#37 - Ben's Dad Also Wanted To Be An Astronaut?! with Fred Stern

We sit down with none other than Ben's dad, Fred Stern! In an understated fashion, but with an entertaining, wry sense of humor, Fred takes us on a tour of his life through his adventures building rockets, obtaining his pilot's license, and flying his family across the country. We particularly enjoyed Ben's banter with his dad, as they exchanged story after story, giving us real-time insights into the dad-son dynamic.

In his personal life, Fred was divorced while Ben was a baby and has since remarried having fathered another son and raised a step-brother to Ben. Fred offers valuable and experienced insights into his perspective on divorce, why he feels fathers should not remarry while the kids are young, and how it can impact one's ability to fully be present as a dad.

Fred also discusses the excitement of a new relationship but the "baggage" that inevitably comes after the passage of time and how one must learn to accept such baggage to make a second relationship last as he has in his own life. Fred opens up about his feelings over his relationship with Ben's mom and their challenges in communicating both pre and post-divorce.

Finally, while not overly emotional in nature, Fred vulnerably describes how painful it was to hear about Ben's divorce, how he wanted to do anything to help him, and how proud he is of all of Ben's ongoing accomplishments in a touching "Too Dad To Quit" moment. This is an episode that will pull at your heartstrings, so don't miss it! Contact Us to Share Your Story: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toodadtoquit.com/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Watch This Episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/LCT8Ngb1ScE

Chapters:

00:00 Modeling and Life Stories

03:16 Childhood Stories

05:43 Finding a House and Childhood Memories

09:40 Growing Up

12:01 High School and College

18:54 Working with Film Projectors and Missiles

25:49 Journey to Becoming a Pilot

33:36 Flying Experiences

39:04 Childhood and Family

44:27 Divorce Advice

47:51 Divorce and Fatherhood

57:55 Reflection and Advice on Divorce

01:00:45 Family Dynamics and Changing Relationships

01:04:25 Moving Forward After Divorce

01:09:31 Recollections of Family Business and Entrepreneurship

01:13:58 Influence of Business on Personal Life

01:17:55 Reflection on Family Name

01:21:19 Advice for People Going Through Divorce

01:24:28 Balancing Personal Happiness and Responsibilities

01:29:25 Reflecting on Past Experiences

01:32:21 Expressing Gratitude and Reflections

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Episode References:

Hidden Figures Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340

Dr. Laura Schlessinger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Schlessinger

Get in touch with Fred:

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-stern-4b270680

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