Getting Spouse on Board for ETA?

searcher profile

October 05, 2025

by a searcher from The Ohio State University - Max M. Fisher College of Business in Chicago, IL, USA

What were the biggest hesitations your spouse had prior to you pursuing ETA? Are there any resources you have seen that help provide a helpful overview of what to expect from a spouse's perspective during the search process?
4
19
459
Replies
19
commentor profile
Reply by a searcher
from New College of Florida in Miami, FL, USA
You are sharing your dream with your partner. In that conversation, spend just as much time listening to and understanding THEIR dreams. Only then will you be ready to build something together. If the goal of the conversation is to get them to hop on board YOUR train, then you'll be taking that trip alone. Put aside the assumption that your plan is the best plan. Have an "Our Dreams" conversation. Then build the path to the future you both want. Maybe it's ETA. Maybe it's something else. But they can't join you if you already have no room for them.
commentor profile
Reply by an investor
from United States Naval Academy in Ashburn, VA, USA
Go to live events like ETA conferences and meet ups together. It doesn't have to be for the whole event, but meeting some of your fellow searchers and service providers at a mixer, dinner, or keynote address can put a face to all these names you mention. One solid conversation with another spouse who is a few steps ahead of you can get more done than a whole shelf of books you "assigned" your spouse to read.
commentor profile
+17 more replies.
Join the discussion