Dad who 'built my life around my business' has a change of heart in viral post

By Genevieve Shaw Brown

Like so many others, Marcus Murphy was forced to take a break from work when COVID-19 grounded travel. As the head of partnerships for a company called DigitalMarketer, Murphy was on the road roughly 300,000 miles each year.

"It was hard to turn it off," he told "Good Morning America." "I was usually up and out the door early to catch a quick run, then home with enough time to grab a shower, coffee and my backpack. I would rarely see my girls unless they happen to get up early, and if I did, it would be a quick smooch, some sad 'I miss daddy' tears, and off I went."

Murphy penned a now-viral LinkedIn post where he wrote in part, "Left to my own devices I would 100% work myself out of a great marriage, amazing children, and good health."

"I knew that I was missing out on something huge but there was another louder voice telling me I was doing it 'for them,'" he told "GMA." "That voice has grown silent over the last few months and it’s put the 'lie' on full display. The sobering reality [is that] that they needed me, not my ambition. I’ve honestly had a lot of sleepless nights over it these last few months. Praying that my decisions early in their lives won’t have a lasting impact."

Success, Murphy said, is "a tricky thing. As I saw more of it I saw less of them," he said, referring to his wife and two daughters.

He's not the only one that's changed since being forced to slow down. Murphy's girls are more courageous now than before.

"As I’ve spent more time with them I’ve seen them take more risks," he said. "I think I started to believe the lie that my girls were 'fine,' that I didn’t have a lot to offer at such an early age. Believe me, being home hasn’t been perfect. I still take calls in my home office and look up at a clock and say 'that can’t be right,' but I’m welcoming the interruptions, I’m appreciating the moments when I can just sit on the ground, put down my phone and play with blocks."

He's also establishing a new normal. "Your children are always watching. You’re teaching whether you like it or not," he said.

Murphy said he is leaving his current job to start his own company.

"I will always be a hard worker but never again at their expense," he told "GMA." "I want to take my girls with me on this journey. I want to create a life that requires them to be in it. I want them to stand with me in every green room, board room, and meeting but more importantly, I just want them."