C AT ® F O O T W E A R P R E S E N T S
EA RTHMOV ING DA DS
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In honor of Father’s Day our Earthmover Jesse David Green profiled three Earthmoving Dads. @jessedavidgreen jessedavidgreen.com
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Since my family is my #1 priority I’m driven to make sure that they get the best of me, not what’s left of me.”
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Josh Collesano, 35 years old, grew up mostly in the Metro Detroit, Michigan area where he did what a lot of suburban kids did; played sports (soccer), rode his BMX bike everywhere and jumped it over stuff. Now an art director at Kensington Church, a multicampus church in Detroit, he and his wife Rachel have three amazing kids - Emery, Ashland and Levi.
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TELL US A BOU T YOU RSELF “ I get to work with all kinds of amazingly talented artists like musicians, vocalists, dancers, actors, designers, and filmmakers. Because my dad often took me with him on side jobs as a bricklayer, I learned the trade, but more importantly learned what it meant to work hard to provide for your family; it’s a lesson that I carry with me every single day.”
What is your hobby or passion project? What does this give you that your job doesn’t? “ It’s a recently completed 1974 CB550 custom Cafe Racer that I built on my own. Three years ago, I knew that I needed something that would be an artistic outlet that wasn’t tied directly to my job. I bought the bike off of Craigslist and on day one began taking it apart. Originally my idea was just to freshen it up, but as I began working on it one thing led to another and it was completely disassembled; that’s when I decided to rebuild it properly and give it my personal touch. Aside from the motor, every single part was worked on by hand by me and it took almost three years to complete.”
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How do you keep a healthy work/life balance? How important to you is spending quality time with your family? “ Since my family is my #1 priority I’m driven to make sure that they get the best of me, not what’s left of me. Rachel and I put a huge value on experiences over things. You’ll find us around our fire pit on a nice night with s’mores, up north at our cottage on Bois Blanc Island in the summer as much as possible, or just doing things together as a family.”
I need to work hard but not long hours because I need to have family time. I am a happier human being when I have a good home/ life balance.�
JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY Alan Balian, 45 years old, is an Executive Producer for a post-production house that specializes in editing, color grading, and retouching for films, but with a boyhood dream of becoming an airline pilot, he says he will get his private pilot license to satisfy his childhood dream eventually. With his creative drive, we’re not surprised he also has a passion for deejaying- parties, clubs and many weddings. But his real desire to work hard comes from his most important job - being a father to his three kids.
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TELL US A BOU T YOU RSELF “ I was born in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. I came to America when I was nine years old and grew up in San Francisco till my late twenties, eventually ending up in Jersey City, NJ with my wife and three kids. I need to work hard but not long hours because I need to have family time. I am a happier human being when I have a good home/life balance.�
What drives you to work hard for your kids? Do you think sharing your passions with them is important? “ I’ve shared what I’m passionate about with my kids, and I hope they become passionate about something in life. The middle child wants to become a singer when she grows up, and my son is only obsessed with toy cars now. My oldest daughter is pre-teen so I think my grey hairs will grow quickly over these next few years, and have to learn to accept what she’s going to become passionate about.”
What’s your favorite quality about yourself as a dad? “ My favorite quality about being a dad, is being a dad. I love showing my kids the things I know, which includes deejaying, various sports, and helping them with their life development.”
“I want my kids to be proud of how we contribute to the community and it is super important for them to be involved.�
TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN
Gary Jonas, 37, was born in Cape Town South Africa, but grew up in Dallas, Texas. In the 10 years after college living in Brooklyn, NY, he and his wife Allison opened a restaurant called The Farm on Adderley and then a bar called Sycamore. They relocated to Traverse City, Michigan in 2012 and opened The Little Fleet, a bar and food truck lot. His family including three children, Madeleine, 8, Viola, 6, and a baby boy Ellis, 10 months, are the most important thing in the world.
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TELL US A BOU T YOU RSELF “Operating The Little Fleet, I get to be creative, work with great people, and I love adding value to the community. Keeping business out of the house and being present with the family is super difficult, especially when you own your own business. I’m really glad I figured out how to focus on the kids and be a father at home. It takes an effort for sure and it means squeezing in work whenever possible, like early in the morning or late at night.”
What drives you to work hard for your kids? Do you think sharing your passions with them is important? “ We often talk about charity events that we do at The Little Fleet, [my kids] are often part of them, and we talk about how it is important to be true to yourself and be an honest person.�
What’s your favorite quality about yourself as a dad? “ I make really bad “dad jokes” and most of the time they get shot down, but that’s part of the game.”
THANKS DA D!