Hey Dad Can You Answer A Few Questions?

So I decided a long time ago that I would interview Kim Bishoff, my dad. But you know how things are, I had asked him moments before and decided that was best because then everything would be raw, fresh, and real. My dad grew up in a small town in Idaho and lived on a farm. He worked hard and payed for everything he has (his car, college, mission, etc.). That is why he is still so stingy with money. We still have a 22 year old Honda that technically I'm suppose to be driving. We still own the same fridge that we owned when I was born, but hey he is a good man. He has worked hard for where he is now and has learned a lot on the way. Casual seems to be his medium so I decided to do this interview in a casual setting, at home. Hope you enjoy!

1. Growing up what was your life's goal/ambition?
I wanted to be a baseball player.

2. Why is that?
I enjoyed it. I enjoyed watching it and playing it.

3. Why did you never pursue that?
Well you have to realize this is what I wanted to be when I was ten. As I got older and older I realized how competitive it was. In Idaho it was winter all the time and we couldn't really practice then and no one came to Idaho to recruit kids and then there was so much more to go through to get into after that.

4. Describe a time when you were scared to fail at accomplishing something that you were set out to do.
Well, I wanted to pass the CPA exam for accountants. And that is three days long. And if you don't pass one part then you don't pass the whole test and you have to start all over again. I remember studying really hard. I remember living in a hotel for three days with this guy and all we did was study study study.

5. How did that fear affect succeeding at that time?
It motivated us to study really hard. And for long periods of time and basically how to attack and because it is a huge, huge amount of knowledge you have to know. It motivated us.

6. So do you believe there is such a thing as good fear?
I think fear basically helps you to be motivated, but it can only do so for so long and eventually you have to move pass that and enjoy what you are doing or see progress. I don't think a lot of things are motivated by fear.

7. When you were trying to become an accountant was there ever a time when you wanted to give up or close to it?
Yes in school there was a time when I wasn't doing too good in a class. I didn't feel like I was succeeding, but I realized one test isn't going to determine if I will become an accountant. You have to keep things in perspective.

8. And in those moments of frustration what were you planning on doing if you were to quit school and goal of becoming an accountant?

I was going to be a truck driver.

9. Why a truck driver?

Because that is what I had already been. That is how I saved all my money to go to school.

10. Did you like doing that?

I loved it.

11. Do you wish you could be a truck driver now?

Some days.

12. What so great about the truck driver life?

You basically get to travel and uh drive down the road. Its a good life if you are single, but not married because you aren't ever home.

13. What is your measure of success?
Feeling good about what you are doing and being excited to do it when you wake up in the morning.

14. Have you ever had that in your life?
Yes, I have enjoyed almost every place I have worked.

15. How do you think the world works, and how do you think one goes about creating success in it?
I think the world works well first of all where you have to be prepared. You have to work hard and realize what end you are trying to achieve. And then start preparing in the beginning to get to the end. You have to work well with people. You have to realize it is a journey and there can be successes all along the way. When you have a family, when kids go to school, college, or when they get old enough to drive, get a good grade, reach a milestone, that is a success you share with them. So... I guess it kinda depends on what kind of success you are talking about, but for the most part it takes preparation and hard work and a little luck.

16. When you were my age what is one thing you didn't realize about the world that you know now?
How much your decisions and choices , when you are young, affect your whole life.

17. We have been talking a lot on goals and accomplishments in your past, but what are some goals you have now?
To get my kids raised and to help them get started with whatever they want in life. To help them become independent and self sufficient. My main goal is to make sure my family goes on and lives a happy functional life.

18. Do you have any regrets in life?
(Sits there and thinks for a while) Not really. Not too many.

19. In closing since my classmates will be the only ones if any to read this, if you had one thing to tell teens my age something, what would it be?
Stay away from drugs and alcohol.

So what did I learn: I wish I didn't record him or tell him I was recording him to just get the answers so I could write them down right. I think that changed the atmosphere and not exactly what I wanted. I learned some things about my dad. I feel a lot of the stuff I already knew though. I knew the CPA was a hard test for him, we had talked about it a couple of months ago. I knew he wanted his family to succeed. I also feel you don't get to really know my dad from this interview. There is something missing from him. Maybe I didn't ask the right questions at the right time or he just wasn't up for this interview. I guess the most surprising thing to me was the last question only because his answer was so off topic. They approach I wish I would have taken was to not tell him I was interviewing him, but just sit next to him and start asking as if I was just purely interested, then afterwards get his permission. Lesson learned I guess. Well hopefully you get something from this.