My career in real estate and construction was shaped through my time with my dad on the job. When I was a kid he would pick me up from school and I’d go with him to finish out the day on whatever project he was building.

My love of architecture grew from the time that I spent working with my dad, and I became a realtor to sell the homes that he and I build together. He is one of my best friends, and as we come up on Father’s day I am excited to enjoy his day with him.

One of my fondest memories is of the time he spent with me teaching me how to design homes. He had a big desk in his office and together we would sit with old floor plans from homes he had already built, a big pad of paper, a scale, a pencil and a bunch of scotch tape and white-out. I learned about typical room sizes and why it’s just as cost effective to build a 16-foot wide room as a 15-foot wide room. As time went on we would still sketch out the plans on paper and then I brought our system to the digital age with a cheap 3-D home architect computer program. We’ve been a good team and we’ve made each other stronger through our collaboration.

How has your dad shaped your life? Are the things you do in your career related to the time you spent with your dad (like me)? Take this day to thank your father for everything he’s done to improve your life and make you who you are. And please leave a note below – I’d really enjoy hearing your story!

Photo courtesy of L. Marie’s Flickr