Entrepreneurs are more likely to Divorce because of THIS

Okay, I want to speak directly to my driven spouses for a minute — where are my driven spouses at? I see you grinding 50, 60 hours a week, pouring everything into that business until you’re worn out, all for the sake of your family. I need to remind you: your relationship must come before your job. Now, I know that sounds obvious — and it should be obvious — but it’s worth asking ourselves how much time, energy, attention, devotion and passion we’re investing in this channel or our work compared to what we’re investing in our relationship. For the few men still listening, you might not realize this about me, but I’m building a business too. I make these videos in my spare time; it’s tough, yet I love it, and I love helping people strengthen their relationships. Still, if Emily ever told me this work was damaging our family or marriage, I would stop production today without hesitation. I respect and celebrate your hustle — I love that you want to provide and give your wife the freedom to choose whether she works. That desire to bless your family financially is admirable. But never let that overshadow the fact that your marriage and family come first. It’s acceptable to go through a demanding season where you work more now so you can be more present later, but it’s not acceptable to keep postponing “later” forever. Don’t avoid safe, honest conversations with your partner about how your work and your physical or emotional absence are impacting the family and the intimacy between you. It’s not an excuse to arrive home empty and repeatedly hand your spouse the leftovers of your time and attention — that’s not sustainable; it doesn’t create closeness, it teaches someone to live without you. I get that earning money matters, but I challenge you to ask her: if she had to choose between you working overtime to make more money or you being more present in the relationship, which would she choose? You may be working extra hours to provide, but you might not actually be giving her what she truly needs and wants from you — your presence. And don’t try to hide behind “in an ideal world” — this is your marriage, your family; they are first. That doesn’t mean you stop working; it means you make decisions with them in mind, because we are called to pour into our wives and our families, and you can’t pour if your cup is always empty.

Practical steps to protect your marriage while building your business

• Schedule non-negotiable family time. Put it on the calendar like a board meeting: date night, bedtime routine, Sunday dinner. Treat those blocks as immovable appointments unless there’s a true emergency.
• Create a daily shutdown ritual. Decide on a concrete action that signals the end of the workday — close your laptop, put your phone in another room for 30–60 minutes, go for a walk with your partner. Rituals help your brain switch from work mode to home mode.
• Implement tech boundaries. Turn off email and work notifications during family time. If you must be reachable, set clear, limited windows and communicate them to your partner ahead of time.
• Use weekly check-ins. Have a 15–30 minute weekly conversation about schedules, finances, needs, and feelings. Ask open questions like “Where did you feel most disconnected this week?” or “What can I do differently next week?”
• Measure presence, not just hours. Quality matters: a focused 30 minutes of undistracted conversation or physical closeness can be more bonding than hours of distracted proximity.
• Delegate and outsource where possible — hire help for household tasks, consider a virtual assistant for routine business tasks, and train team members to reduce your personal load.
• Set seasons and end dates. If you need a high-intensity season, make it explicit: agree on the timeframe, the goals, and what the trade-offs will be. Commit to a review date when you’ll scale back.
• Practice micro-habits of connection. Small acts — a midday text that says “Thinking of you,” a quick hug when you walk in, or a five-minute check-in before bed — accumulate into trust and warmth.
• Be emotionally present. When your partner shares something, listen first. Reflect back what you heard, ask a brief follow-up, and resist solving unless asked. Emotional availability builds intimacy.
• Share the vision and invite her in. Make your partner feel part of the plan: discuss goals, trade-offs, and milestones. When both of you understand the “why” and feel included, sacrifices feel more mutual.

Recognize the warning signs early

• Consistent avoidance of conversations about the relationship
• Growing resentment over time spent on work
• One partner feeling like an afterthought or “left with the leftovers” of attention
• Frequent misunderstandings and emotional withdrawal
• Using work as an excuse to escape conflict or intimacy

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If patterns persist despite honest attempts to change, consider couples counseling or coaching. A neutral third party can help identify blind spots, teach communication tools, and guide decision-making about priorities and boundaries. Financial advisors can also help create plans that reduce pressure to “always hustle.”

Recommended resources

• Books: The Gottman Institute’s work on relationships; “Hold Me Tight” by Dr. Sue Johnson; “The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work” by John Gottman
• Podcasts and blogs on work-life balance and entrepreneurship that model healthy boundaries
• Local or online couples therapists and business mentors who respect family priorities

Final note: your drive and ambition are gifts — but so is the person you share your life with. Protect both by being intentional. Regularly ask your partner what presence looks like to her, act on small things consistently, and be willing to change course if the relationship needs it. Hustle hard, but love harder.

Financial Pressure and Uncertain Income: The Hidden Triggers of Separation

Establish a dedicated 6–12 month household emergency fund held completely separate from your business account and automate deposits so personal bills stay paid during lean months.

Small-business risk is measurable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show roughly 20% of new firms close within the first year and about half fail within five years, which translates into prolonged income uncertainty for many entrepreneurs. Seasonal and client-driven businesses often see monthly revenue swings of 30–50%, and that volatility directly raises household stress when partners lack a shared plan.

Protect household stability with concrete financial controls: keep separate personal and business bank accounts, formalize an owner’s salary that you pay to yourself every month regardless of revenue, and set aside 25–35% of gross receipts for taxes and retirement. Run three 12-month cash-flow scenarios–baseline, 30% downturn for six months, and a slower growth case–to test runway and adjust spending before pressure mounts.

Make money conversations routine and nonreactive: schedule a 30-minute monthly money meeting with your partner to review actual cash flow, upcoming invoices or contracts, debt obligations, and planned reinvestments. Use that meeting to agree on triggers for protective moves (pause hiring, draw from reserves, or shift to lower-cost operations) so decisions don’t happen under stress.

Shift risk off the household: obtain short-term disability and business interruption insurance that covers owner income; carry term life coverage sufficient to cover outstanding mortgage and business loans; document who is responsible for business debts and client contracts in a written agreement or marital contract to reduce ambiguity if the partnership strains.

Strengthen financial forecasting and reporting: hire a bookkeeper or fractional CFO to produce a one-page monthly dashboard showing net cash, months of runway, accounts receivable aging, and gross margin by project. Aim to maintain at least six months of household runway and monitor projects that deliver negative margins so you can stop loss-making work quickly.

Stabilize revenue through product and pricing design: convert spot work into retainers, subscription products, or maintenance contracts to build recurring revenue; set a goal for recurring income to represent ~30% of total revenue within two years. Price projects so gross margins remain healthy and create a small “buffer fee” on bids to cover unexpected client delays.

Act now: automate reserve funding, set a fixed owner salary, model a 30% downturn and confirm six-plus months of runway, buy income-protection insurance, and hold monthly financial check-ins with your partner. Those steps reduce surprises, keep conversations factual instead of emotional, and lower the financial friction that often triggers separation.