"I don't want to just be a yes mom, I want to be a yes wife."

By: Alyece Smith

It’s no secret that balancing a successful business with a thriving marriage can be a major challenge. We’ve all seen the stereotypical entrepreneur hustle where business comes first and relationships sometimes fall by the wayside. But what if I told you that saying “yes” more often to your spouse—not just in words, but in the way you approach your marriage—could actually transform both your relationship and your business?

I want to take you through my personal story of how learning to say yes, in both my marriage and business, shifted everything for me—emotionally and financially.

The Guilt of Saying No

Let’s rewind a little bit to when my husband and I were just starting out. I had just graduated from college, and he already had a well-paying job in the oil field. Back then, I thought I was set. We had money coming in, and I felt confident that we were building a solid life together.

But, like so many other couples, life threw us some curveballs. Medical expenses, infertility treatments, and unexpected personal costs drained us. And suddenly, even with his good income, I found myself constantly saying "no" when he wanted to do something as simple as buying a new tool or taking a small weekend trip.

Now, here’s the kicker: He never once blamed me or even seemed outwardly frustrated. But I could see it. Every time I had to say no, it chipped away at him a little more. He was working hard, spending weeks at a time away from home on the oil rigs, only to come back and be told that we couldn’t afford this or that. And the guilt...the guilt I carried from being the one who always had to say “no” was crushing.

"It doesn’t have to be about Range Rovers and Louis Vuittons. It’s about those experiences."

A Shift in Mindset: From Guilt to Yes
Fast forward a few years, and I decided to start my own business. It wasn’t just about making money—it was about creating financial independence for our family so that I could start saying yes more often. I wanted to be able to contribute, to take the financial stress off my husband’s shoulders, and to be in a position where "no" wasn’t the default answer.

This was where the real transformation began. I slowly started to see how our relationship was shifting as I was able to say yes to things that I previously couldn’t. It was like I had unlocked a new level of freedom. One of the biggest moments of this shift came when my business grew to the point where I could afford to surprise him with something big.

The Yes That Changed Everything
My husband has always had this dream of buying a conversion van so that we could take our family on long road trips—think Yellowstone, the East Coast, big family adventures. But as much as I loved the idea, a part of me kept going back to the old mindset: Could we afford it? Was this really the right time? Shouldn’t we save more?

Then, I stopped myself. For years, this man had sacrificed for our family. He had always put everyone else’s needs before his own. And now, I was in a position to change that. I had built a business that allowed me to pull out five figures in cash and say, "Yes, let’s buy the van."

Let me tell you, the look on his face when we went to pick it up was priceless. I didn’t just buy a van; I bought us the ability to create lifelong memories as a family. And I was able to do that because I had shifted my mindset around money and business.

How Financial Freedom Strengthens Relationships
It’s not just about the material things—although, let’s be real, it feels pretty amazing to be able to surprise someone you love with something big. What this shift did for our relationship was far deeper. Financial freedom gave us options. It gave us the ability to say yes more often to things that matter. It also allowed me to step into a role where I could be a bigger part of the decision-making process when it came to family finances.

In business, we talk a lot about our "why"—the deeper reason behind why we do what we do. For me, part of my why is to have the ability to say yes more often to my family, to give them experiences and opportunities that weren’t possible before. This freedom has strengthened my marriage in ways I couldn’t have imagined. It wasn’t about fancy cars or luxury vacations; it was about knowing that we could choose the life we wanted to live together.

What This Means for Your Business
If you’re reading this and feeling like you’re constantly torn between your business and your family, I want you to know that it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to choose one over the other. The key is building financial freedom through your business, and it starts with a shift in mindset.

When you create financial independence, you no longer have to operate from a place of scarcity. You don’t have to say no as often because you have built something that supports both your personal and professional goals. And the best part? You get to say yes more often to the people you love, without feeling guilty or stretched thin.

In Closing
Learning to say yes to my husband more often didn’t just transform our marriage—it transformed my business. It gave me the drive to build something that allowed us to create the life we wanted, not the life we felt we were stuck with.

If you’re ready to start saying yes to both your business and your family, I encourage you to dive deeper into this journey.

Listen to my full podcast episode, where I talk about how this shift can happen for you, too. It’s time to step into your financial freedom and strengthen both your marriage and your business.

Click Here To Listen To Episode 146: Why Saying Yes to Your Spouse Can Transform Your Marriage & Business 🎙️