Chris Yeager has been married for twenty-two years. His son is 21 and just moved to a new city. His daughter just moved to Raleigh. And Chris's proudest moment as a father isn't a grade, a trophy, or a milestone. It's knowing that if something happened to him and his wife tomorrow — his kids would be fine. In this episode Chris — real estate professional, lifelong sales veteran, husband, and father of two — gets honest about what twenty-two years of marriage actually looks like, why he had his kids ordering their own food at restaurants at age five, and the one piece of advice he'd give every new dad that most parents get completely wrong. No highlight reels. Just a working dad who figured some things out.
Three things you'll learn:
What we cover:
00:00 — Introduction
Chris Yeager, real estate professional, sales veteran of multiple decades, husband of 22 years, and father of a 21-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter
00:00 — The secret to 22 years
It's not love. It's gratitude. Why feeling lucky to have your partner — and actually showing it — is what gets you through the hard times
00:00 — Wife of ten siblings, husband of two
The adjustment from a small family to a big one. And why being aligned on the big picture stuff has always been the foundation
00:00 — She quit her job when the kids were born
The financial sacrifice. The commute into Charlotte in the dark. The months where sales was up and the months where it wasn't. And why knowing the big picture made it easier
00:00 — Daycare and social work
How his wife found the perfect solution — working in daycare with their kids right there — and why it was great for her mental health and the family's finances simultaneously
00:00 — Sales at the dinner table
Informal sales lessons by osmosis. Teaching his kids to close. And why his daughter learned to ask the closing question before she knew what it was
00:00 — Ordering their own food at age five
Making kids talk to strangers in controlled environments. Restaurants. Phone orders for pizza. Why discomfort at five makes confidence at twenty-five
00:00 — Kids living on their own
Son moving six hours away by choice. Daughter heading to Raleigh. And why Chris calls this his proudest moment as a father
00:00 — Don't shield them
The one piece of advice Chris would give every new dad. Let them feel the consequences of their behavior. Be the backstop — not the shield.
About Chris Yeager
Chris Yeager is a real estate professional and lifelong sales veteran based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been married for twenty-two years, is the father of a 21-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter, and has spent his career in sales and sales management across multiple industries. He is a former college athlete, a competitive by nature, and a working dad who believes the dinner table is the best sales training ground there is.
About Working Dads
Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either.
No gurus. No highlight reels. Just real talk.
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