07/26/2026
As most of you know, I’m a very transparent person when it comes to my business. I don’t just show you guys the wins I show you the losses too. So today I’m gonna let you in on what’s been going on behind the scenes because if I’m a little off this week, I want you to understand why.
Back in 2013, my ex-husband and I started our BBQ business. My family actually built the barbecue we used. When we got divorced in 2019, that barbecue stayed with him. Over the years it sat, it weathered, and honestly… it was in pretty rough shape.
Last year, the barbecue I was using finally gave out. Swallowing my pride wasn’t easy, but I reached out and asked if I could borrow that one. We had an agreement—I would use it until I was financially ready to build the barbecue I actually wanted, and then I’d give it back. He agreed.
Since then, I’ve put money into it because I felt that was the right thing to do. I put new tires on it, had it painted, added an awning, fixed it up, and never asked him to reimburse me because I was the one benefiting from using it. I wanted to hand it back in better condition than I got it.
Now fast forward to today.
He knew I had events coming up over the summer. He knew I was short on help. He knew summer means my son is home, he’s eating everything in sight, school shopping is around the corner, and every penny matters. He even asked if he could help me work a couple of those events because he needed some extra cash! So of course it’s beneficial to our son so I helped him out!
And before anybody twists this into something it’s not… we’ve been divorced for seven years. Seven. We co-parent really well, and that’s all there is between us. Business and parenting. Nothing more. He’s the father of my children and if he’s in a bad spot so are our children and I refuse to be toxic!
The problem isn’t him.
The problem is that his girlfriend found out he was helping me help him, and she didn’t like it.
So yesterday I got the phone call that she wants the barbecue back.
Not him.
She does.
And that’s the part that’s hard for me to understand because she has absolutely no ties to that barbecue. She wasn’t there when my family built it. She wasn’t there when we started this business. She wasn’t there when I spent my own money bringing it back to life. But because she’s insecure & uncomfortable, I now have until Friday to give it back.
Do I agree with it?
No.
Am I upset?
Absolutely.
But am I going to fight it?
No.
A deal is a deal, and my word means something to me. I said I’d give it back when I was asked, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
What sucks is the timing.
And if I’m being completely transparent…
Ever since the construction started, business has taken a hit.
Before all of this, I averaged around 30 customers a day.
Now… 14 customers is considered a good day.
So I’m already trying to navigate slower sales which I expected for summer but not this slower. I’m trying to keep my business afloat. I’m trying to provide for my son. I’m trying to get him ready to go back to school. And now I’m being forced to replace a barbecue that I wasn’t financially or strategically ready to replace.
Could I go buy just any barbecue?
Sure.
But that’s not how I operate.
I know exactly what I want built because I know exactly what my business needs.
The pit I use for events works, but it’s limited. I can’t cook burgers the way I want to. I can’t toast buns. I can’t maximize my menu because I simply don’t have the grill space.
So now I have to find something by Friday that’ll keep my business moving until I can build exactly what I want. Spend extra money for something temporary!
That’s the reality of owning a small business.
People see the smiling videos.
They see the food.
They see the packed events.
What they don’t see are the nights you’re lying awake wondering how you’re going to make everything work when life throws another curveball at you.
So if you come in this week and I’m a little quieter than normal… or maybe a little sh*ttier than normal… just know it has nothing to do with you.
Life is just life right now.
I’m not sharing this because I want sympathy.
I’m sharing it because this is the reality behind being a small business owner. Sometimes the hardest battles have nothing to do with cooking the food. They happen behind the scenes, where nobody else sees them.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few years, it’s this…
Every obstacle that’s been thrown in my way has eventually become the reason I leveled up.
So I’ll figure this out too.
I always do.
