Running a Business With Your Spouse: Dream Team or Divorce Court? cover art

Running a Business With Your Spouse: Dream Team or Divorce Court?

Running a Business With Your Spouse: Dream Team or Divorce Court?

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 They say love can conquer anything, but what happens when love and business collide? Running a company with your spouse might sound like the ultimate dream team, but the reality? It can turn into a battlefield where egos, family ties, and business pressures all clash. In this episode of Fiercely Unfiltered, Kelly Renee shares the raw truth about building and losing a business with her husband. From the excitement of starting strong together to the chaos of adding employees and family members, Kelly reveals how blurred boundaries, power struggles, and favoritism pushed her marriage and business past the breaking point. This isn’t just about business, it’s about trust, identity, and survival. If you’ve ever wondered whether working with your spouse is a good idea, or if you’re in the thick of navigating family dynamics at work, this episode will give you clarity, validation, and maybe even the courage to choose differently. Key Takeaways Mixing marriage and business raises the stakes and the risks Spouses in business together face higher divorce rates than most couples Without trust and clear boundaries, roles quickly blur into conflict Adding employees and especially family members can create toxic favoritism and power struggles Protecting yourself with financial and legal boundaries (prenup, “work prenup”) is not optional; it’s survival Your life should never be so intertwined that one loss means losing everything In This Episode [00:01] Introduction and statistics on family businesses [01:16] Personal experience: running a business with spouse [02:20] Challenges of roles and leadership in family businesses [03:27] Family dynamics and favoritism issues [04:17] Trust and foundation in spousal business partnerships [05:20] Reflections on work-life balance and marriage [06:19] Lessons learned and protecting yourself [07:30] Business closure and personal growth [08:36] Advice for couples considering business together [09:39] Coping with loss and moving forward [10:40] Closing remarks and outro Notable Quotes (01:51) "I ran a real estate company with my ex-husband, and it was great when it was just the two of us." — Kelly Renee (05:20) "For me, I loved working with my spouse; I thought it was the best thing." — Kelly Renee (06:19) "I learned the hard way. I thought I protected myself as much as I could." — Kelly Renee (07:30) "It's hard to put decades of your life into something and then have to walk away because a relationship isn't working." — Kelly Renee (09:39) "It's a really hard loss to get over, and I've been grieving for a while for all the losses that came to me at once." — Kelly Renee Resources and Links Fiercely Unfiltered Fiercely Unfiltered with Kelly Renee Kelly Renee Instagram Facebook Website
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