"I feel like I'm married to your business, not you."



My wife's words hit like a physical blow.

She was right.

My "successful" company generated strong profit margins and steady cash flow management. But it was destroying the relationship that mattered most.

Date nights became client calls. Vacations became working remotely. Conversations became business updates.

I'd optimized everything except what actually mattered.

That night, I did a simple five-minute exercise that changed everything:

I wrote my relationship obituary.

Not a morbid death notice, but an honest assessment of where my marriage would be if I continued prioritizing business over relationship for another five years.

The result was sobering:

• Two people sharing a house but not a life
• Conversations limited to logistics and schedules
• Intimacy replaced by exhaustion and resentment
• Connection buried under endless business demands

This brutal clarity catalyzed immediate change.

I implemented Marriage-First Business Optimization:

Priority 1: Protected Time I blocked relationship time before business obligations. Date nights became sacred—no exceptions.

Priority 2: Presence Practice When home, I was fully home. No phones, no "quick" emails, no mental business planning.

Priority 3: Adventure Investment I scheduled regular experiences together that had nothing to do with work.

Priority 4: Communication Commitment Daily check-ins about life, dreams, and feelings—not just schedules and logistics.

The transformation was remarkable:

Our connection deepened dramatically. My business stress decreased because I had genuine support. Our business efficiency actually improved because I made better decisions with a clear mind.

Your business should enhance your most important relationships, not strain them.

Take five minutes. Write your relationship obituary.

Then decide if that's the future you actually want.