Marriage Doesn't Hurt Your Career If You Choose The Right One

...I did

Sometimes people frame marriage as a drag on a man's potential success. But what I've found has been the complete opposite.

Without my wife's support, I wouldn't be nearly as successful and probably wouldn't have started this new career in media.

Before I met my wife, I was either single or in somewhat unhealthy relationships with women who didn't fully accept me, nevertheless willing to risk their comforts to support my ventures. Even when my wife was my girlfriend, she went above and beyond to support me.

Summer of 2020, I had this crazy idea to write a book and when I told her what I wanted to do, she supported it coming to life. Every day I would write a couple pages, send it to her to read while commuting to work on the train and she would give me feedback and encouragement.

Having a long-term project like this where you could quit at any time, it's easy to give up on it since there are no real expectations or obligations of completing it. Having my wife there as daily confirmation that what I was doing was the right move was immeasurable.

Mind you, what I was writing about could be viewed as controversial and I never told my employer what I was doing. I didn't know if I'd lose my job, friends, or family behind writing how I truly felt. It was a major risk and my wife never hesitated taking that risk with me.

My wife isn't highly political and doesn't always agree with my stances but that has never interfered with our relationship or made her question supporting what I'm doing. If anything, that made her get closer to me to understand my perspective better.

When I started getting public attention, she'd move her schedule around for me to do interviews or write without interference. When I started appearing on television, she'd bring me shopping for more fashionable outfits & to the dentist to get my teeth repaired.

There were conferences that I would attend where I would sell copies of my books and my wife would transform into a competitive saleswoman selling every copy of my book. She compelled people to buy the book because of how much she believed in its message and author.

My wife was the one who pushed me to quit my job and take a leap of faith into writing and media as a full-time venture. She's never wavered on that decision, even during some of the more difficult months economically because she believes in me and my ability to be successful.

There hasn't been a single person who has met her who didn't fall in love with her personality, prompting them to remind me how blessed I am to have her by my side. Especially being in professional circles with other married couples, she has only been a net positive in my career.

The problem isn't the institution of marriage but who you decide to marry. If you choose the right person for the right reasons, who possesses qualities that are beneficial to your life and believes in you, then you will experience the same blessings I have.

There are too many people who marry the person they've been consistently dating because it's "time to do so" rather than seeking out an individual who meets your criteria as a forever partner with the intention of marriage.

My wife showed me before we were even married that she was always going to stand beside me, no matter the ups or downs. Every relationship is a risk and she saw that I was a risk worth taking.

There is nothing better than being with someone who will always ride with you.