At OWLawyers®, we proudly announce that our Senior Shareholder, Michelle May O’Neil, was recently featured on the popular Success Story Podcast with Scott D. Clary. This influential platform has over 367,000 YouTube subscribers and reaches entrepreneurs, business professionals, and thought leaders worldwide. The episode, “Why 50% of Marriages Fail & How to Beat the Odds,” highlights Ms. O’Neil’s deep insights into relationships, wealth, and strategy.
This appearance is a major milestone, not only for Ms. O’Neil but also for the broader discussion around proactive relationship planning. Hosted by entrepreneur, educator, and public speaker Scott Clary, the Success Story Podcast is recognized for highlighting high-impact individuals—leaders, innovators, and trailblazers—who share valuable lessons from their successes and struggles.
A Conversation Rooted in Strategy
From the start of the interview, Ms. O’Neil emphasizes a fundamental truth: strategy should be at the heart of every major life decision, including marriage. Drawing from her childhood as the daughter of a serial entrepreneur, she highlights the importance of thinking five moves ahead—whether in business, personal relationships, or life.
In a time when reactivity rules our daily lives, Ms. O’Neil encourages listeners to slow down, plan intentionally, and dedicate time for what she calls a “strategic meeting” with themselves and their partners. She argues that marriage should not be an exception to this approach.
Proactive Planning: Premarital and Marital Agreements
A central theme of the episode is normalizing marital agreements as empowerment tools, not as sources of fear. Instead of viewing prenuptial or postnuptial agreements as pessimistic, Ms. O’Neil describes them as the relationship equivalent of insurance: you hope never to need them, but you’re glad to have them.
With honesty and clarity, she explains why avoidance—what she aptly calls “ostrich dancing”—is so harmful. Ignoring the financial, legal, and strategic realities of marriage does not safeguard a relationship; it often endangers it.
She shares that every person who gets married already has a premarital agreement—it's just established by state law. Opting to create your own agreement gives you back that control and enables a clearer, more cooperative approach to dividing property, spousal support, and even legacy planning.
Marriage as Partnership—Business and Emotional
Another key insight from the episode is that marriage is both an emotional and a business partnership. Emotion matters, Ms. O’Neil emphasizes—but without alignment on financial goals, expectations, and responsibilities, the relationship will lack the foundation it needs to succeed.
She explains that many avoidable financial mistakes come from a lack of shared vision: no agreement on savings goals, no communication about spending habits, and no clarity around career expectations. This disconnect, if left unaddressed, weakens the foundation of the marriage.
Whether it's deciding how to split household chores, run a family business, or take calculated risks, Ms. O’Neil advises couples to approach their relationship with the same strategic care they give to their careers.
Entrepreneurial Insights: Business, Marriage, and Personal Legacy
For entrepreneurial couples and business owners, Ms. O’Neil provides a nuanced perspective. She explains how ownership structures can influence asset division, how rapid changes in a business during marriage (such as a corporate restructure or a shift in tax status) can complicate divorce proceedings, and how being reactive in business often reflects a lack of foresight in personal planning.
She encourages women to stay financially independent and develop their own wealth strategies. “The man,” she says bluntly, “can’t be the plan.” Ms. O’Neil promotes education, self-reliance, and making wise choices today that safeguard long-term well-being.
Strategic Wealth, Time Management, and Relationship Health
In one of the most powerful moments of the interview, Ms. O’Neil shifts the idea of wealth. She explains that time, not money, is our most limited resource. How and where we spend our time shows our true values and influences the quality of our relationships.
She shares that successful couples tend to establish clear financial systems, such as joint accounts for shared goals and personal accounts for individual freedom. But even more important than how money is managed is how openly couples communicate about it. Whether a business setback or a personal struggle, honesty and transparency with a partner are key to relationship longevity.
Planning for the Future—For Yourself and Your Children
Finally, Ms. O’Neil discusses legacy planning and parenting during divorce. She emphasizes that children pick up emotional cues from their parents, and that divorce itself is not necessarily harmful. What matters most is how parents manage conflict and transitions.
She advocates for strategic pre-planning, including establishing trusts and other legal structures, to ensure children are emotionally and financially supported, no matter what the future may bring.
Why This Matters
Michelle May O’Neil’s appearance on the Success Story Podcast highlights her dedication to raising the public conversation about relationships, personal wealth, and legal foresight. Her message is clear, confident, and urgently needed: success in marriage, like success in business, requires planning, communication, and vision.