A family affair: couples talk entrepreneurship struggles and successes.

• Author: Francom, Sarah Ryther

Entrepreneurship is at the heart of the American Dream. But starting your own business--and turning it into a successful, lasting operation--is far from easy. And all too often, it can turn into a nightmare. Entrepreneurship takes 'round-the-clock work and sacrifice, and it's not just the entrepreneur who pays the price if it doesn't work out--an entrepreneur's family goes through the ups and downs, too.

So how can you make it all work? How can you start a business, keep it running smoothly and growing successfully, all while maintaining a happy family and healthy life at home? Is it even possible? Here, three couples discuss the real hardships and sacrifices that entrepreneurship required of their families and, more importantly, how they made it work.

Will and Lisa West

Will West left a lucrative career at Procter & Gamble to chase his entrepreneurial dreams. He co-founded ControH in 2003, serving as CEO until stepping down in 2013. But the entrepreneurial bug bit again, and he is now co-founder and CEO of SilverVue, a healthcare software company. Though leaving Procter & Gamble seemed like an easy decision to make years ago, there have been plenty of times when both Will and his wife, Lisa, questioned his decision to leave a promising career in lieu of entrepreneurship.

Married for nearly 30 years with six children, the Wests have learned many lessons throughout their entrepreneurial journey. Will credits Lisa for keeping the family together through thick and thin. "I have a wife who is something of a miracle worker. She carries the weight of a family on her shoulders," he says. "One of my greatest failings is not carrying my load at home. She was effectively a single mom of six kids."

Lisa cringes when Will calls her a single mom, but acknowledges there were plenty of lonely and difficult times. "He was not around a whole lot, and I couldn't depend on him for carpool help or even evening help, like getting the kids down. If I had an emergency during the day, I couldn't call and talk to him. I had to have my own support network that didn't include him."

Because Will was at work so much, Lisa says it became a struggle when he was at home. "It was tricky to navigate when he was present. I wanted to try to help him stay close to the kids and them to him, but it took effort," she says. "He wanted to enjoy the kids when he was home, and I'm the one saying, 'No, they have to do their homework.' Resentment built up."

At times, Lisa felt there was no end in sight and the stress was overwhelming. "When you're married to an entrepreneur, it's not...