Do You Treat Your Business the Same Way You Treat Your Number-One Relationship?

Business – a strange phenomenon. Here is how I understand it.

I choose a business idea. I research and watch similar businesses to see what works. I decide on my target market. I invest hard-earned (or hard-borrowed) money to develop flashy marketing materials, make a ton of phone calls, and enter into a ‘courtship’ to attract those ideal customers into my place of business. I go to great lengths to provide exceptional customer service, invest hours of time, piles of money, and great effort to ensure that those customers like and trust me.

My intent is to have those same loyal customers for years and years and years and years (a really long time). I want them to talk favourably about me to all of their friends, family, and colleagues. The desired result is a win-win relationship where my customer receives exceptional service, and I profit; intrinsically with good feelings, and extrinsically with financial and material rewards. It makes my customers’ life great, and it makes my life great. Cool deal.

If I don’t provide exceptional service, my customers may become dissatisfied and go elsewhere. Ouch, I don’t want that.

Is that how you understand business?

What about the business of a primary relationship with a partner or spouse?

Hmmm, very similar. Here is what happened for me.


I got an idea of how a relationship ‘should be.’ Fortunately, I had great models. My parents, Neil and Elizabeth Ohler, modelled unconditional love, respect, kindness, trust, and effective communication – most of the time. Hey, they are humans!