⚡ The Ugly Truth (And Beautiful Reality) of Working With Your Spouse
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Let’s be honest.
Working with your spouse can be a minefield.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it—there are days when it feels like we’re stuck in a feedback loop where everything I say gets translated into something I didn’t mean. There are moments I catch myself falling into old habits, playing the "know-it-all" role, and yeah… sometimes I forget she’s not my employee, she’s my partner.
And guess what? She reminds me. (Usually with a look that could short-circuit Bolt himself.)
⚡ The Pros: She’s My Favorite Teammate
First, the good stuff.
Working with my wife means I get to build this crazy dream with my favorite person.
She knows me better than anyone. She knows when I’m stretching myself too thin, when I need to slow down, and when I’m getting stuck in my head. She can take my half-finished sentences and make sense of them.
She’s the reason so much of Bolt Voltage: Out Of Sync works. Because she gets it. She gets me.
And the truth is? She’s usually right. About the pacing. About the colors. About when I need to step away from the drawing board and just go take a walk (or a nap).
⚡ The Cons: I’m a Work in Progress
Now for the ugly stuff.
I’m still unlearning things.
Like thinking my way is the only way. Or catching myself talking over her when we brainstorm because I got "too excited" (but, let’s be real—it’s rude, no matter how excited I am).
There are days when I have to sit back and ask myself: “Do I want to be right, or do I want to win together?”
And the answer better be "win together," because if it’s not, we both lose.
Marriage and creative partnerships aren’t about control. They’re about trust.
And trust only works if you let go of the idea that you’ve got it all figured out.
(Spoiler alert: I don’t.)
⚡ What Saves Us? Love—and Coffee
What keeps us moving forward is love, respect, and the fact that she still brings me coffee even when I’m being a stubborn mule.
We both want to make something meaningful. We both care about Bolt Voltage because, in a way, he’s both of us. He’s our story about finding your way back to connection when you’ve felt out of sync.
And some days, we’re out of sync. But we always recalibrate.
⚡ The Bottom Line
Working with your spouse isn’t always pretty. It’s humbling.
But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Because when it works—and it does work—it’s lightning in a bottle.
If you’re thinking about building something with your partner, here’s my advice:
Check your ego at the door. Listen more than you talk. And when you mess up (because you will), own it.
And maybe make them a coffee while you’re at it.
Stay tuned. Stay charged. ⚡