BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"

Building a Legacy: Chad Wise's Fatherhood Journey Through Faith and Family

• Coach Tim Brown, Uncommon Life

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BAB Podcast, Fatherhood Series Guest Chad Wise shares his approach to raising children with purpose and commitment. Chad's perspective is deeply rooted in his upbringing. Growing up with involved parents and grandparents who emphasized academics and hard work provided him with models of excellence he now passes to his children. His 93-year-old grandfather's perseverance through historical challenges and his late father's emphasis on precision helped shape Chad's understanding of what it means to be a man who leads his family with purpose. 

A dedicated husband, father of two, and accomplished pharmaceutical sales leader, Chad reveals how discipline forms the cornerstone of his parenting philosophy—not as punishment, but as unwavering commitment to seeing things through.

"If you commit to something, then we're going to do it," Chad explains, recounting his persistence in teaching his son to read despite frustration. This principle of follow-through shapes every aspect of his approach to family life, from morning drives filled with Bible readings to evening prayers that ground his children in faith.

What stands out most is Chad's intentionality in creating meaningful family routines. Despite frequent business travel, he remains "all in" when present—fully engaged in his children's lives through homework sessions, sports commitments, and family meals he lovingly prepares from scratch. These meals, inspired by his grandmother's cooking, bring together extended family who live nearby, creating spaces for connection and conversation.

For fathers who didn't have strong male role models, Chad offers empowering advice: "Surround yourself with the people that you want to be most like." He emphasizes finding mentors and building circles of influence that reflect the person you aspire to become, reminding men that it's never too late to seek guidance about fatherhood or marriage.

As you listen to this heartfelt conversation, you'll discover practical ways to strengthen family bonds, balance career demands, and build a legacy that extends beyond your lifetime. Whether you're a new father, a seasoned dad, or simply interested in creating positive family dynamics, Chad's story offers both inspiration and actionable wisdom for your journey.

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Speaker 1:

values and lessons for my children. I would say discipline. I mean, if you commit to something, then we're going to do it. I don't give my children easy ways out. If you say you're going to do it, you know. For example, we were in the mix this was two years ago trying to teach my son how to read. He would get so frustrated. But I don't care. We got a mission and we have to be successful within this mission, because this is my responsibility to make sure that you're equipped with the appropriate skills, right. So the discipline is you get upset, you get mad. You know how it is. You get upset, you get mad. I know how you get upset, you get mad. I don't, I don't care. This is what. This is what we're doing. So, from a discipline perspective, it's not so much of me being a disciplinarian. It's about if we do something, we're going to, we're going to see it through.

Speaker 3:

Welcome to Be A Baller where we're building a lifelong legacy for our families, communities and the world. Your host, coach Tim Brown, is excited for you to join him on this journey. On each episode, we'll be talking about how to be intentional about building a lasting legacy. We'll be exploring what it means to leave a mark that goes beyond just our lives, but has a positive impact on those around us and even generations to come. So if you're looking for inspiration, guidance and practical tips on how to build a lasting legacy that makes a difference, then you're in the right place. So grab your earbuds, get comfortable and let's dive in. It's time to be a baller.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to Be A Baller podcast. This is our fatherhood series. I'm your host, coach Tim Brown, and I'm blessed to have in the studio today a young man, a family member, who's an example of a godly family man leading his family. Chad Wise is a dedicated husband, proud father of two, been married for 12 years Twelve years and an accomplished sales leader with over 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical industry. Outside of work, Chad is deeply committed to his family and pharmaceutical industry. Outside of work, chad is deeply committed to his family. He has a priority of being active, present father and creating meaningful memories at home, whether it's the weekend adventures or weekend dinners. Chad enjoys spending time quality time with his wife and kids, and he loves to cook yeah, often bringing family together around the table, making some meals from scratch. Yeah, chad, welcome to the show, thank you, thank you. Yeah, we got to get into this cooking first before we get into anything else. Where did all that come from?

Speaker 1:

You know, I think it all started with my grandmother. She was an amazing cook, right, and there were certain things that I just loved that she used to make. She used to fry some fish that was unbelievable. My dad would go catch the fish and bring it to her. It all started with that, and then, as a young man, my father taught me how to make breakfast, because that was his main meal for the day and I just took it and ran with it. My mother's taught me a ton about cooking Right, right, and now I just it relaxes me and I enjoy eating the food.

Speaker 2:

Now the kids. They get in the kitchen with you and watching.

Speaker 1:

I mean CJ, my son. He is starting to be more curious. The other day we pulled out the toaster and I'm like, look man, this is how you make your own toast right. And he was excited about that, watching it pop up, watching it pop up right and get the butter knife, put the butter on, get your jelly, all of that. So that was, that's big.

Speaker 2:

He's curious, that's big. That's big for a young fellow man just seeing that that's magic, it is, it is. You know, I've been blessed to watch you grow up from a Franklin Middle School to Brookhaven High School in Ohio State.

Speaker 1:

Can you talk about your childhood and that helped you become the man you are today? Yeah, so I mean I would say that I'm very fortunate in my upbringing. I come from a two-parent household very, very involved parents, grandparents on both sides, extremely involved. Academics was always a priority for my family and I can say that for our entire family from a macro perspective as well. So just the qualities that I was able to see with my granddad, the hard work I was able to see with my father and my mother putting in and, you know, being rewarded for succeeding in academics. We were always good athletes, but we we we seem to be granted more opportunities at home based off of how well we did in school. Just fortunate to have some good people in my life.

Speaker 2:

You know you were a part of Kidspeak and you were mayor for a day. Can you talk about that experience? It was actually for a year. For a year, yeah, man, that's over a year's time.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it was interesting. When I was at Franklin Middle School there was a competition where you submitted an essay and you got to be the kid speak mayor for a year. Mayor Leshutka was in at the time and you know I submitted this, this essay, and really didn't have a huge expectation around if I would get chose or not. Right, and I ended up getting chose to be the kids speak mayor. So I was able to do a lot of different things. I spoke at the Martin Luther King breakfast, went on multiple trips where I could shadow the mayor, was able to attend certain meetings that kind of get a look behind the curtain, yeah, where most kids in I believe what seventh grade at the time going into eighth grade, eighth grade didn't have that opportunity, so it was great.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, did the family call you mayor.

Speaker 1:

We have little jokes. You know a lot of, you know everybody and I say some names, you would know exactly what I'm talking about that They'd have some jokes. They did, I know they did. It was some jokes around there.

Speaker 2:

You know you're part of the Wise and Fields family. Can you talk about them? Pores of the family name.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, the family name. The family is everything we come from, something that is so amazing, that's so profound. It's so great that we've had so many examples of how to be men, how to be better leaders. I positioned my entire career based off of what my older cousins who I would look at some of them, as is like older uncles, right and the examples that I saw when I was in high school college. I wanted to be like him. You know, I saw how he would travel for work, get on airplanes. He's in this place, he's in that place and you know, I look at all of that. Tim and I'm in the same spot, right, and I don't think it's a coincidence that I'm in that position. This was something that was intentional and I think we, as a family, we are very intentional about the things we do and the examples that we try to set for each other.

Speaker 2:

That's good. You can't be what you can't see. You know, seeing that, this is it. This is what I want to do.

Speaker 1:

One hundred percent.

Speaker 2:

You know you have and still have a special relationship. You know I know your dad has passed, but with your grandfather and dad can you talk about the lessons you learned from these men that you apply today as a father?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, as a father. So my dad, my dad was a great guy, right, but discipline was always first, you know, and that was, it's the same with my grandfather, loving, love you to death, right, tell you how good you are, but it was always having a system in place, like a strategy to follow, whether it be something basic as cutting the grass the right way, you know, making sure the lines are or how they're supposed to be. Uh, my grandfather could fix anything, right.

Speaker 1:

So, and just being able to, I'm not I don't have that same, but just being able to watch the discipline behind everything that he did, the precision behind everything that they, that they did Right, I think it definitely put me in a spot where I'm able to do the same thing with my children right.

Speaker 1:

You know, there's a guy that when I grew up he said you play the game how you live your life right, or you live your life how you play the game. However you want to look at it, and it's true. You know, you do everything how you do everything, right. Right and I try to instill that in my children and even just in my household as well is that there's got to be structure. Right, we can have a great time, but there's got to be structure. You got to be committed and you got to work hard.

Speaker 2:

Well, we sure have lost that one. I mean, I never went out to win, to keep it there, you got to keep it there. And then it's about excellence as well. Absolutely, you know doing things, not just any kind of way. You know. You know we're about excellence and doing things in an excellent way. You know, if there was one question you could ask those men, what would it be?

Speaker 1:

If it was one question that I could ask them, you know, I don't know if it would be more so a question. It would be more so just gratitude, it would be more so coming from a position of thankfulness, right, you know my granddad. Maybe the question that I would ask him with the time that he's he's 93 years old, right, so he came up in a different time than any of us, right, right? So the perseverance, like how did you, how did you, keep going, would probably be the question to ask him. And I look at, I look at him now and you, you can tell that there was a lot of struggle that he dealt with, but he always kept a smile on his face, right? So that will probably be the one thing thinking about the way that he came up, like how did you push through all the challenges that we face, right?

Speaker 2:

That's good. You know your life is grounded in faith, family and purpose. How do these pillars guide your decisions and actions, both at home and in the workplace?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I'm a praying man.

Speaker 1:

I'll say that, first and foremost, everything for me starts with prayer. Over the years I've had to. You know there's been situations in my life where I may not have been the most praying man, but I understand that everything starts with the most high. So all the decisions that I make, even small things, now I got to run it by him to make sure that I'm making the right choice. So my faith, you know my church life, mm-hmm reading the Bible every night with my kids, you know what I mean. Sharing that with them, that's that's really, really important to me and I would say, before all the success and all the great things that have happened, for for us, that's probably that's number one.

Speaker 2:

That's good. How has fatherhood influenced your personal growth and perspective in life?

Speaker 1:

Man. Fatherhood, um, fatherhood, Fatherhood is, it is. It is such an amazing thing because you have these, these human beings, that you're tasked with making sure that they have a good life and everything that they need in order to be successful. I've given myself some grace, right, because you don't. You don't know what to do until you're in that situation. But I think the key to that is you know the people that brought me up right, so I have such a strong example to lean on. I have people that I can call to run things by and make sure that I'm doing things the appropriate way. But fatherhood has completely changed me. I've become more patient. I've had to, you know, I've had to. I've become more patient. I've I've also it's interesting, you know an eight and a five-year-old I've become a much better listener, you know. So I think fatherhood has taught me patience, and I need to. Even though they're eight and five, I still need to listen and see their perspective and what they're thinking, what they're feeling.

Speaker 2:

Now, what are they thinking?

Speaker 1:

That's crazy, right? That's the that's the most interesting part about it is because what are they thinking? You know what are you thinking? Yeah, what are you thinking.

Speaker 3:

What were you thinking?

Speaker 1:

when you did that, when you did that, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's always especially CJ. It's always some dynamic story about what he wasn't thinking, right, right right, that's funny.

Speaker 2:

You know you prioritize being an active present father. Yeah, Can you share some intentional practices or routines you have for your children to strengthen your bond with them?

Speaker 1:

Absolutely Every single morning. I take my son to school. Probably 80% of the time I travel for work, so when I'm in town I try to make sure that I'm taking my son to school. It's tough to take my daughter to school at times because of her schedule. On the way to school, we open up the Bible app, we read that scripture of the day and we take turns praying every every day.

Speaker 1:

If I'm out of town, call my wife, you in the car with CJ, let's say a prayer, let's talk about your day, right. So that's one thing. In the evening, same routine I don't get to do the. You know the prayer when my daughter going to school in the evening, we got a real good children's Bible. We read, we take turns, my wife, daughter, son, me we take turns praying every single night, right. That routine, out of everything that we do, is probably it's probably the most important routine. Um, because you know how it is you want to, because you know how it is you want to instill faith in who the most high is with your children from a young age. So usually it sticks with them. If they leave, they always come back.

Speaker 2:

Right, right, yeah. The Bible says train up a child in the way they should go when they're old. They won't depart and that training is on us. You know God has challenged us to do that and we're not counting anybody else, because these are, these are our children, these are the ones that God has given us. For that, you know how do you balance a demanding career with family life. That can be challenging. You know what strategies do you employ to ensure that you spend that quality time with your wife and kids.

Speaker 1:

You know, like I said to him, like I'm walking in here, I'm on a. You know, I'm on conference calls nonstop, all day long. Uh, I'm gone one to two nights a week. You know, I try to.

Speaker 1:

I'm a, I'm a, all in husband, I'm an all in father, and, and what I mean by that is, and what I mean by that is, from the moment they, if I'm, if I'm around, I'm involved, you know, whether it's the commitment that we have to sports, whether it's we do our homework every single day together, you know what I mean. And the crazy thing and I know they get tired of this even when I'm not here, I still try to have my hand on top of it to make sure that things are getting done when I'm not present.

Speaker 1:

So me being all in, I think, takes away some of the challenges or some of the cloudiness in my mind that I may have. Just be all in, just be present, just communicate, put the phone down, stop scrolling, let's talk, let's play, let's talk, let's play, let's whatever, right, you know.

Speaker 2:

So I'm glad you're young, with a lot of energy, you know and we talked about this cooking, which you like to do, bringing all the family together. How does that tradition contribute to your family's connections and values?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it brings us together. It brings us together. It's a. You know, we break bread together. It allows us to. We have a unique situation where my mother, my sister, my brother-in-law they built a house directly next door to us, right, so we were. Food is the way that we get together. Talk about our days, talk about challenges, what's going on in our lives, or maybe just have a good time.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Right, so it just so happens, it's something that I like to do.

Speaker 2:

Right.

Speaker 1:

It's something that I don't mind doing Right, and it's more of a, it's more of something that just brings us together.

Speaker 2:

That's awesome. As a father, what values or lessons are most important for you to impart to your children?

Speaker 1:

Values and lessons for my children, I would say discipline.

Speaker 2:

Speak on that. When they think discipline, they think a certain way of disciplining the child in a negative sense.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and so I think of it in a completely different way.

Speaker 2:

When.

Speaker 1:

I say discipline, I mean if. I mean, if you commit to something, then we going to do it. You know, I think that's the I don't. I don't give my children easy ways out If you say you're going to do it, you know. For example, you know we were in a in the mix.

Speaker 1:

This was two years ago, trying to teach my son how to how to read. He would get so frustrated years ago trying to teach my son how to read, he would get so frustrated. But I don't care. If we have a, we got a mission and we have to be successful within this mission. Because this is my responsibility to make sure that you're equipped with the appropriate skills, right? So the discipline is you get upset, you get mad. You know how it. Uh, you get upset, you get mad. You know how you get upset, you get mad. I don't, I don't care. This is what. This is what we're doing. So, from a discipline perspective, it's not so much of me being a disciplinarian. It's about if we do something, we're going to, so we're going to see it through, right?

Speaker 2:

That's good you know in your role as president of National Sales Network, the Ohio chapter. How did that come about?

Speaker 1:

You know. So you and this is this is common. So I've been in. I've been in med device diagnostics, pharmaceutical sales for probably the last 15 to 20 years. It's crazy to say that, and it's always been a challenge at times for people that look like us to gain access to some of these high-level opportunities, and I've seen that over the course of the last 20 years or so.

Speaker 1:

So with the National Sales Network, I looked at that. I was afforded my opportunity with Abbott through the National Sales Network right. So if it wasn't for the National Sales Network, there's a chance that I may not be working at Abbott right now. So I'm very passionate about it because it gave me the opportunity of a lifetime right when I'm in a position now that you know all my positions matter before, but I'm really driving results. I'm really I'm in, I'm in the mix right now, right. So with the National Sales Network, my number one priority is to make sure that we are giving people opportunities at positions that I know that they're qualified for and I know that you, they can go, be successful at, be great at, win awards and do all the things that I've been able to do Right. So I take pride in it. It's something that that I care about, and fortunately, the organization I work with cares about it also, so that makes it, that makes it swing.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, jordan Miller, who's a um Adolfo Bank. He was here in the studio and Jordan said this you know a guy said well, they want to have a mentors. You know important mentors. But Jordan said a mentor is good, but you got to have a sponsor. Yeah, and that's the level you're at now, cause you're in the room. You're in the room as a sponsor. Get this guy a chance, give him an opportunity. You know, and we got to have those sponsors. You know, in the room, in those spaces where decisions are being made, a hundred percent, it's a blessing that you're there, you know. And when you think about those, how do you integrate lessons from fatherhood into your leadership style?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that is that. That that's interesting, I think I think what I said earlier as far as patience and being a good listener, I go back to that because I have a. You know, I have to be open as a father to listening to my children, open as a husband to listening to my wife. I use that same skill set to be more gracious with people. Like I said, give people more grace and the thing about fatherhood you'll quickly you quickly learn that you don't know it all, and when you don't know it all, it's good to have people around you that may know different things than you do. And I've been able to use that same thought process by surrounding myself with elite leaders that I do. I feel amazing, I feel so confident when I go to them and ask them a question Well, what do you think we should do, right? So the same, those same listening skills and patience and that I have with my children. I have to use that in my career and it's been, you know, especially with my running the chapter.

Speaker 2:

You know I'm listening to you, watching you. The serious Chad. What loosens you up?

Speaker 1:

What loosens me up.

Speaker 2:

What's that fun side? What's that fun side?

Speaker 1:

I love music. I listen to a variety of music. Anybody that knows me personally knows that if you come in my house, I'm very prideful about the music that I have playing Right right. You know what loosens me up?

Speaker 2:

What's one of them songs? What's one of them songs? What's one of them? Tell me that one.

Speaker 1:

It really depends. It could be anything. Lately I've been diving deep in more jazz.

Speaker 2:

My dad liked to dig jazz.

Speaker 1:

You know. So I've been diving into that a lot more. So, going to with my children, I want to make sure I play the right music when they're in the car.

Speaker 1:

We've created a whole hip-hop gospel playlist, Right right, when you know what I mean. When my son gets in the car, my daughter, dad, can you turn our music on, Right? So it all depends. But music, obviously. I'm running around a lot and some days ain't nothing better than just to sit on the couch. We ain't got no practices. I'm running around a lot and some days ain't nothing better than just to sit on the couch, we ain't got no practices. I'm not flying out nowhere tomorrow. So that's kind of the things, that kind of Good good.

Speaker 2:

good, you know, as you look ahead in your life, going a little fast forward, what legacy do you hope to leave for your children and the community you serve?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, the legacy I want to leave for my children. I want to make sure that my children have a foundation. Same way, I had a foundation built, whether that's financial, whether that's just understanding what real love looks like from a parent, right? You know? My grandmother so crazy. She set aside money for my sister and I I when we got college scholarships, but it was tuition only for our scholarship.

Speaker 1:

She still had to buy books, right, right she set aside money where our books were paid for in college, you know. So that's a legacy that she something that she imparted on me where it's like, all right, I got to do the same thing and parted on me where it's like, all right, I got to do the same thing. So, whether it's financial, whether it's from a leadership perspective, whether it's just, hey, my dad was there, my dad was always around, my dad showed me God, or whatever it is that legacy. I just wanted to be a positive one, and you always say it. I hope my kids can appreciate one day what it is that my wife and I are doing for them.

Speaker 2:

So you think about this. What, as we talk about legacy, what advice would you give to a younger dad, you know, to some of these younger dads right in the middle of all this, just like you are.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I would tell them to embrace it. I would tell them to to grab it with both hands. I would tell them to dive as deep in as they possibly can. Don't run when, when things get challenging, don't you know? Give, give yourself some grace when you may make mistakes with your, with your children or your family, or whatever it is, but, more importantly, embrace it. There's so many dads that have kids that are adults now, and the number one thing that they tell me is it goes by so quickly and if it does, if it's going to go by fast. I'm going to make sure I'm involved in every moment of it. So I would tell all fathers whether you know if you live in a house with kids. If you don't, whatever it is, embrace it and be as involved and in their face as much as you possibly can.

Speaker 2:

Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the ride, enjoy the ride. Last, as we wrap up, there's some men out there who didn't have those models, didn't have that dad, that grandfather that you talked about, and I know you come across a lot of those young men who are in that space. What would you say? What would you say to them?

Speaker 1:

I would tell them that it's the number one thing. So here's the thing like the for men and what happens, and, and what happens to me, I see a lot of. I meet a lot of successful men that haven't had that, and then they and they feel like that they're missing certain pieces of. Surround yourself with the people that you want to be most like. Um, that could be. It could be a mentor, it could be friends, it could be whomever, right I'm. I welcome everyone in to my circle. I'm not it.

Speaker 1:

People see different things in me that I may not. I may not see in myself the fortunate situations that I've been blessed with. It's okay, there's still people out there that can assist you along the way. There's still. There's a. There's still men out there who don't know, just like you don't know, right, that may feel ashamed that they don't know, um, but there are people out there that will open up to you and make you feel comfortable about questions that you may have about being a father, about being a husband, right. So it's so critical, it's so important. It's so important what they say birds of a feather flock together. Yes, it's real, you know, show what they say. Show me your friends, I'll show you your future. It's real. So, if you want, if you're missing something, if you feel like you missed out on something, it ain't too late. There's somebody out there that that, like myself, you know, would love to share with you. Mentor, you talk to you if I can, right, so don't be afraid to do that.

Speaker 2:

That's good, which I want to thank you for, for being a guest on today's show, and I knew this would be a good episode about fatherhood, cause I want to get some young dads you know, right in the middle of it, I got some other guys coming.

Speaker 2:

No, no, you just don't know. You know, but just just your wisdom, just your wisdom and encouragement too. And I want to tell you this how proud your dad and grandfather and just the men in your life you know, proud of you and what you've accomplished thus far and just your example and your model for others. And I love, when you spoke about discipline, how important that is. And sometimes we always tell men that I used to tell my boys I'm not trying to be your friend, you've got plenty of friends. You know, I used to tell my boys I'm not trying to be your friend, you got plenty of friends. You know, I'm your father, I'm your father, you know, and I'm going to tell you some things that your friends ain't going to tell you. Absolutely you know, and that's our role, that's our role, and they may not like it or whatnot, but I just want you know. So when they get back in life, later on in life, what you're saying, appreciate it, or at least they can't say they don't know. They're not going to say that you heard it, you heard it. Now you have a choice, just like God gives us choices, and so I thank you for standing your ground. And, lastly, I want to thank you for not just being a good father but being a good husband. How important that is, absolutely how important that is, and I see your bride and I see the smile.

Speaker 2:

You can tell a lot about a man by looking at his wife. If the wife is happy, smiling, that man's doing a good job. That's what it's all about At the end of the day. That's what it's all about Because, as men, we know the children will grow older and they're going to have their own families. I always say this the kids are going to grow because they're growing. My kids are growing now and left out, but the wife stays. My kids are grown, but the wife stays. You know the kids gonna go, but the wife stays, you know, and so that's a blessing in that. But I'm gonna thank you for being a part of our show today and for our listeners. Be sure to subscribe to Be A Baller podcast and share with others, and we'll continue this fatherhood series next week. So thanks, chaz, for being on the show thank you you.

Speaker 3:

If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with family and friends. The be a baller podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. This podcast was created by coach tim brown and recorded and edited by the video production class of worthington christian high school. Be sure to come back next week as we continue to discuss on how to build a lifelong legacy. Until then, don't forget to be a baller.