“1969, what is marriage really like? I am about to walk down that path and I need a married person’s insight.”
It’s like running a corporation. A business venture. You have to go into it knowing that it could fail or it could succeed beyond your wildest dreams and make you rich.
The company is only as strong as it’s employees. When they lose focus on the big picture…..problems arise. The only way to solve the problems are to sit down, have each side air out their differences and resolve the issues through negotiations. The parties will need to compromise when necessary, admit when they are wrong or recognize when the other employee has a better plan and accept it.
Things can run smoothly but you always have to deal with outside forces that can threaten to halt production. It could come from family, friends, job, stress, kids, money…..you have to be ready to face these issues as a united team. Always keeping problems out in the open and discussing them with the team. Celebrating successes and learning from failures. Never being defeated because one idea didn’t work. Moving forward always and getting excited and motivated by the next idea.
If the employees don’t share the vision, believe in the vision and work together…..the endeavor will fail.
If the employees start discussing their business with outside forces or competitors……it opens themselves up for takeovers, leaves their company vulnerable.
Some businesses will get rich. Some will barely make ends meet. Some will never make a dime. The money does not measure success. The sense of accomplishment will come from the daily struggle…..the love of what you do, working together day in and day out.
If you’re really blessed, you will raise others to one day follow in your footsteps with a sound business acumen and a plan that you taught them. They will have all of the knowledge to go forth and start their own companies and be successful in their own right.
Good luck on starting your company!
(c) nineteen69.wordpress.com

28 comments
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November 20, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Roycee
I’ve never been married but this was a good metaphor…I actually Got It! Nice to know that when I do start my company I have some wise consultants around me
November 20, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Erica B.
Excellent metaphor! So much better than a freakin’ car!
November 20, 2007 at 4:15 pm
nineteen69
Roycee…always!
Erica B…yeah the car thing was killing me.
November 20, 2007 at 4:32 pm
adrienne
This is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!
November 20, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Sissy
This was a great analogy, it appeals to my business sensibilities.
November 20, 2007 at 5:05 pm
MissB
Very good metaphor!! Way to break it down!!!
November 20, 2007 at 5:22 pm
ms. lee
I have never thought about it in this way. Great breakdown, Nineteen! (Cute title.
)
November 20, 2007 at 7:00 pm
BZ
Hopefully one day I”ll be able to put this to use! At least I understood it!
That’s a start!
November 20, 2007 at 7:39 pm
jameil
yay!!!!!!!!! i love good married folk!!!!!!!!!!!
November 20, 2007 at 7:40 pm
alwaysfunkyfresh
Most businesses fail within the first 5 years and I think the reason for that is because everybody has their own “idea” of how they want to run the business and there’s no “one” view. So my advice would be:
*Don’t compare your business to others. They make apples. Yours makes oranges.
*Invest in your 401K. The future is important.
*Don’t make any major business decisions without consulting the board of directors.
*Talk.
-Fresh “Buffet”
November 20, 2007 at 7:42 pm
nineteen69
Listen to Fresh ladies…..he knows.
November 20, 2007 at 8:03 pm
lynn
Wonderful post….. I’ll have to keep it handy when my time comes…..
November 20, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Honest
You my dear are wise. Great post.
November 21, 2007 at 12:55 am
Pro
Yep. This needs a TM (Trademark) on it. Love it because it’s a great metaphor and truthful representation. And you didn’t even “go there” with all of the mergers that can potentially ruin a marriage. Neffi from Keisha Cole’s The Way It Is mentioned the fact that her own marriage had a ‘merger’ and it opened up her house/spouse to other unhealthy ventures. They invited another person into their marital relationship (i.e. Threesome). This unfortunately didn’t include JTWROS (joint tenancy with right of survivorship). *Flexing my real estate learned-ness*
Great post-like advice!
November 21, 2007 at 4:50 am
tanyetta
Well said and I agree, put a TM on this “ret-now”
I completely agree and I will add that the business partners should have a mission statement and I am not talking about just the marriage *sat-fi-kit* either!
A true mission statement that must be reviewed every few years for updates, changes, review and so on. You know like an annual review type of thing.;)
I honestly LOVED this post. This needs to go throughout the blog land for real! I’m serious!
p.s. LOL at—This unfortunately didn’t include JTWROS (joint tenancy with right of survivorship). *Flexing my real estate learned-ness*
November 21, 2007 at 5:49 am
Diva_Denise
Nineteen69, put a stamp on this, it definitely has my seal of approval!!!! you have broken marriage down so eloquently with those memorable metaphors!!!
and alwaysfunkyfresh, glad to hear a married man give some solid advice and in *favor* of how to maintain a successful marriage!
November 21, 2007 at 6:07 am
Kayla
Wow! Great post! You put into words what I’ve been trying to convey to my cousin. With your permission, I’d like to share a link to this post with her.
November 21, 2007 at 9:17 am
penny
wonderful post – i totally agree with you and will co-sign with others that it was a good metaphor.
fresh you are dead right!
love from Kenya!
November 21, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Bklyn's Finest
I love this.. like Roycee I’m glad I have wise consultants around me.. and I am glad they are both male and female!!!
Good ish Sixty and Fresh!!!
copy & paste and send to friends
November 21, 2007 at 1:11 pm
nineteen69
Thanks folks. I am glad you liked it and thanks to Fresh and Pro for the addendums…LOL
November 21, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Stacey_CrimsonPurl
Gurl that was so on point!
Thanks for the advice!
November 21, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Hostess
Too lazy to read the comments. This is EXACTLY what I was taught and witnessed with my parents for a long time. The minute they started NOT working as a team, all hell broke loose. When I have used this business analogy on my blog and in real life, people told me I was wrong because it left no room for love. I, unmarried, think that if more people thought about marriage as a merger they would make better choices about who they married and stay married more. Most unmarried folks don’t wanna talk about that. All they care about is LOVE–which is great and all. But if the OPERATIONS department sucks, all the love in the world won’t stop the ship from sinking.
November 21, 2007 at 2:26 pm
nineteen69
Hostess….exactly. I didn’t know all ofthis when I first got married either. I was one of the “love will conquer all” folks. You better believe that I have since taken some training courses, worked on my economic skills, and got a few mentors…..and now, the company is getting off the ground. It takes work….like….well, WORK. LOL
Happy Holidays!!!
November 21, 2007 at 4:40 pm
tanyetta
I came back to read this again!
Glad to see the TM on it. Can we cut and paste to everyone in our address books now?
November 21, 2007 at 5:29 pm
nineteen69
Yup
November 21, 2007 at 9:19 pm
mrslish
All of that!!! I’m taking the ring back!!! Shyt the wedding is hard enough..lol
November 27, 2007 at 12:21 am
Mlle. Mitchell
o wow. i love the way you put that. i’m saving that for future reference (not to mention, sending it to Monsieur N!)
February 19, 2008 at 1:56 pm
» Smart Women Marry for Money, and Here’s Why on Consumerism Commentary: A Personal Finance Blog
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