Three things you'll learn: How Bernard and his wife divided the business — sales vs. strategy, laundry vs. big picture — and why knowing your lane is the only way a husband-wife business actually survives Why Bernard says his teenagers seeing his daily struggle is one of the greatest gifts he can give them — and what he hopes they say about him when it's all said and done The one word Bernard says is the secret to navigating a business, a marriage, and two teenagers all at once — and why rigid systems will always break you What we cover: 00:00 — Introduction Bernard Nasouli, co-owner of iEmergent, husband, father of a 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter 00:00 — Building a business with your wife Third tour with the company. Married in 2004. Kids in 2009 and 2012. And the question everyone asks: how do you work with your spouse every day? 00:00 — Survive and advance The motto that runs the household and the business. What happens when you're already at capacity and there's nobody left to offload to. 00:00 — Knowing your lane Sales is Bernard's. Strategy is hers. Laundry is his — and don't touch his system. How clear domains keep the peace at home and at work. 00:00 — The mortgage industry timing Founded in 2000. Right into the mortgage meltdown. Then DuPont. Then back in 2015. And why he kept coming back. 00:00 — Coaching both kids in flag football Coming out of retirement to coach his 13-year-old daughter. The horse shows. The school functions. And why entrepreneurship made all of it possible. 00:00 — Holding kids accountable vs. holding employees accountable Why you can tell your kid to clean their room directly — and why you absolutely cannot do that with an employee. 00:00 — Teenagers seeing the struggle Full transparency with the kids about what running a business actually costs. And why Bernard thinks that's one of the best things he can do for their future. 00:00 — The acquisition conversation Growing to the point of attracting buyers. What changes when another party's interests enter the room. And why building to sell is a completely different business. 00:00 — The professor quote Don't play the game you find. Change the game you play. Why that line shaped every decision Bernard has made. 00:00 — The legacy Two happy kids who looked back and said they were loved — and were in awe of what their parents built. About Bernard Nasouli Bernard Nasouli is the co-owner of iEmergent, a data and forecasting company serving the mortgage industry. He grew up in Maryland, has lived in Iowa for twenty years, and has been with the company through three separate stints spanning from its founding in 2000 to today. He is a husband, business partner to his wife, flag football coach, horse show dad, and father of two teenagers. LinkedIn: [Bernard's LinkedIn] iEmergent: [link] About Working Dads Working Dads is the podcast for fathers figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Every week host Johnathan Grzybowski sits down with working dads — founders, executives, investors, and everyday fathers — for honest conversations about the guilt, the grind, the marriage, the money, and what it actually takes to build a career and a family without dropping the ball on either. No gurus. No highlight reels. Just real talk. 🎙 New episode every week 📩 Subscribe to Built During Bedtime — our weekly newsletter for working dads 💬 Join the community — Slack and Facebook group Subscribe & Connect 🎧 Spotify: [link] 🎧 Apple Podcasts: [link] 📺 YouTube: [link] 📩 Newsletter: [link] 💬 Slack: [link] 👥 Facebook Group: [link] 🔗 LinkedIn: [link] 🌐 Website: [link] For dads figuring out work, family, and everything in between. Nobody prepares you for this. Not the guilt of leaving for work when your kid is still asleep. Not the pressure of providing for a family while trying to build something that actually matters. Not the identity crisis that hits when you realize you're not just the guy who grinds anymore — you're somebody's dad. And that changes everything. I started Working Dads because I lived that. I'm co-founder of Penji, husband to Emily, and dad to a two-year-old who already has more energy than I do. I've been bootstrapping a company for over a decade and I still don't have it all figured out. But I've learned that the most dangerous thing a working dad can do is try to figure it out alone. So every week I sit down with founders, executives, investors, and everyday dads who are in the thick of it. We talk about the real stuff. The marriage conversations you keep avoiding. The financial pressure nobody admits to. The moment your kid looks up at you and you realize you've been somewhere else even though you've been standing right there. 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