Spirit of My Father

Going to work each day puts me in touch with the spirit of my father.  He passed away about three years ago, and now more than ever, I am aware of the values he lived and taught, even when he didn’t say a word.  My father was a provider.  He provided for his family, but he also provided for the people who worked for him at the Fahey Beverage Company-his wine and beer distributorship.  He put himself in the shoes of his employees and thought about what their needs might be as providers of their own families.  As a result of his approach, the people who worked for him took great pride in their work.  Many of his employees also became investors when they bought into the distribution company as an opportunity for their families.  The positive care and energy my father provided for his employees shaped the kind of service he provided to his customers.

I remember one day we were having a conversation about my business.  My father asked me if I had disability insurance for people who worked in my company.  At that time, I only provided workers’ compensation insurance for injuries sustained on the job, but I did not provide disability insurance for injuries that prevented a person from doing their job, or from a pregnancy or birth that required time away from the job.  Even though he knew it would be expensive, he encouraged me to purchase disability insurance.  Until that conversation, purchasing disability insurance had not occurred to me.  I thought about his employees.  I thought about my employees.  I thought about his values, the values he hoped to instill in me.  I understood that he was right.  I bought the disability insurance.

My father retired and sold his business about fifteen years before he passed away.  At his wake, his former employees told me and my family that he cut significant checks for all of them from the proceeds of the sale.  For him, they were the Fahey Beverage Company.  These days I fully grasp his meaning when he would say, “Never take your success out of another man’s hide.”

Eighteen years after that conversation, my father continues to inspire me as I run my business.  I want the people who work with me in The Larkin Painting Company to have a mission, a sense of service, and the ability to provide for their families.  I want them to take pride in their craft.  That is the kind of person you want in your home creating a beautiful space for you.  You want someone who brings a sense of pride and care into your home because they know their contributions are valued and their lives respected.  This is the kind of person you can trust to do the best possible job.  May the spirit of my father continue to bless us and through us bless you.

my father

Be well,

Bill