60 second q&a: toth shop dads at mile 18

For every interview in the 60-second Q&A series, we specifically craft the questions for each guest based on their expertise and background – except for the last one. Everyone featured gets asked the same question about how they get through their “mile 18.” 

We’re featuring dads all month long in June, but we wanted to change things up a bit this week and feature some men who are very near & dear: the toth shop dads. 

So, we asked the toth shop team to reach out to fathers and father figures in their life to get their take on mile 18. Prepare yourselves for some legendary advice on team trust , relentless integrity , crisis management , and the ultimate reminder to never, never, never quit. 

Happy Father’s Day from our family to yours

toth shop: Every person we interview answers this same question last – Mile 18 is generally considered to be one of the hardest miles in a marathon. You’re hitting a wall; you’re forced to dig deep. What’s mile 18 in your line of work, or at a point in your career, and what do you tell yourself when you find yourself in the middle of a mile 18?

Tom Seitz (Meg's Dad): Every year in my sales career was a new marathon with its own mile 18. Goals and incentives keep you going.

I quickly learned the 6 P’s for sales success, and they also relate to everything we do each and every day.

The 6 P’s are: Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance! 

Usually when you hit the mile 18, your Proper Preparation comes into your scope as to how the next 8.2 miles will go. You can’t coast because “stuff happens” that you can’t control.

Another important resource to get you through mile 18 is having a great team supporting you when you hit that wall. You are not alone in any endeavor; strength comes with your team. The cheers and honest feedback throughout the first 17 miles are critical for the mental toughness needed to push through mile 18 and attain your finishing results.

So getting through mile 18 takes Preparation, a great team, and gratitude for those who supported your marathon journey. 

Tim Griffith (Steph's Dad): I was a key witness for my company in a high stakes, complicated lawsuit that kept me out of town and away from my family for several extended periods of time. The day before I was to testify, our attorneys met with me to “give me my answers to their questions” for my testimony. I read through the lengthy document and told them I couldn’t testify to what they had laid out. I said I would write down what I considered to be truthful testimony, which I also believed supported our case. They were not happy.  

After a couple of hours of writing, I got a knock on the hotel door. It was one of the attorneys saying my testimony had been moved up to today! It was my mile 18. I put on my suit and tie, looked in the bathroom mirror—and I freaked out. But I decided to stick to my testimony outline even though I hadn’t had time to memorize it because it was the truth, and I knew it was the right thing to do. I told myself I was going to do my best. 

Getting into the car to go to the courthouse, an attorney ran out of the hotel lobby and told me my testimony was now going to happen tomorrow. The tension drained out of me. I spent the night with the attorneys polishing up my testimony and memorizing key elements. I was nervous but confident in giving my testimony and easily survived a long cross examination by our adversaries. And coming out the other side of my mile 18, we won the case.

Chaplain (LTC) William H Allen; Special Operations Chaplain (Crawford’s Dad): In the military we often refer to our regular course of business as our "battle rhythm"; the day to day, week to week things each staff section finds themselves responsible for. As an Army Chaplain, I find "mile 18" hits when battle rhythm events are disrupted by crisis and emergency. It could be anything from the hospitalization of a service member or their family, to a national response overseas. When the daily tasks must be completed along with the crisis, I usually hit a wall. When that happens, much like a marathon runner, I find myself focusing on the "next step"; one step at a time.

Duane Shover, Business Coach (Dani’s Dad): Years ago, I faced a crucial point in my career when I truly didn’t know what to do, or how to figure it out…let alone actually address it. I found myself in a place I’d never been, and in circumstances I’d never experienced. 

Throughout a career, or life, there will be obstacles. Barriers with which to be dealt. Many. Some are more difficult than others. A few may feel utterly overwhelming. 

Fortunately, very few barriers in life are truly insurmountable. We may need to pause (briefly) and gather ourselves, deal with our emotions, and create a better plan. 

I've realized my Mile 18’s are rare these days. Not because things are simpler or easier. What would have been a Mile 18 for me 10 or 15 years ago, doesn't register the same way. I've gained perspective. 

Because, in the end, we will find a way to push through it. Or go over it. Or around it. Or deal with it in whatever manner is necessary. 

The key is…Never, never, never quit.