Love is in the air and Valentine’s day is on the horizon. However, so many women, especially entrepreneurs, are making major mistakes in their relationships or marriages leading up to the big day of love. Their money is running in the black, but their love life is in the red for all the wrong reasons.

The Founder of CEO Chicks, Coleen Otero, has been married for more than 18 years and admits she’s been guilty herself of letting work get in the way of romance. She shares three mistakes women are making after leaving a busy day at the office.

1. Trying to make our husbands like us

Some alpha women tend to think that their husbands should be as busy, outspoken or entrepreneurial as they are. We can sometimes make the mistake of thinking our spouses are not as successful if they’re not operating at the same "level" we see ourselves on. The truth is an alpha woman would bump heads and clash with an alpha male. Strong women in business need someone who is supportive, understanding and quite the opposite. I wouldn't say polar opposite, but someone who is confident in who they are, can bring her balance, wisdom, all while still progressing in his professional and personal development. This is my definition of a power couple — what one lacks the other has in abundance!

2. Running their home life like their business life

As women in business, we have to learn to take off the CEO hat and put on the wife hat. Regardless of our roles out of the home, we must become a soft and safe place for our partners. One of my favorite scriptures says husbands are to love their wives, but wives need to respect their husbands. I always grin when reading that; it is basically saying men say they want love, but they really want respect. They want a wife who honors them, makes time for them, acknowledges even the little things they do. I wonder if God knew that women are wired to naturally love what they can appreciate? I truly believe a man's ego is like glass, easy to break and hard to repair. In my 18 years of marriage, I had to learn how to speak life to my husband even when his ego was shattered. We can do that by cooking their favorite meals, giving them time to process, initiating sex (that's major) and doing our best to pray with them and for them (privately).

3. Not making time to date

As business women, we can over work! We can fail to make time for our families and marriages. It is important to schedule dates and trips with our spouses, to continue to invest in the marriage like you did in the beginning. I will also say I do understand there are times opportunities will present themselves and it may look as if we have to sacrifice our families to get things done, but let me present a new concept. Find a way to include the family in these moments. We must teach our children what it means to be entrepreneurs. My husband and I include our family in some of our business dealings so they can learn the skills that our school system may not teach them.

Lastly, I would like to add that all couples are paired uniquely and marriage counseling is a big part of what has helped my marriage. We must do whatever it takes to keep our marriages and families unified.

Ladies, to get your love lives on track and to continue this conversation, join Coleen Otero and her CEO Chicks team at the 2019 Dominate Conference in Orlando. She’s curated a panel conversation, "Married to a CEO Chick," to help women in business thrive in love at home.

Click here to learn more about Coleen Otero and her business network, CEO Chicks.

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Writing since November 2018 · 1 story contributed