The Podcast

EPISODE #46
Giving Kids TUF Love: Andria & Dominic Owen of Train Up First in Tampa, Florida, Part 2

​It started as an effort at their kitchen table, helping kids on their son’s football team. It has mushroomed into a non-profit organization with national reach, helping kids deal with life and become champions. We are back in Tampa, continuing our conversation with Dominic Owen and Andria Rogers Owen of Train Up First, or TUF. These two are an example of what happens when you have a servant’s heart and you’re driven to help people. In this episode, we’re going to hear about the fine art of disagreement and compromise. But should you let the other people in the meeting know you’re married? And is a sense of humor always the best thing to have around when the going gets intense? Or do you want a boxing ring instead?

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THE TRANSCRIPT

Blaine: 00:00 All right. I'm almost out of coffee.

Honey: 00:04 That's a tragedy.

Blaine: 00:05 Mm-hmm (affirmative). If you've every thought about it. Actually doing it into a coffee mug?

Honey: 00:10 No, I haven't.

Blaine: 00:12 What do you think that would sound like.

Honey: 00:14 I can take a pretty fair guess.

Blaine: 00:16 Do you think it might sound like this?

Honey: 00:17 No, nothing like that at all.

Blaine: 00:20 Welcome to CoupleCo.

Working with your spouse for fun and profit.

Honey: 00:23 It's business, and it's personal.

Blaine: 00:25 I'm Blaine Parker.

Honey: 00:25 Which makes me Honey Parker.

Blaine: 00:27 And, as a couple in business together, we're coming to you from the Couple Coach. Our compact trans-American land yacht.

Honey: 00:31 We are navigating the nation in search of stand out couples in business together.

Blaine: 00:35 And, we're bringing them to you, so you can hear their inspiring stories of crushing it in business, without crushing each other.

Honey: 00:40 This show is also brought to you by a couple owned business.

Blaine: 00:43 Smokin' Mary Smoked Bloody Mary Mix.

Honey: 00:45 Made in teeny tiny batches.

Blaine: 00:48 Teeny tiny batches.

Honey: 00:49 Teeny tiny. I mean, it's all relatively.

Blaine: 00:51 Relative to, say, one that comes in a 55 gallon drum?

Honey: 00:56 Exactly.

Blaine: 00:56 Okay.

Honey: 00:57 And, they use no reconstituted tomato juice.

Blaine: 01:00 Really?

Honey: 01:00 That is the truth.

Blaine: 01:01 Wow.

Honey: 01:02 Only fresh whole tomatoes.

Blaine: 01:04 God, that's sexy.

Honey: 01:05 It is.

Blaine: 01:06 Smoking Mary Smoked Bloody Mary Mix. Hey, nice tomatoes. Online at SmokinMary.com.

Are there any topics, issues or special interviews you think you need to hear on this show?

Honey: 01:17 If so, we'd like to hear from you. Just send an email to CoupleUp@CoupleCo.com.

Blaine: 01:22 We are interested in any and all input from the CoupleCo's who listen to this show. So, like that women said, send an email to CoupleUp@CoupleCo.com, and you do not want to disappoint her.

Honey: 01:34 By the way, you don't need a couple to ask us a question. Something that you'd like to hear, or share a couple as well.

Blaine: 01:41 You can be anybody. Chances are, though, you are a couple if you're listening to this show. Don't you think?

Honey: 01:44 Well, I've actually heard from a lot of people who aren't business with their spouse, who listen to this show regularly.

Blaine: 01:50 No kidding?

Honey: 01:50 It's true.

Blaine: 01:51 All right. You hear that out there? If you are not part of a CoupleCo., but you listen to this program anyway, send an email to CoupleUp@CoupleCo.com.

What do we call those? Bachelor Co's?

Honey: 02:00 Well, you know. I don't know. I mean, I also know of somebody's who's single and in business who listens to the show regularly. So, I don't know. There's some kind of crazy appeal. Maybe it's you.

Blaine: 02:14 Okay, it's the entrepreneurial thing. People are suckers for that. I can't blame them, I'm a sucker for it. Why do you think I'm here?

Honey: 02:20 Romantic story. I've asked myself that.

Blaine: 02:22 Anyway, today we're returning to Tampa, Florida to continue our conversation with Dominic Owen and Andria Rogers-Owen of Train Up First, or TUF.

Honey: 02:30 TUF started as an effort at their kitchen table, helping kids on their sons football team.

Blaine: 02:35 And, it has mushroomed into a non-profit organization with national reach. Helping kids deal with life, and becoming champions.

Honey: 02:42 Andria and Dominic are an example of what happens when you have a servant's heart, and you're driven to help people.

Blaine: 02:48 In this episode, we're going to hear about the fine art of disagreement and compromise.

Honey: 02:52 But, should you let the other people in the people know you're married?

Blaine: 02:55 And, is a sense of humor always the best thing to have around when the going gets intense?

Honey: 03:00 Or, do you want a boxing ring instead?

Blaine: 03:02 Here now, part two of our conversation with Dominic Owen and Andria Rogers-Owen of Train Up First, based in Tampa, Florida.

I almost hate to have to take this away from the story of TUF.

Andria: 03:15 Oh, that's fine.

Blaine: 03:16 To the story of you two. Because, really, we're doing this to give couples who are working together some inspiration, and let them know they're not in it alone, and there are other people who have experienced challenges. Hearing this, it's like, well, they never have any challenges. Obviously.

Andria: 03:32 Oh.

Dominic: 03:32 Oh.

Blaine: 03:34 So, as a couple in business together, who eat, breathe and sleep this, I'm sure, what is a pitfall to avoid as a couple in business together?

Dominic: 03:44 I think the biggest thing, honestly, is being able to listen to each others point of view. Because, just because a point of view may be different than yours, you can kind of, not to sound too cliché, but you can kind of meet in the middle.

Because, I think we have the type of relationship where I can be very straight and say, that's a terrible idea. Sorry.

Andria: 04:04 It makes people uncomfortable, for sure.

Dominic: 04:04 No, but-

Andria: 04:04 No, it does, in the office. We'll just go back and forth, and they're like ... We're fine, we're going to laugh it up. We're not going to stay mad and I'm not going to not talk to him for a week. They're like, I can't believe you just said that to him, or he said that to you.

Not in a disrespectful way, but we definitely disagree with each other.

Dominic: 04:22 Yeah, and neither of us will ... We're both strong personalities.

Blaine: 04:27 yeah.

Dominic: 04:27 So, it's almost like, okay, if you're in business mode, you have that switch, and you have to do what's best for the success of the business. I mean, that's a switch. You have to switch on.

Andria: 04:27 Yeah.

Dominic: 04:41 And, we have a difference of opinion, and we can rattle it out a little. And, we're not getting to the point where it's crazy or we're shouting, or anything like that.

Blaine: 04:51 Like, do what I do every day. In front of client.

Honey: 04:54 No, we don't ... I never shout.

Dominic: 04:55 But, what we did do. We did build a boxing ring on the top floor. I'm kidding guys. So, going back is just basically, yep, turning on that business switch and then being able to ... You know, just because she's my wife doesn't mean I have to agree with what ... And, I don't mean that in a bad way.

Honey: 04:55 Right. Oh, sure.

Blaine: 05:13 Oh, you guys should see the look on her face. Oh, that's good.

Dominic: 05:14 But, that is how we have a lot of meeting internally with our staff and board. You know, like I said, it's very much, we air it out. We don't need to sugar coat anything, it's just a passionate belief on ... But, we will always come back and we'll say, hey, this is what's right. And, I think that's healthy.

Blaine: 05:40 Well, I was going to say-

Honey: 05:43 As long as you have a greater goal, and as long as you're knocking it around to get to a better solution for that greater goal.

Andria: 05:49 You can't take it personally. Yeah.

Honey: 05:51 You know, because have an ad agency together. So, we're throwing around ideas all the time, and it has to be a safe place to throw out an idea, have the other person say-

Blaine: 06:02 That sucks.

Honey: 06:03 That is maybe not the idea that is going to get our client over the line, and our job is to get our client over the line. So, we'll do good on behalf of our client, but that's it. We're fine.

Andria: 06:14 You're right. That's so true. I mean, we'll decide whether we're going to tell people if we're married or not, going into a meeting. Sometimes-

Honey: 06:22 That's interesting.

Andria: 06:23 Sometimes ...

Blaine: 06:24 Yeah.

Andria: 06:25 Sometimes we haven't said, because it's an awkward situation. But, then I'll say, honey, and they're like, whoa. I'm like, oh, he's my husband. “What!?”

But, other times, we do, oh, this is my husband. Because ... It just matters on who it ... It's not that we're deceiving them. It's just that we want to be professional.

Honey: 06:46 Right, do you feel like it takes away from your strength at all?

Andria: 06:49 Yes, sometimes. If we say.

Honey: 06:51 Yes.

Andria: 06:51 Like, hi, I'm here with my husband. You know? I brought him along, like, because if they know me.

Dominic: 06:57 I actually disagree with that, I think it doesn't, because I had a call yesterday with a pretty significant person, and they're like, well, who's Andria? That's my wife, we co-founded the company together, and she does the curriculum, she's the best at it, and you're going to love her.

So, this is my role. Boom. So, I think it's very good, but I totally get what she's saying, because they can't sometimes put it together. But, definitely the dynamic of a husband/wife working together, it's very easy to see where the could be issues.

Andria: 07:32 Yeah.

Dominic: 07:32 But, I do think the most important part of it is being able to have the difference of opinion on that business level, for the better interests of what that mission or business is.

But, then still being able to turn the switch off and come back and go back into that relationship mode. And, I think that's where the secret is. Because, trust me, I know a lot of people that have worked together, and it ends up in disasters.

Andria: 08:01 And, not working together.

Honey: 08:01 Yeah.

Blaine: 08:01 Or, anything else together.

Honey: 08:05 Yes, exactly.

Andria: 08:06 And, I guess to go back, if I get a call and they, oh, we need to know about this. I'll say, well you need to contact Dominic, and I won't say, you need to call my husband.

Dominic: 08:13 Right.

Andria: 08:14 Like, that would just be so weird.

Honey: 08:15 Right.

Andria: 08:16 Like, oh, call my husband.

Dominic: 08:17 Well, yeah.

Andria: 08:17 You know, I'll just say, I'll put you in touch with Dominic Owen, if I don't know them. It's just more professional.

Honey: 08:23 No, I do the same thing.

Blaine: 08:26 The Whitney's. The Whitney advertising in Park City is the first interview we ever did, and they have a thing about referred to as the husband or the wife. It makes them crazy.

Okay, Dominic.

Dominic: 08:42 Yep.

Blaine: 08:42 How does Andria make you better?

Dominic: 08:45 It's a great question. I think she is one of the most positive people to be around at all times. So, I can be down, I get stressed. I'm a perfectionist. So, like the OCD guy, everything has to be perfect, and I'm very articulate and meticulous with a lot of things I do, and that can be a good thing in a lot of ways, but a bad thing, because I can really beat myself up.

So, I think from that standpoint, besides all the other great things that we do together and get along. You can call them superficial things, or things that glue a relationship together. But, I think just from a straight-out positivity, high energy standpoint, that is always very, very uplifting and there for me, and always looks for the good in every outcome.

So, I think that is definitely one of her special gifts. People, especially me. I'm very fortunate to have a wife that's kind of a cheerleader, in that sense. Always up and on, and that's very hard to find, and you don't see that a lot. Because, too many people can get wrapped up in what's wrong.

Honey: 09:59 Yes.

Dominic: 09:59 You know, what's negative.

Blaine: 10:00 Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dominic: 10:02 We already got a lot of negativity going on in the world right now. Just with the climate of what we're on. Not just in this country, but around the world.

Andria: 10:13 Yeah. Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dominic: 10:14 So, I think, you know, just yourself, your own personal relationship, I think that's what's special. That kind of unconditional love, uplifting positivity ...

Blaine: 10:27 Gift indeed.

Dominic: 10:28 Yeah, and I think that's special. So, I think that's definitely one of her special gifts, among many. But, just if I was to pick one, that would be kind of a highlight.

Blaine: 10:39 Right on.

Andria: 10:39 So, what are the others? I'm just kidding.

Dominic: 10:40 Besides ... Well, besides the cooking.

Blaine: 10:45 The cooking.

Dominic: 10:46 No, the cooking's amazing. Like, she orders the best food from Uber Eats. It's unbelievable.

Andria: 10:50 [crosstalk 00:10:50], because I literally cook every night.

Dominic: 10:54 Wow. I'm kidding.

Honey: 10:57 Andria, how does Dominic make you better?

Andria: 11:00 Sense of humor, for sure, because I can get so intense and so into something, and he can always liven things up a sense of humor, or if something is getting too intense, or if I get down about something. He can always get me out of it with his sense of humor.

He is always joking and just making me laugh. He can give me constructive criticism, and it doesn't make me mad. I don't know. My personality, I could go right back at 'ya, and go, you, blah, blah, blah.

But, when he says it in his way and his humor and all that, I really take it to heart, and I listen. I think, too, that when we have those down times, or whatever, he can always get us out of a funk with his sense of humor. He's very encouraging. I think we ... I don't know if you've read the Love Language book. There's five different love languages.

Blaine: 11:58 Yeah, yeah.

Andria: 11:58 And, it's easy when yours is the same as your spouse. I hope I can remember them. There's words of encouragement, gifts, physical closeness, acts of service and time. Spending time together. But, both of ours is words of encouragement. So, you tend to love that person with what you want.

So, my love language that I need is words of encouragement. You could spend eight hours a day cleaning out the garage for me, and I'd be like, eh. Just tell me, oh, your hair looks great! It takes two seconds. Mine's so easy, it's so easy.

Like, please don't be acts of service, because, no. Because, that's going to take me forever.

Blaine: 12:43 So, all those hours I spent cleaning the garage. Is that ...

Honey: 12:45 It's so funny when you said that. I'm absolutely thinking, he's sitting there going, but I cleaned the garage for you.

Andria: 12:50 But, most men ... I mean, I wouldn't say most, but a lot of men are acts of service. But, anyway, his is words of encouragement. I mean, well actually, you like all of it.

Dominic: 13:00 Whoa.

Andria: 13:00 But, you love words of encouragement. So, it's easy to give you what you want, because that's just kind of how you're wired. But, see, totals can totally miss each other, because I could be loving him with words of encouragement, and he could be like, I don't give a darn about you telling me I look great, or, oh, wow, you did such a great job, I just want you to do this. I want you to clean the garage for an hour.

Dominic: 13:26 Just clean the garage for me honey.

Andria: 13:31 Yeah.

Blaine: 13:31 His accent changed when you did that. That's great.

Andria: 13:35 So, I think that's huge for us, that it's the same, and we connect. So, you can totally be 100% loving each other, but kind of in the wrong way. Get it?

Honey: 13:46 Right. No, it makes complete sense.

Blaine: 13:49 Yep. You can be on the same boat, or you can be ships passing in the night.

Andria: 13:49 But, still loving each other. But, it's ... You're not-

Honey: 13:53 And, it's so easy to hand out what it is that you want. Well, I want words of encouragement, so I'll assume that what the other person wants, and that's what'll I'll do. Without stopping to think, actually, this person receives it in this way, and this is for them. So, I should probably send it in that way.

Andria: 14:10 That's kind of a TUF lesson. One of our lessons is The Golden Rule versus The Platinum Rule. So, The Golden Rule is do unto others as that you would want them to do unto you. Right?

The Platinum Rule, do you know what that is?

Honey: 14:10 Uh-uh (negative), but I can guess.

Andria: 14:29 The Platinum Rule is doing for others how they would want to be treated.

Honey: 14:35 Right.

Andria: 14:35 So, for instance, if you break your leg and I want to come bring you a treat, and my favorite thing is a chocolate sundae. Am I going to bring you a chocolate sundae? Which is The Golden Rule, or am I going to say, oh, man, she loves chocolate glazed doughnuts. I hate them, but I'm going to take you chocolate glazed doughnuts, because that's what you want.

Honey: 14:59 You're right, it is the next step, and it's the step that most people don't take.

Blaine: 15:03 Every time I bring Honey olives, she says ...

Honey: 15:05 That was another wife.

Andria: 15:07 Is this for you or for me? Yeah.

Honey: 15:07 Yeah, exactly.

Blaine: 15:11 So, I already know the answer to this question. I am 100% certain. Nonetheless, I will ask it because maybe I'm wrong.

Honey: 15:20 You're never wrong, baby.

Blaine: 15:21 Was there ever time where you said we can't do this? It's just too much.

Dominic: 15:27 As far as working together?

Honey: 15:28 Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Dominic: 15:29 No.

Andria: 15:30 Never.

Blaine: 15:30 I didn't think so.

Dominic: 15:31 No, because the mission's bigger than yourself. That's the bottom line.

Andria: 15:36 Yeah.

Dominic: 15:36 And, if I get to that point, I kind of go off on my own, because I do need to defrag the hard drive. So, I'll go off on my own. If it's walking the dogs, because I like my own little alone time as well. Just to kind of let the dust settle.

And, I'll say, you know what, that's selfish. It's selfish. So, you have to say, well, the bigger picture is ... Even people say, oh, it's a legacy. Yeah, that's great. It's a legacy, but even that's a little selfish, because a legacy, you want to be remembered for you. It's not about that.

Blaine: 16:15 It's going to be here after I'm gone.

Dominic: 16:16 Yeah, exactly. It's really not about that, it's just making a difference. If we can contribute a smither, small ...

Andria: 16:16 Sliver.

Dominic: 16:27 Sliver of whatever. Little percentile of a difference. I can feel we've done our part, but I think the biggest thing is to give everything we've got.

Honey: 16:41 It sounds like you have.

Dominic: 16:42 And, that's where we're just getting started, for me, and I know for you. And, that's where the fuel on the fire is that, and we're just ... And, we love it.

And, I think that's where we just gotta basically put that always at the forefront. It's not about us.

Andria: 17:02 Yeah, and I was going to say. I think one thing that's great is that at the end of the day, you're so tired, and sometimes the last thing you want to talk about is work. Which, I don't even feel like it's work, but it's so nice.

Blaine: 17:02 That's the thing. It's not. For us, it's not.

Andria: 17:15 I don't feel like it is, but it's nice that he already knows everything goes on. So, he doesn't have to ask me about the day, and say what happened, and then I have to repeat everything. He already knows. That's huge, that's a huge part, I think.

Dominic: 17:28 When I was talking to a guy from the Boys and Girls Club who runs a huge organization nationwide, but in Florida and he's like, oh, man, I hope you don't mind. I emailed you at 12:30 in the night. I don't want you to think I was weird or anything, but my schedule's so tough.

And, I'm like, you're preaching to the choir.

Andria: 17:52 Because, I read it at 12:01.

Dominic: 17:52 Yeah, yeah. So, that's the thing. I think people in the industry of what we're doing, with helping children, it's kind of that, you're always on. So, for us, that's where ... We love it, and we always try to keep that perspective where you put the kids first.

Blaine: 18:15 What would you say to somebody who thinks they want to do this? Normally, that would be start a business with a spouse, but we have an additional layer here. A non-profit. So, maybe there are two different answers, maybe there's one answer.

Dominic: 18:30 So, as far as starting a business together. I think the most important part of going into that is understanding the compatibility on how you respond to the challenges. I think it really reflects your relationship of who you have. So, it's a direct reflection on every day life, because in everyday life, even if you don't start a business together, you're going to have challenges.

And, I think those challenges and how you deal with them ... For instance, constructive criticism. If you can listen to constructive criticism and come to a solution together on that, appeasement, whatever you want to call it, then I think that's kind of those measuring points in starting a business together. Because, there are going to be a lot of ups and downs, and there has to be disagreements.

Just like we talked about before. You have to be able to put your business switch on, and if it's a non-profit, or a regular business, you have to be able to understand that, hey, I don't have to agree with her just because that's my wife or that's my husband. You're going to do what's best for the business.

Then, outside of that, you're still husband and wife and you're happy. But, I think that's the biggest challenge, not taking any business decision personally and carrying that over, and I think that's where ... Not that I'm any expert in that field, but I think why we've had a lot of success is specifically because we can have lots of disagreements on the business side of things and not carry them over to the personal side.

Andria: 20:13 Yeah.

Dominic: 20:13 And, that's it. I mean, we have personal disagreements, just like anybody. You still come to that point where you say, okay, maybe I was wrong, or you were wrong. Whatever that is.

Blaine: 20:27 Andria, you look like you've been thinking hard about this. Is there something else that you got going on, or is it just you're completely in agreement with him?

Andria: 20:33 No, I was just thinking. I think one thing that's difficult sometimes is that I'm such a protective mama bear over TUF, because I've been doing it for so long. Then, he's come in this past year. So, I think most of the struggle is that we came in at different times.

Like, I think it would be much easier to start a company with your spouse at the same time, because you're both on the same page and it's both new territory, or whatever. The struggles that we have are from me saying no, I know what I'm talking about, I've been doing this since 2009. I'm been in this for nine years, and you just come in.

But, then on another note, he gets the job done. He's done so much.

Blaine: 21:20 Well, that's surprising.

Andria: 21:24 He's done so much in one year that blows me away. So, I wish he had been there, literally, from the get-go. Would of been great, but some challenges I think we have are when I say, no, I know that this is how kids are. Or, I'm in the trenches with the kids or whatever, but then he's got the business mind of it.

So, it's trying to figure out ... I don't know.

Blaine: 21:48 It's also that you're like micro-focused, and then all of a sudden there's a macro perspective that comes to it.

Dominic: 21:53 Yeah.

Andria: 21:54 Exactly. Yeah, to begin with, I needed this aspect to come in to help scale TUF, and I'm so emotionally involved in it and I want the kids to learn this. Sometimes I can get so involved in the curriculum and other things, and he looks at the broad. But, it's total trust. Like, he trusts me that I know what I'm talking about on the product side, and I trust him that he knows what he's doing on the business side.

Dominic: 22:22 And, I think it's kind of like a Yin and Yang. It's a complimentary aspect of it.

So, it was a lot of areas that I know I don't have no jurisdiction even infiltrating into that part.

Honey: 22:36 That's a dog toy, by the way.

Blaine: 22:38 Yeah.

Andria: 22:38 Oh, I'm sorry.

Blaine: 22:39 They've got some lovely labs here. Is that a lab? No, it's not a lab.

Andria: 22:44 I'll get that from Lucy. I'll give her a treat.

Blaine: 22:46 Anyway, the dogs are terrific.

Dominic: 22:48 So, from that, no jurisdiction in that. So, I think that that's the part that is important. Is knowing what my strengths are and what her strengths are, and being able to recognize that. I think that's a part, because if we both think we're in that part, we both know it.

Then, that's where, maybe, some friction ... But, I think the Yin and Yang on that side of things. We recognize and we compliment very well on that area, with strengths and weaknesses. On the actual organization side of things.

So, I think that definitely we recognize, but also fortunate in that sense, of blending together.

Blaine: 23:36 Yeah.

Dominic: 23:37 Maybe other couples, if they're both all in one area and not in the other, then you could see some potential issues happening.

Blaine: 23:45 Oh, yeah. Redundancy. Like we've got.

Honey: 23:48 Yeah, two writers getting together. Fantastic.

Blaine: 23:50 Okay. So, here it comes. It's time. It is time.

Honey: 23:50 It's The Lightning Round.

Blaine: 23:56 It's The Lightning Round. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! Okay, The Fearsome Five.

Honey: 24:01 And, we call it The Lightning Round, but sometimes it ... You know. Whatever time you need.

Blaine: 24:06 Don't let them off the hook!

Honey: 24:08 Okay, it's The Lightning Round.

Blaine: 24:10 Andria, what is his biggest pet peeve about you? Two-handed backhand.

Dominic: 24:14 Do you want me to answer this? Messy.

Andria: 24:22 Yeah. I'm messy.

Blaine: 24:25 Messy? Okay. Honey probably thinks that about me.

Andria: 24:28 Oh, he's a neat freak. He's a neat freak.

Honey: 24:29 Well, that's because I'm right. Dominic, what is Andria's biggest pet peeve about you?

Dominic: 24:34 I'm too neat.

Honey: 24:38 Complimentary problems.

Blaine: 24:42 Okay. Andria, what single person, living or dead, or fictional, would you hire if you could?

Andria: 24:50 My dad. For sure.

Blaine: 24:52 Oh, that's not the first time we've heard that. There are a lot of good dads out there.

Honey: 24:54 yeah.

Andria: 24:55 Yeah. Amazing. Yeah, I would. For sure.

Honey: 24:58 Okay, Dominic. Same question. What single person, living, dead, fictitious, would you hire if you could?

Dominic: 25:03 John Wayne, because he'd be able to do all my firing.

Honey: 25:08 It's a first time John's come into this.

Blaine: 25:09 That's an interesting concept. I like that. Man. Andria? What do you do, just to get Dominic's goat?

Andria: 25:18 Walk the dogs without him.

Blaine: 25:20 Oh.

Andria: 25:22 I'm just going to walk the dogs.

Dominic: 25:22 That's true.

Blaine: 25:22 Damn.

Honey: 25:24 All right. Dominic, what do you do just to get Andria's goat?

Dominic: 25:28 Show up late on purpose.

Blaine: 25:30 All right. This next question you can answer together or separately. Since starting the business, or maybe since working together in a business, because it's only been a year that you've truly been working together, but answer it as you will.

Since working together, what has been your best date night?

Dominic: 25:46 Going to Anna Maria Island for two days and getting out of Tampa and not talking about TUF, probably, with friends.

Blaine: 25:57 Okay, that didn't take long. She's right there with that.

Honey: 25:57 Do you agree Dominic?

Dominic: 26:00 That is nice, but I'll have to supersede that.

Blaine: 26:02 Okay, that's your right.

Dominic: 26:03 With going to the Cayman Islands, and spending a week on the beach on Seven Mile Beach.

Blaine: 26:09 Okay, I'm with him.

Andria: 26:12 All right, I was thinking most recently.

Blaine: 26:12 I'm on that date night.

Andria: 26:20 Okay, you're right. Can we do that again?

Dominic: 26:20 Yeah.

Andria: 26:20 Yeah, let's do that. Well, I was thinking like totally recently, like date night. That was a vacation.

Honey: 26:25 That's right.

Blaine: 26:28 As far as we're concerned, it can even be something that happened before you ever started the company. How are we going to know?

Andria: 26:30 Oh, yeah. That was the best time ever. For sure.

Blaine: 26:31 There's no money on the line here, so ...

Andria: 26:34 100%, that was the best.

Honey: 26:34 Yeah, the most uncomfortable time we asked that question was we interviewed my parents. My parents had a business together, and they looked at each other, and they were like, well, it wasn't a night, it was an afternoon. They looked at each other, and they're like, yeah, and I'm like, okay, next question.

Andria: 26:48 Oh, no.

Blaine: 26:51 All right, Andria, describe Dominic in one word.

Andria: 26:55 Oh, gosh. That's hard. Fun.

Blaine: 26:59 Fun.

Andria: 27:00 Fun.

Honey: 27:00 I like it.

Blaine: 27:01 Yeah, works for me.

Honey: 27:02 All right Dominic, you know what we're going to ask.

Andria: 27:03 I mean, there's so many words. Like, I can't even ... Yeah, you know, fun.

Honey: 27:07 Describe Andria in one word.

Dominic: 27:09 Inspirational.

Blaine: 27:11 Wow. Okay.

Andria: 27:12 Well, I'd have to agree with that.

Blaine: 27:14 There was no hesitation in that one. With that, we are going to sign off from Dominic and Andria of TUF, Train Up First. You want to give your web address? Because, you have a couple of them.

Andria: 27:27 Yeah, www.GetTuff.com.

Blaine: 27:31 T-U-F.

Andria: 27:33 Two T's, GetTuff.com.

Blaine: 27:35 Yep.

Honey: 27:36 Okay.

Blaine: 27:36 All right. Thank you. This has been beyond inspirational.

Honey: 27:40 We thank you, and I'm going to say this while this is recording, and he doesn't know I'm going to say this, and I've said this to anybody else we've interviewed. But, if you guys ever need anything.

Andria: 27:49 Aw, that's so nice.

Dominic: 27:52 Thank you.

Blaine: 27:52 I can go with that.

Andria: 27:52 Thank you so much.

Dominic: 27:56 Thank you. That means a lot. It's been a lot of fun. You guys are fantastic, and I'm excited.

Blaine: 28:00 This is ... I joke that I am not worry, but it is really. You guys ... We often turn to each other at the end of these interviews and go, we need to be a better couple.

Honey: 28:10 We need to be a better couple.

Blaine: 28:11 Now, I'm just thinking. I need to be a better person.

Honey: 28:13 Yeah, it was great, and we appreciate it. Thank you for your time.

Andria: 28:13 Thank you so much.

Blaine: 28:19 Thank you Laurie [Warhaute 00:28:20] for making this all possible.

Honey: 28:21 For the intro.

Blaine: 28:22 Okay, she's waving. She refuses to speak. She probably hates the sound of her own voice.

Laurie: 28:27 I do.

Blaine: 28:27 Yeah.

Dominic: 28:28 No, but you guys are amazing. Great questions.

Blaine: 28:31 Well, thank you. Nobody's ever said that before.

Dominic: 28:34 Oh, no.

Blaine: 28:34 I hope that it's true.

Dominic: 28:35 Yeah. Yeah.

Andria: 28:36 I think it was so much fun.

Dominic: 28:36 Yeah, absolutely.

Blaine: 28:43 This has been part two of our conversation with Dominic and Andria Owen of Train Up First in Tampa, Florida.

Honey: 28:48 If you'd enjoyed this podcast, and maybe it hit you in the heart. Maybe you cried a little bit, and you think it might be useful or fun for other couple entrepreneurs. Please go to iTunes and leave a star rating and a review to help them find it.

Blaine: 29:00 And, join us next time for a chat with some enterprising South Africans in South Carolina.

Honey: 29:06 [Eddie 00:29:06] and Ray Sanders did something that might seem ill-advised.

Blaine: 29:11 They opened a dive shop because it seemed like fun.

Honey: 29:15 So, does turning your hobby into a business on a whim lead to fame and fortune?

Blaine: 29:20 Well, at the very least, it leads to some good stories, and perhaps a cautionary tale or two. Next time, here on CoupleCo.

Working with your spouse for fun and profit.

Honey: 29:28 Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved.

Blaine: 29:30 Love you baby.

Honey: 29:31 Love you too.

Blaine: 29:32 CoupleCo. out.