Navigating Family Relationships While Building Your Business with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish
Nov 20, 2025
Some episodes feel like a deep exhale — this is one of them. I sat down with psychologist, couples therapist, and author Dr. Tracy Dalgleish to talk about the relationships that carry us: with our partners, our families, and yes, our businesses. We covered the dinner-table conversations most of us avoid, how to navigate a partner’s fear around entrepreneurship, what real “repair” looks like, and why mother/mother-in-law expectations can sting when you’re building something new. If you’re growing a business and a family at the same time, this one’s a permission slip and a plan.
The Power of Partnership in an Evolving System
We don’t just live in relationships — we live in systems. When your business changes, the whole system changes: roles, routines, money, mental load, identity. Stability gets shaken, and without conversation, resentment grows. Tracy’s reminder: when you and your partner are a solid team, you’re more resilient everywhere — at home, at work, and in the messy middle.
Business Changes the System — Name It
Growth (or contraction) in your business shifts the family dynamic. Don’t wait for frustration to boil over. Say the quiet part out loud: “Things are changing. Let’s talk about how this impacts time, roles, and support.”
The Dinner-Table Conversation: Expectations & Desires
Keep big talks out of the bedroom. Sit down, shoulder-to-shoulder, and cover three essentials:
- What I want (vision and values)
- What we need (time, money, logistics)
- What this looks like (specific commitments and timelines)
Curiosity Over Defensiveness
If your partner resists, get curious:
“What thoughts or worries come up when you imagine me investing more in the business?”
Curiosity lowers defenses and reveals the real issue (security, time, change).
Boundaries With the Business (and Your Phone)
Label your work windows: “I need 10 focused minutes to finish DMs, then I’m all yours.”
Clear edges turn “You’re always on your phone” into “I know what to expect.”
When Your Partner Feels Fear: Create Checkpoints
You don’t have to erase uncertainty to move forward. Offer safety rails:
- A 90-day check-in to review progress
- Budget guardrails and shared visibility
- A simple support plan for heavy weeks
Seasons of Push — and Pause
Some seasons require a sprint (launches, book tours, new offers). Name the season, set an end date, and plan the pause. Teamwork feels better when there’s a finish line.
Repair Over Perfection
Healthy relationships aren’t conflict-free; they’re repair-rich. The cycle is connection → disconnection → repair. Practice coming back together quickly and kindly.
Mother/MIL Expectations: Old Scripts, New Reality
When older generations don’t “get” entrepreneurship, their comments can sting. Two tools:
- Give it voice: Share what your work actually looks like and why it matters.
- Close the gate: Unhelpful comments reflect their scripts, not your worth. Let them bounce off and redirect.
Build Your Bench (Your Partner Can’t Be Everything)
Find peers who understand funnels, launches, clients, and kids. Community normalizes the chaos and shares solutions — your partner doesn’t have to hold it all.
Be Scrappy, Be Human
No one taught us “record B-roll,” “build a website,” or “launch a membership” in school. We learn by doing (and crying a little on the way). Progress over polish, always.
The Takeaway
You don’t have to choose between your relationship and your business — you need a plan that honors both. Name the season, make the plan, set the boundaries, and keep repairing. When you and your partner move like a team, everything else gets lighter.
