Podcast

Navigating marriage & business – Q&A with my husband Wes

by Michaela fong

Podcast

Navigating marriage & business – Q&A with my husband Wes

HOW I ADDED 80K INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS IN THREE MONTHS
3 SECRETS TO ETSY SUCCESS
Now Trending:
I'm MICHAELA!

I am small European town gal with big dreams who moved to Canada and built a thriving small business from my living room floor and kitchen counter! I accidentally grew it into a small business community and now am here to empower, teach & inspire you to grow the business and life of your dreams with strategy, confidence & without burnout.

hello!

Ready to level up your Instagram?

Download now

Improve your Instagram profile in 5 simple steps, so you can start attracting the right followers & grow your business online. 

SMALL BUSINESS

My secrets on how to start & grow your creative small business 

LIFESTYLE


TRAVEL

Travel guides from our favourite couples getaways & vacations 

My best finds for home & wardrobe

READ NEXT:

Get in touch

SEND ME AN EMAIL

Got a question?

SMALL BIZ:
LET's CONNECT ON SOCIAL:

free guide

Balancing marriage and business responsibilities

LISTEN NOW: APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFYSTITCHER OTHER

Maintaining a healthy balance between your relationship and business involves setting schedules, having honest communication, and establishing clear boundaries. In my latest podcast episode, my husband addresses questions we received via Instagram stories. While achieving perfect balance may not be possible, there are steps you can take to prioritize your relationship with your partner and avoid sacrificing it for the sake of your business. Here are three key factors that have helped us support each other in both our personal lives and business.

Open communication

Learning how to communicate openly about my goals, business, and expectations has supercharged our relationship. But it wasn’t always that way. I didn’t know how to communicate and ask for help. The early days in business were very challenging for our marriage, as the time I used to spend taking care of the household and being with my husband, I poured now into the business. I often couldn’t do laundry or cook as I used to. I felt guilty and stressed, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience for my husband either, as often he had to pick up the slack.

I learned that being transparent about my goals and how they will affect our life can help set expectations for my husband so he isn’t waiting around for me. As a couple, we communicate about what is essential for our happiness, so we can thrive together as a couple. Open communication helps us to arrange where we can compromise and make sacrifices for a better future together. It allows us to be team players instead of just two busy individuals with unmet expectations.

Scheduling

Intentional scheduling has been vital in balancing our work and nurturing our relationship. Setting aside dedicated time for work and quality time with your partner ensures that neither aspect is neglected.

Spending a few minutes on Sunday talking about our schedule, commitments, and expectations for the upcoming week has transformed how we juggle busy life & work. We both know what to expect and how to best support each other, including when the other person may need more space.

We plan our year, quarters, months and weeks together. That way, we both know the short-term sacrifices we will have to make for achieving our goals and enjoying more quality time together later.

For example, in the last two years, I took the whole month of December off. But the season between September and the end of November is full of hard work and commitments. My husband knows we may need to sacrifice something during this time of year, but we will be able to enjoy uninterrupted month of December being fully present together. Naturally, he is more supportive and understanding when I have to work harder from September to November.

Boundaries

I didn’t even know what that word meant when I started my business. I’d be in work mode, checking my emails, replying to messages during the weekend, morning, evening – anytime, anywhere. Of course, it took a toll on our relationship, as well as on my mental health. Boundaries aren’t just for your relationship; they are for our sanity too. Establishing boundaries & no negotiables for work allows us to recharge and have quality time together, as every relationship needs.

For example:

  • Wednesdays and Friday nights are date nights. No matter what.
  • There are no electronics or work talk in the bedroom.
  • Phones are put away when we go out for a walk or dinner.
  • There is always a planned trip book in the calendar to make sure we will prioritize adventures and things we love to do together.
  • My husband does not need to know about every frustration I had through the day at work – he does not deserve that energy.

If you’d like to learn more about balancing personal life and building profitable & sustainable business online, follow along on Instagram at @smallbizbabescommunity for daily business advice & empowerement.

Talk soon,

Michaela

+ show Comments

- Hide Comments

add a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

so hot right now

so hot right now

    © MICHAELA FONG 2023 

                        
LEGAL

I'm Michaela fong

I am small European town gal with big dreams who moved to Canada and built a thriving small business from my living room floor and kitchen counter! I accidentally grew it into a small business community and now am here to empower, teach & inspire you to grow the business and life of your dreams with strategy, confidence & without burnout.



Your virtual small business sister, Small business educator, DIY-obsessed creator, Immigrant

JOIN THE FUN ON INSTAGRAM
FIND ME ON TIKTOK

Let's be friends:

Hi!

FIND ME ON PINTEREST