The Balancing Act: Work/Life/Love

July 19, 2021 / Blog

 

We’ve all heard the quote, “Don’t mix business with pleasure.”

 

Well, we did it anyway.

 

My partner and I were married in 2017 and in 2018 we decided to start a CBD business together.  We knew we were fully committed to one another, and felt ready for a new adventure.  We had been working in the service industry, hospitality, and wellness.  We both have a great work ethic and we wanted to apply our efforts to a business of our own; we had a hunch that CBD was the way to go.

 

I had helped to open up one of the country’s first CBD shops in the Southwest years prior, and it felt rewarding to help people find relief, to be someone who listened to their stories, and to recommend products that I made from scratch.

 

Colin (my husband) and I have always enjoyed spending as much time together as possible, so blending all aspects of our lives together was something we actually looked forward to.  Now, it was just a matter of maintaining balance, and here’s how we did it:

 

1. Communication

Honest communication has been the key to our personal and business relationship.  We try to address issues as they arise, talk it out, and move on.  At first, it was often uncomfortable to bring up issues that we may not agree upon.  But it is crucial to confront and move past obstacles together.  In the end, it’s made us stronger.

 

2. Perseverance

There have been countless times where we could have easily thrown in the towel.  But the basis of starting a business together, was taking a risk.  There is no guarantee of success. The CBD industry has had so much unclarity and uncertainty.  At first, we were overwhelmed and distraught over each bump in the road.  Now, we ride it out and find new and creative ways to navigate and lead the way.  We continue to believe in ourselves and our business.

 

3. Patience

As much as we wanted our business to take off right away, for sales to skyrocket, and to help as many people as possible to feel better, it all needed to take time.  Plus, we aren’t ones to jump at any opportunity that came our way.  We’ve always done what felt right, which often resulted in a longer process.  Over the years we’ve developed trusted partnerships, which happened over time.  We’ve also had to practice patience with each other, for ourselves, and together.

 

4. The Great Divide

Throughout our nine-year relationship, we’ve lived in ten different places and were fortunate enough to have traveled a lot.  It wasn’t until 2020 that we finally landed our dream home: An off-grid oasis, located at the end of the road, just 10 minutes to town, with tons of water.  Finally, we were able to settle down and fully organize our lives.  Our upstairs open space for living, cooking, and entertaining friends.  Our downstairs space is for business.  This divide has immensely helped both our business and our relationship.

 

5. Keeping the Romance (and Friendship) Alive

It’s easy to get lost in the world of business.  To talk about it and focus on it all day and night and wake up and do it all again.  But it is essential to make the time to simply enjoy each other’s company and to be romantic.  For example, we make lunch and eat it together every day.  We go for walks in the woods together as often as we can, for we both have a deep fondness of nature. We also plan the classic date nights, to get dressed up and just be in love.

 

6. Set Work Hours and Schedule

On Mondays we set our schedule for the week and write it on our big whiteboard.  Being a visual person, it helps to see everything I need to get done in front of me.  Plus, there is satisfaction to crossing things off.  We have set hours to get things done each day, and we try to give ourselves at least one day off a week.  Even if that day is composed of getting the house back in order, weeding the gardens, or cleaning out the chicken coop.

 

7. Be Kind

First and foremost, we always practice kindness.  We are very aware of how we speak to one another, how we make each other feel, and how our actions could be perceived.  It takes practice.  This mindset goes for our business relationships and friendships too.  Just, be kind.