Exclusive! Brangelina's 7-Step Model for Spouses in Business Together

You know the force is with you when you sit down to veg out in front of the TV and you stumble upon the action-packed eye candy that is "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

That's what happened to me the other day - tuckered out and brain dead after a long work week, followed by a bouncy-house bash celebrating our son's 4th birthday. I flopped on the couch, flipped through a few channels, and literally squealed with delight when I saw the Brad ‘n Angie show was in progress.

But as I tried to focus on the lips, thighs, and biceps, I found myself instead drawn to the relationship dynamics between these two smoldering costars. (Rats.)

The more I watched, the more it became clear to me: "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" epitomizes what it's like to own and run a business with your spouse.

Here's why…

1. YOU RECOGNIZE YOU TANGO WELL TOGETHER. Because you're interested in building a dream life as much as you are in building a business, choosing your spouse as a biz partner seems like the greatest idea ever. Sure, you hear not-so-subtle warnings from family, friends, and associates, but hey - you know the bond with your spouse is like none other. So you say "risk be darned!" and dive right in.

2. YOU FORM A UNITED FRONT. Side by side, you show the world you're serious, you're together, you're professional, you're for real. Your public face is "Game on!" and you're ready for anything life throws at ya.

3. INTERNALLY, YOU'RE ALL ABOUT "THE MISSION." Pow-wows, power struggles, reactive practices, on-your-toes strategizing, kamikaze business planning, focused trouble-shooting, and some very, VERY unsexy pillow talk. You're both on-call to your life, goals, and future 24/7, and it's an all-or-nothing operation. You want the dream, and now you've created the reality to make it happen. Unfortunately, there is no Plan B!

4. SOMETIMES, YOUR BEST EFFORTS BLOW UP OR BACKFIRE. Oh yeah, this "Married - With Business" thing can throw you some hand grenades, that's for sure. To make matters worse, few of us look so fetching with our pants down as Angie and Brad do. When you're standing in the rubble of your choices, wondering how you're ever going to get out of the mess you've created, it can look downright glum - for your business, AND your marriage.

5. INEVITABLY, THE FATE OF YOUR LIFE AND BUSINESS HANGS BY A THREAD AND A PRAYER. Do you escape? Cash in your chips? Flee for your life? Or do you strut back into the game, armed with nothing but your thigh highs and a smile? It's crazy. It's adventure. It's nothing like you ever expected. But if you made it this far, odds are you've got what it takes to make it all work.

6. SUCCESS FINALLY COMES WHEN YOU REALIZE YOU CAN LEAN ON YOUR BUSINESS PARTNER WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH. So brush yourself off, clean yourself up, stand tall, and enjoy the adventure. After all, your partner-in-crime IS your spouse. If you use this fact as an asset rather than a liability, great things can happen for you. You'll smile more, hold hands during business meetings, support each other through the good days and the catastrophes. Both will come. Take ‘em in stride, and you'll both be able to laugh about them when you're rich and retired…way before you're 65.

7. AND THE THRILL OF THE TANGO RETURNS ... FOR GOOD! Remember why you went into biz with your spouse in the first place? You love this person! You respect this person's mind! You think this person is the best, most amazing person on the planet! You both admire each other so much, you not only went into business together…YOU got MARRIED! So, the biz journey isn't what you expected. What is? You knew what you were doing then, and you know what you're doing now.

Whatever you do, don't lose sight of the perks of co-owning a business with your spouse. Remember - few cubicle dwellers can have as much fun on their "lunch breaks" as you can without getting fired!