We wrote this blog for two reasons. First, to honor God. In fact, everything is done “First, to honor God.” (Colossians 3:17) If you have not figured that out yet, you are going to have a really long journey. Like Moses, around the mountain a few times until you get to the edge of the Promised Land. Second, we want to share with you what we have learned. Of all the things we have learned in the last 15 years of running a business, the most important has been how to work together as a couple. We would like now to partner with you – hopefully with less pain.
Yes, our road was painful. Yours will be too – get used to it. Starting and running a business is a struggle. Numerous obstacles exist that you must overcome. Not everyone wants you to succeed (remember competitors?). Nevertheless, God wants you to succeed. After all, He gave you the gifts you have and the talents you will employ to make your business a success.
If God gave you these gifts, He must have thought they were sufficient for your contribution to the business. In addition, God believed that you were not sufficient by yourself, just for your contribution, so he gave you your spouse. Therefore, you honor God by making optimal use of the talents He gave you. Adrian and I honor God by using our talents in many ways: we provide honest evaluations, thoughtful advice, and best service to our clients; in doing so, we honor God.
In turn, we provide excellent jobs and pay to our employees. We donate our time and money to numerous causes. We try to be good examples in the way we work and the way we interact with people. In all these acts, we try to honor God. Yet, it is not enough – we are still reaching out and trying to help others, like the two of you. God laid this blog and book on our hearts as a means of helping others outside our direct sphere of contacts. Therefore, we honor God by trying to help you, too.
Your spouse also wants you to succeed. You have been given a set of gifts that will equip you to succeed and God is always there to lift you up. You have also been given your spouse, and he or she is a blessing too. Your partner\spouse is God’s representative, there to help you, support you, encourage you, compliment you, complement you, and help you get your business up and running. Like an angel, but without wings.
Your partner\spouse will help you be successful. God gave you this spouse\partner for this reason. You have to understand that, as you start a business with your spouse or continue a business with your spouse as a partner, God put you where you are. Your spouse is an integral part of His plan for you. This can be a positive experience, or it can really test you. Again – it is up to you. My experience is that collaborating with Adrian has strengthened our marriage – a positive experience.