Getting this start-up off the ground feels like I am cheating on my wife and family. I feel guilty because the Black Coffee Company (BCC) is always on my mind. It consumes blocks of time on the weekend with fulfilling orders and conference calls with the team. I'm zoned out on the metro commute to and from work listening to podcasts and interviews and reading whatever I can get my hands on about coffee, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Constantly thinking about strategies on how BCC can grow, how we can reach a wider audience, how we can improve our business practices. I would love to say that I am doing a great job at balancing the business and family time, but I know deep down that the business has impacted the family. Wifey, because she is amazing, just quietly picks up the slack and the balls I drop trying to do both. Sometime I get scared thinking about the growth potential BCC has because I know there will be hard decisions that will have to be made and it will be even more challenging to manage my limited time. You want more orders, but you dislike the time it will take away from your family. You want invitations to speak and feature your products, but dislike that you have to travel and be away from the family. It is so conflicting!
I found myself trying to down play my involvement with BCC by trying to convince myself and my wife that it does not take much of my time. I didn't really discuss the day to day operation with wifey. A low point was when wifey found out that we planned on going to Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) homecoming via social media. I was like "you can't believe everything on the Internet." :) It even got worst when I purchased my flight to New Orleans for homecoming without having a real conversation with wifey.
I had to slow down! I realized with a marriage it is more important to make a joint decision then to make the right decision. Since those mistakes, I've been transparent with my spouse regarding the business no matter how uncomfortable the conversation can get. It was a tough period, but we got through it. A wise tale says "communication is the key to a successful relationship," and I totally agree!!!