From Grief to Growth: Creating Work-Life Balance as a Married Entrepreneur with Robert Fukui

Seek Go Create - The Leadership Journey for Christian Entrepreneurs and Faith-Driven Leaders

Balancing the chaos of marriage and entrepreneurship, married entrepreneur Robert Fukui embarks on a mission to achieve tandem success, unraveling the secrets to work-life harmony and overcoming the challenges of married entrepreneurship.

"Investing in relationships first is the key to having both a thriving business and a happy marriage. Success is redefined when relationships come first." - Robert Fukui

Access all show and episode resources HERE

About Our Guest:

Robert Fukui is the co-founder of I 61 Inc., a marketing expert with a successful background in increasing sales for major companies such as Coca Cola and Novartis. Together with his wife, Kay Lee, Robert has developed a program called Power Couples by Design, aimed at assisting married entrepreneurs in achieving a healthy work-life balance. Their book, Tandem, offers practical guidance and strategies for navigating the unique challenges faced by couples in business together. With a focus on redefining success, Robert brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to helping married entrepreneurs thrive both personally and professionally. Through their innovative approach, Robert and Kay Lee are paving the way for a world where prosperous businesses and thriving marriages go hand in hand.

Reasons to Listen:

• Discover strategies for balancing married life and business to create harmony and happiness in both.
• Explore the importance of nurturing relationships in business and learn how they can contribute to long-term success.
• Learn how to redefine success beyond material wealth and find fulfillment in all aspects of your life.
• Gain insights into the unique challenges faced by married entrepreneurs in achieving work-life balance and find practical solutions to overcome them.
• Navigate the complexities of running a small family business with expert tips on managing roles, responsibilities, and communication.
• Foster a thriving work-life relationship as a married entrepreneur and find fulfillment in both your personal and professional lives.
• Discover the secrets to achieving a balanced and fulfilling life as a married entrepreneur, and unlock the potential for success in all areas of your life.

Episode Resources & Action Steps:

• Visit the website of I 61 Inc to learn more about their innovative program, Power Couples by Design, for married entrepreneurs looking to create greater work-life balance.
• Purchase a copy of Robert and Kaylee Fukui's book, Tandem, to discover their insights and strategies for building thriving marriages and prosperous businesses simultaneously.
• Check out Robert Fukui's podcast, Power Up, to listen to interviews with other successful entrepreneurs and gain valuable insights into leading with purpose in both the boardroom and the living room.
• Get Robert's Free Gift - Balance Business and Marriage Better

Resources for Leaders from Tim Winders & SGC:

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• 🎙 Coaching with Tim: Elevate your leadership and align your work with your faith. Learn More
• 📚 "Coach: A Story of Success Redefined": A transformative read that will challenge your views on success. Grab Your Copy
• 📝 Faith Driven Leader Quiz: Discover how well you're aligning faith and work with our quick quiz. Take the Quiz

Key Lessons:

1. The importance of communication and conflict resolution in marriage and entrepreneurship: Married entrepreneurs face unique challenges, and effective communication and conflict resolution skills are crucial for success in both areas.

2. The value of investing in relationships: Building strong relationships with customers, employees, and most importantly, within the marriage itself, is essential for long-term happiness and fulfillment.

3. The need to set boundaries and reassess priorities: It's important to establish boundaries between work and family life and regularly reassess priorities to maintain a healthy balance between business and marriage.

4. The significance of grieving and processing emotions: Grieving is an important and often underrated process that should not be ignored, even in situations beyond losing loved ones. It is essential to create a space to talk about and process one's emotions.

5. The power of vulnerability and finding authentic community: Authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy in building relationships and finding community can provide much-needed support during challenging times.

6. The significance of creativity and taking action: Acting on creative impulses and not being held back by self-doubt or fear is essential for personal and professional growth.

7. The importance of faith and spirituality: Faith can provide solace and guidance during difficult circumstances and help shape one's values and priorities in life and business.

Overall, this episode encourages listeners to prioritize their relationships, seek support during challenging times, and find a healthy balance between work and family life.

Episode Highlights:

00:00:00 - The Interconnection of Business and Marriage

The guest emphasizes that there is no separation between business and marriage and family issues. They all affect each other. However, help is often sought in only one area, either through marriage counseling or business coaching, without considering how the two intersect.

00:02:05 - Redefining the Entrepreneurial Journey

The guest explains that their mission is to help married entrepreneurs achieve greater work-life balance. They aim to assist entrepreneurs in succeeding both in their business and in their marriage, rather than feeling like they have to prioritize one over the other.

00:03:04 - The Importance of Relationships in Business

The guest highlights the significance of relationships in business. Building relationships with customers, employees, and even the brand itself is crucial for long-term success. Additionally, investing in relationships with one's spouse and family is essential for personal fulfillment and lasting memories.

00:04:05 - Success in Business vs. Success in Relationships

The guest challenges the belief that success in business can only be achieved at the expense of personal relationships. They argue that it is possible to invest in both and provide examples of thriving family enterprises that have achieved success in business while prioritizing relationships.

00:08:14 - Redefining Success based on Accomplishments

The guest shares their personal journey of redefining success. Growing up with a strong work ethic, they initially defined success based on achievements and accomplishments. However, they realized the importance of investing in relationships.

00:13:59 - Being There for Others in Times of Loss

The guest shares his experience of losing his wife and emphasizes the importance of being there for someone who is grieving. He encourages people to not shy away from offering support and acknowledges that simply being present for someone can make a significant difference in their healing process.

00:15:26 - Redefining Success and Valuing Relationships

The guest reflects on how his wife's passing caused him to redefine his understanding of success. He realizes that true success lies in nurturing and valuing relationships. He shares the story of his relationship with his wife, from being childhood sweethearts to the sudden loss, highlighting the importance of cherishing the time spent with loved ones.

00:16:59 - Struggles of Being a Preacher's Kid

The guest, a preacher's kid, admits to drifting away from his faith but still maintaining a healthy view of God. He believes that many preacher's kids wander because they perceive the church as an obstacle to a closer relationship with their parents. He emphasizes the significance of investing time and attention into children's lives.

00:18:19 - Trusting in God's Plan

Despite not actively walking with the Lord at the time of his wife's passing, the guest's faith remained strong. He shares a moment of surrender and trust in God's plan, acknowledging that even though he didn't understand the situation, he had to believe that something good would come out of it.

00:27:14 - Meeting Kay Lee on a Christian dating website

Robert shares how he met his wife Kay Lee on a Christian dating website after clicking on a spam email. He describes how meeting her led him back to the church and how they eventually got married.

00:28:14 - Growing in faith together

Robert talks about how Kay Lee slowly introduced him back to the church and how they became more involved in their church community. He shares how their trip to Israel and getting baptized in the Jordan River solidified his commitment to his faith.

00:29:36 - Following God's breadcrumbs

Robert discusses the concept of following breadcrumbs and taking one step at a time in his faith journey. He explains how God led him to start a business in marketing consulting and how he found fulfillment in helping small family businesses succeed.

00:34:08 - Discipling people through the seven mountains of culture

Robert talks about the concept of the seven mountains of culture and how they influence and disciple society. He explains the importance of having a positive influence in different spheres, such as business, arts, and entertainment.

00:36:56 - Consulting with small family businesses

Robert shares how he transitioned from his corporate job to consulting full-time with small family businesses. He discusses his passion for helping these businesses succeed and the impact it has on their lives and communities.

00:39:49 - The Struggle of Work-Life Balance

Regardless of how much money someone has or how successful their business is, work-life balance is still a struggle. Being present in the now is challenging for entrepreneurs, and it affects both their personal and professional lives.

00:42:19 - Small Family Business

Small family businesses, defined as those with less than $10 million in revenue, face unique challenges. The intertwining of marriage and business creates tension and conflicts that few people understand. Business owners, especially those who work together with their spouses, often find it difficult to navigate both aspects of their lives.

00:43:43 - The Importance of Addressing Marriage and Business

The lack of separation between marriage and business is a common problem. Most counseling or coaching services focus on one aspect while neglecting the other. However, addressing both marriage and business issues is crucial for business owners, as they directly impact each other.

00:45:41 - Communication and Conflict Resolution

The top challenge for married entrepreneurs is communication and conflict resolution. Disagreements and differing viewpoints between spouses can create tension in both personal and business matters. Valuing each other's opinions, listening, and focusing on personal change are essential for resolving conflicts.

00:49:45 - The Power of Listening to Your Spouse

Listening to your spouse's input, even if they are not directly involved in the business, is crucial. Spouses often have valuable insights and intuitions that should not be disregarded.

00:53:32 - The Decision to Write a Book

The hosts discuss how they came to the decision to write a collaborative book with different experts contributing to each chapter. They credit a couple in Arizona for inspiring them to write the book and share their vision of reaching as many married entrepreneurs as possible.

00:54:35 - The Purpose of the Book

The book is designed to help married entrepreneurs improve their lives and businesses. It includes a workbook and QR codes for additional resources. The authors emphasize that the information in the book is not entirely new, but they have packaged it in a way that they believe will be beneficial.

00:55:37 - Understanding Your Partner

The hosts emphasize the importance of studying your spouse or partner in order to better understand their strengths, communication style, and love language. They recommend using assessments such as StrengthsFinder, DISC, and Love Languages to gain insight into yourself and your partner.

00:56:09 - Choosing the Title 'Tandem'

The guest credits their mastermind group for coming up with the title 'Tandem' for their book. They explain that the title represents the idea of two people working together in life and business, like riding a tandem bike. They share a humorous anecdote about their own experience with a tandem bike.

00:58:59 - Resources and Where to Find Them

The hosts mention their podcast, 'Power Couples', and their website, marriedentrepreneur.co, as resources for married entrepreneurs.

Thank you for listening to Seek Go Create!

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