I'm Married To An 'Entrepreneur' And He Didn't Give Me This Elevator Pitch For Life
I am married to an entrepreneur and to put it politely, it is tough. The concept of wedded bliss is a hoax, we all know that by now. You realize the hoax much earlier when you are married to an entrepreneur. The four key things from my experience might not apply to every entrepreneur on this planet, but I am sure that it will apply to many. Here are a few things entrepreneurs do wrong:
They expect support as their birthright:
Most entrepreneurs have inflated egos and the mindset that their spouse exists to support them. When I say support, I mean in everything, be it daily ups and downs in mood, financial turbulence, location changes etc. Most entrepreneurs forget that they cannot blindly demand support from their spouse or family because they have their own needs and lives too. Support is given at will. Support deserves immense gratitude in return. It should not be taken for granted.
They refuse to accept that it is their choice:
Probably the most common mistake of them all. The choice to start a company lies solely with the person choosing to do so. It is a personal and conscious choice made by an adult. The basic concept of adult life is that we pay for what we desire/want. The payment can be in the form of money or in the form of pain, time or energy, and we take steps and make sacrifices to achieve what it is that we want. Even after the age of 30 or above, it baffles me how entrepreneurs seem to forget this basic concept. It is hard. We all get it. But it is their choice, they do not get it. They need to accept the pain of not being on someone else’s payroll. They need to stop playing the victim.
They impose their haywire lifestyle on their spouse:
Again, living on the edge financially is their choice. Cutting back on expenses is their imperative and their own chosen path. The least they can do to return the support their spouse gives them is by letting them live as they will. If they have a working spouse who works hard to earn a living, the spouse deserves a good lifestyle. They need to curb the cringe every time their spouse spoils themselves by buying something they cannot afford to buy for them. They have earned it.
They dismiss everybody else’s struggles:
No matter how many investment refusals they got in one day. No matter the stress of the day. Some days, maybe one day in a month, they need to treat their spouse’s little trials and tribulations as attention-worthy too. They are also living their own life on this planet and their troubles are real. Even if they look minuscule, in comparison to the burden of starting a company.