“The total of a love that’s true / Multiply life by the power of two”
- Power of Two, The Indigo Girls
This was really our mantra. The first three years of our marriage it was just the two of us. Then came Hannah and together we became parents. Then Candace became a Mompreneur, making me the Dadmarriedtoamompreneur™.
Everything changed the day Name Your Tune was born. It’s not so different from having a new baby in the house – only this new baby doesn’t grow up and go to pre-school. As with a newborn, there’s not always free time for Mom to take a shower, do laundry, go grocery shopping or make spaghetti sauce from scratch like she used to.
But, being a Dadmarriedtoamompreneur™ does have advantages. On Take Your Daughter to Work Day, Hannah stays home. Hannah loves to help out with mailings (I apologize in advance for those of you who have received 9 bookmarks in one envelope). If Hannah needs to come home from school early or go to a doctor’s appointment, Candace and I don’t argue over who is going to ask for the day off. Some of the greatest movies we’ve ever watched together were seen in front of our TV while packaging CDs in envelopes. It all happens in my home. There is never a shortage of things to plan for - trips to trade shows, what I’m going to do with Hannah while she’s away, and when would be a great time for either (or both) of us to have an ulcer.
My vacation days aren’t "personal” days – they are most often used for trade shows or working wide-eyed on Daddy-duty. All of us Dadmarriedtoamompreneurs™ use our expertise to help our wives, don't we? Whether you are a publicist (like myself), lawyer, chiropracter, accountant, CEO or IT specialist - we all contribute the growth and success of her business. At tradeshows, however, we are collectively known as "The Schleppers". We arrive at the venue at 4:00pm waiting to help dismantle the booth and pack the car, knowing she just spent 8-10 hours on her feet. It's a lot like waiting for your luggage at baggage claim - "I hope we're out first.'
Candace’s best friend since preschool operates Name Your Tune on the West Coast. We join Jessica and her husband for our annual Summit – meetings on the beach, working late into the night by the ocean. We bring Hannah as well. With the birth of their first child in August, Mario will, like me, become a Dadmarriedtoamompreneur™.
As a Dadmarriedtoamompreneur™, I need to be ready for anything. She doesn’t have a boss who takes her out to lunch to celebrate a great day or event. I get to do that. I’m always happy to share in those moments with her.
Our song continues:
“And if we ever leave a legacy, its that we loved each other well / Mulitply life by the power of two”
"
Printer-friendly version