rad dad

photography by | rialee photography

Ryan Fritz

age 36 web & online marketing consultant divorced/single dad to 7 year old daughter

my definition of a rad dad is…

A dad who is able to blend fun and discipline and makes sure his kids come first. I try to keep my daughter in mind with every decision I make in life. A Rad Dad will pass along all of his values to his children and have a good time doing it. And he reads lots of books.

what i have learned most from being a dad would be…

To become more selfless and to love. It’s not just about me anymore. My daughter has taught me the true meaning of pride. I’ve never been so proud of anything as I am of my little girl. Most of all my daughter has taught me how to be a man.

i am most proud of…

The accomplishments and moral compass my daughter has developed with or without my guidance. The person she has become and the principles she has developed in a short seven years honestly amazes me each and every day.

outside of being a dad i am most passionate about…

Developing my own business. I’ve recently started working independently as a web consultant, focusing on design, e-commerce and online marketing campaigns. Working for myself can be intimidating at times, but it’s a goal I set for myself years ago. I’m also very passionate about art, especially children’s artwork. It’s the kids that have all this wonderful, raw creativity. The art my daughter brings home from school inspired me so much that I decided to begin a project titled www.fargokids.com. A web site that promotes creativity in our youth and offers high quality children’s art reproductions and kids art archiving. I envision one day funding special creative art seminars and classes that would benefit the creativity in our local kids.

being a single dad my biggest fear in raising a daughter has to be… my daughter has my…

The time I spend away from my daughter. I always fear she will forget her dad. I know it’s not true, but it scares me nonetheless. She has a great mom so I can rest assured. I also fear I will never fully understand how to dress a young girl.

Eyes, quick feet, and most importantly, an amplified sense of my creativity. She also has my sense of humor and she’s an adventurous eater like myself.

my best dad quality is…

Is just that, being a dad. Being a father is a blessing a title I hope I never take for granted. I’m also a decent cook for a dad. My goal is to pass along all the good I’ve learned in my lifetime and educate my daughter on the paths in life that may be a waste of time.

any advice i would have for other dads would be…

There is nothing more rewarding than trying to be a good dad. Make every second count, never take for granted the time you have with your children. Be there for them always, go to all their events and make pancakes on a regular basis.

other things you should know about me…

I like to challenge myself physically with activities like running and biking and some weight lifting. I love being in the outdoors hiking or camping. I also enjoy painting portraits, drawing and sketching and working on freelance illustration and web projects. I enjoy volunteering and I appreciate good design in any shape or form.