CEO Stories with Paul Sullivan, The Company of Dads

“LEAD DAD” DEFINED

A lead dad, according to Sullivan, is a father who takes the primary role in parenting – the one who fields the emails from the school, organizes the kids’ extracurriculars, and is the primary parent for everything from doctor appointments to pet emergencies. Sullivan, a self-described lead dad (he coined the phrase) says a lead dad isn’t necessarily a stay-at-home dad or one with a lesser job. But a lead dad needs to have the flexibility to be available in a way that the other parent can’t be.

BUSINESS MODEL

The Company of Dads is Sullivan’s new business, with the name having not only a literal meaning but being a play on the idea of lead dads needing a community. Community is one of the three pillars of the business, along with content and commerce.  Sullivan acknowledges that being a lead dad can be lonely – in part because it’s not a traditional role for fathers, and because for some men, there is stigma attached to the role. He hopes in building a community, he can help erase the stigma.

CHANGING THE CONVERSATION

Workforce trends are already playing a part in making the role of lead dad more “acceptable “– and accepted. “We’re never going back to 2019” in terms of strict workplace schedules and hours, Sullivan contends, and companies need to start figuring out how to accommodate the needs and demands of employees accustomed to the flexibility afforded them by the pandemic.