Help! I Married an Entrepreneur

Learning to Accept His Vision

Slide into bed with an entrepreneur, and you wind up cuddling with his business. At a certain point, the entrepreneur's spouse has to answer the question:
Are you in or are you out? It is a question that surfaces in many forms over time. Are you in? In for as long as it takes this business to succeed? In for what is potentially a lifetime of financial risk? Or are you out? Out of patience, out of tolerance, out of your mind with stress and the bitterness of dreams deferred? The entrepreneur usually doesn't pose the question overtly. Yet the spouse does answer it, by giving
or withholding support, encouragement, warmth, and reassurance—the manifestations of love.

First base, second, or all the way home. How far are you willing to go?

Becoming His Helpmate

With these well-crafted words, Meg Cadeaux Hirshberg opens a poignant article about her marriage to Gary Hirshberg, the
co-founder of Stonyfield Farm yogurt company in rural New Hampshire.

The author continues:
"In 1984, Gary was a charismatic, humble-but-cocksure maker and seller of things, though at that time all he had to sell was himself. Two years after meeting him, I agreed to buy all his stock, and we married on a perfect June day. Gary never tried to hide his entrepreneurial nature, and I was too smitten to notice or care. I didn't think through the implications of a business on our life together. After all, the business was only a handful of cows and a few hundred cups of yogurt made per day...

Two years after meeting him, I agreed to buy all his stock, and we married on a perfect June day.

During the nine painful years it took us to reach profitability, we endured countless disasters, mishaps, and near-death experiences. That meant there were countless times we could have rid ourselves of the misery we called a business. Gary and [his partner] Samuel were overworked and exhausted but determined to persevere.
I never had a voice in the decision to carry on, but there were many moments when I was forced to answer that question: Was I in or was I out?..." This excerpt is quoted from, "Balancing Marriage and Business" published by
Inc. Magazine.


Are You In? Or Are You Out?

As Christian wives, the Bible tells us that our highest calling is to serve as a "helpmate" to our husbands. Whether our spouse is self-employed or works for someone else, each one of us must answer the same question.
Will we adjust our attitude to support our husband's occupation, or will we "kick against the goads?" Will we appreciate whatever level of income our spouse provides, applauding his successes while supporting him in failure?
Or will we selfishly complain and criticize him year after year?
Will we allow him learn from his mistakes (and perhaps go bankrupt), or will we wrestle him for complete control of the family finances?


Basic Money Management

I've discovered my best strategy is to trust God, respect and trust my husband, pray, communicate well, and manage our resources together. Especially in these recessionary times, we're wise to follow these basic principles offered by Christian ministries like Crown Financial:

• live frugally,
below your means

• avoid credit cards,
pay off consumer debt

• give tithes and offerings

• fund an emergency reserve (6 mos. living expenses)

• pay cash for major purchases

• invest for the long term

To be continued...


Related

1. What Makes Women Happy: Top Seven Predictors

2. Dealing With Money: Responding Biblically to Economic Emergencies

3. Giving Tithes & Offerings: How to Weather the Economic Storm

Now the Lord God said, "It is not good for man to be alone.
I will make a helper suitable for him." (Gen 2:18 TNIV)

Up Next—Help! I Married an Entrepreneur (Part 2)

In what ways can a wife can serve her
husband as his helpmate?


Photos: peppergrass, paulwoorich, _ES (Flickr)

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