26 Years: Life, Leadership & Legacy

Twenty-six years goes fast when you’re building a life, not just chasing wins. Rob and Don celebrate their anniversary by getting honest about what actually holds up over decades: setbacks you didn’t plan for, career pivots you didn’t want, and the daily choice to keep moving forward without keeping score.

We trace the through-line from marriage to leadership to business, including why “legacy” has nothing to do with leaving a pile of stuff behind. For us, legacy means the values, stories, and skills we pass to our son and to the team we get to lead. Along the way, we share practical lessons for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and growing teams who want more trust and less chaos, including how role clarity turns conflict into traction.

A big part of that clarity is naming the lanes: visionary and integrator, strategy and operations, ideas and execution. That same discipline shows up in strong compliance programs, too. Whether you’re thinking about HIPAA compliance, staying audit-ready, or simply running a business that doesn’t burn you out, clear ownership and good communication reduce risk and make it easier to scale.

We also talk about presence as a real leadership skill, especially in a phone-saturated culture and a remote-work world. If you want a stronger relationship, a healthier team culture, and a business built for the long game, this one will hit home. Subscribe, share this with a builder in your life, and leave a review with the season you’re in right now.

Thank You for Listening to the VRC Podcast!
Visit us at VanRein Compliance
You can Book a 15min Call with a Guide
Follow us on LinkedIn
Follow us on X
Follow us on Facebook

Transcript

Copy

Welcome And Anniversary Setup

Rob 0:00

Welcome to the Van Ryan Compliance Podcast with Rob and Don. We help growing teams reduce risks, build trust, and stay audit ready without the overwhelm. Welcome back to the Van Ryan Compliance Podcast. I'm Rob.

Dawn 0:13

And I'm Don.

Rob 0:14

And Don, we're going to continue a little bit of the book of the Van Buskerks, or the Van Rines, as some people call.

Dawn 0:22

Yes.

Rob 0:22

Because last week we talked about sending Ethan off to college. And this week, what are we going to talk about this week?

Dawn 0:31

This week is our anniversary.

Rob 0:33

It is.

Dawn 0:33

Another big milestone in our life.

Rob 0:36

Yep. We're going to focus on 26 years of life, leadership, and legacy. What basically the 26 years of marriage for Dawn and I this week. It's crazy. She stuck around, so it's a good thing. And we're going to look back and kind of talk about the biggest realizations of just how long it's been, right? What have we done in 26 years? What have we accomplished in 26 years? What have we gone through? You know, we've gone through, you know, raising a family and building the, well, well, not building the business, raising a family, going through multiple corporate America jobs that we have all gone through to the setbacks, to the failures to starting a business and wins and change. So this this week's kind of a special one for us.

Dawn 1:20

It is very much. Yep.

Rob 1:23

And Wow, I know. So what is it? What is it taught you, Don? What has the last 26 years taught you?

Dawn 1:29

Wow. Um well, first of all, it doesn't seem like it's been that long. I I do love my husband as a public form.

Rob 1:38

You actually said it.

Dawn 1:41

As a husband, a father, a friend, a provider. I I mean all all those, all those words. And also as a business partner. And not only just love and and respect and and like and all those other things is also a honest to goodness, like like just just grateful and for Rob and for our relationship as a married couple and as business partners and being able to work together. And that I know some of our customers do this. I mean, they do it very well. And some people are like, oh my gosh, I could not do that. It does take special people. You can't be the same. You have to be the yin and yang.

Rob 2:26

Yep.

Dawn 2:26

And just we just kind of wanted to share some of it with y'all

Early Years And Unexpected Starts

Dawn 2:30

our setbacks, our wins. Obviously, we raised Ethan throughout this whole thing. And, you know, yeah, it's there's a lot. There's a lot to unpack. So where do you want to start? There is.

Rob 2:39

I know. I know it's been an amazing journey. Lucky to have you, obviously. Because if you go way, way back in the Wayback Machine 26 years ago, you know, when we met, and we'll kind of dive through through that, is um basically unemployed, I had Taco Bell money and a fun car. And that was it.

unknown 2:57

Yes.

Dawn 2:57

Remember?

Rob 2:58

Yeah. Yes. That's that's class act right there.

Dawn 3:00

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And I was changing careers. What I went to college for was no longer what I was doing. So um, yeah. So it was a fun time and uh fun stuff going on.

Rob 3:13

So yeah, definitely it was. And I, you know, 26 years ago, you don't think about where you're gonna be, you know, though those days at that age, you're just like, you know, how do what do we do today? What do you do for the weekend? What do you do for next week? Yeah. You know, and it's really, really about, you know, you you get in a relationship and you get married and you get married to start a a life together, you know. Yeah to death do us part, as it says. That's what the vows say. Um, that's what we're kind of dive into a little bit of just just going through the last 26 years and and understanding, you know, how that has taught us to be better leaders and how to build a legacy for our family. And hopefully you get some nuggets as our podcast listeners to go build something for your family, either owning a business or doing something different. It's, you know, something that can continue.

Dawn 4:03

It's easy to go back and say, all right, 26 years ago, you know, maybe we should have planned a little better, maybe we should have started the business earlier. But let's be honest, like speed bumps and boulders and mountains get put in the way for a reason. Doors close for a reason, you know, multiple layoffs, I didn't get the promotion, so on and so forth. I'm never gonna get out of debt. You know, you just name it. Those are there for a reason. So I think when I look back 26 years, I do any different. No, because then we wouldn't be where we're at now, where we are focused forward with not only our family, but our business. And yes, we we came from here. Every everyone has a past, but we don't have to talk about the past. It's it's where we came from, it's what built us, where we are. But we don't have to go back and say, shoulda, coulda, woulda. We really focus forward. And I think that's really important when you're building a a family, building a business. You need to, you know, pick yourself back up. You know, you felt you fell over the speed bump. You you tripped over whatever, you know. Pick yourself back up and just know that that happened for a reason. There is a purpose for doors closing and for speed bumps and things that are in the way, obstacles in the way. So yeah.

Rob 5:23

And it it's very different ofstead of just building a life or you're building a life and not just chasing success, right? A lot of people do that. It says, well, we'll just combine resources and chase success. And it's actually you're building a life together. You're building a family together, you're building a name together, you're building a brand together. And that's the great thing of of marriage and how it all interweaves into family and in and interweaves into the business and then interweaves into you know,

Setbacks Layoffs And Forward Focus

Rob 5:50

college one week to 26 years this week.

Dawn 5:53

And you think it's all gonna go a certain way.

Rob 5:56

Mm-hmm.

Dawn 5:56

You think it's gonna go a certain way. Rob and I are both climbing the corporate ladders. We, you know, we didn't have Ethan till eight years of marriage and realized that there was more to life than climbing the ladder, more to life than buying a lot of stuff. Yeah. Because it's just stuff, you know. Yeah. And we, of course, had traveled a lot as well, but there was more to life than that. And that's what sparked us to start a family. And thank God it was a blessing we were able to do that. But then, you know, you you continue and you're like, okay, what do we want this to look like? You know, what do we want it to look like for our kid? You know, you know, leaving him a legacy for him and his family and his grandkids. And that's really what this is about, you know, and we're still building it. It's not done. We have lots more time. We have 26 plus more years.

Rob 6:44

It's going.

Dawn 6:45

And so, but we've along the way taught Ethan that sure, you can go, you know, do what you need to do and and get the job or career, whatever, and and and and strive for what you want, but but also start your own thing. And he really is is probably going to as well start his own business when he gets out of school. Um, because that's what he grew up with, and that's what he he knows and he he sees the value of it. So it again, it it's different for everyone. But for us, like I said, I I wouldn't I wouldn't change anything, would you, Rob? Would you No?

Rob 7:17

No, no. I all the failures were meant to be there, and you fell forward. That's what you do. You don't fall backwards. You continue to keep going, you keep pushing. I like that.

Dawn 7:25

You keep driving. Yeah.

Rob 7:27

And there's there's definitely more failures than successes. Um however you want to measure success, but that but you need the failures to get to that success. Yeah. So that you can you you can see it where what you've gone through and what you've done and who and who you are. But I think I think the biggest thing about leadership is understanding, and we've always heard the phrase of being self-aware, but I really I think you and I define it better is um what roles we have, right? What is the role Don has? What is the role I have? What is the role the team has? What is the role the family has? What are the role the dogs have, right? So, you know, I think what's helped in the marriage side that's transcended into the business is basically there is a you have a you have an integrator, right? You have an operations, which is definitely you, you have the visionary, which is definitely me. And we both bring our process and our our roles and our vision together, and then we discuss them together and have one direction forward, because I've had plenty of ideas that you would say, no, go do something different, where you'd have multiple ideas of how to launch something, and we go, no, why don't we do that? And we both you stay in your lanes, but you merge together on the highway um daily just to make sure we're on the same page. And I think that's definitely where w we have become stronger as not only is in our marriage, but also in the business.

Dawn 8:50

Yeah, the one thing I could say, the one book that traction is attraction.

Rob 8:54

Traction.

Dawn 8:55

That that book, you know, I'll be honest, we've done coaching, we've done multiple coachings and groups and stuff like that. But I'll be honest, at the end of the day, knowing what your role is in your business, especially and most importantly, if you're in your in business with your spouse, is who's doing what and who's who's responsible for what and who what title is it? I mean, it it really when when we figured out that I was the when we spelled it out, I'm the COO, I'm the integrator, and Rob's the visionary, it was like crystal clear from there. And so kind of moving forward with when you get employees and contractors and whatever you want to call them, part-time people or staff, or you know, your, you know, you know, get have a staffing agency, is making sure that the people that you hire that work for your business, that they know what roles and responsibilities they have. This is very important. I mean, you know, we all talk about HIPAA compliance and how we need to make sure the compliance officer, they know their roles and responsibilities. They have their, you know, job descriptions, everyone has a job description. This is very important because we've had people do roles that did not work out. And so you really have to be clear on who's doing what and where the who's got what strengths. So that's really important. But but leadership-wise, knowing what kind of leader you are, that and it's this is different than management, knowing what kind of leader you are. I'm not talking a manager, that's a whole nother thing. That was really the key. And Rob and I already, you know, we were, we've always been blessed to have a very good relationship in that very good communication. And we can tell each other, yeah, no, we can disagree. We can agree to disagree. That, you know, you've heard that term. And so it really comes over to the business. And once we we designated I'm the integrator and he's

Visionary And Integrator Leadership Roles

Dawn 10:50

the visionary, that was really, that really got us to go to the next level. So that that's really important. And and leadership, you know, you you can, I think you are born a leader. I think you can learn the skills, but I do think it's inherent in some people and it's not in others. And so it's been really fun to watch our son Ethan, because he definitely has obtained those leadership skills. And it's been really exciting to watch him, watch him lead in in the things he does. So so that's and and it's gonna just be more and more, you know, as he starts college. Yeah. So yeah.

Rob 11:26

I think he too is making decisions when you disagree. You know, I think there's there's been many, but there's a handful of times, you know, I'm like, nope, we don't agree on that, but we're gonna go forward. And usually, whichever way we we go, it always comes out right.

Dawn 11:39

Yeah.

Rob 11:40

You know, if it's something that you agree with or I don't, or I do, and you don't, or something like that. Like, all right, let's give it a try. And you've you've got to be able to jump out of that plane, build that parachute before you hit the ground. That's what I've always always done because we built this from nothing, you know, just like our marriage started at at meeting each other at a at a bar, basically, right? And and at a party. At a party.

Dawn 12:02

A garage party.

Rob 12:03

There was a bar at the party.

Dawn 12:05

Yeah.

Rob 12:05

That's right.

Dawn 12:06

There was.

Rob 12:06

Through friends.

Dawn 12:07

Don't meet each other in bars anymore. This is gonna be very interesting. I I don't think that w happens anymore. I don't know. But anyway.

Rob 12:14

Well, there was any phones. Oh my gosh, that would be store age, right?

Dawn 12:17

No phones. Imagine if there was phones back then. I think all of us that grew up in the 80s would probably be pretty upset at what was out there. Mortified, maybe, is a better word.

Rob 12:30

Quarters and the ashtray is so you can make phone calls at the payphone thing.

Dawn 12:34

Jeez.

Rob 12:35

But it's, you know, buildings building a marriage, a relationship and a marriage, and then building a business is the same way. And you know, you don't keep scores in healthy relationships or partnerships. It's you're in it together. You know, we we moved to Texas going on nine years ago. You packed up the wagon and moved and and left. Now, yes, we had a plan. We you know, you put your funds aside, you gotta, you gotta allocate and sell assets, you gotta prepare things, and then come out and go, okay, what are we gonna do next? And what's the next step? But have a five year, you know, that when we move is a five-year plan of basically moving, you know, and then finding where we wanted to live and then build. And then here we are. And just like we've built a relationship and a business and a home and homestead, it all ties in together. You have to build something together, and then you're in it together. And uh because that's really true, true leadership, and that's how you leave a legacy, is building it together. And there's you know, Don's fingerprints and my fingerprints everywhere, and then now the team has their input and the team has their their uh look and feel as well.

Dawn 13:36

A fun test to a relationship is build a house together.

Rob 13:39

Oh, that's fun though.

Dawn 13:40

It's fun, but we had our builder had a couple people that they were project managing for, and the couples like

Clear Roles For Teams And Compliance

Dawn 13:50

divorced over the choices of building a house. And I'm like, dear lord, if if you can't pick out a color that you both like or tile, you have bigger issues. I I was like, that is crazy because I and like I said, typically when you find the right person to be with the rest of your life, you typically you have similar interests, similar color schemes, designs, you know, that type of thing, architectural, you know, desires and stuff. So um, but yeah, it it's it that was really alarming. I was like, my goodness. So those people, I guess, weren't meant meant to be if they can't pick out uh carpet and tile. So uh yeah, so that's a fun test. So if you haven't done it, it is very fun to do.

Rob 14:35

It is fun to do. That yeah, those people had bigger issues than they had bigger issues.

Dawn 14:41

Yeah.

Rob 14:41

Exactly.

Dawn 14:42

Yeah. But in in a business, yeah. I mean, same same thing, you know, you know, colors, logos, you know, what's your, you know, website, all all the marketing stuff, the, you know, what do we, what services do we provide? I mean, all that kind of stuff. And and believe me, we you know, we've tried stuff and it hasn't worked. So we just move on and we pivot. And and that's also the fun part of owning a business is you can pivot quickly. And our team knows this very well. This isn't working. So we're gonna go this way. We're gonna try this. And so so that you have to also be very adaptable. And and Rob and I do that. We we'll go on, we'll go on a car ride and we'll think of all these things. And the next day we change it. We change things. Because that's because because that's when we're thinking we're stepping away. No, you step away.

Rob 15:25

Yeah, we're gonna have lunch. It doesn't have to be fancy, just go get a water burger. I'm like, oh, look at that idea. Doesn't have to be, you know, you get ideas at any location.

Dawn 15:35

It doesn't have to be a fancy dinner, although those are nice.

Rob 15:38

Well, it is anniversary week, so I'm gonna, you know, here's your once a year ticket out for the nice dinner. And it's a Wednesday. Is it a Wednesday? It is a Wednesday. It is a Wednesday. Yeah, Wednesday.

Dawn 15:49

Wow, middle of the week. Wow.

Rob 15:51

I know.

Dawn 15:52

That's that's that's nice. Middle of the week. There you go. Something fun. Yeah, there we go. Yeah. Yeah.

Rob 15:58

The I think also, you know, one thing is we bought people always talk about playing the long game. And I think you and I, when we even when we got married, we talked about what I like to call the infinite game. You know, it's not it's not just you know, 26 years of marriage. It's beyond that. You know, it's the name engraved in stone, if you will. You know, it is a business that will outlive us. It's a business that will outlive Ethan. It'll you know that name will continue for generations. I think of you know, I think of the Night Watchman painting from Rembrandt sitting there in Amsterdam. I'm like, that thing's been there since the 1500s. That's legacy, that's what you want. You know, we're you know, we're 26 years down the road, so now we have oh, I don't know, seven, eight hundred more years left for it to continue. But it's really you know, playing that, remembering that the little decisions today will help guide you for for generations to come. And you will take different directions and you will take uh you'll have mistakes here and there. Yeah.

Dawn 16:54

Different seasons. Different seasons.

Rob 16:55

Yeah, seasons are fun though.

Dawn 16:57

Yeah.

Rob 16:57

Yeah, I like the different seasons. So, like, you know, now there's Ethan's at college. There's another season. So now Don's got to deal with me more.

Dawn 17:04

And look out, we're gonna create a whole bunch of stuff.

Rob 17:07

Van Ryan widgets.

Dawn 17:09

I don't know. We're uh we're yeah.

Rob 17:11

We like her widget, but it's definitely creating more, you know, yeah, you get more um creation time. But also a lot of people always say, Well, you're empty nesters.

Building Together From Texas To Homes

Rob 17:20

And I I don't like that phrase because I don't either.

Dawn 17:22

Let's come up with something better than that.

Rob 17:24

Yeah, it's not an empty nestor, it's just a new season. It's a new chapter.

Dawn 17:26

Yeah. It's a new chapter.

Rob 17:28

You know, there's still it it it's the only empty part of it is the fridge now because we don't buy any food.

Dawn 17:34

Oh, I know. My my my uh H E B bill's gone way down already. It's true.

Rob 17:39

But it's really a new season.

Dawn 17:41

Yeah, and be be present in every season. Because I I don't know, as a parent, like I think every age was wonderful. Some people are like, oh, I hate the toddler stages, or oh, I hated teenage stage stages. I think every every season has been great. Sure, they're hard, there's challenges to every age, right? But just be present in every season you're in. You know, whether you have kids, whether you don't, whether you're married, whether you're not, whether you have a business, whether you don't, you maybe just works for someone, that's fine. Just be present and and just live life to the fullest. And I always, I always uh hate to see people that are just not happy. You know, when you're chasing after money and you're chasing after a promotion, a lot of times that leads to unhappiness. And it's not all about that. Like, do you really need that? Do you really, I mean, what's your goal? You know, just have at the end in mind and just really cherish every moment because it goes fast. Before you know it, you may have wasted 20 years at some company working for someone else and that you were treated bad and you never, you know, I don't know. I mean, maybe, maybe there's something that you hit you have a dream to do this or change careers or something. And, you know, I do know that sometimes you can't, you're not able to do it. Maybe it's the wrong time, but but sometimes you just have to jump to and make the time and just do it. So, you know, just always like be in the moment and uh try to look forward and not like, oh, I wish this and that. Because if you you'll get stuck in that, you'll get stuck in that and and just really just just look forward and just really think about what do I want to leave? What's my legacy? Both Rob and I have had people leave this world and it's kind of been sad that their legacy wasn't, you know, they didn't really plan. And it hurt the family, hurt friends, it's hurt families, it's you know, and I think just planning, and it's not about leaving a bunch of money, it's about really leaving leaving the legacy of that family, of that generation, you know.

Rob 19:42

Yeah. It's it's what you leave in them, right? Yeah. It's it's not about properties or money or cars or silverware or whatever.

Dawn 19:50

China, yeah.

Rob 19:51

China. Yeah. That's a thing anymore.

Dawn 19:53

Yeah, I don't know. Yeah.

Rob 19:54

But it's what you leave in them. It's the stories, you know. It's like from because both of our parents, you wasn't much, and that probably helped us fuel our own desire to build, build our own little little empire. But it's but you remember the lessons of how to love and how to drive and how to be entrepreneurial and how to be a visionary and how to how to organize things and how to set up a home and how to work together in a marriage. Those are the things that you want your kiddos and yourself to learn.

Dawn 20:20

Yeah.

Rob 20:20

And you want that's what you want your team members to to think about too. And what they know about working with you.

Dawn 20:27

Yep. And if if your kids and your your uh team members, staff know, you know, what your vision is and they believe in it, and you you show them that you're this is where we're going and this is how we're gonna do it, then they're they're gonna be so motivated and they're gonna be jazzed to to be part of it, you know. And it's it's just it it's exciting to watch and you know, watch your kids, watch your staff get excited about some things. Oh, this is great, you know, I can be here for longer than I thought, or I can do these things, or I can, you know, next year I can, you know, my role can change to this or whatever it is, you know, or your kid, you know, I'm gonna get out of college and I'm gonna do this. And it's just it's just fun to to watch all these seasons. And but you just have to be, you know, like I said, be present in the moment and and really look forward. And what do you, what do you want, what do you want to show for it? Like what legacy do you want to leave? Like what does Van Ryan want to leave? What is what is our son Ethan gonna leave? What are we gonna leave him? What do we, you know, it's just it's it's it's it's really fun to think about. It can be heavy at times, but if we just keep looking forward and uh just take all the ups and downs and just roll with it, yeah, it's gonna be great.

Rob 21:39

Yep. That's the best part is is enjoy the seasons, enjoy the the ups and the downs, right? Yep. And there's there's not many downs, but some of those downs are important because it helps you build the mountain, it helps you get from the plateau to the next phase, it helps get you where you need to be and and be able to continue for the next 26 years. Yeah, 26 years.

Dawn 22:00

From now.

Rob 22:00

I know. What are you going to say?

Dawn 22:04

That's hard to think about. But it's funny because you think about 26 years and it just doesn't seem like it's been

Presence Phones And Remote Work Intentionality

Dawn 22:10

that long. And then you think, oh, another 26, that's not a big deal. Like it you know, and so so yeah. So look forward to it. Look forward to the next 26 years.

Rob 22:20

It's gonna be great.

Dawn 22:21

Yeah. Maybe we'll see flying cars, which we thought we already would, but I think maybe we're getting there. Possibly.

Rob 22:30

Well, maybe. Technology is gonna definitely change in 26 years. Yeah. Devices are gone and we'll actually talk to people again. Um, you know, I think that's one thing you talked about being present earlier, is I think that's what's been been key in our marriage and in the business is be present, right? When you're with the team, be present. When you're having dinner together or just a simple having breakfast tacos, doesn't matter. Be present. Um, and I really look think about that as, you know, we uh we had took a trip this year overseas, and I notice cultures are very different. Here in America, I think people are are bored. I think they're yearning for something and they're always in the phone, and they're not there looking at who's across the table for them and being present. Uh, when we went on our travels this year, majority of people outside the states, I would say 90%, phones are in the pocket, enjoying. I saw a lot of old cameras again, just enjoying the day, having some coffee, having some tea, having a wonderful two-hour lunch, relaxing, talking, enjoying. And that's what's important. Now we have a very fast-paced society. Look where we've gotten 250 years, you know, more than any other country. But make sure to enjoy the day. Make sure to enjoy every moment and slow down a little bit.

Dawn 23:45

And your kids will be fine without a phone. Ethan senior year of high school, Texas banned cell phones during the day.

Rob 23:51

It was great.

Dawn 23:52

They couldn't take them out. And I Ethan, all the kids were like, it's great because I actually get stuff done. I get my homework done so during the day, so I don't have to take it home. Yep. And it was like it's actually okay. But yeah, it is kind of sad. Every restaurant, we've been to six some expensive restaurants, we've been to some fast food. Everyone's in their phone. Or let's let's give the kid an iPad at the phone so the parents can talk. It's yeah, it's really sad. They over in Europe, they don't do that. I mean, there's, I mean, I'm sure there's different countries that do, but it's just not as prevalent. And um, I think that we just rely on that. And I think it is. I think it is a sense of boredom, boredom. And I think it's just look around, take it in, take in the season you're in and cherish the moments and what's around you and the sky, the birds, whatever, you know, instead of just scrolling for I don't know what, you know. So yeah, that that that is a very it's kind of sad, you know, that that we have become that. But but yeah, just take it all in.

Rob 24:49

Just and I think you know, working remotely like we all do, yeah. Majority of even all our clients are all remote, is be you have to be very intentional when you're remote to look at the camera. You have to, you know, you know, show your hands here and there, be present. You're not sitting at a conference room anymore. Yeah. Make sure, make sure people know that you're paying attention and then you're having that conversation and then you're that you're connected, which is really important. Um, which is drastically important to make sure you're dialed in.

Dawn 25:17

Yep. Absolutely.

Rob 25:18

When you're dialed in together, that's how you build 26-year marriage. That's how you build, you know, and you build and fail at some businesses, and then you finally get the right one. I think Ben Ryan is what, at four before, five, little odds and ends, and we're like, that didn't work. But you learn. You learn, and you can always start. It's still, you know, it's still as many flaws as America has. It's still the greatest country to start anything you want. It is. It doesn't you don't even have to have any money to really start an idea and just go and just go build. So I think that's that's our little nuggets of knowledge. Nuggets of knowledge with Robin Dawn. Look at that. What is your nugget of knowledge, Don, for twenty for successful marriage and business?

Nuggets Of Wisdom And The Next 26

Dawn 26:00

Just yeah, just be present, you know, where your feet are and enjoy each other. Enjoy the time, you know, and you know, it's okay to disagree, but just enjoy the time and plan, plan out uh, you know, uh trips and experiences, I think are great. You know, you don't need to buy a bunch of stuff, just experience, experience other cultures, experience other yeah, experience other parts of of where you live. Go to the next town over. Yeah, go to the next town over, go, go get, go to like a different Chick-fil-A. I don't know. I mean, seriously, like go to different places and take a take a ride, take, take a drive, do things like that. You don't have to do something, you know, always do something fancy and spend a bunch of money. You can just simple things. Just uh just just enjoy enjoy you know each other and and just have some time to to think. Let your brain wander, you know.

Rob 26:58

Let your brain wander.

Dawn 26:59

Yeah. I think that's really the key. It's just, I mean, you, you know, marriage doesn't have to be hard. If you got the right person and and business the same way, you got the right business. Yes, you're gonna go through things, you're gonna go through setbacks. That's all part of it. It's part of life. Life wasn't supposed to be easy, but if you have the right person, you've got the right product or service you're selling, it comes together and it and it works out. And just be positive and and look forward and and identify when maybe something needs to change. You know, hey, this isn't working. Because what happens when you do the same thing over and over? You get the same result. So change, change it, you know.

Rob 27:39

Change it. Yeah. Yeah.

Dawn 27:40

That's definitely a good but but also it takes work too. Oh, yeah. It's not, it's not easy. It takes work, but it shouldn't be like grueling work, you know, and listen to each other, listen to listen to what your customers are saying, you know, and just so you can do better and and move things forward and to have a better relationship, a better business, be a better parent, you know, all those things. So Yeah.

Rob 28:05

I think my nugget nugget of knowledge, I think, is just is the working together, but also knowing if one of us is an 80-20 day, like my dad always said, right? If one of us is at 80%, 90%, we're doing well, and the other person's low on energy or low on focus or low on drive, and we all get that way. You be the 80% to raise up the other, the other one that the other, your uh, your teammate, right? Your your spouse, that's a 20%. And then you work together.

Dawn 28:32

Absolutely.

Rob 28:33

Do little extra things, you know. If there's if there's uh, you know, if you're down, then hey, you're gonna get some flowers. Because, you know, I never do anything wrong. Ish. So but it's about doing these little things and just loving each other and then loving the team and then growing not only yourself, but the others as well. I think those are the key pieces. And that's kind of what we've seen seen be successful in our life and in our marriage.

Dawn 28:59

Yep. So absolutely.

Rob 29:02

So for another 26, Don, you want to sign up? Sign up contract.

Dawn 29:06

Yep. Here's to another 26.

Rob 29:07

First contract.

Dawn 29:08

Yep.

Rob 29:10

Well, to another 26, my love.

Dawn 29:12

Yep, yep. Absolutely. All right.

Rob 29:15

Here we go. On to the next 26. Thank you all for joining us at this special episode of Venorine Compliance. I'm Rob.

Dawn 29:21

And I'm Don.

Rob 29:22

And have a great week. Bye bye.

Dawn 29:23

Bye.