A week ago, I stood before friends and family to toast my daughter and her new husband. It was one of those rare, crystalline moments when time slows down. There’s joy and gratitude, but also perspective — the kind that only arrives when you’re standing in the middle of something beautiful and fleeting.

As I spoke to them about love and partnership, it struck me that nearly every lesson I shared applied equally to the entrepreneurial journey. Marriage and entrepreneurship both demand commitment, vulnerability, and a willingness to show up for the work — even when it’s messy, imperfect, and uncomfortable.

Do the Work

I told them marriage is a work in progress. So is building a business. Both are filled with moments that test your patience, confidence, and identity. There are no shortcuts. Founders who succeed — like couples who thrive — understand that real progress is built brick by brick, one intentional conversation, one micro-move at a time.

Own Your Happiness

I reminded them they aren’t responsible for each other’s happiness — they’re accountable for their own. The same holds true for founders. Your investors, team, or customers can’t create fulfillment for you. That’s an inside job. When you build from alignment — knowing your “why,” your boundaries, and what “enough” looks like — everything else flows with more ease and integrity.

Earn It Every Day

I joked that my new son-in-law, like me, “out-kicked his coverage.” But there’s truth in that. In love and in entrepreneurship, you don’t get to rest on the initial “yes.” Every day is another chance to earn the trust of your team, your partners, your customers — and yourself. Some days you’ll fail. The work is to wake up, recommit, and try again.

Be Vulnerable

I told them vulnerability is the true north when you’re scared and groundless. That’s just as true in business. The moments that stretch you — a stalled growth curve, a team conflict, a market shift — are invitations to be real. To admit what you don’t know. To ask for help. Courageous leadership is born in those moments of exposure, not invincibility.

Learn to Negotiate (and Sometimes Lose)

I warned my son-in-law that my daughter is a world-class negotiator. Sometimes the win is knowing when to lose with grace. Founders face that daily — negotiating with investors, retailers, and even themselves. The art is in knowing which hills to die on and which to let go. Resilience isn’t about winning every round; it’s about staying in the game with integrity intact.

Protect Your Core

Finally, I told them to put their nuclear family first, even when the rest of us try to pull them in a dozen directions. Entrepreneurs need the same discipline. Protect your energy. Guard the systems, people, and habits that keep you grounded. Without them, the business owns you, not the other way around.

When I coach and support entrepreneurs, we talk about clarity, energy, focus, courage, and systems. Those aren’t abstract concepts; they’re how we sustain love and leadership over time.

So, here’s my toast — not just to my daughter and her new husband, but to every founder doing the work:

To the messy, imperfect journey of building something that matters. To showing up with heart, failing with grace, and earning it again tomorrow. May your walls echo with laughter, your team feel your love, and your purpose remain your north star.

Cheers.