Hey guys, Molly here.
I’m back with Part 2 of the 13 lessons I learned from losing my dad.
To recap: earlier this year I lost my dad unexpectedly, and it was one of the most painful experiences of my life—but also one of the most beautiful.
In Part 1, I shared the first 6 lessons I learned during my grief. I talked about being more present, the power of travel, and living life now.
(And big, big thank you to everyone who responded to my first post with stories and support. It meant a lot.)
Now in Part 2, I’m sharing 7 more lessons from this transformational period in my life. I hope they resonate with you.
Here we go!
Lesson 7: Community is everything.
I always knew community was powerful, but before this experience I didn’t fully understand that power.
Losing my dad showed me who could truly hold space for me. Who in my life—my close friends, my family, my team at Smart Marketer—was able to meet me where I was at that moment?
Who could express empathy, either because they’d experienced a similar loss or just because they had incredible emotional intelligence?
Sometimes it was the people I expected, sometimes it wasn’t.
Either way, it was such a beautiful gift. It opened my eyes to the depths in many of my friends and coworkers. It filled me with gratitude, and it taught me that community can accelerate healing and growth.
Guys, seriously: community is the most important thing we have, second only to the relationship we have with ourselves.
And remember, people show up in different ways—through a text, a hug, or even covering for you at work.
Seek out community, be thankful for it, and try to be there for other people.
Lesson 8: You can step away.
When my dad died, I stepped away from Smart Marketer fully for 6 weeks.
And guess what? Our business didn’t just survive—it grew.
Sure, I’d taken time off before. Last year I took a month off for my wedding and honeymoon, but that was planned.
This was sudden and unexpected.
But my team didn’t miss a beat: they stepped in to serve clients, record podcasts, run our mastermind… whatever it took.
I got to experience what every business owner dreams of: I was able to step away when life demanded it—and everything was okay.
And it was only possible because of 2 things:
- Systems: We’ve spent years building and documenting strong systems, so there are no bottlenecks or excessive pressure on a single team member (even me).
- Team Culture: I haven’t worked many places where a team would jump in like mine did. We built that loyalty over time by treating people right.
So ask yourself this: If YOU had to walk away for 6 weeks… what would happen?
If thinking about this makes you anxious, then now is the time to invest in systems and to invest in your team.
Because if life gets hard, those are the things that will keep your business afloat.
Lesson 9: Don’t wait to live.
My dad never got to retire.
And that really ate me up after he died, especially because in our final conversation he told me he was about to retire. And y’all—that was the dream he had been working toward since I was a kid.
But “someday” never came.
As I mentioned in Part 1, we often wait to live fully. We put off our dreams until we hit that revenue goal, until that perfect time comes.
But life is happening right NOW.
You may not be able to retire now—but you can enjoy your life now.
You can take the trip. You can fly to Amsterdam for two weeks (like I just did). You can build joy and rest into your daily life.
So think about the things you’ve always wanted to do—your “bucket list”— and ask yourself: How can I do these things now?
Don’t delay it. Now is the best time.
Lesson 10: Give people choice.
All my life, my dad let me make my own decisions.
That was one of the greatest gifts he ever gave me—both as a parent and as a friend—and that independence helped make me the person I am today.
It also shaped how I lead.
With my team (especially upper management) I aim to guide, not control. I don’t micromanage. I offer direction and trust them to take it from there.
Not only does this create a better work environment, it also helps develop confidence and capability in our team.
This is why I was able to step away from work when my dad died: because my team felt comfortable jumping in and making decisions.
Offer your team support, then let them find their path.
Lesson 11: Let it all be true.
Life is full of duality.
In my book Click Happy, I talk about how the simple and the complex, the joy and the sorrow, the wins and the losses—they can all exist at once. And this grief experience has made that clearer than ever.
The more we accept and embrace this duality, the richer our lives become and the less stressed we feel in business.
I can be completely devastated about losing my dad AND feel deeply grateful for how this loss has shaped me.
My business can experience real struggles AND massive wins, all in the same week.
These truths (and the emotions they stir up) aren’t mutually exclusive—they can exist side by side. So instead of trying to pick one lane, I’ve learned to let myself feel all of it at once.
Let it all be true. Accept the complexity. Life doesn’t have to be black and white.
And the less you resist, the more you feel at peace.
Lesson 12: Stop depriving yourself.
I talked about this in Part 1, but it’s worth saying again:
I’m done depriving myself.
For so long, I lived in a “Go, go, go!” mindset. I sacrificed sleep, fun and indulgences all in the name of “discipline”, thinking it would help me reach my goals.
And hey, there’s a place for discipline—but the mindset of deprivation?
It’s not it, y’all.
I was depriving myself not for health, but out of fear: fear that rest was weakness, that fun needed to be earned.
Not anymore.
Now, my goal is to balance discipline with more joy and more presence.
Life is meant to be fully lived. I know that’s what my dad would want for me, and it’s what I want for YOU.
So when something fun pops into your mind—go do it. You don’t need to earn your joy.
Lesson 13: Presence over fixing.
My whole life, I’ve wanted to fix people.
And yes, that tendency has helped me in my career by making me a great coach, mentor, and leader.
But it’s also exhausting.
Now, grief has taught me this: simply being present is often more loving and healing than fixing.
People don’t always need advice. They don’t always need a solution. More often, they just need someone to be with them. (And if you DO want to offer advice—maybe ask first.)
Sitting beside someone, being fully present, is a gift in itself.
That’s how my dad was. He didn’t rush in to solve everything. He was just with you—fun, joyful, exciting, loving.
And giving that kind of presence often allows people to fix things themselves, on their own terms.
So that’s what I’m choosing now: less fixing, more being.
Thank You (And One Final Lesson)
Wow. This has felt so powerful and healing to write.
I really appreciate you taking this journey with me—both by reading this post, and for supporting me over the last 14 years.
My dad got to meet a lot of you at events. He read your comments online. He saw what we built and who we are. He was so proud of the love and goodness that radiates from this community.
Thank you, Dad, for our beautiful relationship and everything you taught me. I’ll carry it with me forever.
I also want to leave you with one final lesson—which is that our time on Earth is a learning experience. Every joy, every loss, every moment of clarity… it’s all part of what we’re here to discover.
Whether you’ve experienced grief yourself or you just took this opportunity to reflect on your beliefs, I hope this post gave you something meaningful to hold onto.
If you want to share your story (or just say hi) you can reach me at support@smartmarketer.com, or DM me on Instagram @mollypittmandigital.
Until next time!
