This post is also available in: Français

It was a beautiful, touching moment when Claudia told me she was pregnant. Clau and I were blessed to embark on a new and exciting adventure, one much more fulfilling as a couple than building a company, and it made me incredibly happy and grateful.

Throughout the whole nine months of pregnancy, Claudia was shining and glowing with radiant energy. I was amazed to see her belly grow—we had an app that showed us the stage at which the baby was, with 3D pictures and all. It made it more real for me, but even with that, I didn’t really have a clear picture of what my life would become (like most new parents, I guess).

So, I decided to mentally prepare for my life to change 180 degrees so that I would be as ready as one could get. Short on ideas on how to prepare, I set myself the goal of running a 100 km race before becoming a dad.

What does running have to do with becoming a dad? Not much. But still, it was meaningful for me.

Number one: it would require me to have the discipline to train for 5 months, and I believe endurance helps evoke resilience.

Number two: the race would push me to some new limits, mentally and physically, which could prepare me for the mental and physical challenge of the first few weeks everybody talks about after they have kids (lack of sleep, etc.). 

Number three: well, running long distances is something I enjoy, but I didn’t see it fitting into my life as a new dad, so I wanted to have that 100 km run checked off my bucket list.

I finished the race on June 18th, alive, proud, and well, and it was a milestone for me. I decided that I was ready and that no matter how my life would change, I would approach it in a courageous and positive way.

Six weeks later, our son Louam was born on August 4th.

Like most plans, the actual birth went quite differently than our original birth plan, but we all came out healthy and happy.

We spent the first 4 weeks in our little cocoon, at home, with no cellphone, no TV, just Clau, me and Louam. To describe Louam in a nutshell, well, he’s a happy little human with lots of hair. It was a precious time that I’ll never forget.

“I had prepared for my life to change 180 degrees, but the reality I experienced was that my life was the same, but elevated, with a deeper sense of purpose.

Dominic Dubé, CEO Evive
Evive’s CEO: My New Reality as a Father

Then came the time for me to cut my hair, trim my beard, and get back into my shoes at Evive. I was happy to come back. For the first few weeks, I had a renewed energy and good state of wellness, but then, some pretty big challenges started to come our way.

I slowly began to become obsessed 24/7 with our challenges at Evive, and although that was “OK” before, I felt that it wasn’t the right thing to do now that Louam was in my life. I wanted my mind to be light and joyful at home when I was with Clau and Louam. I had to learn how to detach from my work conundrums.

I’m lucky because Clau is an expert on the matter. As the brilliant yogi that she is, she has mastered the art of being present and switching her attention to what matters most. So, she’s coaching me now.

Firstly, I’m getting back into a healthy morning routine: moving my body, drinking a smoothie, taking supplements and drinking lots of water. Secondly, every day, I name 3-5 things I’m grateful for. And lastly, I log off in the evenings. Although it makes me a bit crazy to not finish work stuff at night, it’s what I want to become that’s more important: a present dad, not just physically, but mentally.

I’m now in the process of finding my balance, and full disclosure, I’m not yet following my plan consistently. However, with Clau’s help and support, I feel like I’m now training for the most significant goal; to become the dad I want to be.