"If you want to win at work, start by winning at home."

This week, Pam and I are celebrating 35 years of marriage.

As I reflected on that milestone, I was reminded of one of the best pieces of business advice I have ever received:

"If you want to win at work, start by winning at home."

As business leaders, we invest thousands of dollars every year to become better entrepreneurs. We attend conferences, hire coaches, read books, and listen to podcasts. We know growth does not happen by accident.

So why do we sometimes assume our marriages will?

One of the greatest competitive advantages I have ever had in business has not been a strategy or a financial decision.

It has been Pam.

She has celebrated the victories that no one else saw. She has encouraged me through disappointments. Some of my best business decisions were shaped by conversations around our kitchen table before I ever walked into the boardroom.

But those moments did not happen by chance.

Over the years, we have intentionally invested in our marriage through conferences, improving our communication, spending quality time together, worshiping together, learning to trust one another, and choosing each other over our schedules. Some changes were dramatic. Most were small. Yet those small investments, repeated year after year, have compounded into something incredibly meaningful.

At the end of a long day, I still look forward to seeing Pam's smile.

Business success is rewarding.

But if it costs you your marriage, your friendships, or the people waiting for you at home, it is simply too expensive.

So here is my encouragement to every business leader:

Invest as intentionally in becoming a great spouse and friend as you do in becoming a great CEO.

The return on that investment will outlast any quarterly report.

Happy 35th Anniversary, Pam. Thank you for believing in me, challenging me, and walking beside me through every season. I would choose you all over again.

Because the greatest leadership lesson I have learned is this:

The strongest businesses are often built by leaders who are winning at home first.