Coming Soon
The Business of Marriage
Volume 2

The Business of Marriage

Running Your Relationship Like a Successful Partnership

The relationship agreement you wish came with the ring.

What if you ran your marriage like a successful business? Not cold and corporate—strategic and intentional. Quarterly reviews, KPIs, clear expectations, and a living agreement that grows with you. Think Sheldon's relationship agreement, but actually practical.

By JR Epps

Runic Publishing, LLC

📚 Part of "The Business of..." Series

💍 Coming Soon

The Business of Marriage is currently in development. Be the first to know when it launches—sign up for notifications and get early access to the Relationship Agreement Template.

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The Premise

"You wouldn't start a business with someone without discussing roles, expectations, and what success looks like. Why would you do that with marriage?"

Most couples spend more time planning their wedding than planning their marriage. They have detailed discussions about flowers and seating charts, but never talk about who handles the finances, how to resolve conflicts, or what happens when life throws curveballs.

This book gives you the frameworks that make businesses thrive—clear communication, defined expectations, regular check-ins, and strategic planning—and applies them to marriage. Not because love should be transactional, but because love alone isn't enough. You need systems.

🎬 Inspired by Pop Culture

Remember Sheldon's relationship agreement on The Big Bang Theory? Everyone laughed because it was absurdly over-detailed. But the core idea was right: clarity prevents conflict. This book shows you how to create your own agreement—one that's actually useful.

What Makes This Book Different

📋

The Relationship Agreement Template

A downloadable, customizable template covering mission statements, expectations, communication protocols, and more. The book's "killer app."

📊

Marriage KPIs & Quarterly Reviews

10 key performance indicators for your relationship, plus a framework for quarterly check-ins that actually work.

🔄

The Marriage Audit Framework

Assess your relationship like a business: assets, liabilities, and a clear improvement roadmap.

🤖

AI-Powered Tools

Use AI as your relationship's "third partner"—conversation starters, conflict resolution prompts, and planning tools.

What's Inside: The Four Parts

1

The Startup Phase

  • Why Your Marriage Needs a Business Plan
  • The Relationship Agreement
  • Defining Your Mission & Values
  • KPIs for Couples
  • The Initial Partnership Template
2

Operations & Management

  • The Quarterly Business Review (QBR)
  • Division of Labor
  • Financial Alignment
  • Conflict Resolution Protocols
  • Communication Standards
3

Growth & Scaling

  • Adding New "Products": Kids, Pets, Side Hustles
  • Pivoting When Life Changes
  • Outsourcing & Delegation
  • The Annual Strategic Retreat
  • Performance Bonuses & Rewards
4

Long-Term Sustainability

  • The 5-Year, 10-Year, Lifetime Plans
  • Succession Planning & Legacy
  • When to Bring in Consultants
  • The Living Document

Is This Book For You?

✓ Perfect For You If...

  • You're engaged or newly married and want to start right
  • You've been married for years and need a reset
  • You appreciate structure and clear expectations
  • You want to prevent problems, not just react to them
  • You're open to treating marriage as a partnership
  • You liked Sheldon's agreement but wanted something practical

✗ Not For You If...

  • You believe talking about expectations ruins romance
  • You're looking for traditional marriage counseling
  • You want a serious, clinical approach
  • You think love should "just work" without effort

Questions You Might Have

Isn't treating marriage like a business unromantic? +
The most romantic thing you can do is be intentional about your relationship. Businesses that thrive don't leave success to chance—they plan, communicate, and adapt. Why would you want less for your marriage? Structure doesn't replace love; it protects it.
What exactly is a "relationship agreement"? +
It's a living document that captures what you both expect from the partnership. Not a legal contract—think of it as your marriage's operating manual. It covers everything from who handles finances to how you'll resolve conflicts to what your long-term vision looks like. And unlike a prenup, it's designed to strengthen your marriage, not prepare for its end.
We've been married for 15 years. Is this still useful? +
Absolutely. In fact, established marriages often benefit most. You've accumulated patterns—some good, some not—that have never been examined. The marriage audit framework helps you see clearly what's working, what's not, and where to focus your energy. It's never too late to be intentional.
What if my partner thinks this is crazy? +
Start small. You don't need to announce "we're doing quarterly reviews now." Try one conversation starter from the book. Do a simplified version of the marriage audit together. Most partners who are skeptical at first become converts once they see how much easier clear communication makes everything.
How does this connect to "The Business of Dating"? +
Think of Dating as the "sales and qualification" phase—finding and evaluating potential partners. Marriage is the "operations" phase—running the partnership successfully over the long term. You can read either book independently, but together they form a complete framework for relationships from first date to lasting partnership.

About the Author

JR Epps

JR Epps

IT Engineer & Relationship Strategist

JR Epps spent 20+ years solving complex problems in IT. Along the way, he noticed something: the frameworks that make businesses successful—clear communication, defined expectations, regular reviews—are exactly what most relationships lack. "The Business of..." series applies these proven frameworks to life's biggest challenges, delivered with humor because the absurdity is part of the point.

More from "The Business of..." Series

The Business of Dating

Before marriage comes dating. Apply IT and business frameworks to finding the right partner—from the compatibility algorithm to the go/no-go decision.

Learn More →

How to File for Divorce Using AI

If marriage doesn't work out... Navigate the process with AI-powered strategies that help you stay organized and potentially save thousands.

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Ready to Run Your Marriage Like a Pro?

Most couples plan their wedding in detail but wing their marriage. This book gives you the frameworks, templates, and tools to build a partnership that lasts—without losing the romance.

Get Notified at Launch →