Shelley Forsman says she didn't really figure out who she was until she turned 40. And looking at everything she's accomplished since then, you'd never guess how many different directions life took her to get here!

Before starting Forsman's Finest Decks with her husband, Travis, Shelley was a single mom, worked several different jobs, and was still figuring out what she wanted to do.

Then in 2018, she and Travis decided to take a chance and start their own construction company.

They didn't have much money, they didn't have everything figured out, and Shelley found herself wearing a tool belt and building decks right alongside her husband! 😂

In this episode of A Plumber's Wife, Shelley shares what those early years were really like. We talk about the financial risks, learning how to price jobs, hiring employees, making mistakes, and figuring out how to grow a business together.

But we also get into marriage, raising a family, finding your confidence, and learning how to be yourself while building a life with someone else.

I really enjoyed this conversation with Shelley, and I think there's a lot here that other wives building businesses with their husbands will appreciate!

Connect with Shelley & Forsman's Finest Decks:

🌐 Website: Forsman's Finest Decks

📘 Facebook: Forsman's Finest

💼 LinkedIn: Shelley Forsman

Follow A Plumber's Wife & the 100 Wives Project:

🎙️ A Plumber's Wife

Know a woman who's helped build a business alongside her husband? I'd love to hear her story! Visit my website to learn more about the 100 Wives Project.

Holly Douglas and her husband Scott took a huge leap of faith five years ago when Scott left a steady job he loved to start Douglas Construction in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Holly was pregnant, they had a young family, and there were plenty of reasons to be nervous. But they prayed about it, made a plan, and went for it.

Now, five years later, the company Scott left has approached them about buying their business.

Holly and I talk about what those early years looked like, working alongside your husband, raising and homeschooling kids while helping run a business, giving each other grace through the hard days, and why Holly believes you sometimes just have to try.

We also talk about something I think a lot of moms need to hear: having something that is still yours outside of motherhood and the family business.

And a fun little side note... Holly and I actually went to elementary school together. 😊

If you enjoy these conversations, please like and subscribe. It seriously motivates me to keep them coming!

And if you know a woman who has helped build a business alongside her husband and you think I need to interview her for the 100 Wives Project, please send her my way.

I’ve known Susan Corpuz for years through the Omaha business community, and I knew I wanted her to be part of the 100 Wives Project.

Susan and her husband Ralph built Corpuz Family Dentistry while raising four kids, and she was there through all the different seasons of it. Working in the practice, raising babies, building a team, figuring out how to work with your husband, and eventually watching those kids grow up and start building lives and businesses of their own.

And Susan has STORIES.

We talked about the early years of the dental practice, building a company culture where people actually feel appreciated, working with your spouse without making every little thing a big thing, and what she has learned from teaching the Five Love Languages over the years.

But some of my favorite parts had nothing to do with business.

We talked about family dinners, date nights, the traditions they created with their kids, her “three put-ups,” and what helped keep their family close through some really busy years.

She said something during our conversation that I wrote down immediately:

“Love people as they are and forgive them for who they’re not.”

That pretty much sums up Susan.

Today, Susan is helping her daughter Maria grow Bel Merch, an Omaha-based merchandise and design company, where Susan serves as Head of Business Development.

We did have a few audio hiccups during this one, but I decided I would much rather share a really good conversation imperfectly than not share it at all. And this one is worth hearing.

If you’re trying to grow a business with your husband while also raising kids, protecting your marriage, leading employees and somehow keeping your family connected through all of it, I think you’re going to love Susan.

This is Susan Corpuz’s story and another one of the 100 Wives.

Bel Merch
https://www.belmerch.com/

Meet the Bel Merch team + Susan’s role
https://www.belmerch.com/our-story

Instagram
@belmerch_

Learn more about the 100 Wives Project
https://aplumberswife.com/

What happens when you build a business with your husband and realize somewhere along the way that the business is growing, but you have to grow right along with it?

Amy Grewe has spent the last 12 years building Arbor Aesthetics alongside her husband, Jeff. But when she first stepped into the business, Jeff had already been running it for eight years and doing almost everything himself.

Then Amy came in with systems, marketing, organization, and a whole lot of ideas.

And it wasn't exactly smooth sailing. 😂

Amy and I talk about what those early years were really like, the arguments, couples therapy, becoming a mom while the business was growing like crazy, learning when to lead and when to step back, and figuring out how two very different people can actually build something together.

We get into the business side too. Building a company culture people actually want to be part of, setting boundaries with employees, EOS and Level 10 meetings, marketing, defining your roles, and getting outside help when you realize you can't figure everything out on your own.

But my favorite part of this conversation might be what Amy said at the very end:

“The business only grew when we grew.”

That pretty much says it all.

If you're building a family business alongside your husband and trying to figure out the marriage, kids, employees, business, and yourself somewhere in the middle of all of it, I think you're going to love this conversation.

This episode is part of the 100 Wives Project, my mission to sit down with 100 women who have helped build family businesses alongside their husbands and tell the stories we don't hear enough about.

If you're one of those women, or you know a wife whose story needs to be told, I want to hear from you.

Want to learn more about Amy and what she and Jeff have built together?

🌳 Visit Arbor Aesthetics: https://arboraesthetics.com

Mindset isn’t about being positive. It’s about how you interpret what’s happening to you. In this episode, I share how reframing your mindset can help you stay consistent, grow through hard seasons, and keep building without quitting.

In this episode, I talk about how simply writing goals down can shape your decisions even when you’re not thinking about them every day. I also share how, as a teenager, I wrote down the kind of husband and life I hoped for, and the moment I realized I’m now living much of what I once put on paper.

This isn’t about perfect systems or constant motivation. It’s about direction. And why, if you truly want to move toward something, writing it down and keeping it close, even by your bedside, can matter more than you think.

If you’ve ever wondered whether writing goals down really makes a difference, this episode is for you.

This is the very beginning of A Plumber’s Wife!

In this first episode, I’m sharing how our plumbing business started, a little of my past, and the real story of how my husband, Brad and I ended up building a life and business together. Yes, it includes how I noticed him long before he noticed me.

This episode is intentionally raw. No studio, no fancy mic. Just an honest conversation about starting a family business, working with your spouse, and learning as you go. The kind of beginning that’s messy, personal, and very real.

If you’re building a business with your husband, dreaming up ideas for your family, or figuring out how work, and motherhood fit together, this podcast is for you!

Future episodes will talk about marriage, small business life, marketing, and raising a family while building something meaningful side by side and bringing on other women to share their stories.

Grab a coffee and go for a walk with those airpods and come join me..... This is how it all began.

When people hear “working with your husband,” they often assume the wife does everything.

That wasn’t my role.

In this episode, I share what I actually handle in our business. Marketing, visibility, brand support, and encouragement. And just as importantly, what I didn't do at the beginning.

I don’t answer phones anymore. I don’t run day to day operations anymore. I don’t try to be everywhere anymore. I was there once but not right away and it's ok to take it step by step.

This episode is about going though and sharing our story and where I started.

Find out more about me and my brand at www.aplumberswife.com