25 Years, 1 Business, and a Whole Lot of Life, Our Story of Building Rule29 Together

Written By Justin Ahrens
 
 

EP. 10

In this special episode of Running Ahrens, Justin and Sarah open up about the wild, wonderful, and sometimes chaotic story of building a business and a marriage, together.

From the early days of paychecks that didn’t always cash to growing a nationally recognized creative agency out of their unfinished basement, they share what it really looked like to raise a family, run a business, and somehow stay married through all of it. With honesty, humor, and a few deeply relatable moments, they reflect on everything from business pivots and burnout to parenting, power struggles, and even employee work attire standards.

It’s the kind of conversation you’ll laugh through, nod along with, and maybe even feel a little less alone after hearing.

Takeaways & Talking Points:

Starting Something With Nothing
The (un)romantic truth about launching Rule29 while pregnant, broke, and living with family

Paychecks, Pivots & The Basement Office
How Sarah took over the books, Justin rebuilt the business from scratch, and their unfinished basement became the birthplace of a creative agency

Rules We Made for Each Other
Why they signed a literal contract before rebuilding the business, and what it taught them about boundaries, expectations, and shared goals

When Everything Changed
Business challenges, financial pressures, and the hard decisions that shaped their next chapter

The Collaboration Contract
Learning to divide responsibilities (and not kill each other), grow a team, and raise four kids while running the show

The Exit That Hurt
Why Sarah ultimately stepped away from Rule29, what it cost them, and how it made space for her to step into her own story

Love, Regret & What They’d Do Differently
The honest truth about ego, burnout, creativity, and how they’d build something together now, if they ever did it again

Things We’re Learning (and Unlearning)

  • You can love someone deeply and still feel unseen in the business you built together

  • Contracts aren’t just for clients, they can save your marriage

  • There’s no such thing as “enough” for a driven creative… unless you define it together

  • Even the best partnerships have seasons of resentment, reinvention, and release

  • Sometimes, letting go is the bravest (and kindest) move you can make

Stats Worth Knowing

  • Only 3% of businesses make it 25 years

  • 60% of married co-founders eventually part ways professionally

  • 75% of couples in business together admit they argue over who does what

  • 45+ interns and countless team members have launched careers through Rule29

  • 1 contract, 4 babies, and two rebuilt careers later… the story continues

This one’s for anyone who's ever tried to build something without losing everything else. For the dreamers, the doers, the co-founders, and the couples working side by side (or trying to).

You’re not alone. And you’re not crazy. This is what building something real looks like.

#CreativeCouples, #BuildingTogether, #BusinessAndMarriage, #RunningAhrensPodcast, #Rule29OriginStory, #BehindTheBusiness, #WomenInBusiness, #FamilyAndEntrepreneurship, #HardConversations, #RebuildingTogether, #MarriageAndWork, #PartnershipInBusiness, #DesignLife, #CreativeLeadership

Listen to the full episode:

 
Justin Ahrens
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