By: O.L./Sway Buckley
When we first got married, I recall how baffled I was that my husband couldn't read my mind.
We knew each other for over ten years before marrying, so there were things I expected.
The issue was magnified upon saying our vows.
I used to think I was doing the work for him if I had to tell him what was wrong and how he could fix it. The media created false narratives of what I could expect in marriage.
When we started working together in business, things intensified.
I had a short fuse and little grace for misunderstandings.
My frustration grew (but little did I know that God was using it all to mature me in patience and compassion).
When I would voice my frustrations with my husband, he often had a way of instructing me on how I could say it 'better' so he could hear my words without offense.
The real turning point for me was when we discussed ideas on business projects, and I would do most of the talking. I realized after some probing that I hadn't created a safe environment for my husband to share without feeling like he got it 'wrong.'
That's when I knew I had a lot of work to do.
I worked on it for years, and gradually, growth came.
Here's what I've learned thus far:
The beautiful thing about marriage is that using it right can be one of our greatest self-reflection tools. It tells us the truth, and we can't hide from it.
We have grown so much over the years, and I can see how this personal growth journey (which is still in progress) has absolutely impacted our business in the best way possible! The amount of patience learned in marriage directly benefits the business because that same level of patience and grace is needed there too!
Our daily legacy meetings have helped tremendously as they keep me on track with my personal growth. We end each legacy meeting by praying together, which increases our intimacy. If you and your spouse are in business and want to start using legacy meetings, you can use our free marriedpreneur checklist here.
Here's to living purposefully, powerfully, and profitably in sync,
O.L. & Sway
O.L. is a former banker turned real estate consultant and entrepreneur. Sway is a former CEO of a staffing firm she started on her dorm room floor to pay for college. Together they co-own Marriedpreneur Life Consultancy, equipping faith-based married entrepreneur couples with high-level systems to scale (without strain). They're the creators of the Marriedpreneur Operating Systems and the co-hosts of The Marriedprenuer Life Podcast, which was praised as one of Wedding Wire's top relationship podcasts. Learn more at MarriedpreneurLife.com.