Father’s Figure
Fatherhood
It doesn’t come with a salary, a profit-share, or a promotion. But it might just be the most important role a man can take on. And if you do it right? The returns beat any portfolio.
I loved my dad. I’m eternally grateful for him. For introducing me to James Bond and Star Wars. For being a goofball. For working hard to provide. For making sure I got an education—so I could write, express, and think the way I do today. He also taught me resilience: to never give up, despite the odds.
But we weren’t as close as I now wish we’d been. There were no hard conversations. No lessons on being a man. No shared rituals of how to hunt or protect a kingdom—not literal prey or power, but the sacred task of showing up with strength, sensitivity, and presence. He did the best he could with the tools he had. It was a different time. And in honoring him, I’ve also committed to doing it differently.
The Real ROI
Let’s talk like investors for a second (duh, when did we not?!). We spend years chasing yield, alpha, and upside. We get certified, hustle hard, study cycles. But what about Return on Integrity? Or Return on the Investment of Presence?
Because I’ve realized this: Being a father is the ultimate long game. You want to build legacy? Start at the dinner table. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about modeling presence. And presence doesn’t mean being a robot or a guru. It means showing up—when it’s hard, when it’s awkward, and when you’d rather be reading market news or on another Zoom call. Something my coach/mentor and friend Daniel Grose once sparked in me: the idea that presence is the provision. That our consistency is the covering. And that our heart—not our hustle—is the real home we offer our kids.
Coaching Father-Son Duos: Portfolio Meets Presence
Lately, I’ve been mentoring father-son investor duos. What starts as stock selection ends up becoming something deeper. These aren’t just investing sessions—they’re mirror moments. Fathers hearing their sons—really hearing them. Sons seeing their dads—not as unreachable icons, but as humans. Vulnerable, open, learning. I feel, deeply, it’s some of my best work. Because teaching your son to set risk limits is great.
But teaching him how to feel? That’s the real alpha. We guide our sons not just by teaching them how to lead, but by showing them how to love. Vulnerability is strength—especially when modeled by a father.
Archetypes & Inner Assets
One thing I’ve found essential in my coaching: Jungian archetypes. Why? To carry that kind of presence, you need depth. You need inner ground. You need access to the full range of your masculinity—not just the parts society rewards. That’s where the archetypes come in. Ancient energies. Universal patterns. Built into our bones whether we acknowledge them or not. Men don’t need another technical indicator—they simply need to reclaim themselves.
The Warrior sets boundaries, brings courage and gets things done.
The Magician solves problems and reads the field. He transforms pain into power.
The Lover brings empathy to data. He also connects, feels and delights in life.
The King creates order and leads from vision and rooted calm—not ego.
These aren’t costumes to put on. They’re capacities to grow into. A father who ignores these archetypes ends up brittle, reactive, or hollow.
But a father who lives them—who trains in them—becomes someone others can trust. Not just in moments of strength, but especially in moments of uncertainty, challenges or stillness. When men embody these archetypes, they stop chasing returns like they’re chasing validation. They lead. They build. They heal. That’s when portfolios start to shift. Because the man makes the market—not the other way around.
Imagine a World Where Kids Don’t Have to Earn Love
Ever wonder how different the world would look if every child grew up already knowing they were enough? What if kids learned:
That failing is part of growing? It’s about getting back up and making adjustments.
That kindness isn’t weakness—but respect for someone else’s invisible war?
That honoring your word to yourself matters more than your resume?
And what if boys learned to love women by watching their fathers cherish their mothers—not performatively, but with reverence? I ask this not as someone who has lived it—but as someone who has missed the mark, and knows it. Who’s felt the cost and carries the responsibility to change that story—if possibilities permit. We don’t need more influencers teaching masculinity. We need more living rooms modeling it. This isn’t theory. This is strategy. And like any good strategy, it works—if you work it.
Dearest Pops...
Let me end with this:
“Dearest Pops,
I honor you for doing your best with the tools you had. For your grit, your humor, your spirit. From your wartime stories in Albay, to rising through the ranks in Ayala, to raising a family the best way you knew how. You taught me resilience. And for that, I thank you.
I love you. From Junjun.”
Legacy Isn’t Built in the Market. It’s Built in the Mirror.
So is today Father’s Day? Honestly—doesn’t matter. Because if you’re a man with a mission, a family, and a calling to lead—every day should be Father’s Day.
Don’t wait for a Hallmark holiday. Start now. Raise your portfolio standards, sure. But raise your emotional awareness too.
Raise your kids like they matter more than the market. Because in the end, the best thing you can give your children…
Isn’t wealth. It’s wisdom. It’s presence. It’s you.
Happy Every Day, Dad.
—Written by a father, a fund manager, a mentor, and a man still learning.