Building a business is hard. Maintaining a strong marriage while building a business? That’s next-level difficult.
I know because I’ve lived it. I’ve been married for over 22 years, and during that time, I’ve scaled companies, made tough calls, and chased big dreams. I’ve also neglected date nights, brought stress home, and mistakenly assumed my wife “just understood” the chaos of entrepreneurship.
One night that I will never forget about 10 years ago, I was answering emails in bed when my wife Rachel looked at me and said, “Do you ever stop working?”
She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t accusing me of anything. She just looked… exhausted. Not just from the long day, but from feeling like she was competing with my business for attention. And honestly? She was. That was a gut-check moment. It forced me to ask myself:
- Was I building a company at the expense of my marriage?
- Was I fully present at home—or just physically there?
- Would I look back years from now and regret how I handled this?
Entrepreneurship can either strengthen your marriage or break it—but it doesn’t happen by accident. If you want both your business and your marriage to thrive, you need intentionality, strategy, and the same level of commitment you bring to your work. Here’s how I rebuilt connection, trust, and balance while scaling my business.
1. Scheduled ‘Non-Negotiable’ Time Together
I used to say, “Once I finish this big project, we’ll have more time.”
The truth? There’s always another project. There’s always another deal, another late-night email, another fire to put out. If you don’t schedule time for your relationship, your business will consume every available minute.
So I started treating my marriage like I treat my biggest client relationships—with scheduled, recurring check-ins that don’t get canceled.
What This Looks Like in Real Life:
✔ Weekly Date Nights: (Almost) Every Friday. No phones. No business talk. Just us.
✔ Daily 10-Minute Connection: Every night before bed, we share one win and one challenge from our day.
✔ Quarterly Marriage Retreats: Every 3 months, we do a “state of the union” weekend—checking in on life, goals, and our relationship.
I’ll be honest—this felt forced at first. But over time, these moments became the foundation of a stronger marriage where we naturally do the above at random times.
2. Share the Business Journey (Without Making Them Your Co-Founder)
For years, I made two huge mistakes when it came to sharing my business life with my wife:
- Not telling her enough. I assumed she didn’t care about the details, so I kept everything bottled up—leaving her feeling disconnected.
- Telling her too much. On the flip side, when I did share, I unloaded all my stress onto her, turning every conversation into a boardroom meeting.
Neither approach worked.
What Actually Works:
-
- Give them ‘Just Enough’ Insight: Instead of dumping every work frustration, I now share just enough so she feels included—not overwhelmed.
- Ask for Their Perspective: Some of the best business advice I’ve ever received has come from my wife—because she sees things from a completely different lens.
- Set Boundaries: We have a rule: Work talk ends at dinner. No exceptions.
Your spouse doesn’t need to be your business partner, but they do need to feel like your life partner—which means they should never feel like an outsider to your journey.
3. Create a Hard ‘Off Switch’ for Work
There’s always one more email.
One more deal.
One more meeting.
The problem? If you don’t draw a hard line between work and personal time, your marriage will always come second.
I used to tell myself, “I’ll just check this one last thing.” The reality? Work never really ended. And my wife could feel it.
So I created clear, non-negotiable boundaries.
What This Looks Like in Real Life:
✔ No work emails after 7 PM. Period.
✔ Laptop stays out of the bedroom. The bed is for sleeping, not strategizing.
✔ Weekend ‘business detox’ days. One full day every weekend where work is completely off-limits.
At first, this was uncomfortable. I felt like I was falling behind. But you know what happened? I started showing up better in my marriage and my business.
4. Treat Your Marriage Like Your Business
We invest time, energy, and resources into making our companies successful. But when was the last time you put that same level of strategy and intention into your marriage?
Here’s how I started leading my marriage the same way I lead my business:
Business vs. Marriage Principles That Work
| Business Strategy | Marriage Strategy |
|---|---|
| Mission & Core Values | What do we stand for as a couple? What do we value most? |
| Weekly Team Meetings | Weekly check-ins to discuss life, goals, and challenges. |
| KPIs & Performance Metrics | How are we doing in our marriage? Where can we improve? |
| Leadership Training | Reading books, attending marriage retreats, investing in relationship growth. |
When I started treating my marriage like my most important investment, everything changed.
Your Marriage is Your Greatest ROI
Here’s the hard truth:
Your business? It can be replaced.
Your marriage? That’s one thing you can’t afford to lose.
If you’re not intentional, the business will always take priority. But if you set the right boundaries, communicate effectively, and invest in your relationship with the same energy you invest in your company, you’ll create a marriage that thrives alongside your business—not in competition with it.
Start Here:
1️⃣ Pick ONE strategy from this list and implement it this week.
2️⃣ Have an honest conversation with your spouse about what they need.
3️⃣ Protect your marriage with the same focus you bring to your business.
What’s one thing you’ve done to strengthen your relationship while growing a business? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.