Like Father, Like Daughter (Sort Of)

My dad worked in marketing. Once upon a time.

I was six when he quit his job to start his own business. He walked away from security, a steady salary, and everything he knew—because he wanted to make something with his hands.

That took guts.

Recently, I started clearing out his old office. It was falling into disrepair, and he wasn’t well enough to keep it up anymore. 

Among the dust and old folders, I found a

some photos—his heyday. The peak of his career.

It was gloriously 70s: loud ties, big beards, wild ambition. And right there in the middle? Two-time F1 world champion Jackie Stewart.

My partner—a massive F1 fan—was unimpressed that I didn’t recognise him immediately.

I’m pretty sure my dad didn’t know who he was either.

The whole thing was probably just part of some marketing campaign he was roped into. 

But my dad wasn’t a marketing guy.

He was a maker.

After he quit his job, he built a workshop out the back of our house and started building things—beautiful, functional things. 

He designed them. Assembled them. 

Every product that left that space passed through his hands, and often mine, too.

I was his apprentice at thirteen, learning to create and assemble what he designed.

He ran a print shop. I can still work a screen printer pretty well, bend and flame polish acrylic, as well as putting the designs together. 

He taught me how to make things properly. How to care about quality.

Eventually, his business couldn’t keep up. 

Manufacturing went overseas. Cheaper, faster, mass-produced. He held on as long as he could. 

But in the end, the world changed—and the manufacturing work dried up. It took him a while to see that his real value wasn’t just in making things, but in designing them. 

But by then, it was too late.

Still, he never stopped working. Never stopped designing and building. The workshop is still there. Still full of tools. Still full of him.

And now, I find myself in a weirdly similar spot.

I don’t make things with my hands. I design websites. I write copy. I research. That’s my craft. That’s been my trade for years.

But now, I’m also looking for a job—because the industry is shifting again. AI is changing everything. 

Not unlike manufacturing moving overseas, it’s redefining the rules. And if you don’t move with it, you get left behind.

It’s made me appreciate my dad in ways I never did before. 

Not just for what he built, but for what he endured. For the way he kept showing up, even when the odds weren’t in his favour. But it’s also reminded me to learn from what he didn’t do.

You have to adapt. Learn new skills. Evolve. Otherwise, you become just another faded photo—something people remember fondly, but never call on.

I’m not letting that happen.

I’ve got experience, instincts and ideas—and those still matter. 

AI can do a lot of things, but it can’t replicate that. And I learn fast.

Bring it on.