Working with Dad Q&A

We interviewed Scott and his father, Gordon, to get an idea of what it's like working together at Coaltown.

Each question was asked anonymously so neither knew one another's answers.

What do you enjoy about working with your Dad / Scott?

Scott: “I know he’s got my back all the time, that's the main thing. He’s easy to work with, and he knows the stuff that I don’t. He fills the gaps. He’s also really practical.”

Gordon: “It’s just a great opportunity to spend more time with him. You know, if you were working in separate jobs you’d only see each other in the evenings or on the weekend. The way it is working in the same business, we see each other daily which is a great thing for a father and son. It’s also really good to see him developing as a person, you know, and see his confidence and skills developing and just being able to witness that is a great experience.”

What's not so enjoyable about working with your Dad / Scott?

Scott: “He’s got terrible taste in music… horrendous taste in music, it’s awful. Trying to get him to wear staff uniform is also really difficult. Trying to get him to listen to me can be really difficult (laughter). He can be really difficult (More Laughter).”

Gordon: “Ooh Umm (laughter), I guess sometimes there is a conflict of opinion, and I suppose I try to dominate because of my age and he tries to challenge me all the time so that in a way is a good thing, but It can be a bit frustrating sometimes as well.”

What would you say your dad's/ Scott's biggest strength is in the business?

Scott: “He’s unbelievably dynamic, he’s the one that can pull things together, so if there's ever a deadline that needs to be hit, he’ll pull it together no matter what. He literally knows everything that we need to get things done. I kind of see it as—the design and overall concept of an idea would come from me, and then it would actually go to my dad to get it done.”

Gordon: “Ideas! He’s innovative, creative, they were all attributes I didn’t think Scott had when he was really young but he’s definitely blossomed with those skills, it's something he’s embraced. He’s demonstrated his ability in that area and it’s fantastic. Especially with modern technology, it's a very different type of world to when I went into employment and because of this, my experience in this new digital world is kind of limited and it's great to see Scott embracing it.”

What would you say your dad's/ Scott's biggest weakness is in the business?

Scott: “He’s got a short fuse (Laughter)…That's it.”

Gordon: “ooh Um, I don’t know thats a difficult one! I think Scott is a very trusting person. You’ve obviously got to be very open minded but also wary at the same time and approach things with some form of caution. Although I say this, I think that's something he’s gaining a decent understanding of with experience.

Name something you have learnt from working with your Dad / Scott?

Scott: “I’ve learnt everything from both my Mum and Dad, and what I’ve learnt from my dad is his commitment to everything he does, and it’s the commitment that I’ve learnt from my dad that I think is one of his strong points. He’s absolutely committed to everything he does and it's 1000 miles an hour and he just hits it as hard as possible. That's what I’ve learnt from him and will always take with me. What ever you do, you do it 100% and you do it well, and don’t bother doing it unless you're willing to do that.”

Gordon: “Just his natural ability to deal with people, it was something I struggled with, I’ve always struggled with it, but Scott's got a natural ability to deal with people really well. He can calm down a volatile situation just with his personality and that's something I can't do, I’m just like petrol on a fire (laughter). Scott's more like water on a fire, he can deal with the situation very well."

What's the ideal father's day gift?

Scott: Without being cliche, i think coffee is an ideal gift for any dad. the brewing kits make great presents and are a great way to start a new hobby. Personally I love the Aeropress kit; super portable, incredibly geeky and fun at the same time.

Link to Kit

Gordon: “For Me (laughter), Oh God Um, a new packing machine (Laughter).”