The Business of Us tells the stories of entrepreneurs and their relationships. In our podcast we focus on the science around committed partnerships and entrepreneurial personalities, and specific actions couples can take today to improve their relationship. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
This episode explores the unique challenges women entrepreneurs face in balancing business, love, and family, featuring Lauren Reed-Williams journey from reluctant entrepreneur to financial advocate. Lauren shares insights on empowering women financially, valuing time as currency, navigating a business exit, and designing a fulfilling life with intentionality and balance.
Key takeaways
Unique Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs: Women often face societal expectations to manage childcare and emotional labor as well as to not overshadow their spouse, adding to the mental toll of balancing business, love, and family.
Designing Your Life: Success requires prioritization and realistic expectations. Lauren shares her experiences growing a successful PR agency while being a mother and navigating a divorce, and some of the life trade-offs she believes are necessary to achieve a fulfilling life.
Time is our Most Precious Resource: Time is Lauren’s most precious currency, reflected in her decision to take 90 days off to realign priorities and balance work with personal fulfillment. She shares her belief that we often have a financial target where we believe we will feel secure, but that when we get there it’s still not enough.
Financial Empowerment for Women: Through the Wealth of a Woman (thewealthofawoman.com) project, Lauren advocates for healthier financial relationships and highlights the importance of empowering women and daughters to take control of their finances. Even some of the most successful female entrepreneurs still have financial anxieties and scarcity mindsets due to legacy societal limitations.
Episode 11: Treat Your Family As Your Most Important Asset
Join us as we explore the intricate dynamics of being married to an entrepreneur. In this episode, we delve into the unique challenges and triumphs faced by a spouse. Our guest Ashley Corn, a seasoned performance coach for veterans, athletes, and entrepreneurs, shares personal insights from her own experience as well as findings from interviews with 40 entrepreneurial spouses.
Episode 10: Talk About it Before It Blows Up
Join us as we dive into the ups and downs of marriage, where challenges become the gritty canvas for greatness. Dean and Alanna Stott share their journey of building a family and multiple businesses together by having fun in the mud, understanding each other’s strengths, and connecting around shared and individual goals.
Episode 9: Harnessing ADHD Strengths in Relationships
In this episode, therapist Anita Robertson explores the intricate dynamics of ADHD and relationships. Several years ago Anita found herself struggling as a new mother with ADHD and, in the process of her own relationship growth and adaptation, realized that most relationship tools didn’t work for ADHD without refinement. Anita sheds light on the different ways ADHD can show up in our behavior and how to channel the unique ways ADHD can invigorate relationships, such as passion and novelty-seeking.
Episode 8: Two Couples, One Vision: Powering Through Entrepreneurship Together
In this episode, we delve into the unique challenges and opportunities that arise when two married couples, Dale and Melisa, and Jake and Kendi, come together to pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor. The four individuals bring diverse backgrounds and experiences, from wealth management and healthcare to operational consulting and the automotive industry. Together, they have formed Slanted Saguaro, LLC, with the goal of acquiring and turning around struggling businesses.
Episode 7: Running so Fast I Didn’t See the Freight Train
In this episode, Rico Rodriguez, founder of RicherU, discusses how despite overcoming a difficult childhood to find entrepreneurial success, he still faced severe mental health issues affecting his life and relationships. Rico shares his journey to inspire others to seek help and remind them they're not alone.
Episode 6: Don’t Defer Health or Happiness
In this episode, we sit down with Brad Feld and Amy Batchelor, the authors of "The Start-Up Life," to discuss the often-overlooked challenges entrepreneurs and their partners face. They share insights on how to maintain a healthy relationship and personal well-being while navigating the demanding world of startups. From the difference between external perceptions and reality, to aligning the rhythm of business and personal life, Brad and Amy offer practical advice for founders and their loved ones to thrive together.
Episode 5: Rituals for Love and Life
In this episode, we'll explore how two entrepreneurs, Mel Pruett & Andrew Horn, who met in a spiritual and non-coincidental way, have harnessed the transformative power of choice and belief to create a life filled with intention, connection, and balance.
Episode 4: Don’t Forget to Love Each Other
Join us as we explore the intricate connection between entrepreneurship, personal relationships, and the power of aligning your core values with Chris & Susan Spear. We'll delve into the common challenges faced by founders and spouses, including the dynamics of different personality types. Discover practical strategies to create a sustainable template for success in both your business and personal life. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or navigating the complexities of a close relationship, this episode is packed with insights to help you thrive.
Episode 3: Treat your Relationship Like Work
Ann and Sunny Sheu share their story of connecting over a glass of Sprite, working in the family business together until a prenup pulled it apart, and rebuilding their relationship by focusing on themselves to build an intentional relationship focused on their “decade dream.”
Episode 2: The Third Person in the Relationship - The Entrepreneurial Couple Project
I talk about The Entrepreneurial Couples Project that I’ve spent the last 9 months working on, share more about my background, why a relationship that includes an entrepreneur (or two!) is different from other relationships, the four types of couple, and some simple tips and date night ideas for each type. Let's explore the unique challenges and triumphs faced by couples who mix business with romance. Thanks to Jamie Born - LCSW for interviewing me!
Episode 1: The Faulty Electrical Wiring in Entrepreneurial Couples
This episodes features Jamie Born - LCSW sharing her expertise on the "faulty electrical wiring" that can damage families where one of the parents is a business owner, why the myth of affluence often causes these families to be complacent until it's too late, and how a couple can proactively protect and strengthen their relationship. She also shares her very personal and moving story of growing up in a similar family, and how she has grown from it.