What Worked for Us: Avoiding Burnout While Being Married, Parenting, and Running a Business

Running a business with your spouse while raising kids is like juggling flaming torches—exciting, but if you’re not careful, you’ll get burned. Brad and I have been in the trenches, balancing marriage, parenting, and business ownership, and let me tell you—we’ve learned some things the hard way.

If you’re in the thick of it, here’s what worked for us (and might work for you too!):

1. Prioritize Your Marriage First

Your business is important, but your marriage is the foundation of everything. If that crumbles, the business and family life suffer too. We make it a priority to have intentional time together—whether that’s a date night, a coffee run, or just chatting and hanging out after the kids go to bed. Don’t forget, intimacy is key to making a marriage work. Many couples neglect this and wonder why they grow apart. As a wife, I realize my man still wants to hear that he’s sexy, and let’s be real—a hardworking man showing up daily for his family? That’s attractive. Even when I’m not always in the mood, I make sure he knows how much I appreciate and admire him, and he does the same for me. It reminds us that we’re not just business partners—we’re lovers, too.

**Tip:** Schedule regular check-ins with your spouse—not just for business, but for your relationship.

2. Set Work Boundaries

When your work and home life blend together, it’s easy for business talk to never stop. We had to learn to set boundaries—like no work talk at the dinner table and designated “off” hours. Just kidding! That sounds nice, but in reality, we bring work home, have meetings at the dinner table, and even ask our kids for their input sometimes. However, we’ve learned that we need to check our emotions and intentions at the door and be fully present for our children and home life. Some couples thrive on strict work hours, while others enjoy business chats with the kids. Find what works for you.

**Tip:** Create specific work hours and stick to them! If you wouldn’t call a client at 10 PM, don’t have a business meeting with your spouse then either—or do what works for you and adjust as needed.

3. Divide & Conquer

There’s no way one person can do everything. Brad focuses on plumbing and operations, while I handle marketing and behind-the-scenes management. We know our roles and respect them. We’re now at a point where we’ve been able to hire out tasks and bring people onto our team, but that didn’t happen overnight (it took about six years). We had plenty of conversations around this—some of them not so pretty—but we grew through them together.

**Tip:** Play to each other’s strengths. Trust your spouse to handle their responsibilities without micromanaging.

4. Get Help When You Need It

Whether it’s hiring a babysitter, outsourcing a task, or asking family for support—don’t try to be a superhero. For us, hiring a CPA and a part-time assistant was a game-changer. We’re still learning how to delegate, so give yourself grace.

**Tip:** Identify what drains your energy the most and see if you can delegate it.

5. Make Time for Yourself

Burnout happens when you never get a break. Whether it’s a solo coffee date, a workout, or even a quiet drive—having your own time is essential. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, take a breath and go for a walk to clear your head—no music, no podcast, just your own thoughts and prayers. I promise this will help you find clarity.

**Tip:** Protect your personal time like you would an important meeting.

6. Keep a Sense of Humor

Business and family life come with plenty of stress, but laughter makes it all easier. We try not to take ourselves too seriously and embrace the chaos. Brad is always reminding me to lighten up, and he’s right!

**Tip:** Find joy in the small moments and don’t sweat the small stuff.

7. Remember Why You Started

When things get overwhelming, we remind ourselves why we started this journey—to create a better life for our family and to have control over our own future. We love inspiring, motivating, and helping others. We enjoy growing our team and showing our children the value of hard work and entrepreneurship. Keeping the bigger picture in mind helps us push through the tough times.

**Tip:** Write down your ‘why’ and revisit it when you feel drained.

**Final Thoughts**

Balancing marriage, parenting, and business isn’t easy, but it *is* possible. With intentional effort, communication, and a little bit of grace, you can make it work without burning out.

How do you avoid burnout in your marriage and business? Drop your best tips in the comments—I’d love to hear them!