Balancing Marriage and Business: Insights from Robert and Kay Lee Fukui
In a recent Expert Insight Interview episode, John Golden talked with Robert and Kay Lee Fukui. They are co-founders of IE 61 Inc. and authors of “Tandem: The Married Entrepreneur’s Guide for Greater Work-Life Balance.” They help married entrepreneurs achieve work-life balance while growing their businesses. This blog post highlights key takeaways and advice for balancing marriage and business.
Understanding the Challenges
The Workaholic Mindset
Robert and Kay grew up seeing their parents prioritize work over family. This taught them that career success requires personal sacrifice. They later realized this mindset isn’t sustainable or fulfilling.
Key Insight: Overcoming the glorification of long hours and stress is crucial for balance.
The Toll on Relationships
Robert’s long work hours led to physical and emotional exhaustion. Kay felt disconnected. This made them re-evaluate their priorities.
Key Insight: Recognizing work’s impact on relationships is the first step toward change.
Strategies for Better Work-Life Balance
Setting Boundaries with Technology
Kay shared that putting her phone in another room reduces distractions and boosts productivity.
Actionable Tip: Designate specific times and spaces for work and personal activities. Keep phones out of the bedroom to ensure quality time with your spouse.
Creating a Vision for the Future
Robert and Kay stress the importance of setting a shared vision for the future. Aligning goals helps couples integrate their vision into their present lives.
Actionable Tip: Create a vision board with your partner outlining shared goals. Revisit it regularly.
Leveraging Each Other’s Strengths
Couples often have complementary skills. Valuing these differences can improve both business and relationships.
Actionable Tip: Identify each partner’s strengths and delegate tasks accordingly.
Regular Check-Ins and Meetings
Weekly meetings help Robert and Kay stay aligned and accountable.
Actionable Tip: Schedule weekly meetings to discuss business and personal matters.
Prioritizing Quality Time
Despite busy schedules, Robert and Kay prioritize quality time together.
Actionable Tip: Plan regular date nights. Simple and inexpensive activities can help you reconnect.
Overcoming Mental and Emotional Barriers
Shifting the Mindset
Many couples struggle to disconnect from work, feeling they should always be busy.
Key Insight: Shift from constant busyness to intentional and quality time.
Leveraging Complementary Skills
Identify tasks that align with each partner’s strengths to enhance business and relationships.
Actionable Tip: Delegate tasks based on strengths for efficiency and harmony.
Setting Clear Boundaries
Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life.
Actionable Tip: Set specific work hours and use shared calendars for commitments.
Balancing marriage and business is challenging but achievable with the right strategies. Robert and Kay Lee Fukui provide valuable insights for entrepreneurial couples. By setting boundaries, leveraging strengths, and prioritizing quality time, couples can build thriving marriages and successful businesses.
For more guidance, explore their consulting program, “Power Couples by Design,” and their book, “Tandem: The Married Entrepreneur’s Guide for Greater Work-Life Balance.”
Remember: Success in business should not come at the expense of personal relationships. With intentional effort and the right strategies, you can achieve a balanced and fulfilling life.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist
Comments