This is Your Parenting Story of the Week:
Last Saturday morning started early. I loaded the truck up with everything we needed for the Live for Brie Foundation’s softball tournament. The Raising Alphas Project was the title sponsor. I met our assistant Matt and his daughters on the softball field, and together we unloaded and set up our tent. All of the merchandise we’d be sharing at this event was neatly packed and ready to go before we needed it – from our Raising Alphas cigars to our new lines of merchandise including sunglasses, shirts, and hoodies. How did that happen?
Our Raising Alphas cigars are very special items – Nicaraguan tobacco with nice notes of spice and cedar — every single one needed to be carefully packaged. The night before the event, my boys and I got to work. We packed every cigar into its box and prepared them for customers. My two boys, always interested in my businesses, got to see what dad does. They got to understand the value of work.
Matt did the same thing with his daughters. He took home all the merchandise we’d just ordered, shirts, sweaters, all of it, and together they folded each piece, putting it in cellophane so it was ready to go on the day of purchase. Here’s what I loved about this:
We weren’t just getting extra help. We were giving our kids responsibility and ownership.
Matt’s youngest daughter, Kinley, hung out with us at the table during the event. She’s 11 years old, getting ready to turn 12, and she ran the point of sale. Matt showed her how to work the system, and she sold sweaters and shirts, handled cash, ran credit cards, and communicated with customers like a pro.
Then something even cooler happened. Our media director Gary Rice was there taking photos of the event, and Kinley found herself interested in what he was doing. So, she spent a chunk of the afternoon learning about aperture, f-stop, and iris settings — walking around with his (very expensive!) camera, taking pictures and learning a skill she might carry for the rest of her life. She might have even found a new lifelong passion with which she could build her own business one day.
The lesson here is simple: when we’re with our kids, we should teach them something that’s going to benefit them later in life. This gives them ownership and experience. It gives them something to remember. And most importantly, they’re spending that time with their father, with their mother, with their family, doing something that matters.
That’s what Raising Alphas is all about, not just teaching our kids to show up, but teaching them to contribute, to learn, and to grow through real-world experience.
Next, this is your insider’s look at the latest in parenting and leadership!
Headlines:
Family Conflict at the Dinner Table? Here’s How to Explain It to Kids
As families head into Thanksgiving, many parents worry about tense conversations at the dinner table. Experts say the real issue isn’t about adults disagreeing, it’s about how they disagree. Kids feel emotional intensity deeply, so yelling or withdrawal can make them anxious. But calm, respectful disagreement teaches kids how to communicate across differences. Setting boundaries, stepping away when things escalate, and checking in with kids afterward helps them process what they saw and reinforces that family members can disagree and still care for one another.
This week being Thanksgiving, I want to encourage families to spend the time together. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year — yes even over Christmas — because of the great food and the fellowship with your family. The word itself says it all: you’re thanking the people who prepared the food, being thankful for what you have in life, no matter how little or how big.
I’ve always strived to be successful, driven, focused, motivated. But at every point in my life, I’ve also been thankful for what I had. That’s a big takeaway for this week.
When you’re with your family, you’re not going to agree with everything they say or think or believe. But you are family. They may not be around next year. You may not be around. If a conversation gets heated, take a breath. Take a step back. Look at it from a different light. Try to see the other person’s perspective. You may not agree with it. You might not be able to change their mind, and they might not change yours. But remember — it’s easier to attract flies with honey than with vinegar.
I don’t share the same beliefs with all my siblings. I don’t share the same politics. But we can still come together and have a disagreement that’s cordial. Parents, you need to show your kids what that looks like.
When I need to have a serious conversation with my boys, I take them aside and use a calm, collected voice. I don’t lose my temper. I just say, “Hey, we need to get this done,” or “Let’s adjust.” That’s how you model respect, even in disagreement.
Next, this is your Alpha Parent of the Week:
A TEEN’S SECOND CHANCE: Young Heart Transplant Survivor Reunites with Panthers Legend Greg Olsen
Fourteen-year-old Bryson Shupe’s story began years ago in the heart transplant unit at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, where he and Panthers quarterback Greg Olsen’s son were both waiting for lifesaving surgeries. During that time, Bryson formed a special bond with Olsen and developed a deep love for the Carolina Panthers. Now a healthy teenager, Bryson was surprised with a trip to Lambeau Field to watch the Panthers take on the Packers. He stepped onto the field during warmups, met his favorite players, and reunited with Olsen in the broadcast booth. His message to kids facing their own battles:
“Keep pounding. Keep your head up. Don’t be sad at all.”
Stories like Bryson’s remind me what hope and encouragement can do for a child’s future, especially when they’re going through something hard. I’ve seen this in the last few weeks with my oldest son. He didn’t make the basketball team.
A few newsletters ago, I talked about how his team had a really bad game — the ball went in on his watch, hit off his back — and he was discouraged. We talked about it. I was honest about where he was making mistakes, but I also told him: you have the talent, you have the potential, you have the skill. That moment of encouragement was private, just he and I. But I saw a change in the way he thinks and the way he does things. He worked harder.
When he didn’t make the basketball team, I told him the same thing: if you want to be better, you need to practice every morning. Now he goes out before school and practices his dribbling. This holiday season, I’m leaving the basketball hoop out there, (even though I’m at risk of getting fined by the HOA), because I want him out there improving his skill. He knows what hard work is about.
Parents have to take the time to encourage their kids. Be the parent that finds the resources and provides the opportunities for your children. If you’re not doing that for them, who will?
Podcast Insight: Legacy in Motion
In this powerful episode, we dive into the dynamic between father and son—Alex and Luca—as they build a legacy through entrepreneurship. Alex has been guiding his 15-year-old son through the world of business, teaching him the principles of leadership, discipline, and drive. But what makes this story special is how Luca is now teaching him, bringing fresh energy, perspective, and innovation to the table.
With a natural instinct for technology, Luca has begun implementing AI into their operations, taking the company to new heights and proving that legacy isn’t just about passing the torch; it’s about building together.
This episode is a raw, inspiring look at mentorship, growth, and what it truly means to raise the next generation of leaders. You can watch the full episode now at the link above.
Alpha Challenge of the Week
Kinley found an interest in photography at our event because she was involved with what we were doing. She wasn’t sitting at home on a screen; she was out there learning, watching, asking questions. That interest could turn into a skill. That skill could turn into a career.
Your challenge this week: identify one thing your child is interested in and give them a real-world opportunity to practice it. If they love photography, have them take photos for a family project. If they love design, let them help you create something. If they like sales or communication, bring them into a situation where they can learn those skills.
Business and passion are not opposite things. Business protects your passion and provides for your passion. The earlier your kids learn that, the better prepared they’ll be for life.
Give them ownership. Give them responsibility. Give them a chance to grow.
Ask an Alpha — We’ll Answer your Question on the Show
Do you have a parenting or leadership question you want some real talk on? Email us at admin@raisingalphasproject.com and put “Ask an Alpha” in the subject line.
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Your parenting challenge in one or two sentences
What you have tried
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Thank you,
~ Chief Stephen Davis