Talking Shift with Marissa Q. Paine

In this week's episode, Dr. Paine & Marissa pay a few rounds from Marissa's latest find, The Intimacy Deck and then come up with an idea of their own for the DIY version of the game. Dr Paine (kind of) admits wrong doing in the Fight of the Week and the episode ends with a heartfelt discussion about what it really takes to be Ready for Love.

Before jumping into the topic so juicy it took two episodes to explore, the Paines discuss furniture shopping and why Marissa recommends couples never do it together (minute 2:02).

In the Fight of the Week, they debate curfew for the college kids (minute 10:10) and finally, the Paines begin a riveting discussion about how to say I'm sorry (minute 14:10).

Get to know the Paines as leaders in this episode as they discuss leadership at work, home and in their personal lives. Learn how they use the "Leadership Dance" to bring balance in their relationship and they consider to be the highest form of leadership (min 1:45).

In the Fight of the Week segment (min 15:21), the Paine's announce a new opportunity for singles or couples to be guests on the show to coach through their "frequent fights" or love situations Live. Contact us at www.sucessfulmarriages.org for details and be our guest!

The Teaching Topic of the Day is Working with your Spouse (min 17:27), need we say more?

Finally, the Paines share words of wisdom to a listener who asks what to do when their partner's siblings won't contribute to their parents long term care expenses.

In this jam packed episode Dr. James & Marissa share advice on how to live through "open wounds" in relationships (minute 24:54) including a transparent discussion about how they avoided divorce after a year of separation in their own marriage.

Plus enjoy lots of comedic relief as they discuss actress Meagan Good's bikini shoot in the What's on Your Mind segment (minute 1:44), hear what listeners had to say about James' mansplaining in the Fight of the Week (minute 14:31) and lean in as they answer the Question of the Day, "Is marriage really necessary when I'm already committed" (minute 37:43).

GOTCHA! After all the talk in previous episodes about how many things Marissa loses, Dr. Paine misplaces his cell phone and Marissa can't wait to give him grief about it! (2:52)

In the Fight of the Week segment, the Paine's talk about an expensive, impulsive purchase James just "had to have" even though it was outside of their budget. Hear how they kept their difference of opinions on this purchase from ruining their anniversary vacation. (11:05) 

In the Topic of the Day, the Paine's share three critical tips for "Getting to Happy" in your relationship and beyond. Hold on to your hat, it might not be what you think. (19:50)

Finally, the Paine's answer a question from a listener about whether or not married couples should share bank accounts.

In the What's on Your Mind Segment, the Paine's celebrate their new empty nest-ish life with no kids at home for awhile (minute 3:00), debate about how unfair it is for men to lose weight faster than women (minute 5:58), share how their friendship showed up to a stranger (minute 9:50) and chat about whether or not your spouse can be your best friend (minute 11:15).

In the Fight of the Week: Vow Renewal vs Hardwood Floors (minute 13:46), the Paine's share how they get to compromise when they disagree on the priority of big ticket purchases (minute 18:37); plus hear the tender-ish story of how Dr. Paine proposed to Marissa the second time (23:00).

All of this before jumping into the Teaching Topic of the Day: Getting Beyond Grudges (minute 27:49) and answering a Listener's Question, "How long should I wait for a ring?" (minute 40:00).

The "She Shed" is What's on Marissa's Mind this week as Dr. James & Marissa discuss the advantages of having a private getaway space to keep the peace in relationships (minute 1:30).

The two then debate with a listener about whether or not a relationship can actually be heathy when there's a Fight of the Week (minute 6:33).

The Paine's then share three keys to avoid growing apart in your relationship (minute 16:44) and have a heartfelt and transparent conversation about how long to wait when you and your partner are on different wavelengths and how they navigated times in their relationship when they were at risk for growing apart (minute 25:05).

In this week's episode, Marissa & Dr. Paine pay homage to parents of toddlers after babysitting their two-year-old niece and discuss how children can help or hinder your relationship (Minute 1:05).

In the Fight-of-the-Week, they debate whether or not James is a "mansplainer" and invite listeners to weigh in with their views on the Foundation for Successful Marriages facebook page (Minute 11:40).

The 3 Keys to Successful Compromise are reviewed in the Teaching Topic of the Week (Minute 19:55) and the couple answers a listener's question about how to regain their child's confidence after they witness a big fight between mom and dad (Minute 32:46).

In this week's Fight of the Week, the Paine's discover that they may be the couple that benefits the most from the Life, Love & Leadership podcast. Laugh with them as they sort through what went wrong with the "honey-do" list and then dive deep as they discuss why high self-esteem and emotional well-being matters so much in relationships. The Paine's also answer a listener's question about what to do when one partner is thriving and one is barely surviving.

After watching Michelle Obama's recent interview with Gayle King during Essence Fest 2019, The Paine's discuss the similarities they share with Barak and Michelle Obama. They also discuss how criticism harms relationships and share wisdom on how their definition of "keeping things spicy" in their marriage has evolved over time.