How to Work With Your Spouse

Hey Friend,

Today I want to bring you a very special (and very important) guest column from Coach Daniel:

How to Work With Your Wife (or Partner)

By Coach Daniel Woodrum

Working with your spouse is one of the greatest gifts in the world.

But it can also be one of the most challenging obstacles you'll ever experience.

I've seen both sides of this equation over the past decade. I met my wife Brittney back in 2011. We started dating shortly thereafter and she eventually managed one of the gyms I owned.

Fast forward a decade later and we've opened and operated 2 gyms together, ran an online business and started a couple other "side hustles".

It's been quite the journey.

In the span of 24 hours we could have been on top of the world... and then a few hours later wanted to pull each other's hair out.

There was one breaking point a few years ago where we were on the verge of a major breakdown. We were fed up with always having our work bleed into our personal life.

There were no boundaries anymore and it was causing major friction.

We talked about work at dinner. We talked about work in bed. We talked about work at church.

Finally, it got to the point where it was out of control.

And with 3 young kids we brought into this world, it was time to change or stop doing business together.

Over the past several years we've mastered "5 Work Spouse Non-Negotiables” that maintain healthy boundaries between our work and personal life.

Here they are:

1) Date Night 2x per Month (with a pinky promise)
We have (minimum) 2 date nights per month as our first non-negotiable.

These date nights involve ZERO work talk – which is much easier said than done.

Before each date night, we do a pinky promise that we will not talk about work.

Yes, it's silly.

But it helps remind us this is OUR time together and to leave the work behind.

2) 15-Minute Catch Up Session
The last thing we want to do is discuss work around the kids.

Our goal is to be as present as possible with our kids (and puppy!).
We have our family time from 5pm - 7pm each evening. Those 2 hours are full on family focused with dinner, dancing to music and watching Wheel of Fortune (our kids love this!).

We put our kids to bed shortly after 7pm.

After that my wife and I will do a 15-minute work catch up where we will discuss the workday and make sure we are both on the same page for the next day.

We take an extreme measure and set a timer to keep us on track.

After that 15 minutes is up (if we need the full 15) it's back to personal time.

3) Home “Work Zone”
There was a time when we would sit on the couch…

The dining room table…

Or even sit in our bed doing work.

But before long, that finally slapped us in the face.

We realized it was almost impossible to relax and unwind because there were zero boundaries in our home to separate work from personal life.

So thanks to a suggestion from Craig, we created a designated Work Zone as the ONLY place work is allowed in our house

We turned one of our extra bedrooms upstairs into an office and now have clear boundaries around where we work in our home vs. what's preserved as our family/personal space.

It's such a simple solution that we avoided for too many years…

But now it saves us a lot of friction.

4) Couch Time
We learned this idea from a parenting class at our church back in 2018 before our daughter was born.

It works great for both parenting AND business.

Couch time is just like it sounds. You and your spouse have couch time where there is no talk about work or kids.

It's simply time for both of you to watch television, cuddle, have conversations outside of work and kids and just decompress from the day.

We usually do ours after the kids go to bed.

We watch an episode or two on Netflix and enjoy some quality 1-on-1 time together.

**BTW… “couch time” doesn't have to be actual couch time…

It could also be sitting on your patio...

Going for a walk…

Or playing a board game at the dining room table.

5) Weekends are for FAMILY
We are very intentional about making weekends for family.

There was a time where we would work on the weekends and it caused more stress and tension between us.

Once our first child was born we set hard rules to structure our week so that weekends were only for family.

I know growing up my parents worked a lot away from home on the weekends…

And I'd end up at my friend’s houses because their parents were home.

That's not what I wanted for my kids.

So Britt and I force ourselves to be more diligent and focused on the weekdays to ensure we can take weekends off.

*The ONE caveat to this is…

The only "work thing" I do on weekends is, on Saturday morning, I plan out my next week and send an Accountability Email to coaching clients.

But that's all done before the rest of my family even wakes up and gets out of bed.

Anyway…

These 5 tips might not all work for your family...

But I bet a few of them will.

In any case, I highly recommend you create your own set of non-negotiables with your spouse to help keep your work and personal life in order.

It's never going to be perfect...

However, I can tell you from first hand experience of being business partners with my wife for the past decade…

Having these rules in place has almost definitely saved our marriage!

- Coach Daniel

=======

Great advice, Daniel.

I couldn’t have said it any better.

And even though I don’t exactly work with my wife…

I can personally attest to the relationship saving power of having a good set of non-negotiable rules with your spouse.

In fact, this has become even more important now that we have 3 little kids of our own.

Whether or not you work with your wife / husband…

If you’re a hard charging ambitious entrepreneur who sometimes has trouble letting go of work…

I strongly encourage you to collaborate with your significant other and create a set of non-negotiable rules that will work for YOU.

Success Loves Speed,

Craig

PS - If you’re ready to 2X your income (or more) while working 10 less hours per week...

... Just REPLY to this email with the words “2X 10 LESS” and we'll set up a time to chat with you to find out if we can help.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email. This message is part of an ongoing conversation between us, and I want to take a moment to ensure you have full transparency about why you received this message, how your information is handled, and what to expect from future emails. Why You’re Receiving This Email: You’re receiving this email because at some point, you opted in to receive updates, news, or information on a specific topic we’ve previously discussed or shared. Whether it was through a subscription, a form submission, or another form of communication, your information was shared willingly, and we respect your decision to connect with us. If you’re wondering about the nature of our correspondence, rest assured that we aim to keep all emails relevant, interesting, and free from unnecessary clutter. This includes respecting your inbox and refraining from sending irrelevant messages. Your Privacy is Important: We value your trust and take your privacy very seriously. The information you provide is securely stored and never shared, sold, or used outside the purpose for which you provided it. If you ever want to review how we handle your data, feel free to contact us directly. Transparency is our priority, and we’re happy to address any questions you might have. You are always in control of the information you share. If you feel that any part of your subscription or interaction needs clarification, let us know. We’re here to provide accurate answers and ensure your satisfaction. How to Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences: We understand that everyone’s inbox is different. If you ever find our emails no longer relevant, there’s no hard feelings. You can easily manage your email preferences or unsubscribe using the link provided below. By clicking the unsubscribe link, you’ll be taken to a page where you can either adjust your communication preferences (such as receiving fewer emails or only on specific topics) or completely remove yourself from our list. The process is straightforward, and any changes will take effect promptly. We don’t use tricks or gimmicks to keep you subscribed. Our priority is to ensure that our emails add value to your day, and if they don’t, we respect your decision to part ways. Accessibility and Communication: If you have any trouble accessing the unsubscribe page, managing preferences, or understanding why you’re receiving this email, you can reach out directly to our support team. We aim to provide a response within a reasonable time frame and address your concerns effectively. Our communication is designed to be as inclusive as possible, but we know there’s always room for improvement. If you have any feedback on how we can make our emails more accessible or relevant, please don’t hesitate to share. A Commitment to Non-Intrusive Emails: We aim to create a non-intrusive communication experience. This means we won’t overwhelm your inbox with unnecessary messages, and we work hard to ensure our content remains clear, concise, and helpful to you. The purpose of this email is to stay connected with you and provide updates or information that we believe is meaningful. If we ever fail to meet these standards, we encourage you to let us know. Feedback, whether positive or constructive, is always appreciated. Your thoughts help us understand how we can do better and improve our communication approach. While we cannot guarantee every suggestion will be implemented, we will take the time to carefully review and consider your input. We strive to ensure all communication channels are open and readily available to you. Whether it’s a question, comment, or concern, our team is ready to assist.