012 - Navigating Identity, Loneliness, and Life Transitions Together

In this week’s episode of Building a Life and Business Together, Stephanie and I dive into an open and unfiltered conversation about what’s been happening in our lives, our reflections on identity, and the reality of evolving roles in marriage and family.

We discuss:

• Energy and Inspiration: My epiphany about the Focus Wheel technique and how it fueled a day of incredible action, including an inspiring interview with Jim Newcombe that spanned across multiple podcast formats and even opened the door for potential mastermind membership.
• The Joy of Routine: Our growing consistency with this podcast, its evolution, and how it’s become a space for entrepreneurial couples to connect with relatable life stories.
• Identity After Parenting: Stephanie reflects on the journey of transitioning from full-time mom to rediscovering her passions and identity after our kids left home. We explore the challenge of reconstructing personal identity outside of societal expectations and how that impacts life together.
• Reconnecting with Others: Stephanie shares her recent realization of loneliness after her close friend moved away and discusses ideas for building new connections, such as joining book clubs, yoga classes, or even starting something of her own.
• The Empty Nest Phase… Or Not: We talk about what it’s like to have our adult son, Matthew, back home and the excitement of watching him pursue his passion to become a high school math teacher.
• Living With Intention: We touch on how both of us have intentionally chosen paths in life that align with our passions while encouraging our children to do the same.
• Future Possibilities: We tease next week’s topic: the potential for me to embark on a three-week personal retreat and how we’re navigating the logistics and emotions of that possibility.

This episode is packed with heartfelt insights, humor, and thought-provoking reflections on life, identity, and the joy of creating a shared vision as a couple. We hope it inspires you to build your own life and business together!