Founders

Least likely to succeed:
If you’d known Mike or Charlie before they met, you would not have expected that either of them could sustain a successful marriage.  Both were hard-headed, strong-willed perfectionists with poor relationship skills.  Mike had destroyed his first marriage by devoting too much time at work and he bullied his way through disagreements using intimidation to win.  Charlie, although never married, had made a fine art out of choosing unsuitable partners; she excelled in manipulation and tears.

What changed?  Nothing & everything:
They’re still hard-headed, strong-willed perfectionists, but now they are hard-headed, strong-willed perfectionists with a common vision, a Marriage PactJ and greatly improved relationship skills. 

Realizing they had more than a few cards stacked against them, they began their marriage with the intention of getting things right this time.  They started by incorporating some great advice they were given by two couples who had been married a combined total of more than 75 years.  Expanding on this advice, they added other strategies they picked up and developed over the years.  They worked hard to build a relationship that has become the envy of those who know them.  Did it involve a complete makeover?  No way.  They merely chose to tweak a few of their actions, focus their mindset, align their expectations and have the integrity to keep their word.  They share this straightforward, down-to-earth and powerful advice in their book, Mastering Marriage.  Wanting to provide a venue for other successful couples to share their secrets for creating and sustaining a happy marriage, the Browns created MarriageMasters.com - a website for happy couples by happy couples.  A place to exchange insights and inspiration for remaining happily married.

Motivation:
Charlie still can’t believe she’s part of a healthy long-term relationship– and that it has been so much easier to be in a great relationship than it had been to do things wrong in prior relationships.  She knows that others can create the marriage they want right in the middle of the marriage they have just by implementing simple changes in action and attitude.

Mike is still reeling from the pain that his divorce caused his children - and continues to cause them more than a quarter century later.  He knows that if he had taken the same steps with his first wife that he’s taken with Charlie, his first marriage would never have broken up.  He wants to prevent other children from being crushed by divorce by helping their parents learn how to stay happily married.

Points of interest:

• Mike and Charlie left thriving corporate careers to start a business – which failed.  To avoid bankruptcy, they sold virtually all their possessions to pay debts.  They went from a combined income of about $90,000 the year before they married to an average annual combined income of $7,000 for the first seven years of their marriage
• For 18 months they lived out of their car and did not have a permanent address as they camped around 49 US states and western Canada trying to decide where to live and what to do next
• During two separate 6 month periods, they provided live-in hospice care for their mothers – and Mike’s mother didn’t like Charlie
• In the late 1980’s they moved to California so Charlie could pursue an acting career – unless you attended the Los Angeles Sherriff’s Academy, you haven’t seen her perform
• During their marriage they have worked a wide range of jobs to support themselves: cleaning hotel rooms (both), driving a forklift (Mike), working in a fast food restaurant (Charlie), business consulting (both), sales training (Charlie), accounting temp (Mike), handyman (both), home construction (both).  Ultimately they found work back in the corporate world – most recently Mike was a Regional Controller for a construction company and Charlie was the Director of Business Development;  you’ll note that neither acting nor writing shows up on this list as neither venture has provided a net income
• They survived an extensive home remodel which included 2 years without a back wall, furnace, kitchen or roof, months without a shower, and weeks without a toilet
• They have experienced the heartbreak of infertility as they were unable to have children together despite numerous fertility treatments; they share three children from Mike’s first marriage
• Now Mike and Charlie have once again left the corporate world to work together fulltime to help couples create stronger marriages