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12 Lessons From Sharethrough Dads on Love, Leadership, and Legacy

Company
11
minutes
Technical Level
June 16, 2023
11
minutes
June 16, 2023
Technical Level
Matthew Workman
Marketing Coordinator
Fatherhood is a profound, distinctive, and gratifying experience that deserves recognition and celebration. As nurturers, role models, inspirations, and champions to us all, we look to them to lead, guide, and help shape future generations.

As fast-paced as ad tech can be, balancing fatherhood alongside work can be particularly challenging for all parents. 

At Sharethrough, we recognize that a company's culture, support, and equilibrium are crucial to helping current fathers maintain balance, and assist new fathers in navigating the transition into parenthood. This Father's Day, we want to acknowledge and honor the remarkable fathers of Sharethrough who have made a tremendous impact on both our company and on the lives of their families.

6 Insightful Questions for Sharethrough Dads

To gain insights into the unique experiences of Sharethrough's working fathers, we asked them a series of questions such as "What has been the biggest challenge you've faced as a father?", "How do you balance work alongside fatherhood?,” "What skills have you learned throughout fatherhood that have translated into your professional life?,” Their responses provide a glimpse into the incredible journey that is fatherhood, the daily challenges that come with it, and the importance of having supportive teammates and a company culture that embraces and uplifts all fathers along this journey.

Lesson 1: The Precious Nature Of Life

Raising and caring for a newborn is one of life’s most precious moments, and if you aren’t careful, it can pass you by in the blink of an eye. 

For Daniel Di Tomaso, RVP Canada at Sharethrough and father to a 3-month old son, learning to be present and fully focused on the present moment has been a powerful asset in his new journey through fatherhood. 

“The biggest lesson I have learned from my child is the profound realization that life is short and that I should cherish every precious minute of it.This understanding has instilled in me a deep appreciation for the significance of each passing moment. Being a parent has heightened my awareness of time's swift passage and has taught me the immense value that every second holds.” 

Daniel Di Tomaso and his newborn son Daemon (ready to be Sharethrough’s youngest employee!)

Lesson 2: Communication Skills and Unconditional Love 

Kevin Gentry, VP of product, joined Sharethrough in the summer of 2022, and has taken major strides during the past year, often being praised as an excellent communicator and leader.

Some of the most important lessons have come from his two daughters: 

“I've honed my communication skills to the needs of the girls and not just stuck to my communication preference. I've found a variety of ways to communicate effectively and with clarity. Some work better than others. I'm able to adapt my communication style to them. Each of the girls is unique and requires personalized attention.

Fatherhood has taught me the importance of adaptability. Every day brings new challenges and situations to my children, and being able to adapt quickly has been instrumental in navigating parenthood. This adaptability extends beyond my role as a father and spills over into my work life.”

For Kevin, the most rewarding part of becoming a father starts and ends with: "experiencing intense love and affection from your kids, regardless of what happens. Coming home from a long day or seeing them in the morning when they wake up, and the first thing out of their mouth is DADDY!!! and a big hug. You can't beat that.” 

Kevin Gentry, VP of Product at Sharethrough alongside his family.

Lesson 3: Learn to Trust Yourself

Roberto Martinez, Manager of Information Systems has been with Sharethrough for over 8 years, and he’s raised three children during this time. He is most excited about watching his children grow, contribute to society and reach their full potential.

“For me, the most rewarding part of becoming a father is seeing my children accomplish new things, and watching them grow into the citizens they will become. Fully-grown human beings that will eventually take part and contribute to our society with their own sets of skills, values and attitudes. We're all standing on the shoulders of giants, piggy-backing on thousands of years of knowledge and discovery. I'm rubbing my hands in excitement watching them become the shoulders on which future generations will stand on.”

When asked what advice he would give to new dads, Roberto said: “rule number one: follow your own advice. There's no manual and if it was that complicated, we'd all be extinct by now.”

Roberto, Manager of IT at Sharethrough with his family.

Lesson 4: Embracing Change

Carlo Robles, Account Executive at Sharethrough and his family at the beach 

Carlo Robles, Account Executive at Sharethrough has learned a lot about becoming a father in the last few years. For Carlo, it’s necessary to be able to switch gears quickly, and adapt to the needs of his family. Adaptability at home has allowed Carlo to become more efficient at work. 

“As a father, I've learned to become more adaptable and willing to try new things when they aren't working, or being able to pivot with the constant change or evolvement.”

Carlo’s three major lessons that he’s learned from his children can be summarized in three words: patience, gentleness, and presence. 

Lesson 5: Don’t Forget To Take Care Of Yourself

Whoever said that becoming a father would be a walk in the park, was lying. While fatherhood is a truly meaningful and enriching experience that can lead to joyful times, it’s certainly not without its tough times. Long days of balancing work alongside childcare, dealing with last-minute emergencies, and looking after the needs of your family can lead to stress and anxiety, and even sheer exhaustion. For Chris Sweet, Senior Account Executive, the biggest challenge he’s faced as a father has been the immense amount of energy needed to allocate towards being a dad.

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced as a father is exhaustion! The days of just going through the motions or mailing it in are long gone. There is now another life that is dependent on you to succeed and be the best YOU you can be. I’ve learned to overcome this by making self-care more of a priority because you can’t take care of others if you are not taking care of yourself!”

When asked what major learnings Chris has learned from his children, he answered: “Laugh more! Life is too serious all the time!”

Chris Sweet, Senior Account Executive at Sharethrough and his son at the beach.

Lesson 6: Learn to Lead At Home and In The Office

Brandon Belsky, Sales Director has been helping to lead the West sales team at Sharethrough since joining in the summer of 2021. Leadership is a key trait that Brandon has mastered in his role, and he credits this mastery to his experiences in fatherhood.

“Leadership is a big one. Being a father is about leadership. Guiding my children through life, setting a good example, and helping them become the best they can be is a responsibility I take very seriously. I strive to bring this same dedication and responsibility to my role at Sharethrough, leading my team with integrity and vision.” 

Brandon Belsky, Sales Director at Sharethrough and his family.

Lesson 7: Learning Valuable Lessons For Life & Work

The path through fatherhood is rich in teachings, and each journey comes with a new set of lessons. Justin Coché, Senior Revenue Operations Manager believes his two sons have been invaluable teachers (even with the age gap!). 

“The way our children see the world and make new experiences without any judgment is a lesson for us all. As we grow as adults we tend to forget that naivety.”

“When becoming a father, you learn how to be even more resilient. Each day is made of ups and downs, you can feel like you want to give up sometimes but it's so rewarding in the end. This resilience (one of the core values from the company) and patience overall has helped me a lot in my day to day work.”

Senior Revenue Operations Manager Justin Coché and his two sons.

Lesson 8: Prioritize Presence

Balancing work alongside family is something that every father struggles with in some way or another. For Matt Desocio, Strategic Account Director at Sharethrough, his flexible work environment has been a key component to spending quality time with his family: 

“In a world that continues to manufacture and increase, Sharethrough has always supported my work life balance and encouraged me to be present in the lives of my children. The ability to work from home when needed has enabled me to attend school events and coach my kids in after school activities. The opportunity to also work in the office, alongside my coworkers, has provided me the ability to grow my relationships with them and grow professionally as I always have over the years. The hybrid schedule has been a perfect balance.”

Matt Desocio, Strategic Account Director at Sharethrough alongside his family.

Lesson 9: Learning to Let Go of Chasing Perfection

Dan Capelan, Strategic Account Director and his two sons: Mason and Hudson

Society often tricks us into believing that we need to achieve absolute perfection in fatherhood and the achievements of our children. For Dan Capelan, Strategic Account Director, getting rid of this unrealistic goal of perfection has proven tricky: 

“The biggest challenge I've faced being a father has been initially feeling the need to be the "perfect" parent for my two boys Hudson (6) and Mason (3). The love my boys show me, especially when I make mistakes is what has helped me overcome it. Their love in those moments made me realize that I do not need to be "perfect" to be Superman in their eyes.”

The world of sales is full of high pressure situations, and it’s often easy to place an incredible amount of pressure on the outcomes. For Dan, fatherhood has taught him to let up on the pressure, both at home and at work: 

“A major lesson I learned after becoming a father is that I am a better version of myself, when I don't put so much pressure on myself. I've incorporated this heavily into my work as a Sales Director at Sharethrough. Sales is a never ending roller coaster ride of highs and lows, with drops sometimes that could feel like they are never going to end. Not getting down and heaping massive amounts of pressure on myself in those moments is critical to maintaining my confidence, which has played a massive role in my success at Sharethrough.”

Lesson 10: Conquering Self Doubt 

It’s easy enough to worry about the choices we make in our day to day lives, let alone to worry about the choices we make for our children who are dependent on us to lead and guide them through life. We asked Ken Poon, Product Manager at Sharethrough what has been his biggest challenges since becoming a father:

“For me, watching my kids fail and cry is a tough one. There’s not much you can do when they struggle during a fight on the stage. The emotion is overwhelmingly powerful. The best I can do is offer advice, encouragement and be patient with them. I just need to learn with them every day, look at our mistakes together and make a better step forward.”

Ken’s advice to new fathers: “Be kind and useful. Help them to be the best person they can be. And enjoy every moment, they grow so fast!”

Ken Poon, Product Manager at Sharethrough and his two daughters.

Lesson 11: Flexible Work Schedules = Better Parental Planning

Frank Maguire, VP Insights & Strategy at Sharethrough and his family.

Frank Maguire, VP Insights & Strategy leads Sharethrough’s Sales Enablement team. At home, Frank is one of two working parents, meaning busy schedules, hectic weekends, and superhero strength prioritization are at play. We asked Frank about the skills or lessons that he’s learned during fatherhood: 

“Caring for children with two working parents requires a lot of logistics and planning. From what they're going to eat that night to what camp they're going to 6 months from now, you need to think ahead. After living that day in and day out at home, I've become a better planner and less of a procrastinator at work.”


For Frank, Sharethrough has been a always been very supportive of balancing work alongside family, enabling him to adopt flexible work hours, and deal with the comedic troubles of remote work during the pandemic: 

“The positive of having two young kids during the pandemic was having the opportunity to stay home with them and watch them grow every day. That was also incredibly challenging to balance work while trying to parent. Luckily, Sharethrough was always very supportive of flexible schedules and my co-workers would laugh along, instead cringing, when a naked toddler might show up in the middle of (numerous) Zoom calls.”

Lesson 12: Effort Matters

Joel Pasion, Senior Client Solutions Manager at Sharethrough understands the value of improving and excelling in your life and work. Seeing his child learn the value of hard work and being intentional has reminded Joel about the rewards that can come from perseverance. We asked Joel about the biggest lesson that he has learned from his children: “Effort. Things don't just happen. If you want it, you have to go out there and get it.”

Joel’s advice to new fathers: “Love. Don't stop loving. Little things matter and enjoy all the time that passes.”

Joel, Senior Client Solutions Manager at Sharethrough at Sharethrough and his son.

Parental Leave Benefits At Sharethrough

Caring for a new child is an exciting time, and Sharethrough wants to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for all parents. Sharethrough is proud to offer its employees a salary coverage program to all parents of a new child regardless of their role, gender and family circumstances. Sharethrough is dedicated to supporting employees along their journey to becoming parents, and long afterwards. Here are some ways in which we support the parents of Sharethrough: 

For The Birthing Parent:

Because we want to support soon to be parents, at every step of the way. Birthing parents are eligible for a total of 16 consecutive weeks of the Top-Up program covering the employee’s full salary.

For Non-birthing Parent: 

Because becoming a parent can come in many different ways including having a partner giving birth, having a child through adoption, surrogacy, or foster care, Sharethrough is happy to support non-birthing parents.  These employees are eligible for a total of 6 weeks of the Top-Up program covering the employee’s base salary.

Optional Progressive Return to Work 

In order to ease the return to work and provide the birthing parent with time to balance the newly heightened demands of becoming a working parent, birthing parents have the opportunity to return to work on a progressive basis. 

Sharethrough owes much of its success to the incredible fathers who are making their mark in the ad tech industry, both at work and at home. Their commitment to excellence sets an example to fellow employees and is an inspiration to all. 

As a company, Sharethrough is dedicated to supporting our employees in every aspect of their lives, including during the exciting and complex times of motherhood. We provide a comprehensive maternity leave benefits package, a supportive company culture, and surround our employees with caring teammates to ensure that our employees feel valued and supported as they navigate this important milestone. We are proud to celebrate the exceptional mothers who are part of the Sharethrough family, and we thank them for their hard work and dedication. Happy Father’s Day!

Interested in learning more about Sharethrough culture? Make sure to reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you!

To view the free infographic, fill the form below.

Fatherhood is a profound, distinctive, and gratifying experience that deserves recognition and celebration. As nurturers, role models, inspirations, and champions to us all, we look to them to lead, guide, and help shape future generations.

As fast-paced as ad tech can be, balancing fatherhood alongside work can be particularly challenging for all parents. 

At Sharethrough, we recognize that a company's culture, support, and equilibrium are crucial to helping current fathers maintain balance, and assist new fathers in navigating the transition into parenthood. This Father's Day, we want to acknowledge and honor the remarkable fathers of Sharethrough who have made a tremendous impact on both our company and on the lives of their families.

6 Insightful Questions for Sharethrough Dads

To gain insights into the unique experiences of Sharethrough's working fathers, we asked them a series of questions such as "What has been the biggest challenge you've faced as a father?", "How do you balance work alongside fatherhood?,” "What skills have you learned throughout fatherhood that have translated into your professional life?,” Their responses provide a glimpse into the incredible journey that is fatherhood, the daily challenges that come with it, and the importance of having supportive teammates and a company culture that embraces and uplifts all fathers along this journey.

Lesson 1: The Precious Nature Of Life

Raising and caring for a newborn is one of life’s most precious moments, and if you aren’t careful, it can pass you by in the blink of an eye. 

For Daniel Di Tomaso, RVP Canada at Sharethrough and father to a 3-month old son, learning to be present and fully focused on the present moment has been a powerful asset in his new journey through fatherhood. 

“The biggest lesson I have learned from my child is the profound realization that life is short and that I should cherish every precious minute of it.This understanding has instilled in me a deep appreciation for the significance of each passing moment. Being a parent has heightened my awareness of time's swift passage and has taught me the immense value that every second holds.” 

Daniel Di Tomaso and his newborn son Daemon (ready to be Sharethrough’s youngest employee!)

Lesson 2: Communication Skills and Unconditional Love 

Kevin Gentry, VP of product, joined Sharethrough in the summer of 2022, and has taken major strides during the past year, often being praised as an excellent communicator and leader.

Some of the most important lessons have come from his two daughters: 

“I've honed my communication skills to the needs of the girls and not just stuck to my communication preference. I've found a variety of ways to communicate effectively and with clarity. Some work better than others. I'm able to adapt my communication style to them. Each of the girls is unique and requires personalized attention.

Fatherhood has taught me the importance of adaptability. Every day brings new challenges and situations to my children, and being able to adapt quickly has been instrumental in navigating parenthood. This adaptability extends beyond my role as a father and spills over into my work life.”

For Kevin, the most rewarding part of becoming a father starts and ends with: "experiencing intense love and affection from your kids, regardless of what happens. Coming home from a long day or seeing them in the morning when they wake up, and the first thing out of their mouth is DADDY!!! and a big hug. You can't beat that.” 

Kevin Gentry, VP of Product at Sharethrough alongside his family.

Lesson 3: Learn to Trust Yourself

Roberto Martinez, Manager of Information Systems has been with Sharethrough for over 8 years, and he’s raised three children during this time. He is most excited about watching his children grow, contribute to society and reach their full potential.

“For me, the most rewarding part of becoming a father is seeing my children accomplish new things, and watching them grow into the citizens they will become. Fully-grown human beings that will eventually take part and contribute to our society with their own sets of skills, values and attitudes. We're all standing on the shoulders of giants, piggy-backing on thousands of years of knowledge and discovery. I'm rubbing my hands in excitement watching them become the shoulders on which future generations will stand on.”

When asked what advice he would give to new dads, Roberto said: “rule number one: follow your own advice. There's no manual and if it was that complicated, we'd all be extinct by now.”

Roberto, Manager of IT at Sharethrough with his family.

Lesson 4: Embracing Change

Carlo Robles, Account Executive at Sharethrough and his family at the beach 

Carlo Robles, Account Executive at Sharethrough has learned a lot about becoming a father in the last few years. For Carlo, it’s necessary to be able to switch gears quickly, and adapt to the needs of his family. Adaptability at home has allowed Carlo to become more efficient at work. 

“As a father, I've learned to become more adaptable and willing to try new things when they aren't working, or being able to pivot with the constant change or evolvement.”

Carlo’s three major lessons that he’s learned from his children can be summarized in three words: patience, gentleness, and presence. 

Lesson 5: Don’t Forget To Take Care Of Yourself

Whoever said that becoming a father would be a walk in the park, was lying. While fatherhood is a truly meaningful and enriching experience that can lead to joyful times, it’s certainly not without its tough times. Long days of balancing work alongside childcare, dealing with last-minute emergencies, and looking after the needs of your family can lead to stress and anxiety, and even sheer exhaustion. For Chris Sweet, Senior Account Executive, the biggest challenge he’s faced as a father has been the immense amount of energy needed to allocate towards being a dad.

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced as a father is exhaustion! The days of just going through the motions or mailing it in are long gone. There is now another life that is dependent on you to succeed and be the best YOU you can be. I’ve learned to overcome this by making self-care more of a priority because you can’t take care of others if you are not taking care of yourself!”

When asked what major learnings Chris has learned from his children, he answered: “Laugh more! Life is too serious all the time!”

Chris Sweet, Senior Account Executive at Sharethrough and his son at the beach.

Lesson 6: Learn to Lead At Home and In The Office

Brandon Belsky, Sales Director has been helping to lead the West sales team at Sharethrough since joining in the summer of 2021. Leadership is a key trait that Brandon has mastered in his role, and he credits this mastery to his experiences in fatherhood.

“Leadership is a big one. Being a father is about leadership. Guiding my children through life, setting a good example, and helping them become the best they can be is a responsibility I take very seriously. I strive to bring this same dedication and responsibility to my role at Sharethrough, leading my team with integrity and vision.” 

Brandon Belsky, Sales Director at Sharethrough and his family.

Lesson 7: Learning Valuable Lessons For Life & Work

The path through fatherhood is rich in teachings, and each journey comes with a new set of lessons. Justin Coché, Senior Revenue Operations Manager believes his two sons have been invaluable teachers (even with the age gap!). 

“The way our children see the world and make new experiences without any judgment is a lesson for us all. As we grow as adults we tend to forget that naivety.”

“When becoming a father, you learn how to be even more resilient. Each day is made of ups and downs, you can feel like you want to give up sometimes but it's so rewarding in the end. This resilience (one of the core values from the company) and patience overall has helped me a lot in my day to day work.”

Senior Revenue Operations Manager Justin Coché and his two sons.

Lesson 8: Prioritize Presence

Balancing work alongside family is something that every father struggles with in some way or another. For Matt Desocio, Strategic Account Director at Sharethrough, his flexible work environment has been a key component to spending quality time with his family: 

“In a world that continues to manufacture and increase, Sharethrough has always supported my work life balance and encouraged me to be present in the lives of my children. The ability to work from home when needed has enabled me to attend school events and coach my kids in after school activities. The opportunity to also work in the office, alongside my coworkers, has provided me the ability to grow my relationships with them and grow professionally as I always have over the years. The hybrid schedule has been a perfect balance.”

Matt Desocio, Strategic Account Director at Sharethrough alongside his family.

Lesson 9: Learning to Let Go of Chasing Perfection

Dan Capelan, Strategic Account Director and his two sons: Mason and Hudson

Society often tricks us into believing that we need to achieve absolute perfection in fatherhood and the achievements of our children. For Dan Capelan, Strategic Account Director, getting rid of this unrealistic goal of perfection has proven tricky: 

“The biggest challenge I've faced being a father has been initially feeling the need to be the "perfect" parent for my two boys Hudson (6) and Mason (3). The love my boys show me, especially when I make mistakes is what has helped me overcome it. Their love in those moments made me realize that I do not need to be "perfect" to be Superman in their eyes.”

The world of sales is full of high pressure situations, and it’s often easy to place an incredible amount of pressure on the outcomes. For Dan, fatherhood has taught him to let up on the pressure, both at home and at work: 

“A major lesson I learned after becoming a father is that I am a better version of myself, when I don't put so much pressure on myself. I've incorporated this heavily into my work as a Sales Director at Sharethrough. Sales is a never ending roller coaster ride of highs and lows, with drops sometimes that could feel like they are never going to end. Not getting down and heaping massive amounts of pressure on myself in those moments is critical to maintaining my confidence, which has played a massive role in my success at Sharethrough.”

Lesson 10: Conquering Self Doubt 

It’s easy enough to worry about the choices we make in our day to day lives, let alone to worry about the choices we make for our children who are dependent on us to lead and guide them through life. We asked Ken Poon, Product Manager at Sharethrough what has been his biggest challenges since becoming a father:

“For me, watching my kids fail and cry is a tough one. There’s not much you can do when they struggle during a fight on the stage. The emotion is overwhelmingly powerful. The best I can do is offer advice, encouragement and be patient with them. I just need to learn with them every day, look at our mistakes together and make a better step forward.”

Ken’s advice to new fathers: “Be kind and useful. Help them to be the best person they can be. And enjoy every moment, they grow so fast!”

Ken Poon, Product Manager at Sharethrough and his two daughters.

Lesson 11: Flexible Work Schedules = Better Parental Planning

Frank Maguire, VP Insights & Strategy at Sharethrough and his family.

Frank Maguire, VP Insights & Strategy leads Sharethrough’s Sales Enablement team. At home, Frank is one of two working parents, meaning busy schedules, hectic weekends, and superhero strength prioritization are at play. We asked Frank about the skills or lessons that he’s learned during fatherhood: 

“Caring for children with two working parents requires a lot of logistics and planning. From what they're going to eat that night to what camp they're going to 6 months from now, you need to think ahead. After living that day in and day out at home, I've become a better planner and less of a procrastinator at work.”


For Frank, Sharethrough has been a always been very supportive of balancing work alongside family, enabling him to adopt flexible work hours, and deal with the comedic troubles of remote work during the pandemic: 

“The positive of having two young kids during the pandemic was having the opportunity to stay home with them and watch them grow every day. That was also incredibly challenging to balance work while trying to parent. Luckily, Sharethrough was always very supportive of flexible schedules and my co-workers would laugh along, instead cringing, when a naked toddler might show up in the middle of (numerous) Zoom calls.”

Lesson 12: Effort Matters

Joel Pasion, Senior Client Solutions Manager at Sharethrough understands the value of improving and excelling in your life and work. Seeing his child learn the value of hard work and being intentional has reminded Joel about the rewards that can come from perseverance. We asked Joel about the biggest lesson that he has learned from his children: “Effort. Things don't just happen. If you want it, you have to go out there and get it.”

Joel’s advice to new fathers: “Love. Don't stop loving. Little things matter and enjoy all the time that passes.”

Joel, Senior Client Solutions Manager at Sharethrough at Sharethrough and his son.

Parental Leave Benefits At Sharethrough

Caring for a new child is an exciting time, and Sharethrough wants to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for all parents. Sharethrough is proud to offer its employees a salary coverage program to all parents of a new child regardless of their role, gender and family circumstances. Sharethrough is dedicated to supporting employees along their journey to becoming parents, and long afterwards. Here are some ways in which we support the parents of Sharethrough: 

For The Birthing Parent:

Because we want to support soon to be parents, at every step of the way. Birthing parents are eligible for a total of 16 consecutive weeks of the Top-Up program covering the employee’s full salary.

For Non-birthing Parent: 

Because becoming a parent can come in many different ways including having a partner giving birth, having a child through adoption, surrogacy, or foster care, Sharethrough is happy to support non-birthing parents.  These employees are eligible for a total of 6 weeks of the Top-Up program covering the employee’s base salary.

Optional Progressive Return to Work 

In order to ease the return to work and provide the birthing parent with time to balance the newly heightened demands of becoming a working parent, birthing parents have the opportunity to return to work on a progressive basis. 

Sharethrough owes much of its success to the incredible fathers who are making their mark in the ad tech industry, both at work and at home. Their commitment to excellence sets an example to fellow employees and is an inspiration to all. 

As a company, Sharethrough is dedicated to supporting our employees in every aspect of their lives, including during the exciting and complex times of motherhood. We provide a comprehensive maternity leave benefits package, a supportive company culture, and surround our employees with caring teammates to ensure that our employees feel valued and supported as they navigate this important milestone. We are proud to celebrate the exceptional mothers who are part of the Sharethrough family, and we thank them for their hard work and dedication. Happy Father’s Day!

Interested in learning more about Sharethrough culture? Make sure to reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you!

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About Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech—

Behind Headlines: 180 Seconds in Ad Tech is a short 3-minute podcast exploring the news in the digital advertising industry. Ad tech is a fast-growing industry with many updates happening daily. As it can be hard for most to keep up with the latest news, the Sharethrough team wanted to create an audio series compiling notable mentions each week.

Fatherhood is a profound, distinctive, and gratifying experience that deserves recognition and celebration. As nurturers, role models, inspirations, and champions to us all, we look to them to lead, guide, and help shape future generations.

As fast-paced as ad tech can be, balancing fatherhood alongside work can be particularly challenging for all parents. 

At Sharethrough, we recognize that a company's culture, support, and equilibrium are crucial to helping current fathers maintain balance, and assist new fathers in navigating the transition into parenthood. This Father's Day, we want to acknowledge and honor the remarkable fathers of Sharethrough who have made a tremendous impact on both our company and on the lives of their families.

6 Insightful Questions for Sharethrough Dads

To gain insights into the unique experiences of Sharethrough's working fathers, we asked them a series of questions such as "What has been the biggest challenge you've faced as a father?", "How do you balance work alongside fatherhood?,” "What skills have you learned throughout fatherhood that have translated into your professional life?,” Their responses provide a glimpse into the incredible journey that is fatherhood, the daily challenges that come with it, and the importance of having supportive teammates and a company culture that embraces and uplifts all fathers along this journey.

Lesson 1: The Precious Nature Of Life

Raising and caring for a newborn is one of life’s most precious moments, and if you aren’t careful, it can pass you by in the blink of an eye. 

For Daniel Di Tomaso, RVP Canada at Sharethrough and father to a 3-month old son, learning to be present and fully focused on the present moment has been a powerful asset in his new journey through fatherhood. 

“The biggest lesson I have learned from my child is the profound realization that life is short and that I should cherish every precious minute of it.This understanding has instilled in me a deep appreciation for the significance of each passing moment. Being a parent has heightened my awareness of time's swift passage and has taught me the immense value that every second holds.” 

Daniel Di Tomaso and his newborn son Daemon (ready to be Sharethrough’s youngest employee!)

Lesson 2: Communication Skills and Unconditional Love 

Kevin Gentry, VP of product, joined Sharethrough in the summer of 2022, and has taken major strides during the past year, often being praised as an excellent communicator and leader.

Some of the most important lessons have come from his two daughters: 

“I've honed my communication skills to the needs of the girls and not just stuck to my communication preference. I've found a variety of ways to communicate effectively and with clarity. Some work better than others. I'm able to adapt my communication style to them. Each of the girls is unique and requires personalized attention.

Fatherhood has taught me the importance of adaptability. Every day brings new challenges and situations to my children, and being able to adapt quickly has been instrumental in navigating parenthood. This adaptability extends beyond my role as a father and spills over into my work life.”

For Kevin, the most rewarding part of becoming a father starts and ends with: "experiencing intense love and affection from your kids, regardless of what happens. Coming home from a long day or seeing them in the morning when they wake up, and the first thing out of their mouth is DADDY!!! and a big hug. You can't beat that.” 

Kevin Gentry, VP of Product at Sharethrough alongside his family.

Lesson 3: Learn to Trust Yourself

Roberto Martinez, Manager of Information Systems has been with Sharethrough for over 8 years, and he’s raised three children during this time. He is most excited about watching his children grow, contribute to society and reach their full potential.

“For me, the most rewarding part of becoming a father is seeing my children accomplish new things, and watching them grow into the citizens they will become. Fully-grown human beings that will eventually take part and contribute to our society with their own sets of skills, values and attitudes. We're all standing on the shoulders of giants, piggy-backing on thousands of years of knowledge and discovery. I'm rubbing my hands in excitement watching them become the shoulders on which future generations will stand on.”

When asked what advice he would give to new dads, Roberto said: “rule number one: follow your own advice. There's no manual and if it was that complicated, we'd all be extinct by now.”

Roberto, Manager of IT at Sharethrough with his family.

Lesson 4: Embracing Change

Carlo Robles, Account Executive at Sharethrough and his family at the beach 

Carlo Robles, Account Executive at Sharethrough has learned a lot about becoming a father in the last few years. For Carlo, it’s necessary to be able to switch gears quickly, and adapt to the needs of his family. Adaptability at home has allowed Carlo to become more efficient at work. 

“As a father, I've learned to become more adaptable and willing to try new things when they aren't working, or being able to pivot with the constant change or evolvement.”

Carlo’s three major lessons that he’s learned from his children can be summarized in three words: patience, gentleness, and presence. 

Lesson 5: Don’t Forget To Take Care Of Yourself

Whoever said that becoming a father would be a walk in the park, was lying. While fatherhood is a truly meaningful and enriching experience that can lead to joyful times, it’s certainly not without its tough times. Long days of balancing work alongside childcare, dealing with last-minute emergencies, and looking after the needs of your family can lead to stress and anxiety, and even sheer exhaustion. For Chris Sweet, Senior Account Executive, the biggest challenge he’s faced as a father has been the immense amount of energy needed to allocate towards being a dad.

“The biggest challenge I’ve faced as a father is exhaustion! The days of just going through the motions or mailing it in are long gone. There is now another life that is dependent on you to succeed and be the best YOU you can be. I’ve learned to overcome this by making self-care more of a priority because you can’t take care of others if you are not taking care of yourself!”

When asked what major learnings Chris has learned from his children, he answered: “Laugh more! Life is too serious all the time!”

Chris Sweet, Senior Account Executive at Sharethrough and his son at the beach.

Lesson 6: Learn to Lead At Home and In The Office

Brandon Belsky, Sales Director has been helping to lead the West sales team at Sharethrough since joining in the summer of 2021. Leadership is a key trait that Brandon has mastered in his role, and he credits this mastery to his experiences in fatherhood.

“Leadership is a big one. Being a father is about leadership. Guiding my children through life, setting a good example, and helping them become the best they can be is a responsibility I take very seriously. I strive to bring this same dedication and responsibility to my role at Sharethrough, leading my team with integrity and vision.” 

Brandon Belsky, Sales Director at Sharethrough and his family.

Lesson 7: Learning Valuable Lessons For Life & Work

The path through fatherhood is rich in teachings, and each journey comes with a new set of lessons. Justin Coché, Senior Revenue Operations Manager believes his two sons have been invaluable teachers (even with the age gap!). 

“The way our children see the world and make new experiences without any judgment is a lesson for us all. As we grow as adults we tend to forget that naivety.”

“When becoming a father, you learn how to be even more resilient. Each day is made of ups and downs, you can feel like you want to give up sometimes but it's so rewarding in the end. This resilience (one of the core values from the company) and patience overall has helped me a lot in my day to day work.”

Senior Revenue Operations Manager Justin Coché and his two sons.

Lesson 8: Prioritize Presence

Balancing work alongside family is something that every father struggles with in some way or another. For Matt Desocio, Strategic Account Director at Sharethrough, his flexible work environment has been a key component to spending quality time with his family: 

“In a world that continues to manufacture and increase, Sharethrough has always supported my work life balance and encouraged me to be present in the lives of my children. The ability to work from home when needed has enabled me to attend school events and coach my kids in after school activities. The opportunity to also work in the office, alongside my coworkers, has provided me the ability to grow my relationships with them and grow professionally as I always have over the years. The hybrid schedule has been a perfect balance.”

Matt Desocio, Strategic Account Director at Sharethrough alongside his family.

Lesson 9: Learning to Let Go of Chasing Perfection

Dan Capelan, Strategic Account Director and his two sons: Mason and Hudson

Society often tricks us into believing that we need to achieve absolute perfection in fatherhood and the achievements of our children. For Dan Capelan, Strategic Account Director, getting rid of this unrealistic goal of perfection has proven tricky: 

“The biggest challenge I've faced being a father has been initially feeling the need to be the "perfect" parent for my two boys Hudson (6) and Mason (3). The love my boys show me, especially when I make mistakes is what has helped me overcome it. Their love in those moments made me realize that I do not need to be "perfect" to be Superman in their eyes.”

The world of sales is full of high pressure situations, and it’s often easy to place an incredible amount of pressure on the outcomes. For Dan, fatherhood has taught him to let up on the pressure, both at home and at work: 

“A major lesson I learned after becoming a father is that I am a better version of myself, when I don't put so much pressure on myself. I've incorporated this heavily into my work as a Sales Director at Sharethrough. Sales is a never ending roller coaster ride of highs and lows, with drops sometimes that could feel like they are never going to end. Not getting down and heaping massive amounts of pressure on myself in those moments is critical to maintaining my confidence, which has played a massive role in my success at Sharethrough.”

Lesson 10: Conquering Self Doubt 

It’s easy enough to worry about the choices we make in our day to day lives, let alone to worry about the choices we make for our children who are dependent on us to lead and guide them through life. We asked Ken Poon, Product Manager at Sharethrough what has been his biggest challenges since becoming a father:

“For me, watching my kids fail and cry is a tough one. There’s not much you can do when they struggle during a fight on the stage. The emotion is overwhelmingly powerful. The best I can do is offer advice, encouragement and be patient with them. I just need to learn with them every day, look at our mistakes together and make a better step forward.”

Ken’s advice to new fathers: “Be kind and useful. Help them to be the best person they can be. And enjoy every moment, they grow so fast!”

Ken Poon, Product Manager at Sharethrough and his two daughters.

Lesson 11: Flexible Work Schedules = Better Parental Planning

Frank Maguire, VP Insights & Strategy at Sharethrough and his family.

Frank Maguire, VP Insights & Strategy leads Sharethrough’s Sales Enablement team. At home, Frank is one of two working parents, meaning busy schedules, hectic weekends, and superhero strength prioritization are at play. We asked Frank about the skills or lessons that he’s learned during fatherhood: 

“Caring for children with two working parents requires a lot of logistics and planning. From what they're going to eat that night to what camp they're going to 6 months from now, you need to think ahead. After living that day in and day out at home, I've become a better planner and less of a procrastinator at work.”


For Frank, Sharethrough has been a always been very supportive of balancing work alongside family, enabling him to adopt flexible work hours, and deal with the comedic troubles of remote work during the pandemic: 

“The positive of having two young kids during the pandemic was having the opportunity to stay home with them and watch them grow every day. That was also incredibly challenging to balance work while trying to parent. Luckily, Sharethrough was always very supportive of flexible schedules and my co-workers would laugh along, instead cringing, when a naked toddler might show up in the middle of (numerous) Zoom calls.”

Lesson 12: Effort Matters

Joel Pasion, Senior Client Solutions Manager at Sharethrough understands the value of improving and excelling in your life and work. Seeing his child learn the value of hard work and being intentional has reminded Joel about the rewards that can come from perseverance. We asked Joel about the biggest lesson that he has learned from his children: “Effort. Things don't just happen. If you want it, you have to go out there and get it.”

Joel’s advice to new fathers: “Love. Don't stop loving. Little things matter and enjoy all the time that passes.”

Joel, Senior Client Solutions Manager at Sharethrough at Sharethrough and his son.

Parental Leave Benefits At Sharethrough

Caring for a new child is an exciting time, and Sharethrough wants to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for all parents. Sharethrough is proud to offer its employees a salary coverage program to all parents of a new child regardless of their role, gender and family circumstances. Sharethrough is dedicated to supporting employees along their journey to becoming parents, and long afterwards. Here are some ways in which we support the parents of Sharethrough: 

For The Birthing Parent:

Because we want to support soon to be parents, at every step of the way. Birthing parents are eligible for a total of 16 consecutive weeks of the Top-Up program covering the employee’s full salary.

For Non-birthing Parent: 

Because becoming a parent can come in many different ways including having a partner giving birth, having a child through adoption, surrogacy, or foster care, Sharethrough is happy to support non-birthing parents.  These employees are eligible for a total of 6 weeks of the Top-Up program covering the employee’s base salary.

Optional Progressive Return to Work 

In order to ease the return to work and provide the birthing parent with time to balance the newly heightened demands of becoming a working parent, birthing parents have the opportunity to return to work on a progressive basis. 

Sharethrough owes much of its success to the incredible fathers who are making their mark in the ad tech industry, both at work and at home. Their commitment to excellence sets an example to fellow employees and is an inspiration to all. 

As a company, Sharethrough is dedicated to supporting our employees in every aspect of their lives, including during the exciting and complex times of motherhood. We provide a comprehensive maternity leave benefits package, a supportive company culture, and surround our employees with caring teammates to ensure that our employees feel valued and supported as they navigate this important milestone. We are proud to celebrate the exceptional mothers who are part of the Sharethrough family, and we thank them for their hard work and dedication. Happy Father’s Day!

Interested in learning more about Sharethrough culture? Make sure to reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you!

About Calibrate—

Founded in 2015, Calibrate is a yearly conference for new engineering managers hosted by seasoned engineering managers. The experience level of the speakers ranges from newcomers all the way through senior engineering leaders with over twenty years of experience in the field. Each speaker is greatly concerned about the craft of engineering management. Organized and hosted by Sharethrough, it was conducted yearly in September, from 2015-2019 in San Francisco, California.

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Matthew Workman
Marketing Coordinator

About the Author

As the Marketing Coordinator at Sharethrough, Matthew is heavily involved in all company projects related to social media, digital marketing strategy, events, employer brand, and communications.

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