How Moving to Portugal Sparked One Couple's Entrepreneurial Journey: Lessons from Losing Jobs and Gaining Freedom

Moving to a new country is a bold step. But starting a business there after losing your job? That’s a leap. For Ashley and Cody, relocating to Lisbon meant laying down new roots and facing unexpected challenges. Couple that with losing their jobs, and they were thrown into entrepreneurship.

The Unexpected Push into Business

It was April 2025, and Ashley and Cody found themselves in Lisbon, living out of suitcases. Recently laid off, they decided to dive into entrepreneurship by starting a micro-marketing agency. Bringing Ashley’s 15 years of content and brand development experience and Cody’s project management skills together seemed like a no-brainer. Yet, it wasn't a smooth sail.

Entrepreneurship is often sold as a dream, but few discuss the initial chaos. Inside their new business, it felt like they were floundering. They went from being each other's confidants in corporate worlds to finding themselves a bit lost in a new professional space. Just as they adapted to new roles in life, the business demanded they adapt to new roles in work.

The agent banking network is the distribution layer nobody in San Francisco understands. But this wasn't about mobile money or crypto corridors. It was about realigning priorities and finding out how to be more than just partners at home.

When Work and Love Collide

The tension between being partners in life and work can't be understated. Anyone who’s worked with a spouse knows the drill. At first, Ashley worried that the stress might ruin their marriage. But here's the thing: they discovered that the tools they’d honed in marriage, communication, patience, and understanding, are exactly what business needed.

They'd argue about client meetings and business strategies, but they’d also learn to support one another. Cody managed the numbers, areas Ashley found baffling, while she took charge of creative direction. It became clear that, like most new businesses, they needed time. The naira or cedi might fluctuate, but the steadying factor was their ability to lean on each other.

But what if the business had taken a downturn instead? That was a possibility. Not every venture is successful. However, this couple managed to turn their doubts and conflicts into a blueprint for resilience. They might have been working half the hours for less than half the pay, but they were building something together.

The New Dawn of Freedom

By 2026, their business wasn't only surviving, it was thriving. Ten consecutive months of record revenue later, Ashley and Cody found themselves in a new rhythm. Ashley became a fractional CMO for two brands, while Cody worked to support solopreneurs. They embraced a lifestyle where Fridays were for leisure, where work could happen from a pub in London or a cafe in Paris.

So, who wins? Clearly, the couple has gained a new perspective on life and work. They're not stuck in a corporate grind. And what do they lose? Traditional job security and the fixed, hefty salaries of their past roles. But is that really a loss when they've found peace, freedom, and a deeper connection?

In the world of business, sometimes the leaps that seem risky are the ones that redefine success. This couple found their stride by betting on themselves. Mobile money came first. Crypto is the second wave. But for Ashley and Cody, their story is the idea that sometimes, disruption starts at home.