‘Had a Goodbye From Olympia’- Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Reveals Emotional Fatherhood Moment With Daughter

Parting is such a sweet sorrow, isn’t it? Stepping away from friends or family for work commitments can be tough. Tennis star Serena Williams knows this well, having traveled the globe for her hectic tour, earning 23 Grand Slam titles along the way. But her husband, Alexis Ohanian, feels this sentiment deeply too. As a businessman at the top of his game, he faces the challenges of leaving his two adorable daughters behind.

Ohanian co-founded Reddit and has built an impressive career over the last 20 years. Although he stepped down from Reddit’s board in 2020, he launched his venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six. He also advocates for female athletes through Angel City FC and the all women’s track and field meet Atlos. The 44-year-old keeps busy with projects that give back to the community, but this often means spending significant time away from home.

Recently, during an episode of the ‘Business Dad’ podcast with Parker Conrad, Ohanian shared his first real goodbye with his seven-year-old daughter, Olympia. He said, “I had a goodbye from Olympia and it was the first goodbye hug I really think she could process, like, ‘oh, Dad’s going to for a little bit.’ And I was feeling it and I know she was feeling my energy, and it was like an extra hug. And I was like, ‘God, this sucks.’”

Ohanian loves sharing his experiences as a father online. Both he and Serena Williams have been vocal about their parenting journey since Olympia was a toddler. Alexis is a proud ‘girl dad,’ enjoying moments like making silly pancakes—earning him the nickname ‘papa pancakes’—and sharing his love for Star Wars at Disney World. His commitment to being an incredible father makes goodbyes even harder. He asked, “How do you find ways to deal with that and balance that? Was there a hack to try to help that get better?”

In search of ways to ease these farewells, Ohanian asked Conrad how to balance work and family life better. Conrad shared a simple ritual he follows with his kids. He emphasized that it starts with school goodbyes. “Other than school goodbyes, which were really hard for a long time, it was just one day, it was okay. I think she sort of figured it out herself. They had a place they called, like, the ‘peace table’ or the ‘peace corner’ where you could kind of be by yourself.” This routine became something to look forward to after entering the classroom.

Alexis noted, “That’s a good hack.” But finding what works is often trial and error. Balancing business commitments with family life takes dedication. Yet Ohanian seems to manage both worlds well!

Ohanian shares his take on maintaining a work-life balance

In January, Alexis Ohanian shared an adorable reel on Instagram that beautifully showcased his balancing act between work and family. The video highlighted his success at the Athlos NYC event for female track and field athletes, alongside sweet moments with his daughter, Olympia. His passion for advocating equal pay for female athletes shone through. As he put it, “I think regardless of the industry, the top practitioners all have a way of thinking that has been informed by their family life. Because, yeah, our work lives often take up as much or more time than we spend with our families.”

While his passion for advocating for female athletes and being a present father to his children are two top priorities in his life, he’s well aware that it’s not always going to be a walk in the park to have your hand in either area. He added, “But the two are not separate, they bleed into each other all the time.”

What’s really interesting is that this isn’t the first time Ohanian has tackled the topic of work-life balance. Earlier in 2023, he called it a “farce” and tweeted that if you’re chasing that elusive balance, you’re “doing it wrong.” He explained, “The key to managing work and life is knowing when you want to focus on which part — accepting that it’s a shifting equilibrium.” Fast forward to 2024, and he shared how he built an office next to his home to set boundaries. “The crucial thing is making sure you’ve got focused time,” he said, even using a red light outside to signal when he’s busy.

But it’s not all work for Alexis! When he’s off the clock, he’s all about being the best dad he can be. He shared, “When I am off the clock, I’m all in best I can be. At the dinner table every night, asking the girls about their day.” This approach helps him carve out quality family time while still managing his thriving career. It’s clear that saying goodbye is never easy for him, but with his dedication and creativity, Ohanian is finding ways to make it work. What do you think?