Podcast Summary: Fullerton Unfiltered - Episode 948
"Thee Place to Be: Why We're Hosting a Marriage Summit at the Grand Canyon"
Date: April 3, 2026
Host: Brian Fullerton
Guest: Liz Fullerton

Episode Overview

In this light-hearted and genuine episode, Brian Fullerton and his wife Liz reconnect on-air to discuss their annual marriage retreat for entrepreneurial couples, "Together in the Trades." The duo dives into the challenges of maintaining a strong partnership while running a business, the benefits and details of the upcoming 2026 Marriage Summit at the Grand Canyon, and the intention behind stepping away from day-to-day chaos to focus on their relationship. The discussion is peppered with banter, relatable parenting stories, and a surprising amount of conspiracy theory humor, all delivered in their trademark unfiltered style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why "Together in the Trades" Exists

Context & Origin

• The event started six years ago after Liz and Brittany Almond identified a need for community among women in the trades, but quickly realized the conversation should include both spouses (09:13).
• Purposefully held after the spring rush, the retreat acts as a relationship "reset" for couples worn down by busy season pressures (09:47).

Liz Fullerton:

"...we realized that, you know, women probably aren't just the only problem, that the men are probably the biggest part of the equation. So instead of doing a women's conference, we quickly pivoted to doing a marriage conference..." [09:13]

Retreat Structure and Intent

• The retreat is designed to remove couples from their work environment, encourage reconnection, and foster learning in a relaxed, memorable setting.
• Programming includes professional speakers, workshops, plenty of downtime for local exploration, and fun, community-building activities.

2. 2026 Marriage Summit at the Grand Canyon

Location & Environment

• The event will be hosted at a resort in Williams, Arizona, just off Route 66, with the property fully reserved for attendees (14:26).
• Emphasis is on creating an intimate, supportive environment free from external distractions.

Speaker Lineup (11:11):

• Marty and Lisa Grunder (industry leaders, married 30+ years)
• Casey Caston of Marriage365 (professional, entertaining marriage coach)
• Variety of fun activities, including breakout sessions for men and women, fireside chats, and a hoedown evening with a DJ (25:49, 26:14).

Unique Features (14:26):

• First year with exclusive venue access — only event attendees on site.
• Brand new couples breakout sessions split by gender for deep, relevant discussions.

Brian Fullerton:

"We want you to...tangibly leave with something fun or new." [14:22]

3. Real-Life Challenges for Entrepreneur Couples

The Struggle is Real

• Both Brian and Liz share candidly about the difficulties of marriage and parenting while running a business, especially during the "spring rush" (16:25).
  • Extended periods where they feel like "roommates," missed date nights, solo parenting, and business stress all add up.
  • Liz describes "single parenting three kids" with Brian working overtime, while recovering from sickness.
  • They recognize “entrepreneur marriage” is statistically at higher risk for strain and divorce.

Notable Quotes:

• Liz:

  “When you are self-employed, your risk for divorce increases significantly. … It is one of the statistically most dangerous professions to have for your marriage, hands down.” [15:00]

• Brian:

  “Running a business is a hard endeavor. … Being married to a spouse who's an entrepreneur…we've all probably experienced a lot of high highs, low lows, uncertainties.” [16:25]

4. The Importance of Stepping Away and Investing in Marriage

Taking the Leap

• Both emphasize that investments in business should not come at the expense of family or marriage (15:00).

• The retreat is an intentional way to "stress test" leaving your business for a few days, ensuring that the company and the marriage grow stronger (37:06).

• Brian:

  “Get out of your comfort zone. Make the investment into you, into your wife, into your spouse, into your husband. Come out west, see the Grand Canyon. Like that's a bucket list item…” [36:30]

5. Who Should Attend?

• Any couple where at least one spouse is in the trades (green industry, plumbers, electricians, etc.).
• All relationship dynamics welcome: whether both run the business, one helps behind the scenes, or is completely uninvolved in operations (28:07).

Liz:

"You get everybody from, like, a Brittany Almond who's, like, in the field, right? Who, like, owns the business to Savannah Jennings, who was like, yeah, no, I don't want to do any of that. But you go get them, babe." [28:07]

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On connection:

  "Somebody has to eventually own it, get out of the crazy cycle, pull the other one out. … You can very easily slip into roommate phase." [37:47]

• On community:

  "There's couples that come back year after year that have created this environment in this room where anybody can walk in at any point in time..." [25:05]

• On the value of coaching vs. counseling:

  "When you say coaching, to our age group and below, everybody's like yeah ... I don't think anybody here is trying to ... pretend we all have it all figured out." [13:36]

• Humor/banter:

  • Conspiracy night pitches: “Pick your conspiracy, right? And you have to make a presentation for like seven or eight minutes and then…” (05:07)
  • Parenting struggles: "You guys should all try [being sick with three kids], it is awful." (20:13)
  • “Not a thought behind these eyes, Brian.” (38:46) – Liz, with comedic timing.

7. Retreat Details & Logistics

Tickets & Accommodations

• One ticket per couple ($642.09), includes three meals, event programming, activities (25:44).
• Entire hotel block reserved for attendees; 75 rooms available and already half sold as of recording (32:47, 32:59, 33:02).
• Logistics: Fly into Phoenix and drive 2.5 hours, or do a layover to Flagstaff; limited accommodations nearby — don't delay booking (32:59, 34:44).

Dress Code:

• Casual but nice — sundresses, comfortable wear for the Arizona summer (27:18).

Activities:

• DJ night, games, possible “love and marriage” game, community-building events, sightseeing with afternoons free to explore (25:51, 26:14, 26:49).

8. The Lighter Side: Conspiracies, Parenting, and Community In-Jokes

• The Fullertons banter about running a "Conspiracies After Dark" event and trade jokes about moon landings, Bigfoot, and even the dairy industry (05:07–07:01, 11:04).
• Parenting tangents: Liz’s “octopus mom” fantasy, sleep regressions, and the chaos of a sick household (18:33–22:25).
• “Together in the Trades” has led to real relationships — even engagements, marriages, and babies among attendees (30:37).

Important Timestamps

• [09:13] – Why the retreat started and its mission
• [11:11] – 2026 speaker lineup announced
• [14:26] – New structure: Breakout sessions & hotel exclusivity
• [15:00] – The hidden risks of entrepreneurship on marriage
• [16:25] – Real talk about business stress impacting relationships
• [25:05] – The importance of community year after year
• [25:44] – Ticket pricing, meals, and what’s included
• [32:47] – Hotel block size, urgency for booking
• [36:30] – Call to invest in your marriage and get out of comfort zone
• [37:47] – Relationship wisdom: Avoiding the “roommate phase”
• [38:46] – Humorous close: “Not a thought behind these eyes.”

Conclusion

This episode delivers actionable insight and heartfelt stories from a couple “in the trenches.” Their candor about business, marriage, and parenting makes their upcoming “Together in the Trades” retreat feel essential, not just for business couples, but anyone who wants to stay intentional about their relationship amid entrepreneurial chaos. The episode is a warm invitation: Step away, invest in your marriage, laugh a lot, and build lasting community where people "get it."

For more info or tickets: togetherinthetrades.com
Follow on Instagram: @togetherinthetrades