Steve Billings
Fourth-generation San Diegan Billings is the owner of The Original 40 Brewing Company. “My wife and I run and manage it together. I often call myself a glorified handyman. Owning a small business requires you to wear many hats, including doing plenty of dirty work.”
Follow at: @original40beer
Dad to: Gabriella, 3.5
Hometown: I was born and raised in San Diego, and I am the fourth-generation San Diegan.
Favorite ways to spend family time in CA: I grew up spending my childhood in Mission Beach during the summers. My daughter is like a fish and loves to swim. So, my absolute favorite thing to do with her is running, splashing and playing in the shallow water in the ocean waves. The joy and wonder on her face while she is running through the water and waves along the shoreline is magical.
Your most rewarding fatherhood moment: My daughter is only 3.5 so we haven’t reached a lot of milestones, but the most rewarding thing is watching her to grow into a sweet, kind and sharing little girl. I’m not sure how long that will last but I’m going to enjoy it for now. Lol!
Biggest challenge as a dad: Now that I have my own child, I realize how incredibly challenging it is. Currently, the biggest challenge for me is lack of sleep.
A father who inspires you and why: My father passed away when he was 44 years old, but he’s always been my role model as a father. He was incredibly hard working, but he always found time for us. He found that rare balance of family, work and enjoyment!
Best piece of advice for a new dad: The best piece of advice I have for a new dad is hold on tight. Everything comes in stages, and it comes and goes. You will hear 100 times that it goes by fast, and it will. You’re going to miss every bit of it eventually, so be present and embrace it.
Your biggest hope for your children: My hope and dream for my daughter is she will just find happiness in her own terms. Whatever that means to her regardless of what society says. Happiness may be being a housewife, teacher, traveling the world or running a Fortune 500 company. I will always encourage her to define happiness in her own words.
How are you celebrating Father’s Day? For Father’s Day, we’re going to start the morning by visiting my father’s gravesite. Then will head to the brewery for lunch, and we will finish the day in Mission Beach, playing in the sand and water.