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Q.Tom McKaskill - Partners and Spouses – How do they react to what you do as an entrepreneur?

My husband thinks that I am a great marketer but totally irresponsible financially. Both of us have had careers in corporate life. But my husband has created and sold several other businesses. At some point after he sold one and I was up to my neck in contracts and compliance at RedBalloon Days I asked him to assist – could he review this, check that, what about trademarks. Having a husband with a strong accounting/finance background was invaluable. Then after a period of 6 months or so...it became obvious that I needed him full time.

That was when the fun really started. I wanted to spend $15k on a trade show...My accountant husband pointed out that at current earnings that was 15 months revenue and wasn’t I being slightly foolish to spend that amount of money....Ooh did we have a huge fight over that one. He finally said to me ‘Well it’s your money honey’...now of course with that sort of drama there was no way that I was not going to make this event the most successful in the history of marketing. I followed up every detail, every lead, every idea of an opportunity. Ultimately we won $500k worth of business over the next 12 months from the event – and we still get regular business from those that we first met at that tradeshow.

What my husband does is challenge me – push me to greatness, never let me sit on my hands. Whilst now he totally trusts my marketing judgment – marketing (or any other) spend is never taken for granted. Now he is the CEO of GoDo..sister company to RedBalloon Days the real time booking engine of activities that takes our work through distribution channels to the tourism market. I would have to say that there is plenty of friendly rivalry between the two businesses which share many resources...we push each other to the next level. I never knew our relationship could be so profound and fabulous. And in a million years for the first 10 years of our marriage I never ever ever ever thought that we could work together, let alone be a powerful partnership.