Marriage & Business: How We Make It Work (Most Days)

Running a business with your spouse isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a challenge and an adventure filled with growth, grit, grace—and a lot of intentionality. In a recent interview, we shared some of the biggest lessons we’ve learned over the years as a couple in business.

Start With the Same Vision

We didn’t always plan on working together, but once we did, we had to make sure we were moving in the same direction. We started noticing early on how easy it is to have a plan in your head, but when we don't communicate it or talk through it, we can end up working against each other. We set certain times during the year to step away from our business to align our goals, values, and expectations.

You might be well into running your business and you still find yourselves misaligned sometimes. That's totally normal. It's not too late to take the time to get on the same page and start pulling in the same direction. Get a day on the calendar to sit with your spouse and talk it through. And remember, it's not a one and done situation- alignment is a continual process. 

Disagreements will happen. The key is remembering you’re on the same team. We try to press pause when emotions run high and revisit things when we’re both ready.

Divide and Conquer (Based on Strengths)

It's easy to let the demands of a growing business run you around putting out fires. One of the most helpful shifts we made was clarifying our roles. Wes focuses on relationships and vision. Kristy thrives in systems and team development. We’re both involved in decision-making, but we trust each other to lead in our lanes. Instead of stepping on each other’s toes, we let each other lead where we’re strongest.

If you're not sure what your strengths are, do this quick and simple exercise: 

1. Open a spreadsheet, or grab a piece of paper and a pen.

2. Write down each task you perform in the business.

3. If you're using a spreadsheet, color code your tasks red (hate/ drains me), orange (I can do it, but it doesn't give me energy), or green (love it/ gives me energy). If you're using paper, you could just organize your tasks into columns or whatever makes the most sense to you.

4. Compare your results with your spouse and see if there are any tasks you can swap or outsource based on your strengths. 

Unplug on Purpose

It’s easy to let work spill into every conversation. We’ve learned to ask each other: “Is this a business convo or a personal one?” and set boundaries like: no work talk at dinner, or setting a timer if something absolutely must be discussed immediately. 

It's been helpful for us to have a routine between work time and home time, especially because we are usually working from home. We like to call these "pattern interrupts." When it's time to quit working, turn off the lights in the office, close the door, change our clothes into something more casual, and then we take a walk, jump in the pool, or go grab an ice cream to switch our brain out of work mode. 

Do you have a go-to pattern interrupt? 

Don't Forget to Celebrate

This is a big one, because it's so easy to rush right past accomplishments on our way to the next goal. Make a point to celebrate milestones—big and small. We regularly take extended time away from the business to reflect on where we've come from, where we're going, and most importantly- what we've accomplished together. ♥️

Working with your spouse takes intentionality, humility, and a lot of grace. It can be one of the most fulfilling parts of your journey, if you let it be. Whether you’re already in business together or just considering it, we hope our story gives you a few practical takeaways and a little hope for the road ahead. Comment below if you have any questions for us, and if you enjoyed this content, be sure to subscribe in the right hand menu to get notified every time a new blog drops! Thanks for reading!