2000 miles in 7 days, a screaming baby, and my wife fired up about REI

Yeeeeha.  Its the open road.  No, we aren't there yet.  2,000 miles round trip, dad (me) driving, and my wife sandwiched between a 3 year old and an 8 month old ... in the backseat.  Awesome.

So, what am I to do between the coffee and gatorade's, my son asking for Bob the Builder movies in perpetuity, and my daughter between cute mouth noises and the usual pre-nap screamfest ... or my personal favorite, the occasional "treat" as my son (the three year old) calls it ... well, listen to Bigger Pockets podcasts of course!  Seriously, my wife can't stand talking about real estate deals.  She will sit there forever watching HGTV or whatever flip show is on, which of course, drives me crazy.  I say something like ... babe, we lived this on the so-and-so-deal ... why do I want to watch it? Alas.  She loves them.  I don't.

Anyway, back to the story ... we are on the road, in the middle of ... well, no where Pennsylvania, and I am going through literally dozens of podcasts picking up tasty crumb after tasty crumb of real estate awesomeness, I realize ... MY WIFE IS ACTUALLY LISTENING.

WHAT.

Please insert song here.  That rocks your face.

Let me recap.  Wife, doesn't like to talk real estate, now asking real estate questions about specific deals being talked about on podcast. #sold #winning #thankyouBP

We have bought and sold numerous properties, most often rentals.  And we own our company 50/50.  But she doesn't really enjoy negotiation (umm ... I do...) and then all the sudden I see the lightbulb click for her.  She is pondering, she makes the power position with her hands together (its when you put your fingers together each pad of the finger touching and space between your palms ... ) and SHE ASKS ME a question.

I'm in love. I know so many of these podcasts have talked about forum posts about one spouse who wants to invest, and one that doesn't.  That is understandable, and there is a lot to learn about this business.  But there are a couple great things to think about when you talk to you spouse about real estate.

1. Give your spouse a reason to be interested:

For instance, my wife, because of our real estate business, is able to stay home.  Talk about things that will connect with them.  For my wife, she doesn't like all the details of the deal because it confuses her with some of the numbers, she wants to understand the basics of it, and have input, and feel heard on her opinion.

2. Use different mediums to have a conversation:

Maybe it is a podcast.  Maybe it is a spreadsheet.  Maybe its simply walking through a property. Think creatively, not just with your deals, but with your spouse.  Speak their language.

3. Connect your person/family WHY with your real estate endeavors:

For us, we love to travel, and want to have time with our children and family, we want financial freedom without the stresses of living paycheck to paycheck.  And buy our Florida house on the beach.  These things connect what the real estate passion but back to the "why" that is driving your business, your time, and your reason to keep going after long days, or a deal that might not turn out, or go bad.

So go do it, get out on the open road, get those babies in the back seat, have fun, turn the podcast on ... learn something, and get fired up.