#66 – My Wife and I Built a Business Together – This Is How We Made It Work: Joe Fraher

06/08/2025 1h 30min Episodio 66
#66 – My Wife and I Built a Business Together – This Is How We Made It Work: Joe Fraher

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Episode Synopsis

Starting a business is hard.Starting one with your spouse? That’s a whole different level of risk.In this episode, I sit down with Joe Fraher, an architect who, alongside his wife Liz, built a boutique design and build firm in Central London, right in the middle of the 2008 financial crisis.Joe shares the real story behind how they made it work: from opposite views on risk, to navigating financial pressure, managing a growing team, and raising a family at the same time. He opens up about going sober, leading through chaos, and the mindset it takes to grow something meaningful without losing your relationship, or yourself.This is an honest conversation about ambition, business, marriage, and the messy parts in between.Giving up alcohol to take control of his life againRedefining success beyond money and titlesTeaching his children about wealth, risk, and responsibilityBalancing love, family, and business without losing eitherAnd why the future of construction lies in digital manufacturing and AIThis is a raw and revealing conversation about what it really takes to build something meaningful, and the mindset shifts required to survive it.00:00 Introduction to Risk-Taking00:41 Starting the Business Journey00:57 Architectural Services and Turnkey Solutions02:08 Challenges and Growth in Architecture03:29 Navigating Redundancy and Building a Business07:52 Managing a Growing Team09:14 The Importance of Risk and Ambition11:08 The French Alps Project15:15 Hiring and Team Dynamics22:25 Education and Career Pathways29:02 Client Relationships and Long-Term Projects31:49 Liz's Role in the Business32:14 The Importance of Listening to Clients32:44 Emotional Investment in Projects35:22 Client Profiling and Matching37:55 Trust and Transparency in Business38:34 Adapting to Economic Challenges45:35 Leveraging AI in Business52:32 Financial Education and Generational Wealth01:02:55 Leveraging Good Debt01:03:36 The Pitfalls of Bad Debt01:05:02 Balancing Risk in Family and Business01:06:23 Aligning Ambitions with Your Partner01:09:36 The Future of Work and Personal Goals01:13:32 Challenges of Entrepreneurship01:14:44 The Impact of Government Policies on SMEs01:25:59 Personal Habits for Success01:30:42 Concluding ThoughtsDiscover Joe and FraherWebsite - https://www.fraher.co/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/frahergroup/LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/joseph-fraherGet In TouchLinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/jay-lawrence-5a4b3357/Website - ambitiousmindspodcast.comInstagram - www.instagram.com/ambitiousmindspodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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