Jump to the bottom to hear Justin explain this.
People hear that Beth and I work together and they usually say one of two things. Either they light up — “That is amazing, I could never do that” — or they wince, like I just told them I was skydiving without checking the parachute. After 11 years, I understand both reactions. But neither one captures what it is actually like.
Is it hard – yes! But, without a single doubt in my mind – it has also made our business stronger and made me a better person overall. Here are the three things that I have learned over the years that made all the difference.
1. Segregation of Duties: Own Your Lane and Let Them Own Theirs
The fastest way to undermine a working relationship — with your spouse or with anyone — is to say you trust someone and then prove you do not by watching everything they do.
Beth has her responsibilities. I have mine. When something is in her lane, I stay out of it. I do not shadow her work. I do not quietly redo things I would have done differently. I do not offer unsolicited opinions on how she handled it. And when something is in my lane, she gives me the same respect.
This is not just operational efficiency. It is what real trust looks like in practice. Clear ownership, clean handoffs, and the discipline to stay in your lane — that is the foundation everything else is built on.
2. Know When to Turn Work Off — And Actually Do It
Here is the trap nobody warns you about: when you work with your spouse, work is always available. It follows you to dinner. It shows up on a Saturday morning walk. Every conversation becomes a potential meeting you did not schedule.
The only way through this is to be deliberate. Carve out dedicated time for work — and protect equally dedicated time that has nothing to do with work. If the boundary does not exist, the work expands to fill every space between you, and eventually the relationship starts to feel more like a business arrangement than a marriage.
We had to get intentional about this. Work conversations happen in work time. When that window closes, it closes. It is not always perfect. But having the line — even an imperfect one — changes the whole dynamic. You give each other the chance to just be home.
3. No Shortcuts. 100% Every Time.
I will be straight with you. There are days when I am tired. Days when a task feels low-priority, or the end of the week has caught up with me, and the easy road looks pretty good. And then I remember that Beth is going to see this work.
That changes everything.
When your spouse is your business partner, there is place for half-ass work. She is right there. She knows the standard. And because I care about what she thinks — of the work and of me — I do it right. Every time. Even when I do not feel like it.
That accountability has made me genuinely better at what I do. Not because I am performing for her, but because being around someone with high standards raises your floor. Over time, you stop asking “is this good enough?” and start asking “is this actually good?”
The Real Reason It Has Worked
Here is what I have figured out after 11 years. The reason working with Beth has worked is not that we are unusually compatible or that we never disagree. It is that her strengths are different from mine. She sees things I miss. She pushes back when I need it. She holds a standard that has, more than once, kept us from a decision I would have regretted.
That is not always comfortable. But it has made our business better. And more than that, it has forced me to be the best version of myself — which, when I am honest about it, is the whole point.
Working with your spouse is not for everyone. But if you go in with clear ownership, real boundaries around your personal time, and a commitment to doing the work at the highest level every single time — you might find that the person you trust most in your life becomes the best business partner you have ever had.
Eleven years in. I would not change a thing.
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