She Supported Her Husband for 4 Years While His 'Dream Business' Was Losing Money. Dave Ramsey Says, ‘That's Not a Dream. That's a Nightmare’

She Supported Her Husband for 4 Years While His 'Dream Business' Was Losing Money. Dave Ramsey Says, ‘That's Not a Dream. That's a Nightmare’

Adrian Volenik

Tue, August 4, 2026 at 4:46 PM GMT+3 6 min read

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Supporting a spouse while they chase a dream is one thing. Doing it for four years while the business barely brings in any money is another.

That was the difficult situation facing a woman named Samantha, who called "The Ramsey Show" looking for advice after years of carrying her family's finances while her husband's gym business struggled to get off the ground.

Samantha explained that she had been the primary breadwinner throughout their marriage. She was willing to do that at first, but everything changed after the couple welcomed their first child. Now, with a second baby on the way and the family living with her parents to save money, she said she was exhausted by years of waiting for the business to finally take off.

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'That's Not a Dream Business. That's a Nightmare'

Samantha said her husband owns part of a gym and runs sports training programs with a business partner. Although they continue making projections about future growth, she told personal finance personality Dave Ramsey she is "tired of looking at projections of what could be."

Ramsey offered a harsh assessment.

"You have a business that you ran for four years that doesn't make money," he said. "That's not a dream business. That's a nightmare."

He explained that a real business should show steady improvements in revenue and profits, not simply optimistic forecasts that never materialize. If projections continue to be missed, business owners have to make tough decisions.

"If we have a business unit at Ramsey that sets projections and they don't hit them," he said, "then we close it. I need to see some trend lines in my sales."

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Ramsey said Samantha's husband should sit down with his business partner, evaluate the numbers honestly and establish a deadline for the business to become profitable. Without an end date, he warned, the family would continue living in financial uncertainty.

Co-host Rachel Cruze agreed and questioned why Samantha's husband had not taken another job while trying to grow the business.

"He's the dude. I don't want to offend your husband, Samantha, but I'm like, good God, mulch lawns," she said. "Go do something to bring in income for your wife and your baby and your soon-to-be baby. That's wild to me."

"Boy needs a job," Ramsey agreed. "Rachel's right. He needs to go make some money.

He suggested giving the business another six months, but only if the owners make meaningful changes that could realistically improve its performance. Otherwise, it may be time to close it.

Ramsey's advice centered on setting a deadline, facing reality and making decisions based on results instead of hope. For families under financial pressure, that also means thinking carefully about where they put both their time and their money.

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For Samantha, however, Ramsey's message was that supporting a dream indefinitely isn't a financial strategy. If a business cannot show real progress after years of losses, it needs measurable improvements and a backup plan before it puts even more strain on the family.

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This article She Supported Her Husband for 4 Years While His 'Dream Business' Was Losing Money. Dave Ramsey Says, 'That's Not a Dream. That's a Nightmare' originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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