity after separationKey quote: "You had a relationship with this person, but you are out of the relationship with this person... So it's very much where I just try to make sure that they feel that time when I do have them, it doesn't change the dynamic as far as how I feel and care about them."[00:34:29] - Vulnerability and Growth as a FatherThe importance of showing children that parents are also learning and growingKey quote: "I think it is okay to sometimes just say, I'm learning as I'm teaching you at the same time... Sometimes I didn't know everything, so I want them to understand that I'm learning and growing at the same time just at different speeds."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/id1815863328 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xCHG30Ms9wcGRJmDqHcW8?si=46654ba2a0654099 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmbitiousDads