The parallels between sustaining a successful marriage and owning a successful business.
Some might find it surprising that there are unique similarities that can be drawn between marriage and business. Not only so, but the skills you glean from being a good partner can also actually aid you in running a successful company.
Having the added responsibilities like family can add to the sense of urgency to quickly grow your business to a level where you can step away and spend the needed time with your family. A life partner can not only act as an extra layer of support when you hit roadblocks in business but address your weak spots and keep you accountable to the goals you set out.
The level of singular focus and commitment you develop from a long-term relationship can transfer to other areas of your life, such as the focus you hold for your business, and vice versa.
Achieving freedom is a core value that the Mikkelsen twins hold true to both their marriages and their thriving online publishing business, Publishing Life. This, and maintaining the same level of integrity when it comes to creating the best offers for their clients to thrive.
Undoubtedly, marriage has helped both Christian Mikkelsen, and his twin brother and co-founder, Rasmus Mikkelsen monumentally in becoming the mature, responsible, and successful entrepreneurs they are today. Here’s how.
Marriage and Accountability
Being on your own as an entrepreneur means there’s no one really watching you and keeping you accountable to the goals you set out for your business and personal life.
For example, the business you created is finally gaining traction and thriving. However, as you become increasingly busy with running the company, you forget to pay attention to your health. Although you’re maintaining integrity towards what you said you would accomplish, you might be less accountable to other, important areas of your life.
Having a partner at times can be a daily reminder, that you need to take care of other aspects of your life, besides the business that will help you thrive in the long run. Without proper health, mindset, and personal development, these things will come back to haunt you in the future and may be a detriment to how well you perform for your business.
On mindset shift and accountability, Christian comments “I think one of the biggest lessons was, money is great. But at the end of the day, family and health are more important”. He reflects on the birth of Ramus’s first son, who was diagnosed with a liver condition amidst the pandemic. This scare led to a newfound shift in the way the Mikkelsen twins thought about money, from a place of “making as much money as possible” to “trying to take care of family and their employee’s families”.
Marriage and Responsibility
As you find yourself with a new partner, there’s a new level of responsibility you must maintain for your home, and perhaps future family. Your life goal is no longer exclusively about you, but in a large way has to incorporate your partner. Any decision you make irrevocably has an impact on your partner, whether it’s in business or life.
In a way, it can make decisions easier. If adding a partner to the equation has compounded your motivation to expand your business, then taking on more deals or hiring more expensive, but more qualified team members may become second nature. The responsibility you hold towards supporting your new family can be reflected in how hard you work on the business.
Another factor is the empathy you develop towards your employees. You’re more motivated to bring your best to the business, because you understand what it’s like to have a family, Thus, your desire to help your employees thrive under your company becomes greater.
As Publishing Life grew and became more successful, “it wasn’t just a little side hustle anymore. This is like a real business, families [were] getting affected, people’s lives [were] being changed around the world”, the Mikkelsens comments. Even Christian’s wife, Charlotte Mikkelsen joined the business full-time last year, as Chief Operating Officer. The dual responsibility ensures that they are both committed to taking care of their family and working as hard as they can for their future.
Marriage and Commitment
Building a successful marriage requires consistent communication, loyalty, and working through problems. You don’t have the option of running away at the first straw. The same applies to business. When something doesn’t work out the first time, or the tenth time, it doesn’t matter if you want to succeed: you must push forward.
Most people in today’s generation are increasingly hesitant about commitment, but if this attitude penetrates into other areas of their lives, like their work— it can adversely affect their capability of accomplishing anything significant.
On what they think is the key to their success, the Mikkelsen Twins claims it’s the “commitment and consistency that stems into relationships. It’s a commitment to the family side. But then on the business side, it’s committing to one idea and sticking with it”.
Conclusion
The same attitudes and guidelines we develop to build a strong marriage can help contribute to us building a successful company. With the added layer of responsibility and commitment, we can learn how to make better decisions, develop better problem-solving skills, stay more accountable to our long-term goals, and ultimately, become better partners and entrepreneurs.
