Trusting the Process: the wife of an entrepreneur

This week is the anniversary of my husband launching his financial literacy business, Abundance University, and it has caused me to reflect on what it has been like for me over the years as the wife of an entrepreneur. If someone would have ever told me that my life would involve entrepreneurship I would have never believed them. I was truly okay with being a worker bee and working my way up the ladder as I was always taught. This was what I thought my husband would do as well. But now I see the joys and freedoms that entrepreneurship allows. And even though Abundance University is his baby, I swear I had sympathy symptoms along the way. 

So how did we get here?

While my husband was working in corporate America, he was always interested in the entrepreneurial life. He liked the potential flexibility that it allotted our family, the money it could provide, and most of all the number of people that he could help. Now when he introduced the different opportunities to me I was never completely sold. I was not interested in potential money. I wanted to see guaranteed money. And for me, working a job was the best way to set our family up for success. But, I always supported his endeavors.

As the years went on we were able to move into our own home and begin settling in as a newly married couple. We were both doing pretty well financially and really getting into the groove of our marriage. During this time he also started discussing and building his own company. Taking the skills and lessons he’d learned along the way, Abundance University was born. Business cards were ordered, seminars were scheduled, and I was still holding onto my seat. This was not guaranteed money. The fact that he was still working during this infancy stage of his business provided some relief but I was very nervous about it all. Don’t get me wrong, I I know that my husband was going to accomplish great things but, the unknown was scary for me. I just could not see past the fear at times.

Then, during our 3rd year of marriage, everything changed. My husband was fired from his job! This was truly a blessing in disguise. And even though this was a scary moment for me, it was time to truly activate my faith. 

Hindsight is 20/20:

About 6 months prior to my husband being fired, we had discussions about him leaving his job to work at his alma mater because he wanted to help the kids. But, after crunching the numbers it did not seem like we would be able to make it with such a large pay cut. Could we really survive on a teacher’s salary? We ultimately decided that we could not take the risk. Also, with another baby on the way it seemed like the safest option. But God had other plans!

In the beginning of 2017, God forced our hand. By allowing Lawrence to get fired, He allowed us to move forward with His power. Whew! When God tells you to move, you better listen. It will save you time, frustration, and much more. He will have His way. And my husband has a calling on his life and it is so clear! This is God’s plan.

Happiness Over Everything:

Seeing my husband truly happy and enjoying the work that he does is the greatest reward in my eyes. After he was fired I could have been adamant that he get another job and push his dreams to the side for the sake of our family but his mental well being and happiness was the priority for me. The money did not matter. I knew that as long as we had each other and God, we were going to make it. While he never took his frustrations out on our family, as a wife I just knew that he was tired. I could feel his energy.

 We decided that taking this time off to truly begin developing his ideas is what was best for the long run. He then began working for his alma mater (which was God’s original plan as well) which afforded him the time to curate his business. And the rest is history!

Two short years later, he was a full time entrepreneur. 

3 Lessons I’ve Learned as the wife of an entrepreneur:

1. You don’t have to see the vision to trust in the process: Remember when I told you that I do not have an entrepreneurial mindset? Yeah, well that hasn’t changed a whole lot. I do not see myself owning and running my own business. This blog may be the closest I get to it. But, that doesn’t mean that I can’t support my husband’s vision. 

2. The hours are long and unpredictable: This schedule is not for the weak! In the beginning I would get upset about meetings that ran over, calls that would steal his attention, and events that would pop up out of nowhere. Now that we are 6 years in I am more understanding. Also, having a shared schedule like I discussed in Can you Balance All of That?, helps us tremendously.

3. Trust is an action word: As a married woman I’d often say that I trust my husband but when he became an entrepreneur I had to put this trust into action in ways that I hadn’t before. In my Let’s Talk Finances blog I discuss how my relationship with money was unhealthy. So in the beginning of our entrepreneurship journey I had to show my husband that I trusted him to lead us through this. 

Overall, I know that my husband was made for me and I am here to support and celebrate him along this journey. I know that God’s plan is working. I see it in my husband’s smile daily. And I’m here for it!