60 second q&a with derek haese: “my role is not to have all the answers, but to be emotionally attuned, listen closely, and help guide my kids to grow.”

Derek Haese has an impressive resume: Jackie Robinson Award winner and former member of the George Washington University Baseball team; Assistant VP of Business Development for Lineup, a people-first tech solution that makes managing data and credentialing easy; and founder of the Haese Academy, a baseball academy and community center designed to assist in breaking the cycle of extreme poverty in the town of Las Terrenas in the Dominican Republic.

But, in our opinion, Derek’s real superpower is his ability to make a 60-minute Zoom call fly by.

Hour-long virtual calls can sound daunting, and if you say they don’t – then you might be a serial killer. But without fail, calls with Derek go by in a blink. Why? Because he actually listens. Because he keeps humor at the forefront. Because he never shies away from the tough stuff.

Turns out, these qualities that make him a great thought partner make him great at other stuff, too. That mix of empathy, grit, and wit is how he drives growth at Lineup, empowers kids at the Haese Academy, and navigates life as a father to two.

This Q&A captures that, and we’re thrilled to share that with you.

– Meg & Steph

toth shop (ts): We’re celebrating dads all month long in June. You have two children – what’s been the most surprising part(s) of fatherhood over the years?

Derek Haese (DH): The most surprising part of fatherhood has been just how quickly kids learn and grow. It feels like they’re constantly absorbing new information, adapting, and becoming more capable almost overnight. What’s been even more remarkable is their resilience. Living abroad amplified all of that for us. New environments, new routines, new opportunities, new challenges. How they were able to take it all in stride and navigate with a level of confidence was both impressive and humbling. It’s made me realize that my role is not to have all the answers, but to be emotionally attuned, listen closely, and help guide my kids to grow.

ts: At Lineup, you help organizations manage their people data. How has becoming a father changed the way you view leadership or how you manage your own team?

DH: ​​Becoming a father made leadership much more personal for me. I am more intentional about understanding what motivates people, where they are growing, and where they might be struggling. Managing through multiple transitions, both personally and professionally, has reinforced that the best leaders are adaptable and emotionally intelligent. Systems and data matter but are only useful if they help you support the human being behind them.

ts: Lineup is a people-first tech solution. In a world that’s obsessed with metrics and KPIs, what’s a “people” metric that you feel can help an organization measure success?

DH: One of the most important “people” metrics is progression, i.e., are individuals actually growing over time? Not just in title, but in responsibility, confidence, and impact. From my own experience navigating major transitions, like moving abroad or building something from scratch, I have learned that growth is rarely linear. Organizations that intentionally track and support a person’s evolution – who someone was, who they are, and where they want to go – are the ones that build resilient teams. To me, progression ultimately reveals whether people feel seen, supported, and challenged in the right ways.

ts: In 2016, you and your wife moved to the Dominican Republic and ended up starting the Haese Academy. As a father, what was going through your mind during that transition? Was there a specific moment where you looked at your own kids and knew this move was actually the best thing for them, too?

DH: There was a lot of uncertainty going into that move. I was thinking about stability, opportunity, and what my kids might be giving up. But there was also a strong belief that exposure to a different way of life would shape them in ways you can’t replicate. The moment it really clicked for me was seeing how quickly they adapted to a new language, a new culture, and new relationships. They were not just adjusting, they were thriving. It reinforced that resilience and adaptability are learned through experience, not comfort. That move didn’t just change our environment. It changed how we all approach life.

ts: 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?

DH: Mile 18, for me, has always shown up during periods of transition, whether that was moving to a different country, building something new, or scaling a team through change. Mile 18 is the moment when excitement fades and uncertainty sets in. That is precisely the time you need to bear down and be resilient. I’ve learned that resilience is not just about pushing harder, it’s about staying grounded and adaptable. It’s about trusting the foundation that has been built, and focusing on the next best, right step instead of the entire path. If you can stay steady and emotionally aware in those moments, you usually come out stronger on the other side.