IVF Results & Tell All w/ My Husband Greg: What It’s Really Like

Summary

Pursuit of Wellness: Episode Summary Title: IVF Results & Tell All w/ My Husband Greg: What It’s Really Like
Host: Mari Llewellyn
Guests: Greg (Mari’s Husband)
Release Date: February 13, 2025

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Introduction

In this heartfelt episode of Pursuit of Wellness, host Mari Llewellyn invites her husband, Greg, to discuss their deeply personal journey through fertility treatments, specifically focusing on In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The conversation delves into the complexities of supporting each other through the emotional and logistical challenges of IVF, offering listeners an authentic glimpse into their marriage and the transformative power of mutual support.

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Decision to Pursue IVF

Mari and Greg share how they arrived at the decision to pursue IVF, emphasizing the importance of timing and readiness. Mari had set a personal milestone to start her fertility journey before turning 30, while Greg approached it with a more flexible mindset.

• Mari Llewellyn [03:35]: "We always kind of had, like, milestones, I would say that we had penciled into the calendar."
• Greg [04:00]: "I wanted to try naturally for a full year... I didn't want to put a timeline on it like that. It's very stressful and, like, puts pressure on."

They initially tried to conceive naturally starting in November 2023, moved to Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) as a preliminary step, and ultimately decided on IVF due to the mental exhaustion and logistical difficulties posed by their entrepreneurial lifestyle, which often required them to travel and maintain busy schedules.

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Logistical Challenges and Prioritization

Navigating fertility treatments while managing a demanding career and frequent travel posed significant challenges. The couple highlights the necessity of prioritizing IVF by adjusting their schedules and reducing non-essential commitments.

• Greg [07:02]: "I just had this moment where I was like, this is the most important thing to me. Nothing else matters compared to this."
• Mari Llewellyn [07:19]: "This last three months, Mari has said no to everything that wasn't completely necessary."

By intentionally staying home during critical periods like holidays and clearing their schedules for appointments, Mari and Greg demonstrate the level of commitment required to successfully embark on the IVF journey.

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Emotional and Mental Impact

The emotional toll of IVF is profound for both partners. Greg opens up about his mental state, feelings of stress, and the struggle to maintain his usual level of emotional capacity and presence.

• Greg [14:01]: "You're just waiting phone call to phone call about your frickin future. Like these phone calls are life or death."
• Greg [15:36]: "I feel like I've had a new level of... I'm just holding on by a thread, kind of."

Mari acknowledges the intense mental burden that comes with IVF, emphasizing the constant waiting and the impact of hormonal fluctuations on emotional well-being.

• Mari Llewellyn [13:12]: "And just because it may or may not be common does not mean it's not intense."

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Mutual Support Strategies

Greg and Mari discuss various ways they support each other throughout the IVF process. Greg emphasizes the importance of prioritizing IVF by clearing his schedule and being fully present during treatments and appointments.

• Greg [08:56]: "Everything's penciled in. Like, I have some really fun girls trips planned. We're going to Colorado in the summer. But... if something's going on with me or our future baby, like, I will not be going anywhere."

Mari focuses on creating a nurturing and relaxing home environment, minimizing stressors to support Greg and managing daily tasks to alleviate Mari’s burden.

• Mari Llewellyn [19:05]: "You need to truly comfort all the time."

Handling Emotional Highs and Lows

The couple addresses how IVF has introduced new emotional dynamics into their relationship. Both acknowledge the increased emotional sensitivity and the necessity of effective communication to navigate disagreements and frustrations.

• Greg [20:37]: "There are going to be some disagreements. Like, you're gonna have to have discussions about things you've never encountered before."
• Mari Llewellyn [21:03]: "Learning to communicate what you need is really important."

They highlight the importance of expressing needs clearly, whether it’s seeking comfort, wanting to be distracted, or needing space, to maintain a strong and supportive partnership.

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Milestones and Successes

A pivotal moment in their journey is revealed when Greg shares the joyful news of their successful embryo count after genetic testing.

• Greg [17:08]: "We have our final embryo count after genetic testing... both genders are represented."

This milestone marks a significant step forward, providing hope and relief amidst the rigorous and often unpredictable IVF process.

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Relationship Growth Through IVF

Mari and Greg reflect on how their IVF journey has strengthened their relationship, fostering deeper teamwork and understanding. They discuss overcoming past relationship hardships and how facing the challenges of IVF together has brought them closer.

• Greg [35:09]: "Every hard thing we've been through, like my fitness journey, like, changing my life, our business, like, hardships in business together, they've always worked out better than we could have imagined. And I know that will happen here."
• Mari Llewellyn [34:47]: "Whatever you're going through right now probably feels like the hardest thing you've ever been through."

They emphasize resilience and adaptability, traits that have helped them navigate both personal and professional challenges, including their current fertility journey.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with Mari and Greg reaffirming their commitment to each other and their shared goals. They encourage listeners to prioritize what matters most in their own lives and to support their partners with empathy and understanding during challenging times.

• Greg [36:19]: "Take going through it together."
• Mari Llewellyn [35:32]: "We're just really good at responding to, like, extreme. Right."

Their authentic dialogue offers valuable insights into maintaining a healthy and supportive relationship while facing the formidable challenges of IVF, underscoring the podcast’s mission to inspire and guide listeners on their own wellness journeys.

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Notable Quotes

• Greg [02:28]: "Supporting each other's goals, making each other better."
• Mari Llewellyn [07:19]: "This last three months, Mari has said no to everything that wasn't completely necessary."
• Greg [08:56]: "Everything's penciled in."
• Mari Llewellyn [13:12]: "And just because it may or may not be common does not mean it's not intense."
• Greg [14:01]: "You're just waiting phone call to phone call about your frickin future."
• Greg [20:37]: "There are going to be some disagreements."
• Mari Llewellyn [34:47]: "Whatever you're going through right now probably feels like the hardest thing you've ever been through."
• Greg [35:09]: "Every hard thing we've been through... they've always worked out better than we could have imagined."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Pursuit of Wellness offers a raw and honest exploration of the IVF journey through the lens of a committed marriage. Mari and Greg’s candid conversation provides invaluable perspectives on balancing personal aspirations, relationship dynamics, and the emotional intricacies of fertility treatments. Their story serves as a beacon of hope and resilience for listeners navigating similar paths, embodying the podcast’s ethos of working from the inside out to achieve optimal wellness.

Transcript

[Mari Llewellyn]

This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn.

[Greg]

What is up, guys? Good morning. Good morning, Greg.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Good morning. We just had quite the morning.

[Greg]

We did we. I haven't been this rushed in a while. I'm, like, a little stressed, honestly. Like, I don't really know how you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Keep up with this lifestyle.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You're strained.

[Greg]

I'm a little strained. First of all, I'm kind of under the weather, so I apologize in advance for my voice, but we had a Walmart photo shoot at 9am all the way in Cedar Creek Rock, wherever we were.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Sometimes in. In Texas, like, Something might be 30 miles away.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Like, I feel like our cars are getting, like, major mileage on them living in Texas.

[Greg]

I mean, I drove all the way to Dallas this past weekend.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Exactly.

[Greg]

But, like, we had a great photo shoot because it looks good. Yeah, it looked really good. Our energy drinks hit Walmart. We have the variety pack there. We have the drinks in the cold fridge. That was really crazy to see it, like, by the checkout.

[Unnamed Speaker]

For some reason, you could have the biggest display in the center of the store. But if you just see your drink in a fridge. Yeah, but nothing's better than seeing somebody drinking it in the wild.

[Greg]

A guy walked in in front of us drinking a balloon. Absolutely is not our demographic. I don't want to say that we have like, a particular demographic. I mean, obviously generally people drinking Bloom are like women 20 to 30 ish. But like, to see a guy drinking bloom with his hoodie on, like, kind of crazy.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah.

[Greg]

Greg is here today because we're going to talk about all things relationship, marriage, supporting each other, fertility, journey together, ivf, how to be the best support for your partner going through something hard. Are we ready to do that?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah. We threw this in last minute, but I'm, I, I'm, I'm, I'm. You'll get my organic take.

[Greg]

We didn't throw it in last minute. It was always going to be recorded. But then I got sick.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It was going to be next week, but now it's this morning.

[Greg]

That's okay. Yeah. But we're always ready to chat sometimes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

This is the best perspective.

[Greg]

Be kind of a deep episode, guys. But let's see. And people always just ask rogue questions, which I'll never skip a rogue question. So, like, why not? Best relationship advice for someone in their early 20s.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's so hard.

[Greg]

I feel like I was like a completely different person in my ear. I mean, we met in our early 20s. I was 20 years old.

[Unnamed Speaker]

When we met, we had our 21st birthdays together. Well, give or take.

[Greg]

Definitely not together. But we were talking.

[Unnamed Speaker]

We did mine together.

[Greg]

Yes, but I'm older than you.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, good point.

[Greg]

So I wasn't with you on my 21st birthday.

[Unnamed Speaker]

No, that was like, 10 years later or before.

[Greg]

But anyway, early 20s, it's tough to give relationship advice because my advice is honestly to have fun and just find yourself and, like, lean into friendships and experiences. And I would lean into, like, finding out more about yourself so that when you're ready for a relationship, you know what you want.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, I think just finding a relationship, that if you do want to be in a relationship in your younger years, finding somebody who still allows you to progress on an individual level.

[Greg]

Yeah, totally.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Right. So if. If you. If you are super into fitness and she's not, that's okay. But you can go pursue that lifestyle, and she just hopefully supports you having that lifestyle. Or maybe that's the career. Maybe that's art. Maybe that's. Whatever it is.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Greg]

I mean, that was kind of us. Like, when we first met, you were so into fitness, and I wasn't at all.

[Unnamed Speaker]

That's something that you want to do. So you don't want to ever have, like, a potential for future resentment or something like that.

[Greg]

Supporting each other's goals, making each other better. But I do think for most people, it's like, a great time to have fun and, like, learn who you are.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah. Fun school.

[Greg]

We just have such a unique situation. How did we decide when it was time for ivf?

[Unnamed Speaker]

We always kind of had, like, milestones, I would say that we had penciled into the calendar. Timeline, milestones. You know, I don't want to speak for you, Mari, but I know you really wanted to, like, try to get to a successful point of this journey while you were 30.

[Greg]

Okay. It wasn't so much about that for me. I get what you're saying. Like, in my head, mentally, I always wanted to have kids, like, buy. At the time I was 30, which honestly wouldn't recommend, like, putting a timeline on it like that. It's very stressful and, like, puts pressure on. It's okay. That's not recommended. Here's how, actually how I thought about it. And you chime in. I want to hear your perspective. In my head, I was like, I want to try naturally for a full year. So we started trying naturally, November of 2023, for context, because we moved to Austin early 2024, and now we're in 2025. So I wanted to get to like, a full year of trying. And that was when I started exploring iui, which is like kind of the step before ivf. It's like when you take medication and they. What they say is they basically give the sperm an Uber ride to the right place and they clean it and just help the chances. And then I think I also told myself I wanted to do three IUIs before then going to IVF. For us, I think it was so much about the mental exhaustion of it.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I think we feel very ready. We have felt very ready to have children for a long time. Yeah, For a while now. And I think we don't have any type of. I don't know if. I don't think you do. We don't have any type of, like, moral reserve to not pursuing doctor intervention. And so if it's something that we are ready for and we want and we think right now is the perfect time, it's like, why wouldn't we take this not only expedited version of this, but also potentially a superior to natural way of going about it, which is what IVF seems to be. I know that's maybe not how you're thinking. That's how I think about it. And then on top of that, this sounds silly, but we found it very difficult to follow the timeline constraints for IUI or natural contraception. So I travel all the time.

[Greg]

Time and travel is always an issue, regardless of what you're doing.

[Unnamed Speaker]

So if there's like this one week window where we're supposed to be trying naturally and. Or preparing for an iui and I'm in LA or Arkansas or whatever it may be, or Mari has, you know, brand commit as well. Of course, it seemed to always fall on times where we were separated.

[Greg]

But that's gonna apply during IVF also.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yes. So we said, okay, if we enter ivf, it's. We're not leaving the house. And so we stayed home for Thanksgiving, we stayed home for Christmas, and we're staying home for most of January. Very intentional.

[Greg]

You're traveling constantly in January.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Fair. But my part's done.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Greg]

Yeah. You are less important. But just for context, like, I see girls talk about this and they're like, how am I supposed to do ivf? I have a wedding here.

[Mari Llewellyn]

This here, this here.

[Greg]

I decided to do IVF during the holidays, which I think was really great timing because there was not much going on. Everyone was away. We decided to not travel. Like, I fully just said, I am doing IVF in this window. Cancel everything that I have.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It was pretty crazy. I've never really seen Mari pull a trigger like that before. Like Mari, you know, hosting the Pursuit of Wellness, Mari intentionally tries to increase her, her, her wellness initiatives in her day to day life and will say, you know, I'm going to try to have more balance or I'm going to try to, you know, work less or whatever it may be.

[Greg]

I've never actually done it.

[Unnamed Speaker]

She's never actually done it. Right. Sorry for this little call out right now. This last three months, Mari has said no to everything that wasn't completely necessary. Whether that was power related, bloom related, social life related, family related, holiday related. We didn't travel to the holidays that our family were participating in. Mari has totally committed to it. And travel is stressful, especially for you. But like, I think even if you don't feel like travel stressful, like when I travel, I sleep like shit.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

When I travel, I eat like shit. When I travel, like I'm, I eat out and I drink and like, you know, I'm all over the place. Like, that's our life as entrepreneurs.

[Greg]

My biggest piece of advice for girls listening who are like, how do you fit it in the calendar? Like, whether you're trying naturally or IUI or ivf, you need to just decide what is most important to you. And I just had this moment where I was like, this is the most important thing to me. Nothing else matters compared to this. Like, I'm gonna put this first and I'm gonna clear my entire schedule. And you just kind of need to make that decision. And I think you're gonna look back and be so, I mean, you're gonna be so grateful that you did that. Beyond grateful, like, it needs to happen. And if you keep delaying, I don't know, does it depends where you're at in your journey. But for me and where we were at, I knew that this needed to happen. And even now, looking at our year calendar, for me everything's temporary because I'm like, if I need to go in for an embryo transfer, if I need to be home for appointments, if I need to be doing medication, I'm not going anywhere.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Everything's penciled in.

[Greg]

Everything's penciled in. Like, I have some really fun girls trips planned. We're going to Colorado in the summer. Like, we do have some fun things going. But in my head I'm like, if something's going on with me or our future baby, like, I will not be going anywhere. So I think it's just like a priority shift for sure.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's also been really Nice because Mari's like been publicly. I don't know if everyone has this luxury, but Mari's been very open. Needless to say, you know, in terms of career and or family commitments, we've just been like, no, we're doing IVF right now and everyone just immediately understands.

[Greg]

It is like the best excuse.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's been a great excuse.

[Greg]

Foreign.

[Mari Llewellyn]

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[Greg]

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[Greg]

I saw this question in here and I'm going to answer it now. People were like how do you best support someone going through ivf? And I think what people don't first of all me sharing it and posting on Tick Tock and like sharing the injections every night and every morning and the appointments every day and just how like rigorous and intense that the the process is and the egg retrieval and the recovery. I've had a lot of people say to me I had no idea how intense it was and thank you for posting about it because now I know what my friend's going through. If you know someone going through it, like a lot of people don't understand what it actually entails.

[Unnamed Speaker]

And just because it may or may not be common does not mean it's not intense.

[Greg]

Yes, for sure. And then I think the other piece that people don't realize is the mental burden I think has been the most significant. Like number one, you are a full blown science experiment. Like my hormones have been getting effed with for the past three months at this point. Like you're given a ton of hormones and they're taken away and then you get them back and then they take them away again because you're on birth control and they're trying to regulate your cycle and then all this stuff's happening, right? And I'm about to start injections again for the embryo transfer. Like so number one, your hormones are messed up and then number two, you're just waiting phone call to phone call about your frickin future. Like these are, these phone calls are life or death. Like that's how it feels.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You're constantly for context, you're constantly waiting for feedback on your blood work and the, you know, that day's results. You're constantly waiting for feedback on the success of the egg retrieval. And there's, you know, every couple of days, there's a new update. And so let's say you start with whatever number of eggs. You're quite literally, like, watching them diminish each day, which is part of the process as they go through different barriers of, you know, health markers. We'll. And so you're just, like, hoping that at the end of this, there's some left.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's crazy.

[Greg]

You're just praying that you have an embryo. Like, it's crazy.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's not automatic.

[Greg]

Absolutely not. Like, there are so many people who go through IVF and get nothing from it. And to go through all of that and get nothing, like, I can't even imagine.

[Unnamed Speaker]

The heartbreak also is super expensive.

[Greg]

Super expensive, but, like, the heartbreak. So even if your friend or your partner is done with ivf, they're still waiting.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah.

[Greg]

So, like, my mental state the past few months has been really different, and I feel like I've had a new level of. I haven't been sleeping well. I feel like I'm not really present in my work as much as I used to be. Like, I'm just. I don't have much of an emotional capacity. I was explaining this to you last night. Like, I feel like I don't have much to give to other people right now because I feel so stretched thin. I mean, I feel guilty about it, but I don't know if I've been the best. Like, I try to show up for people in my life the best way that I can, but I. I forget to call people or. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm not the best version of me right now because I'm just holding on by a thread, kind of.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Oh, also, the calls come out of nowhere. Like, this last call that you just got, that was the biggest one, came out of nowhere.

[Greg]

I've basically been holding on by a thread. And, you guys know, I've, like, started going to church and just, like, doing whatever I can to feel like. Okay. It's, like, probably one of the hardest things I've ever been through, honestly, from, like, a mental capacity standpoint. So if you're listening and I have hurt your feelings over the past couple months, I'm super sorry about that.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I don't think that anyone feels that way.

[Greg]

No, I don't think so.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You've been doing great.

[Greg]

So I was in Dallas with Myron Crosby which is a cowboy boot brand. I was there for the rodeo. It was so fun. And my best friend Taylor and I were shopping at a vintage store, and I was not expecting a call. I mean, it must have been, what, a Saturday? It was a Saturday, and I don't have my appointment for another few days. I was.

[Unnamed Speaker]

No, it was Friday because I was at work when you called me.

[Greg]

It was Friday. Okay. I was not expecting to find out until later this week. And I'm shopping around, and I look at my phone, and I missed a call from a 512. And I have their phone number memorized at this point, the fertility clinic. And I see a missed voicemail. And it said. You know how it tells you what the voicemail said? It, like, messed up the word genetic testing. And it put, like, automobile testing. But I knew. I was like. I literally said, taylor, I have to go. And she kept shopping, and I ran out, and I'm, like, crouched down in the parking lot. And I call them back, and it's my girl Caitlyn who always answers the phone. It's so funny, the tone they use.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Wait, the voicemail said, you had. You had the results?

[Greg]

Yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Oh, my gosh.

[Greg]

I know. My heart felt.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Normally they just say, like, hey, call us when you have a chance.

[Greg]

And I was like, caitlyn. And she was like, we have the results of your genetic test. Do you have time to go over them? And I'm like, she sounds worried. Like, she sounds concerned. Like, what do you mean I have time to go over them? Like, yes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

As if it's, like, a long story.

[Greg]

I was like, yes. Then she was like, I'm very excited to tell you the good news. And then she told us the good news. We have our final embryo count. After genetic testing, the nurses know that I don't want to know the gender that's being inserted. And I told them that from the beginning, I don't want to know the gender. And they said, okay, the question you're gonna ask is, are both genders represented? Because then you'll know whether you have all of the same gender or different.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Because there's more than one embryo.

[Greg]

Needless to say, share the number of embryos, Because I feel like that's when people get upset and they compare. But we have more than one. And she goes, you don't want to know the gender, right? And I was like, no, I don't. But can you tell me, are both genders represented? And she goes, yes, they are. And I just kept going, oh, wow, oh, wow, oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Freaking out, because I don't know why, mentally, in my head, I thought we would have all girls, our emperors would all be girls. Like, I always assumed that because I don't know why. I just envision myself as a girl mom. I always have. But I would be so happy either, genuinely, if I was gonna have a boy, I'd be so happy. Like, I feel this. I feel equally happy with both, but I've just always thought that I would be a girl mom and Greg would be a girl dad. But when she said both were in there, I was like, oh, my God. Okay, this is crazy. So then obviously, I immediately called Greg. So that was exciting. And I feel like we're not all the way there yet, but I feel, like, way more relaxed than I did before.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Definitely the biggest milestone yet.

[Greg]

Yeah, for sure. Greg, how, like, how has your experience been through IVF as the guy?

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's definitely just had a major change in the dynamic of our day to day. You know, both needing to be home to do the shots. I've been giving Mari the shots on a daily basis. When we were going through that protocol, the procedure was far more invasive than we. I expected. You know, obviously, as men in this part of the journey, our job is quite simple, but so it's been very much trying to be home more, being far more communicative throughout the day, trying to create a relaxing home to be at all the time. No rap music blasting, no rap music, no action movies, warm food. You know, like, constantly baking and cooking.

[Greg]

For Mari, bringing me my Stanley Cup. I think little things like making dinner, filling up my hydro flask. If I ask you to, like, little things like putting Arnold away from me or, like, just, like, offering help, I feel like, as much as possible and emotional support and just letting me, like, cry sometimes or being okay with the hormonal fluctuations.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, it's one of those things where someone gets upset and you're, like, trying to give somebody a solution. Like, there's only a solution that you can, like, tell somebody if they are having a tough moment in a. In a journey like this.

[Greg]

Don't even try.

[Unnamed Speaker]

So I can't, like, sit down and immediately start trying to help her problem solve, which normally isn't a good solution anyway, but. But. But. So just. Just. Just truly comfort all the time.

[Greg]

I saw someone ask if we have been, like, gotten in any fights during the fertility journey. And, like, yeah, there's been some, like, really hard stuff going on.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Well, nothing's as important as supporting each other through this, but Obviously, you still have life happening.

[Greg]

I actually feel like we were closer than ever during the fertility journey and really became a team, especially during the injections and stuff. But then complicated things happen. Both of our emotions are so high around fertility and this topic, and things kind of come up that we've never encountered before. It's weird. Like, we're at an age where, like, people around us are, like, also trying and, you know, it's just like tensions are high and emotions are high and both of us are in this period of life where we're like, so close to getting what we've wanted for so long. Things just hit harder. So, like, yes, like, disagreements are gonna happen. Like, you're gonna have to have discussions about things you've never encountered before. And like, I think the male female dynamic is confusing. Like Greg said, like, there's not so much that they can do. They show up for one day and I think as the woman, it's like really hard to not feel resentment. Like, I just want to be super honest and upfront about that. You're just kind of like, what the heck? Like, I just did all this and he's chilling and it's hard to not be resentful. But at the same time, like, that's obviously not Greg's fault. And I think learning together and learning to communicate what you need is really important. And just being like, hey, I really just need a hug. Like, I just want to cry right now, you know, that type of thing. Or I need to be distracted. Like, that was a big thing for me. I was like, I cannot just sit at home.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, I thought Mario was just gonna want to sit at home.

[Greg]

No. Like, I couldn't just wait for this phone call. Seriously. Like, I was like, get me out of this house.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, we had to keep her busy.

[Mari Llewellyn]

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[Greg]

This is such a funny question how to deal with insecurities in marriage. I. E. Being the same height as my husband.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's really awkward.

[Greg]

What? I'm the same eye as you.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I don't know anything else.

[Greg]

It doesn't bother me because I feel like you're so like wide.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I don't know. I don't think about it. I've never thought about it. I don't know anything else.

[Greg]

I don't wear heels really.

[Unnamed Speaker]

But yeah, I guess if I had to choose, Mari would not wear more than an inch and a half.

[Greg]

If I had to choose, you would wear heels. How do you feel about being a dad?

[Unnamed Speaker]

I think. I think it will purely bring joy to my life. You know, I'm used. I'm used to. I think who knows what it's going to be like. But I think I'm used to having a decent amount of responsibility. I don't think that my actual lifestyle will change that much.

[Greg]

Famous last words. Mostly famous loss. That's what I think.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I got 70 employees. I got a dog that basically has rabies and you know, talking about Arnold. Yeah.

[Greg]

How do we find moments together while being so busy?

[Unnamed Speaker]

I mean I was kind of lame, but I don't think it's lame. We'll put in the calendar. So like next Saturday we have a lunch date in the calendar and like again I keep using this term for some reason but it's penciled in, but, like, it says lunch date. Maybe it means go to a coffee shop. Maybe it means go on a walk. But, you know, we always say, like, hey, I'm home next Saturday. You're home next Saturday. Let's make sure we spend the afternoon together because you have a dinner date or you have a dinner thing.

[Greg]

We, like, live by the Google calendar, for sure.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's been great. I think, you know, my flight home from LA on Friday is in Mari's calendar. And then she'll know that I'm home that night. And, you know, we just know we'll probably have dinner together or, like, whatever it is, but we're not nearly as busy as we used to be.

[Greg]

I feel like you're busier than you used to be. You travel way more than you used to. Greg's traveling, like, every other week for, like, months.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, it's January. I've been on, like, 10 flights.

[Greg]

Could not be me. Greg travels so much that we have to, like, be intentional about dinner dates when we're both home. We have dinner together every night. Coffee in the morning sometimes.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Lately, I've tried to. I try to make my trips as short and efficient as possible.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You know, even if that means, like, a very early flight. Like, I try to spend as many nights home as possible, and we always end the night together. We always go to bed together, and more nights than not, we eat dinner together. We're actually, I would imagine we spend more time together or a normal amount of time together in the grand scheme of things.

[Greg]

Also, we're quite different people. Like, Greg could be at home alone for, like, an entire weekend and be super fine with that. And I, like, will lose my mind. Like, I need activities, I need to socialize. I want to go out.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I've been on social media more than normal lately. I think that's because, like, the drink launch, I've just been, like, a little obsessed with checking.

[Greg]

Yeah, you're, like, a little influencer.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Lately, I. I see. I get, like, you know, like, reels and clips of. Of other guys who like to do nothing. Like, like, the algorithm has realized that I like to do nothing. And because the reality is, like, it's really nice to just sit on, like, enjoy my home and just be in quiet. Like, it's constant chaos. Generally, it feels like. So I. I'm on an algorithm of other guys, married guys, it seems, who like to do nothing and who, like.

[Greg]

What do you guys post about?

[Unnamed Speaker]

They just, like, talk about how, like. Like how their significant other, like, Wants to do things.

[Greg]

I find it to be really annoying. Yeah, I do. And I'm like, please, can we go to this bakery, please?

[Unnamed Speaker]

That's not true. I love doing that type of.

[Greg]

Greg, like, won't come to church with me.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah. You know, my dad didn't go to church with us growing up either.

[Greg]

That's so interesting.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, it's just not my thing.

[Greg]

A lot of people have asked if you're, like, into it with me, like, praying and stuff.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I'm so supportive of you going, but no, it's not my thing. That's okay.

[Greg]

That's okay. What do you do when you need your own space? Alone, but you live together? Well, we have separate bathrooms, pretty much.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I don't think they're referring to, like, when you want to shit.

[Greg]

No, they're definitely not referring to that.

[Unnamed Speaker]

So other than having more than one bathroom in our house.

[Greg]

Ballin'we Greg, a lot of people do that.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Sure. We, like, I guess we just go to separate rooms.

[Greg]

You always tell me when you want to be alone.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, but then we just go to separate rooms.

[Greg]

Like, this is such a man's answer. Seriously. I never need alone time. So, like, I don't know how to answer that. Truthfully, I would want you to do everything with me. Really?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Same.

[Greg]

No, you're. Greg is. It's so obvious when he wants to be alone. Like, he's like, okay, like, you'll kind of do a face. And I'm like, all right, I'm out. Like, I think. Because also, Greg grew up. Like, you have an older sister, but you guys were so far apart in age that you basically were alone a lot.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, I was.

[Greg]

I can't relate to that. Like, me and my sister were inseparable growing up. And I had, like, a little bestie with me all the time. So, like, if you were just with me all the time, I'd be super chill with that.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, my parents were gone on weekends a lot. Like, I had a lot of alone time growing up.

[Greg]

Yeah. Like, I hate that so much.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah.

[Greg]

Like, I want you to do everything with me. Hardest part of life you've been through together. Gosh, we've been through a lot of hard things.

[Unnamed Speaker]

The early years of our relationship.

[Greg]

Really, by far. Really? That's your answer?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Complete turmoil.

[Greg]

Which part?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Like, very early years when I was like, not okay. Yeah, without a doubt. I mean, nothing compares to that. When you had, like, full blown BPD and like, all of that. It was. And not that. Not that you were the only one bringing uncomfortable discomfort to the relationship, by any means.

[Greg]

Yeah, you weren't great either.

[Unnamed Speaker]

No, I sucked.

[Greg]

We both kind of sucked.

[Unnamed Speaker]

No, I mean, oh, my gosh. When I think of, like, Greg before 25 years old. I was thinking about this the other day. Like, I feel like 30. I'm 29, but I feel like 28 to, like, 35 is probably like, the most lethal years for somebody who's into their career. If I just think of who I was three years ago, let alone even, dare I say, two years ago or 18 months ago. My lack of wisdom to what I feel like I have now. But I still kind of don't have anything to lose. You know what I mean? Like, so someone at our age has so much life experience post college into their adult life or post, you know, whatever education they had into their adult life, plus kind of having nothing to lose. They have kids that are young. That's just how I feel. I feel like I have the most knowledge that I've ever had, but I still kind of have nothing to lose in terms of. I can still take some big swings, some risky swings.

[Greg]

Got it.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I mean, I. E. Energy drink on the table.

[Greg]

I guess the early days of our relationship were probably the hardest for me as well, but they feel so far away and I've, like, blacked them out at this point.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I feel like that's one way to get through it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Just associate some.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Try therapy.

[Greg]

They were really bad. I mean, I think I can't even fully grasp how bad they were. Truthfully. Yeah, My mental health was so bad. I was in so much pain. If we're talking, like, adulthood, like, real life hardship. I think we've had different types of stress. Like, we've had starting our business together, which, honestly, I look back on it fondly. Like, I feel like it's, like, really cute to think about us trying to figure it out together and, like, just doing such a makeshift job. Obviously, like, some of our business struggles. And to be fair, like, I think we've been so lucky and, like, really just had a great experience with business. But we've had some moments that were super duper stressful. And, like, those were really hard.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I feel like, yeah, end of 2023.

[Greg]

But I. Yeah, that was bad. I've never seen you that stressed before. But for me, I would think, I think it's the fertility journey. Just from my perception, just it. Not like that it's been hard on our relationship. I just think, take going through it together.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah. I don't know. I think it's one of those things where, like, whatever you're going through right now probably feels like the hardest thing you've ever been through.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

And not to in any way discredit the journey that we. You are on. I think that I kind of hope that in three years, we look back at it and we're like, that was a really cool experience. Or that brought us closer. Or that was, you know, so worth it because it makes it so much sweeter or like, whatever it is.

[Greg]

Well, that's the thing. Like, every hard thing we've been through, like my fitness journey, like, changing my life, our business, like, hardships in business together, they've always worked out better than we could have imagined. And I know that will happen here. Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Or it leads you in a weird direction that you didn't expect. I mean, if we didn't go through the hardship at the end of 2023, we probably would have never moved to Austin.

[Greg]

Totally. So I think we have that foresight of being like, this will work out.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You know, or like, Covid made us move to la.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

And we were like, what?

[Greg]

The COVID made our business what it is.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah.

[Greg]

I think it helped.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I think we're just. I think we're just really good at responding to, like, extreme. No, no, maybe. But extreme, like, culturally relevant disruption that's going on. Right.

[Greg]

Like, oh, I think it's stress and pain.

[Unnamed Speaker]

We're like, very good at pivoting everything that's currently going on to respond to how. What's happening culturally.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

And so, you know, for example, with Tick Tock getting deleted, like, there was a side of me, although I'm so pro Tick Tock, I'm so pro entrepreneurship and like the creator community, I was like, if it does go away, we will be. So we will be the best at responding. Right. And, like, how to pivot our business accordingly.

[Greg]

Well, I think that's a good place to end. I feel like we discussed a lot of good topics. I hope you guys really enjoyed it. Greg, thank you so much for coming on. Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I guess the last thing that I would say for. For like a. A male. Sorry, a significant other to the person going through ivf, you know, obviously your entire life can't go on hold if your main responsibility in the household is, for example, mine. That's the only one that I could speak on where career is one of the top priorities of my life. For our household. You need to become a Jedi Master at flipping the switch. When I'm in this office, in fact, it's hard for me to even go on this podcast. We're in a headquarters right now and you are a full savage killer, taking no mercy for anything that you're going through as an entrepreneur. And then you need to come home and comfort your wife or in the middle of the day, throughout the day, receive phone calls, rush home, whatever it may be to to comfort your significant other. You need to become a complete master at flipping that switch. Otherwise you will crumble.

[Greg]

Period. Thank you Greg. Love you so much.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Bye. Love you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Thank you. Thank you for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness Podcast to support this show. Please rate and review and share with your loved ones. If you want to be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player. You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my [e-mail] it will be linked in the show Notes. This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Kontar, Artez, Daviel Waldner, Jen Lauren and Mackenzie Meisel. You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness podcast. Love you po girls and po boys. I will see you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship. As always, talk to your doctor or health team.