Online marketing expert Tucker Ferwerda shares his insights into what it takes to grow and a family and a business as a Dadpreneur.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who are you, and what do you?

I’m a certified and award-winning digital marketing consultant and social media expert who helps companies leverage automation and paid advertising to rapidly scale their business.

How many kids do you have and how old?

I have one child, her name is Bobbie and she’s 15 months old.

You are one of the brave souls that choose the route of entrepreneur and dad. Surely there are easier routes to go professionally. Why did you choose this one?

I used to do manual labor and hated it. I also hated going to college to learn outdated information taught by people who had never been in the real world. While some of that may not be true in some cases, it was for me and my situation. I hated not learning about being successful and not learning how to manage the money that I was making. I wanted to learn success from those who were successful. While working at Frito-lay, tossing boxes of Cheetos and Fritos in the back of a 53′ semi truck, I was listening to podcast episodes. I was trying to learn every free second I had business and personal development skills that would help me escape the hole I was in. I will never forget the day I heard the impossible. I was listening to podcasts where not only people were making 6-7 figures per year, but 6-7 figures per month. I have been obsessed since that day. I knew without a doubt I had struck gold and never looked back. Even my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time asked me in the car one day after explaining to her everything I was learning, “Why are you going into mechanical engineering? All you ever talk about is business and marketing.” Ever since then I have taken every minute I could muster to become a digital marketing expert. Now multimillion-dollar companies and multimillionaires come to me for help with their digital marketing. Facebook ads, sales funnels, and followup systems are my biggest strong points. I’ve helped put hundreds of thousands of dollars into my client’s pockets through digital marketing.

What are some of your tips and tricks for making sure you have time to spend with the kids?

Just like I address in my latest article in Entrepreneur, time management and creating systems will be your best friends. Every second you have must be action-oriented and purpose-driven. Then when you take time away to spend time with your family and kids, doing things you love, your business is still working for you.

Have you ever had to turn something down for work to be present as a dad?

Yes. I like to work, but I know where my priorities are. But on the other hand, you shouldn’t have to turn something down if you manage your time correctly and get what you need to get done when it needs to get done. You should never have to worry about sacrificing anything if it’s already done or getting complete. While I understand this question and where it comes from, it’s not the mindset you need to be successful. You should already be planning 10-20 steps ahead to make sure that you never have to turn anything down, whether it’s for family or business. This is where true power and balance comes in.

Conversely, have you ever had to tell family to hold off on something so you could work?

Yes. Depending on what is going on at the time, whether we have product or service launches, new funnels we’re launching, or simply need a few hours to crush something out, it’s a given. But I have a very supportive wife who understands me as a person and my needs, and I understand her needs and know who she is. We have a very strict schedule we follow: Monday through Thursday we work. Friday night is always date night. We’ve followed this since we were dating. Saturday is always the day we use to get ready for the next week, get personal things done, clean, and finish any extra work that was left over. Sundays is a strict family day that we use to recoup and plan for the next week. This has given us a very balanced lifestyle, which in return gives us power because we’re focused and disciplined.

What’s the best part of being a dad and an entrepreneur?

Being able to provide for your own family and bring home the bacon that you have earned. But more importantly, sharing my skill sets that I have learned with my daughter and other kids that will come.

What’s the hardest part of being a dad and an entrepreneur?

As a new entrepreneur, it’s the time spent away from family. As you get better at your craft, it’s the picking and choosing the different work and gigs that you can have.

Advice for entrepreneurs thinking about having kids – should they go ahead now, wait till later, or when is the best time?

That really depends on your current situation for every individual. I can’t give an exact, cookie-cutter answer for this because I don’t know you, as the reader. Just like how I do the same thing for my clients, I am doing the same thing for you right now. To put it simply. Kids are amazing. They are some of the most important things that will ever come into your life. Some people think they keep parents from reaching their dreams. This is completely false. Kids are great blessings that will make you become a better person, a better entrepreneur, and a better business owner. I had one of my biggest months in terms of revenue within the first 30 days my baby was born. I like to call it the baby syndrome, where you’ll do anything for your family and child.

Tell me more about your company, how are things going, and do you have anything exciting coming up?

Things are wonderful right now. They’re only going to get better. I’ve got my sights on a childhood dream car, a house for the wifey, and much more. My business has grown more in 2018 than in 2017. Also, my wife is crushing out her blog www.dollarmommyclub.com. Right now we’re focused on scaling and creating systems that pay us more while we play more. We’ve got a family cruise we’re going on in January 2019, and my clients are very happy with the work we’re putting in. My students are also blown away by the knowledge and help we’re teaching them. Things are wonderful right now and I can’t wait for next year 🙂