My husband is my soulmate, my best friend, and my safe space. A few years ago, I added “business partner” to that list. Everything seemed to change when our son moved out and we moved back home to Iowa.
Looking back, I realize we were just trying to figure out who we were again. We were two young people in love who started a family early. At that time, we didn’t have much in common with our friends, who were out living their best lives, while we worked multiple jobs to take care of our newly formed family.
One thing that’s always been true is that my husband is a dreamer and a go-getter. What I didn’t fully realize until we returned to Iowa was how deeply he wanted me to be part of his success. Let me explain.
Over the years, my husband had many side hustles (I’ve talked more about this in a prior blog). These ventures soaked up a lot of his free time, while I focused on climbing the corporate ladder, which often required an exhausting amount of travel. During that time, he quite literally ran our household and raised our son. For that, I will forever be grateful. Our son is an incredible human being, and my husband played a major role in shaping him into who he is today.
This farm didn’t come about much differently than one of my husband’s usual side hustle pitches—except this time, he brought a level of conviction I hadn’t seen before. I had no choice but to run with it. And here I am, five years later, writing about how this farm has changed my life. This was no side hustle; it was a mission.
My husband continues to push me outside my comfort zones. He believes so strongly in my abilities that he quite literally wills me into making things happen. When we first met in college, I was a Graphic Design major. Back then, he was my biggest cheerleader, hyping me up and even lining up people for me to create album covers for. I didn’t see what he saw in me back then—but I do now.
Fast forward 20 years, and he’s still at it. He recently bought a commercial vinyl cutter and told me to figure it out. That machine almost broke me, but I eventually found a love for creating hats, which helped us make our money back. I still have much to learn, but I’ve mastered the basics.
Just when I thought I’d earned a break, he came home with another marketplace purchase: a used laser engraver. At first, I was furious. I had begged him to let me master the vinyl cutter before diving into anything else, but, of course, he had other plans.
It took me days to set up the engraver—not to mention troubleshooting loose wires and other issues. Eventually, I figured it out, just as he knew I would. Though I’m still a bit annoyed about the outdated machine, it has opened my eyes to what I’m capable of. And yes, I’ve already told him that we’ll be upgrading to a newer model soon so I can really put it to good use.
Enough about me—let’s talk about the amazing man who inspires me every day and what he’s been up to.
About a month and a half ago, I noticed my husband revisiting an old passion from before I started chasing corporate dreams. Years ago, he served on the board of a museum in Waterloo. He was deeply invested in advocating for the east side of town, where we bought our first home. He worked tirelessly to make it a safe, thriving community for our son, but those ambitions were put on hold when my career took us to the Chicagoland area.
This year, something reignited his passion for that museum. He began researching its current state and brainstorming ways to make an impact. Before I knew it, I was helping him design a website, create ads, and revive its social media presence. Together, we got it done, and we continue to make updates as needed.
Since then, he’s reconnected with old contacts and forged new ones. His passion for saving this museum is unparalleled. He’s discovered that the museum faces significant challenges, including debt that risks the loss of the land previous board members worked so hard to secure. Despite the uphill battle—and a history of setbacks tied to the museum’s past—he’s fully committed to turning things around.
He launched the “Save the African American Historical and Cultural Museum” campaign, got the board back together for regular meetings, and was nominated president. When vandalism damaged parts of the museum, he rallied the board to begin repairs, which are now underway. He’s spent countless hours researching artifacts, consulting with other local museums, and making connections. His determination is awe-inspiring, and it has consumed much of his time—so I’ve taken on more responsibilities at the farm to support him in any way I can.
When my husband dreams, I know it’s time to grab our capes and dust them off—because when he’s all in, so am I.
Moral of the story: Be so undeniably motivated that your glow inspires others. You never know when it might spark their fire. ❤️✌🏼 Jamie
Moral Of The Story 