The cliché© goes that after a couple has been together for 7 years, they tend to re-evaluate their relationship.  The man might decide he needs an hour a day to play online poker, the woman may demand that Tuesday is Girl’s Bowling Night.  More often, though, the 7 year itch implies that the couple is done with each other, and they go their separate ways.

Clearly, this couple has some problems to work out.

For entrepreneurs, a business is like a long-term relationship.  Some of us are in love with the idea of being in love…er, business.  We set dates to go out every night, we spend long weekends at home together, and sometimes we forget we have other friends during the honeymoon period.  But when the beauty fades, there is a 7 month itch that sets in and we wonder, “Why do I love you again?”

For Fellowstream, Jacob and I hit the “7 month itch” in May.  We knew we needed to launch a better site, but let’s face it: marketing can be the least fun part of running a business.  You have to please a bunch of people and make something look good in 5 seconds or less, or no one will stick around.  Plus, there’s no guarantee anyone will care.  It took a lot of iterations to get the new site where it is, and we’re proud of it, but at the end, we looked at each other and asked, “Why do we love Fellowstream again?”

It’s okay to have these moments.  I never believe couples when they tell me they “never fight.”  If you’re not fighting, you must not be talking to each other and ergo don’t like each other much.  Why?  Because a lot of good things in life come out of conflict.  Admittedly, a lot of bad things do too, but consider a life without diverse people, without new ideas, and without challenges, and you have a life without conflict.  And just like any good fight with your significant other, you have to remember why you love that person, patch things up, and move forward.

Which is just what Jacob and I did. I’m happy to say the new site is not only attracting more people, but people are spending twice as much time reading our content than before.  Go new site!

For all other entrepreneurs out there, here’s hoping you get past your 7 month itch and discover true love once more.

-Deborah Fike

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