Michael Perry could be introduced as the founder of Maple, the creator of KIT (acquired by Shopify), and a Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur. But he’ll tell you the only introduction that matters is: husband to an incredible wife and father to two amazing sons.

Michael found himself on food stamps in his 20s, sold cars for a living, and only dreamed of the symbols of success - financial security, the house, the car, the validation that he had “made it.” And he achieved all of it. But when faced with the possibility that he might never have children, he realized none of it mattered. Through IVF, he and his wife went on to welcome two beautiful boys, and fatherhood became his greatest accomplishment and deepest purpose. Of course his recap of this unleashed all the emotions for me, because this was such a gift to have this reminder from him that I feel such a sense of urgency to share with all of you. 

In this episode, Michael shares the story of how his wife’s unwavering belief in him unlocked his potential, how redefining success transformed his life, and why every achievement felt almost superficial in comparison to being present for his family. Now, with his new venture Maple - which stands for “Making All Parents’ Lives Easier” - he’s building a tool for parents rooted in that same belief: that family is everything, and that being there for the practices, the drop-offs, the moments in between (when we can be) is what really matters. 

My favorite quote from this episode is when he said "everyone is greedy about something and I'm really f*cking greedy about time with my kids."

If there’s one message you were meant to hear as a parent, let it be this: validation and success are fleeting, but showing up for the people you love will always be enough.

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