Marriage & Maetiques

Owning a small business with your partner isn't for the weak of heart! It's long nights, excel sheets, postponed date nights, and early coffee runs to grab caffeine and packaging materials. But Doug and I have never been stronger in our faith and our relationship since the beginning of Maetiques. 

I truly couldn't operate Maetiques without Doug, he is our rock and the only reason we get anything done. But enough sugar coating - let's get to the real stuff. 

When we first started Maetiques, it was a hobby that eventually turned into a full-blown business. During the "hobby" phase (and every phase) Doug was supportive but didn't understand the "purpose" of Maetiques. And to be fair, neither did I. I was just moving, there were no choreographed movements I was following, I was simply persistent in movement in no particular direction which obviously led to chaos. After so much "moving" it became clearer to me what we were destined to do and knowing that helped Doug become more involved. The first step of involvement was knowing exactly who we were, and what we aspired to be. 

While talking to Doug about this journal piece he brought up the word resentment. And as you would imagine, my eyes got really wide, and I took a deep breath. He admitted resentment was a strong word, but he once had a business that didn't make it. Watching me thrive at my first venture made him (understandably) feel this way. Navigating through these waters can feel like you're a captain of a ship in the middle of a hurricane, and understanding how to be involved can be just as difficult. From the beginning I knew I never wanted Maetiques to become a business without Doug actively in it, and I knew I couldn't give this venture my everything unless he bought into it. He was my rock, and my muscle, but it wasn't until he began sharing his ideas and visions that he felt he was a part of the team. What worked for us? White board sessions each week - we threw ideas at the board and kept talking until something stuck. Reel ideas, 5-year plans, trips, purchases, dreams... You name it, it went on the board. We didn't realize this at the time, but these sessions go back to the fundamentals of marriage - respect and vulnerability. These sessions gave us an outlet to express our ideas, build on our insights, and connected us to the goal - to do this together. 

Those white board sessions turned into hours of conversation about dreams - where we were, where we are, and where we want to be. We have developed so many things that you see today (including this blog post) during our white board sessions where we lay our hearts down and ears open. 

Partnering with your partner in a new business is difficult - I won't lie about that, especially when you are both strong minded and motivated. Not every idea is a good idea, and finding ways to navigate around those difficult conversations without hurting anyone's feelings can be hard. Sometimes you will not have the same vision for your project and that can be complicated too. But, at the end of the day your marriage and trust must come first. We are stronger together and this business has proved that to us, tenfold.