A Husband’s Take On Influencing

Insights from the Other Side of the Camera

Starting back in 2016, blogging really started as a hobby for Brittany when my traveling for work picked up. Little did I know photography was going to become my quickly learned hobby. It was difficult at first, and I wasn’t necessarily enjoying this new hobby. My friends and colleagues didn’t understand the whole idea of blogging – let’s just say they very much enjoyed making fun of it.

When Brittany decided to leave Insight Global, we were walking away from dependable income and a “safe” job. I was incredibly wary as our pay was being cut in half. I convinced her to take a job as a social media manager for a realty company so she could still help pay for some of our bills, and my salary would cover the rest. Many doubted, including leadership from Insight Global and our accountant, whom I subsequently fired. Brittany only stayed doing social media management for around 6 months before Loverly Grey really took off.

partners in business + life
the start of our family
early days of Loverly Grey


For the next 2.5 years, Brittany continued growing Loverly Grey, and it was amazing to watch it go from her fun hobby to keep her busy to a full-blown business. She hired an assistant to help her so my photography “skills” were not as needed. At that point, I was really able to step in as a supporter for her passion. During this time, I still worked at Insight Global, but as she was growing, more friends & colleagues were understanding how realistic it was and how excited we both were for Loverly Grey to continue growing. I was proud of the vision she had.

In 2019, when we got pregnant with Hazel, we knew we wanted to move to Athens. That coincided with Loverly Grey doing well enough to need a full-time business manager. I left my job with even more doubt from leadership to work with Brittany full-time. My first full day of working with Brittany was February 1st, 2020. 6 weeks later, “Daddy Day Care” started with the COVID shutdowns. That time was incredibly difficult for me personally, but I look back with fondness on the time I got to spend with Collins.


In May of 2020 we moved to Athens and Hazel born 18 days later! During this time Loverly Grey continued to expand. From working at home, to buying a house to work out of, to our commercial space with built in photography studio the business continues to grow to a point where we now have 15 full time employees.

Let’s talk about the Pros & Cons of working with your spouse:

Pros of Working with Spouse – You get to build something together. Your kids get to see you as parents, spouses, and coworkers. You are the deciding voice in the direction of the company. You get to help others grow personally, professionally, and financially. You get to watch your spouse define an industry and set the bar for what success looks like.

Cons of Working with Spouse – B as the Visionary and me as the Integrator can be difficult. I am much more cautious, particularly financially where as she is glass half full and sees only the positives. Having to play the “bad guy” when making business decisions. Having to learn boundaries otherwise you can just work 24/7.

Here are my pointers for anyone looking to take this leap and start any business with your spouse:

  • Know the difference between talking to your spouse and talking to your business partner
  • Know when to push back and know when to let the visionary operate. Always be supportive but also be able to discuss pros/cons of any strategy or initiative
  • Don’t let the business take over the marriage
  • Always be the number 1 fan. There is negativity everywhere and your spouse needs to know you will always support them
  • Insulate when needed to allow for continued creative success