Serial entrepreneur Quinton Sanicola shares his journey of raising two young boys (7 months and 3 years old) while building multiple businesses across continents. From managing food allergies to balancing American and Japanese parenting philosophies, Quinton offers honest insights on intentional parenting, the challenges of entrepreneurial fatherhood, and why "you're never going to have enough money" shouldn't stop you from starting a family.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

[00:01:27] - Life in "The Tunnel" with Two Young Kids

Discussion of the Spanish expression about having kids under 3 - "you're in the tunnel"

How everything shifts when you become a parent - perspective, priorities, and daily decisions

Key quote: "Everything is a different world. The way you look at life, the perspective that you have on why you're doing your day-to-day tasks... everything shifts."

[00:04:53] - Timing and Starting a Family

The importance of recognizing when it's time to have children

Avoiding external pressures to rush or delay starting a family

Key quote: "Don't delay when you've reached that season and that phase that you think you should start... because it's just the most unbelievable experience possible."

[00:08:29] - Intentional Parenting in a Digital Age

Being deliberate about screen time, education choices, and cultural decisions

Navigating East-meets-West parenting with Japanese and American influences

Key quote: "I think this is a time where you have to be more intentional than ever before... you are not alone in your home anymore."

[00:16:27] - Focusing on Yourself to Serve Your Family

How self-care and personal development ultimately benefit the family

The concept that working on yourself is working for them

Key quote: "When I focus on me for a clear mind, clear body, I'm doing this because when I perform, I create better. I create a better life."

[00:20:42] - The Challenge of Being Present

Kids as "BS detectors" who know when you're not fully present

The struggle between building for the future and being present today

Key quote: "Those kids, they're BS detectors and they know. So when it's time to work, it's time to work. And when it's time to step away from work and be with family, it's time to be with family."

[00:25:32] - Paternity Leave as an Entrepreneur

Contrasting experiences: zero time off with first child vs. seven intentional days with second

Managing business crises during major life moments

Key quote: "It is not about the amount of time. It is about the quality of time. It is about the intentionality."

[00:34:34] - What Keeps Him Up at Night

Concerns about the world his children will inherit

Building a family business for the next generation

Key quote: "What I want to build, I want to bring my son into. And then I want to have a family business... if my business isn't ready for him when he's ready, in my mind, that's a big problem."

[00:36:21] - Food Allergies and Quality Concerns

Discovering his son's allergies disappear in Japan but return in the US

Being willing to relocate for family health needs

Key quote: "It is inevitable that it is the quality of our food in America... it's not about me. It's about my family."

[00:42:09] - Final Advice on Starting a Family

You'll never have "enough" money, so don't let that stop you

Recognizing the calling when it's time

Key quote: "You're never going to have enough money, period, full stop... A tickle fight with a three-year-old of your own can't be expressed. The amount of joy that comes with that... is unbelievable."

Sign Up for the Ambitious Dads Newsletter: https://www.ambitiousdads.com

Connect with Jeff Hittner: https://jeffhittner.com

Subscribe on:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ambitious-dads/id1815863328

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4xCHG30Ms9wcGRJmDqHcW8?si=46654ba2a0654099

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmbitiousDads