As a son Jamie Hopkins had a shock that every father fears. He went to school one day and came home to learn that his dad had died, in a construction accident.
“My dad was gone at my age,” said Jamie, about to turn 40. “I think about that a lot. I think about how short life is more often than most people.”
Jamie, our Lead Dad of the Week from suburban Philadelphia and the chief executive officer of Bryn Mawr Trust, has lived a life that has been professionally and personally fulfilling. But for a father who is married with three kids under the age of 10, there were times when it was disjointed and exhausting.
For years he flew each week to Nebraska as a senior executive at Carson Wealth, a large registered investment adviser. His wife is an attorney in Philadelphia, and their kids were settled. “I was flying out one morning, and my son said, do you love work more than us?” Jamie recalled. “I decided then I had to find something local so I wouldn’t be flying across the country every week.”
His new office is 12 minutes from his house. Deep down, he knew that what his son said was what he himself was feeling. “I was tired when I’d fly back, and I wouldn’t be present.”
Becoming a CEO of a well-regarded but regional firm was a complete change. “The job allowed me to reset professionally and also as a dad and a husband,” he said. “That was super important to me. I met with my EA and said these are things I’m going to block. She’s helped me stick to that.”
He recently took his daughter to a financial conference where she sat with him and took notes. And he’s stuck to his commitment of leaving early to coach his kids in their sports.
What’s the takeaway? You’ll remember those days teaching your kids to ride a bike with much more joy than those middle seat flights. Welcome, Jamie, to The Company of Dads.
