Justin and Kristen Deese have 20 years of experience in the home services industry. They’ve channeled everything they have learned into their book “When Your Business Partner Is Your Spouse” and their coaching and mastermind services in addition to overseeing their two home services businesses. They share why having a vision is essential to success and how to find a balance between work and marriage.

Transform Your Relationship and Your Business Will Follow

When they started their careers in the home services trades years ago, they were working longer hours than ever and felt like they could never take a break. It took them several lessons and failures to learn that it was less of the business’s fault, and more of how they were approaching it that was causing these struggles.

When a friend gave Justin the book “EMyth,” his world began to expand and he realized that there were people out there who could help them overcome their challenges.

Today, they have successfully reached a point where their home services businesses can run without them, and they have time to work on the business rather than in them. They have published a book “When Your Business Partner Is Your Spouse,” started a coaching program, and are about to launch their second podcast on July 15, 2020.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Marriage in Business

Strengths:

1. Justin and Kristen highlight that they are very complementary in nature so their strengths and weaknesses balance each other out.
2. There is a level of trust between spouses that goes deeper than a typical business partner.
3. Finding your lane, what you are good at and what you are responsible for, and staying in it is a game-changer.

Weaknesses:

1. Drawing a line between business and home life is a challenge and something you need to intentionally fight for.
2. If you are not setting time aside to focus on hobbies, interests, and quality time outside of business with your spouse, you will revert to talking about business.
3. Without a strong understanding of your partner’s personality and social tendencies, you will struggle. Take time to learn whether they are an introvert or extrovert, and utilize personality tests to understand how you can meet their needs and help each other thrive.

Why Having a Vision Matters

Kristen admits that their lack of vision was a big stumbling block during their first years. They were solely focused on paying the bills which left them feeling pulled in too many directions.

“Every time an opportunity came along that looked like money coming in, we would say yes because that was our vision. And so we added several lines into our services that we probably shouldn’t have or that were a little too far from our main service. But then once we got clear and said ‘okay, we’re going to be the very best at this... it got a lot easier when other opportunities came along’, we said ‘okay, is that going to help us be the very best at this or is that going to distract us?’ And that makes it a lot easier to say yes or no to the opportunity.”

Justin emphasizes that a vision is the best accountability tool to use that will help you narrow down your focus and find success. He used to think that if he was so busy that he was running around with his hair on fire, he was successful. But now he knows that the opposite is true: a clear focus brings a calm, measured approach to growing a healthy business.

What Doesn’t Get Measured Doesn’t Get Managed

One of Justin’s favorite sayings is “Measure, Motivate, and Manage.” It is critical to know what numbers are dictating your business’s success and measure those. Otherwise, you’ll be operating off of feelings instead of facts. Setting these clear goals and expectations for every member of your team helps everyone show up and perform their best.

“Your team needs to know exactly what to do, so especially when there’s uncertainty going on in the world the more they can come to work and kind of feel that ease of ‘Okay, I know what to expect at work, or what needs to be done, or what expectations I need to meet,’ I think it kind of helps them a little bit.”

Justin and Kristen have seen that the businesses who succeed are the ones who refused to be indecisive and instead took intentional action.

Justin and Kristen’s Advice

Ask your spouse what they want!

Learn more about Justin and Kristen Deese at Business Spouse, like their page on Facebook, and follow along on Instagram.