Pete Savarese, The Ice Cream Cone, Located in Coligny Plaza, 1 N Forest Beach Dr, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 (843) 785-4440
Fatherhood is a calling, one that can sometimes be a rocky road but also leads to sweet rewards. You don’t have to be Superman, but it does take a little bit of patience, a lot of heart and a willingness to put everything on the line for your child.
And while Pete Savarese, owner of Coligny’s Ice Cream Cone, isn’t expecting baby number one until September 1, it’s clear that when Baby Leo arrives, he’s going to have the inside scoop on a great role model.
“I’m absolutely terrified, in a healthy way,” he said with a laugh. “My wife Megan has been working through the whole thing and has been fantastic.”
May that be lesson one, young Leo. Always give the wife the credit she deserves. Lesson two would be, if at all possible, figure out from a young age what your dream is, and pursue it with passion. That’s another lesson that Pete is in a particularly good position to teach, having dreamt of owning an ice cream shop in the thriving downtown of Hilton Head Island’s Coligny Plaza since he was a kid.
“I just walked in and loved the theme, loved the energy and loved the customers,” he said. “And Coligny is a tremendous place to be. Any customer who walks in is spending their whole day here.”
In his case, he’s spent a little more than a day. Coming into the store as an employee at Coligny Ice Cream Cone, he realized from day one he wanted to own the place. It took him a few years, but in 2019 the store was his.
Which brings us to lesson number three for young Leo, which is surround yourself with good people. During his journey from employee to owner, Pete gained invaluable mentorship from fellow members of the Coligny community, from Piggly Wiggly’s David Martin to leadership at the Richardson Group.
And recently, as he awaits the arrival of young Leo, Pete has added to the staff, bringing in Rashad Gadson to help run the store. “We’re very excited to bring him on board,” he said. “It’s not something we planned, but it turns out our baby will be due right when our season is getting started.”
Meaning when Leo arrives, he’ll have a ready-made family at Coligny Ice Cream Cone and a dad who can teach him some of fatherhood’s most important lessons.
Bubba Jacoby, King Tide Custom Homes, 1050-D Fording Island Road, Bluffton, SC (843) 837-9800, www.kingtidesc.com
How do you balance a successful business and still make time for your family? I feel that being organized and planning ahead is crucial to maintain that work-home life balance. I put the family events on the calendar first and build my work schedule around that.
What is your favorite daddy/child date? My son and I enjoy golfing and practicing for his baseball/soccer games. My daughter and I enjoy swimming and tubing.
What do you think is one of the most important things that you can teach your children in respect to sustaining a business? The most important thing would be to always give 110 percent in everything you do. It is best to do things correctly the first time, even if it takes more time and effort.
When you first became a father, what was the one thing you were totally unprepared for? I was unprepared for how much you could love someone you just met and held for the first time.
How many children would you have if finances/your wife were no object? When Nicki and I were dating, I always said I wanted four or five kids. After we had two, I knew that five wasn’t in the cards with both of us working full time.
Biggest parenting mistake you’ll fess up to in the name of assisting others? Pro-tip: Never take a toddler’s word for anything.
Ask your children what you are the best at or what their favorite activity with Daddy is, and print their response here:
Jace: “Dad is the best at golf, tennis … and any sport, really.”
Livy: “Dad is the best at fixing things, and I always like to help when something needs to be painted.”
Rob Vaughn, Bluffton Pharmacy, 167 Bluffton Rd., Suite B, Bluffton, SC 29910, (843) 757-4999
If you’re going to be a dad, you’d better know where your Band-Aids are at all times. It’s just fatherhood 101. Fortunately for Rob Vaughn, owner of Bluffton Pharmacy, he always has plenty of bandages, splints and other parental first aid items in stock.
“Especially for my son, but they all get into a mess,” he said with a laugh. “They’re at that age where they play, play, play.”
As owner of Bluffton Pharmacy, Vaughn keeps Bluffton healthy with a full array of medicines, compounds, CBD products and healthcare devices sold at prices the big box stores would envy and with service they can’t match. As a dad to Olivia, 12, Nora, 8 and William, 6, he is a non-stop dad about town.
“My wife and I do a lot with our children, so every weekend is pretty packed,” he said. Sometimes that means a day on the beach, sometimes a road trip to see family. Sometimes, it’s just shuttling everyone between practices, games, and events.
“If I had time to coach, I would,” Vaughn said. “My dad did, and I enjoyed that as a kid. But I make time to go to all their events.”
And somehow, he finds time to run a successful business. He does so by keeping his eyes on the prize.
The Dads of Vaux Marscher Berglind, 1251 May River Road, Bluffton, SC 29910, (843) 757-2888, www.vmblawfirm.com
As experienced attorneys and partners at Vaux Marscher Berglind, the dads you see here are well versed in establishing connections with clients, seeking out the best results for them with tenacity and vigor, and pursuing justice, all while maintaining a spirit of true compassion and care.
It’s all in the job description for great attorneys—and for great dads. To hear Tabor Vaux, Stephen Meyer, and Mark Berglind talk about their lives in court and at home is to understand how that same dedication applies to both jobs.
When his oldest, Roberts, was first born, Tabor Vaux was told to pay attention to how fast they grow and be sure to give them all the love and attention you can while they’re still around. It’s a lesson that was driven home when both his children, Roberts, age eight, and Ella, age seven, wound up in NICU at the beginning of their lives. He and his wife spent those first months waiting for good news. Not only did it come, but both children now thrive as all stars in baseball and softball, respectively.
“I am so proud of them,” Vaux said. “And looking back, you realize how fast the time has gone already. You really do have to make it a point to be there.”
It’s a sentiment he shares with Stephen Meyer. As a dad to Millie, age three, and newborn daughter Dahlia, he is experiencing that wonderful age when a child finds their own personality while shaping yours. “Being a dad has been the best thing I’ve ever done in my life, and it’s put work in perspective for me,” Meyer said. “My wife and daughters keep me grounded, which allows me to achieve a better work and life balance.”
As a father of three active boys, Mark Berglind knows that sometimes fatherhood is a full-contact sport. He not only keeps his sons Philip, age ten, Buchanan, age nine, and Thomas, age six, on the move through ski trips and camping getaways to burn off some of that young male energy, he coaches the younger two in football.
“I’m one of seven kids, and my dad was a physician who maintained a busy medical practice. He somehow managed to always be there for us, and I think I learned a lot from him about balancing work and life,” Berglind said.
Showing that good attorneys make good fathers, the dads of Vaux Marscher Berglind are proof that dedication, knowledge and integrity can accomplish anything.
Steve Stauffer, McGriff Insurance Services, One Lafayette Place, 2nd Floor, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 & 2 Westbury Parkway, Suite 205, Bluffton, SC 29910, SStauffer@McGriff.com
During the day, Steve Stauffer fights high premiums as the Area Agency Executive for McGriff Insurance Services, one of the largest in the country. Serving condo associations, POAs and high-net-worth individuals with insurance for their property, their business and themselves, his job is to keep clients protected.
But by night, he fights crime as Captain America. Or Iron Man. It really depends on what his seven-year-old son Dylan decides.
“He loves superheroes,” Steve said. “He’ll get the action figures out and we’ll just start to battle.”
But that’s just part of being a dad. You get to play with toys. You get to go swimming, race Go-Karts, go putt-putting. You get to be the hero. Although, when you’re a single dad like Stauffer, being a superhero is pretty much the job description.
For Stauffer, being a dad to Dylan is giving him his second act after raising two adult daughters. “One of the best things about it is that I have more patience than when my daughters were born, and I appreciate it more because I know how fast it goes by,” he said. “I feel he slowed my pace down so I could enjoy it more.”
Matthew Tenwolde, Carolina Veterinary Critical Care, 21 Buck Island Road, Bluffton, SC 29910, (843) 706-9200, www.carolinavcc.com
When Drs. Matthew and Bobbi Jean Tenwolde went on their very first date, they bonded instantly over one important factor. “I had always wanted to have kids; literally, we were talking about it on our first date,” he said. “It was meant to be.”
Some men are just born to be fathers, and Dr. Tenwolde is proof of that, coaching his seven-year old’s flag football team, helping his five-year-old daughter tend to the family’s chickens and never sacrificing quality time at the altar of the office. As a respected veterinarian with Carolina Veterinary Critical Care, he’s helped thousands of animals, from family pets to strays off the street, live longer and healthier lives. But once he clocks out, he’s that kind of superdad we all strive to be.
“It’s so important to be present,” he said. “I’ve structured my practice so I’m off when the kids are off. When they’re in school, I’m doing surgery and tending to the clinic. As soon as they’re out of school, I’m in full-tilt dad mode. It lets them see that you should work hard, but when the work’s done, it’s family time.”
Naturally, with two young children and a practice that brings new animals across Dr. Tenwolde’s transom every day, there’s bound to be some overlap. For example, his daughter’s precious cat first came to the family through Tenwolde’s practice. “My daughter named him Booboo Kitty. Affectionately known as our Carolina ditch cat, he came to us with severe injuries that took 10 surgeries to repair,” he said. After rehabilitation Booboo Kitty came home and is now a beloved member of the family.
“He’s everybody’s kitty, but he sleeps in my daughter’s bed,” he said, adding with a laugh, “at least when he’s not assassinating the local marsh life.”
Rocky & Taylor Whitehead, Rockfish Bomboras Bar, 5 Lagoon Road, Hilton Head Island SC 29928, (843) 689-2662, rockfishhhi.com
If there’s one place where the father-son dynamic finds its greatest challenge, it’s in the workplace. But if we had to name the second-most taxing place for a father and a son to get along, it would probably be on the golf course. As a father, you want to help your son work on his swing, improve his game and do the family handicap proud. As a son, you want to sink that birdie shot that puts dad on the hook for the first round at the 19th hole. For both, you love each other, but you also have to win.
Which is what makes the relationship between Taylor and Rocky Whitehead so remarkable. Not only does their father-son dynamic thrive in the workplace—whether it’s at Rockfish Steak & Seafood or on the road for the family’s long-term pharmaceutical care company—but it also has made them a formidable force on the island’s golf courses.
“It’s been a nice thing for us to bond over,” Rocky said, calling from the road where he and his son were representing the family business. “We actually just played in the Heritage Pro-Am together and placed second. One year at Pebble Beach, we took first place.”
They’re a solid duo on the links, but it’s in the world of business where they truly shoot for eagle. As Rocky begins “kicking back,” Taylor has begun to take the reins on all the different aspects of his father’s business empire.
“I’ve always been a part of the family business,” Taylor said. “He’s a great boss.”
In fact, it was Taylor’s suggestion that the Whiteheads expand beyond pharmaceuticals after they moved to Hilton Head. That suggestion has not only resulted in Rockfish, but in The Art Café as well. For Rocky, passing the torch to his son was a no-brainer.
“He knows the businesses, and he knows what his responsibilities are,” Rocky said. “And he’s grown with his responsibilities as I’ve started doing less of the heavy lifting.”
And they can still maintain a great relationship as father and son, whether at the restaurant, on the fairway or on the road building the business stronger together.
Jason Fackler, Coastal Sunglasses and Carolina Tasting Room, Coligny Plaza, 1 N Forest Beach Dr Unit K2, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, (843) 341-2999 www.coastalsunglasseshhi.com
Coligny Plaza, 1N Forest Beach Dr, Unit B, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, (843) 341-2999, www.thecarolinatastingroom.com
If there’s one word to describe Jason Fackler as both entrepreneur and dad, it would be prolific. His businesses run the gamut, from a slew of kiosks in Coligny as he built his empire to storefronts that include Coastal Sunglasses and Carolina Tasting Room, owned with his wife Kristin. As a dad, he’s a proud papa to a quartet: Laine, 8, Lee, 5, Linden, 4, and Lola, who will turn one this summer.
“I feel like to say it’s a juggling act is 100 percent accurate,” he said. Running businesses in Coligny, as well as another tasting room in Savannah, would be enough for anyone’s plate. As would raising four children, not only being present and helping guide them, but serving as dad chauffeur to the laundry list of practices, games, meets and rehearsals that come with active kids. So how does he do it?
“You definitely have to have great time management, and plan your whole week out ahead of time. And then there’s always chaos anyways,” he said. “Our goal is organized chaos… We’re still a circus half the time.”
He credits Kristin with making it all possible. “Having a great partner is critical,” he said. The couple not only support one another, but communicate on the overall parenting picture. “My wife would say I’m the fun dad, but I think I bring at least 30 percent of the discipline.”
As partners, they lean on one another. As business owners, they lean on the talented team they’ve assembled to help their businesses run smoothly. “Our staff and core management group is amazing,” said Jason. “They make it possible to have the kind of work/life family balance that we strive for… and achieve, most of the time.”
Just as his early ventures taught him the right and wrong way to run a business, he’s found fatherhood offers ample lessons to those willing to pay attention.
All dads make mistakes. No one’s perfect. It’s about learning from those mistakes,” he said. “The biggest thing is to love your kids and just know that you’re human.”
Rusty Jaquiss, Shaun Brockway and Patrick Taylor, Frosty Frog Cafe, Coligny Plaza, 1 N Forest Beach Dr #18, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, (843) 686-3764, frostyfrog.com
Any dad will tell you that having a kid changes everything. From the first time you look into their eyes, your entire perspective shifts and your world tilts on its axis. So what does this have to do with Frosty Frog Café? Everything.
Today, we all know Frosty Frog Café as a family-friendly restaurant where guests of all ages bask in the sunshine while enjoying frosty drinks and amazing food. But there was a time when it was perhaps more famed for its late-night revelry. So how did an island nightspot become dining for all ages? We told you— having a kid changes everything.,
“I’ve been here 25 years, starting when it was more of a nighttime spot,” said Shaun Brockway. “I’m pretty proud to see how we’ve evolved into a family restaurant, and I think the kids were a big part of it.”
General Manager and fellow dad Rusty Jaquiss concurs. “I have two daughters, 10 and 13, and they love coming to visit when they can,” he said. “And since Coligny is such a fun place for kids to just walk around, my older daughter can come with her friends and I can keep an eye on them.”
Creating a more family-friendly atmosphere at The Frog not only allowed for more locals and visitors to bring the kids along while they enjoy something cold and refreshing, but it’s given these dads more time to spend with their own kids.
“My 16-year-old son is here every Sunday with his friends to watch football, and my 13-year-old daughter comes with her friends and grabs lunch while they’re shopping,” said Brockway. “It’s the peace of mind for not just my children, but anyone’s children, that you can go to the Frog and feel safe.”
And for these two dads, it’s a way to balance work and life.
“Really, it’s watching them grow and experience life” said Jaquiss. “Being there to be able to help them as they make those decisions and which path to take, that’s probably one of the best parts.”
“Some view food and beverage as a stepping stone, but it’s a great career for me and my family,” added Brockway, whose son now works part time at Frosty Frog. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Josh Cooke with daughters Abbagail & Ellie, Corner Perk Brunch Cafe, Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Port Royal (Beaufort), (843) 304-5563 www.cornerperk.com
How do you balance a successful business and still make time for your family? You must decide your priority and accept that you can only do so much on the other.
What is your favorite daddy/child date? Go-karting, boating, and daddy/daughter dances.
What is one of the most important things you can teach your children in respect to sustaining a business? I hope they pursue their passions, follow their dreams, reach for the stars, put in the hard work, and never look back!
When you first became a father, what was the one thing you were totally unprepared for? How concerned I would be about every time my girls were scared or hurt.
How many children would you have if finances/your wife were no object? Two is perfect for us. I cannot imagine any more or any less.
Biggest parenting mistake you’ll fess up to the name of assisting others. I almost dropped Abbagail at 2 weeks old. And caught her by her foot before she hit the ground.
Ask your children what you do best or what their favorite activity is with daddy and print their response here: Abbagail & Ellie: Dad’s great at business, he’s really fun and funny. We love to play Super Mario Bros and Mario Kart.
