Your Father Wants You to Win

Your father is the only man in this world who wants you to be more successful than he is.

I’ve thought about that a lot working alongside my dad at Victor Zucchi & Son. We’re a fourth-generation family contractor — same name on the truck, same job sites, same desire to do the work right. That closeness is a gift. It also comes with real friction.

Starting young

In a family business, you don’t wait until you’re “ready.” You start early. When I was 15, summers meant loading dumpsters and sweeping floors — then heading straight to baseball, where my father was also my coach, then going home. Boss. Coach. Dad. Three hats, one man. Looking back, that was the apprenticeship: show up, do the unglamorous work, listen, and learn that respect isn’t given because of your last name.

The upside

You don’t have to explain the standards. When your last name is on the company, pride isn’t a slogan — it’s how you show up. Decisions move faster because trust is already there. And when a project gets hard, you’re not just a crew; you’re family that has each other’s backs.

The hard parts

Work and home don’t stay in neat boxes. Feedback can land sharper when it comes from someone who raised you — and who also coached you and signed your paycheck. Roles blur, and you have to keep choosing which hat you’re wearing. You’re also carrying a legacy you didn’t invent, which is motivating and heavy at the same time.

Working for your father

That’s where the quote hits home. Most people in business are competing, comparing, or protecting their own lane. A father who’s brought you into the work is often doing something different: pushing you to go further than he did. Not because he’s stepping aside, but because he wants the next chapter of the company — and of you — to be stronger than the last.

That’s how I try to show up every day: learn from him, earn my place, and keep building on what four generations started in 1934.

If you’re considering bringing family into the business — or stepping into one that already carries your name — go in with eyes open. The cons are real. The pros, when the relationship is rooted in respect, can last a lifetime.

— Christopher Zucchi

Vice President, Victor Zucchi & Son