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50
maskmatters.org
summer
2012
DaD DialeD in
A
s a husband and father of three active
and growing boys—Jack, 15; Joe, 13; and
Sam, 8—I can’t tell you the last night I
got in a full eight hours of sleep! When your goal
is putting your family first, while maintaining the
responsibilities of your business or career, sleep
is a sacrifice you gladly make. Scheduling around
family priorities poses challenges, but it is definitely
achievable. All any father can do is give it their very
best, which is what I strive for each and every day.
I was born in Toledo, Ohio, the oldest of three
children. We grew up in a traditional Midwestern
neighborhood. My father was a police officer and
my mom stayed at home. My mother’s parents, my
Gammy and Pa, were a very big part of our lives
when I was young. It was in that environment that
the importance of family was instilled in me.
When I finished high school in Toledo, I was
ready for the adventure of a lifetime. I packed up
my Datsun B-210 and drove 1,922 miles west
to Tempe to attend Arizona State University. I
had never been to Arizona before and arrived
at Manzanita dorm not knowing one person.
While at ASU, I studied finance, was active in my
fraternity, had a job with Hensley & Company (the
local Anheuser-Busch distributorship) and, most
importantly, met Angela, my wife of 21 years.
Upon graduating in 1986, I accepted a job with
Procter & Gamble handling sales and marketing for
the food service division. As my career progressed,
Angela (a native Phoenician) and I moved to
Los Angeles and Chicago, but in our hearts, we
both longed to move back to Arizona to start our
family. Good luck and good timing collided when
my stepfather, Ken Burk, and I put up money
to open one of the first-ever Cold Stone
Creamery franchises in Glendale in 1994.
Over the next decade, Cold Stone
took off—and so did our family. I led the
franchising effort and served as CEO of one
of the country’s fastest growing brands. After
my partner Don Sutherland, Cold Stone’s
founder, and I sold the company in 2007, I
became the lead investor and chairman of
the board for the Scottsdale-based online
video sharing company, iMemories.Then,
I was elected by voters to begin a four-year
term as Arizona’s 32nd State Treasurer.
During that time, Angela and I grew
from being newlyweds to being blessed
with our three boys. We’re both involved
in a number of charities benefiting very
worthwhile causes. It seems like every waking
minute of our lives is taken up with school,
sports or another extracurricular activity.
Balancing business and family is a tough
thing. If your definition of balance is working
eight hours, sleeping eight hours and playing
eight hours, then, by that definition, I would’ve
failed. My definition of balance, however, has
always been a matter of priorities. No matter how
chaotic and busy, my faith and my family have
always come first, before any career opportunity.
Time is a precious commodity. Watching my boys
grow up has been the most rewarding experience
of my life.Those moments don’t always fall into
a calendar that you can easily schedule around.
Having the support from a great partner, my wife
Angela, makes that possible. So, if that means that
I’m the first one awake and the last one to go to bed,
then that’s the balance I will continue to pursue.
Striking the Perfect Balance
story // Doug Ducey
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