Collabor8 is rooted in our own personal experience. Nine years ago, we were on the brink of divorce. We had everything we thought was needed for a happy marriage and family, including two healthy young children, and a nice house. Damon was excelling as an infantry officer in the Army and Gina had a successful small business. We were both thriving individually, but we were growing apart. We had tried marriage books, counseling, and retreats but none were helpful. We were ready to throw in the towel and separate.

Luckily, we had a realization that changed the trajectory of our marriage and family. We recognized we were not working together as a team. Ironically, if it was one thing we knew, it was teamwork and the power of collaborative planning.

Damon had spent years leading and being part of teams. As a professional soldier, he had studied leadership and teamwork both academically and in the field. In addition, Damon had served closely with some of the most talented leaders in the U.S. military and had seen what made them effective. He regularly led large and small teams in high pressure situations. We realized we had the tools and skills to build a team, we just needed to apply them to our marriage and family.

Viewing our marriage as a team had an immediate positive effect. Our family dynamic shifted from “What does this relationship do for me?” to “What are we trying to do together?” We’ve continued to practice the process over the years, refining it along the way. Collabor8 is a streamlined version of what we began nine years ago.

If you are struggling to make your marriage work, or just want to improve things, Collabor8 is for you. It provides a different perspective than the advice you’ll probably get from therapists, friends, parents, and random internet searches on how to fix your relationship. This book isn’t about emotions or feelings – it’s about concrete steps to improve your marriage and family. This is not to say that emotions and feelings aren’t important, however, when it comes to changing your marriage and family, they must be secondary to action.

Let’s build your strong family team!

Damon & Gina