Parenting & Entrepreneurship

All of my early examples of “successful” entrepreneurs had broken families.

That’s not a judgment on divorce — everyone deserves happiness.
But it planted a personal fear in me:

“What if I go too far? What if success costs me my family?”

That fear — irrational or not — kept me playing small.
I stayed in “just enough” mode, never fully letting myself want more.

Here’s what I’ve learned (and keep learning) about balancing parenting, partnership, and business:

You’ll have less time. Deal with it.

I remember the year my daughter was born.
I was used to long, uninterrupted days to focus on business.
Gone.

Was it hard? Absolutely.
But here’s what I discovered: You don’t need more time. You need more presence.

Most of the time we think we’re working, we’re just spinning —
indecision, overthinking, trying to outrun fear with productivity.

Having a kid forced me to let go of perfectionism.
Some days, the email went out with a typo.
Some days, I showed up at 70%.
But I showed up.

Your family isn’t your therapist.

This one took me a while to learn.

I used to offload the highs and lows of business onto my wife —
my frustration, fear, anxiety.

And then I wondered why it felt hard to be connected at home. Your partner and kids are not responsible for fixing you.

They can celebrate your wins.
They can hold space when things are hard.
But the deep emotional work? That’s your job.

For me, that meant getting support —
coaching, therapy, and personal development.

When I took personal responsibility for my happiness and my mental health, I was better for it, and so was my family.

Set real boundaries.

I used to be “on” 24/7.
Even on my honeymoon in Italy — no service, no Wi-Fi —
I spent eight days pacing, anxious and disconnected.

Today? Things are different.

We have a simple rule: When I’m with my family, I’m with my family.

No checking emails. No glancing at texts.
No scrolling Instagram at dinner.

But that doesn’t happen by accident.
It takes structure.

Family time goes on the calendar first —
Driving my daughter to school? Booked.
Dinner at 6:30? Booked.
Sundays with the family? Booked.

Then I build my business around that.

Say the things you're afraid to say.

To your partner. Your kids. Yourself.

When I finally voiced my fear to my wife —
“What if I chase my dreams too hard and hurt us in the process?” —
she didn’t flinch.

She said, “How about you trust that me — and our daughter — will tell you if you’re f*cking up?”

Point taken.

The most resilient families I know aren’t conflict-free.
They’re conflict-capable.

Is it possible to do both — business and family?
Yes.
Is it harder?
Also yes.
Is it worth it?
A thousand times over.