I LOVE sharing the business tips and tricks I’ve learned throughout my self-employment journey. But sometimes, I feel like I struggle with what to share. What people would benefit from. What I really know enough about to share. What is actually helpful and useful information. I don’t know that I’ve really figured out that answer yet, but I do know one thing – I can share what I’ve learned.
Since last August, Nathan and I have been working together full-time. And while I would love to say it was everything I thought it would be, it hasn’t been. At times, yes. Even better than what I thought it would be even. But other times? I was pretty sure we had signed a death warrant on our marriage.
Working with someone full-time and living with someone full-time completely changes the dynamic of your relationship. The whole idea of “it’s not personal, it’s business” can cease to exist and everything can feel incredibly personal. Business mistakes can feel like marriage mistakes and personal issues affect business decisions. Then sometimes it’s impossible to really look at your significant other as only your spouse or your business partner. It gets messy and complicated and can honestly feel like you’re suffocating with no way out.
And then when you move past just the marriage part alone, it’s still hard not to blur the lines between your career and your personal life when everything overlaps. Vacations aren’t truly real vacations anymore. Weekends aren’t meant for lazy days in bed. And future plans aren’t only about babies and the white picket fence – they involve business decisions and way more financial planning than anyone wants to do.
This all makes working with your spouse sound like one of the worst things you could do to a marriage. And for some, I think it is. For us, it could have been. But we’re learning that it doesn’t have to be this way. That we can change the dynamic of our relationship – both in our marriage and in our business – if we really want to. And that’s what I want to share with you. The struggles we’ve had, the things we’re trying to change, and how we’re determined to keep making the idea owning a business together the best thing that’s ever happened to us.
Stay tuned for part 2 next week where I go back to the beginning and talk about how we both envisioned us working together.
do you have experience working with a spouse? how did it go for you?
if you have any questions for us to answer, please let us know in the comments!
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