On a summer night in 1978 my father and I escaped from communist Vietnam. That journey left a permanent mark on my childhood and on the bond we shared. My father was the only parent I had during my formative years. Our relationship was close, but it was no-nonsense and one-directional. When I held my daughter for the first time, I knew I wanted my kids to look up to me the way I looked up to my father. At the same time, I also knew I wanted to be a different kind of dad.

When real-life responsibilities hit, I found myself struggling financially for the first time...I swallowed my pride and went to my dad for help. He had always managed his finances wisely. He rescued me that day. When I started thinking about My Dad Plan, I knew financial stewardship was something I wanted to pass down to my kids.

When my wife and I married I was instantly gifted with two girls and two boys...together we had one more boy, completing our family. I’ve realized my job is not to teach them to be like me; my job is to help them become more of who they already are. Our family “blends” well because we don’t consider it blended. There are no “steps” or “halfs” in our family. There are only brothers, sisters, and love.