The Best Partner

The Best Partner

There is great pride in the financial independence community over starting businesses. Not only as a main hustle, but also as a side gig. Many of us believe it is one of the ways to move from linear to exponential growth. Yet, starting a new business takes confidence, luck, and a whole lot of time. Often, unless one has true spousal buy in, this can cause stress in a relationship. For this, among many other reasons, I am wondering if the best partner in a financial independence business effort is none other than a spouse.

Maybe the best partner in life is also the best partner in business. I can think of several reasons why that would be so.

Spousal Buy In

Whether financial independence itself, or starting a new side hustle, having an understanding and excited partner can make or break a new business venture. Why? Because it is hard!

Most businesses require a great deal of front loading the sacrifice. Hours are spent in the beginning making the most immeasurable steps forward. Often the labor is done during off hours, at night, on weekends. House work and childcare usually become the central domain of the other half of the couple.

Spousal buy in is essential. What better way to achieve it than going into a venture together? Not only will you have the best business partner to help you move the needle forward, you will have an understanding spouse to share the burden it creates on your personal lives. If you both sacrifice together, no one will feel like they are being left behind.

Growing in Parallel

One of the eye opening lessons of the marital discord episode of The What’s Up Next Podcast was to hear stories of couples who are growing towards a goal at different rates. Usually one spouse is moving faster, and the other slower. Even if the end goal is the same, racing forward at different speeds rarely feels like you are doing it together.

Your spouse might just be the best partner in business because it forces you to move together at the same speed. When you work in parallel on a common goal, it is much easier to adjust to each others pace.

You rise and fall together. You grow together. Pivots are agreed upon, and the ship has two sets of hands on the tiller.

Time is a Precious Commodity

Do you like your spouse? Most of us do. But unfortunately, our busy lifestyles don’t allow us to spend much time with them. Heck, most of our work days are separated by both emotion and space.

There is nothing wrong with this. Some even like it so. But for those of us who don’t, the best partner in a new venture is probably your spouse. Instead of separating each morning to go off to work, you could come together. Your days could be spent working side by side with the one you love.

Many people find a great amount of joy in this.

Final Thoughts

On the road to financial independence, you may have taken on side hustles or built your own businesses. While these ventures can be both rewarding and propel you towards exponential growth, they also require quite a bit of sacrifice. Given this reality, the best partner to tackle these ventures with you might just be your spouse.

Not only does it lead to automatic spousal buy in, but it gives you more time together, and allows you to grow in parallel.

Sounds like a win-win to me.