How To Work With Your Spouse (And NOT Kill Them!)

As you may or may not know, Adam and I had very separate careers for the first 10 years of our marriage. I was working on completing my masters in Speech Therapy and working in various healthcare environments, and Adam was a Chemical Engineer who worked in several different manufacturing environments.

It seems like for most couples, that’s how it is. The husband has his work, the wife has her work (or maybe 1 of them is a stay at home parent), and although they share their lives together, they rarely share their “professional” lives in a significant way.

That all changed for us when we started our home based business, and eventually became a stay at home family, building our business together, raising our girls together, and basically being together A LOT more than we ever did before.

After being full time at home together for over 8 months at this point, here are our top 5 tips for working well together as a couple!

Lean Into Each Other’s Strengths

Adam is a big a data nerd, he loves spreadsheets, reports, and tracking everything. I HATE THIS STUFF, I can’t even listen to him talk about (I get all glassy eyed and stare into space). Conversely, I love photography, writing, as well as natural health (why we started this whole thing to begin with!). Adam enjoys my pictures, but doesn’t enjoy taking them the way I do.

And you know what, that’s a good thing!! We aren’t the same, and our business really thrives when we are able to leverage our personal strengths to make each other better, and not try to make each other the same. Opposites attract they say, and I find it’s true!

Take Your Work Seriously, but Don’t Take Yourself Seriously

Really now, have fun! You married your spouse because you do like being with them. What you devote your time to is very important, take it seriously, but don’t fall into the trap of taking YOURSELF too seriously. Sometimes you need to be able to laugh at each other (and yourself) and enjoy the lighter sides of life!

Take Some Time for Yourself

That old adage of having a date night is perhaps more important when you also work together. Having some time away from your business and the rest of your life is incredibly helpful to your mental health and energy levels. And ideally this is both for you as a couple (Dates, Lunches out, Walks together) and you as an individual (Relaxing with a book, Girls night out, Go on a Run, go to a Spa, etc). Adam & I enjoy having a gym membership with childcare, so we can exercise and enjoy some conversation over a cool down, 🙂

We LOVE what we do, and there’s a risk of workaholism when you love what you do and do it with people you love, so we find we have to be intentional about this!

Show a LOT of Grace 

If we have learned one thing, is that just like in your marriage generally, you MUST give LOTS of grace to your spouse. You are both going to irritate each other, even in the best of times. You married each other because you loved each other and wanted to be together, not because you were exactly alike. So when you feel that irritation or anger come up because of your spouse’s behavior, try to step back, take a breath, and give even more grace to the person in your life you have the greatest connection with!

And Finally….

Brunch (With Coffee)

When you work together, breakfast meetings tend to become brunch meetings. Enjoy them with a cup of hot coffee and some dreaming about the future, 🙂  I don’t know anything that has energized us more than some slow mornings enjoying time together, dreaming about the future, and cherishing the process.

If you have worked with your spouse or significant other on a business, project, committee, etc, what are your best tips to make it work?

P.S. – One of our awesome Instagram Followers @PreppyandPetite suggests “Be Open Minded” when your boyfriend or spouse tries to give suggestions (in this case designing jewelry). Great Advise!!

P.S.S. – If you are curious about what Adam and I actually do in our business, feel free to contact us using the form below, or check out business tab!