5 Tips for Running a Business with Your Spouse (Without Losing Your Mind… or Your Marriage
Toni Cartright
Jul 23
3 min read
When you mix marriage with business, things get real—fast. You’re not just sharing a home and a life, you’re also sharing deadlines, decisions, and a whole lot of pressure.
For Jimmy and me, starting Cartright & Sons Cabinetry together was never about chasing a dream of working side by side all day. It was about building something that served our family and our community—and figuring out how to do it together without burning out or driving each other crazy in the process.
Over the years, we’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) what works and what doesn’t when it comes to running a business as a couple. These five tips are the ones that have helped us the most—through late nights, busy seasons, and everything in between.
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1. Define Your Roles Clearly
One of the first things we learned: not everything needs to be done together. We both have different strengths—Jimmy thrives when he works one on one with clients designing and creating, as well as managing installs and solving the day-to-day logistics. I handle the bookkeeping, the client communication, and the chaos that comes with keeping everything (and everyone) scheduled and organized.
We don’t micromanage each other—well maybe don't tell him I said that -- he may not agree 🤣 But, most of the time, we trust each other’s lanes. Knowing who does what helps us move faster, argue less, and focus on our individual gifts.
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2. Communicate Like Teammates, Not Roommates
There’s a difference between talking at each other and talking to each other. When you live together and work together, it’s easy to assume the other person just knows what you need or what you're thinking—but spoiler alert: they don’t.
We’ve learned- and are still working on- to set aside time to talk about business (away from dinner or bedtime!) and treat those check-ins like real meetings. Even a 10-minute “what’s on your plate?” chat can keep you from stepping on each other’s toes—or stewing over something silently.
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3. Keep Work at Work (At Least, Try To)
Let’s be honest—we’re not perfect at this. There have been plenty of late-night conversations in bed about client changes, budgets, or a supplier running behind. But we do our best to have a “cut-off” time for shop talk. Jimmy gets all the credit for this tip. He's much better at compartmentalizing than I am.
Sometimes, that means reminding each other (mostly him to me) , “Let’s circle back to that in the morning.” It’s not easy, especially when your business is your livelihood—but your marriage can’t be all work all the time.
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4. Celebrate the Wins Together
We’ve had some amazing milestones—big installs, glowing reviews, our showroom coming together—and we’ve made it a point to celebrate those wins, even if it’s just a glass of wine in the hot tub or a quick dinner date.
Running a business together means the highs are sweeter because you both worked for them. Don’t gloss over the victories. Let them remind you why you’re doing all of this in the first place.
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5. Don’t Forget You’re Spouses First
At the end of the day, we were husband and wife before we were business partners. That matters more than any contract or cabinet install.
Sometimes we have to pause and ask ourselves: When’s the last time we had a conversation that wasn’t about work or kids? When’s the last time we just laughed together for no reason?
Being intentional about our marriage—date nights, slow mornings, even five quiet minutes on the porch—grounds us. Because when our relationship is solid, everything else runs a little smoother.
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