I’m a multi-millionaire — these are the rules my wife and I follow for marriage success

James credits Kerri for helping him with his business (Picture: Jam Press/James Dooley) James Dooley is a Manchester-based businessman, who describes himself as a ‘investopreneur and digital landlord’. The founder of multiple businesses, he’s also a dad of three, and married to his wife, Kerri, who he met 16 years ago. While James firmly believes the old adage ‘behind every successful man, there’s a woman’, he says: ‘Not just standing behind him, but beside him, pushing him, believing in him to achieve success for the family.’ And, as such, James and Kerri have something rather surprising rules that they say makes their marriage work. ‘We never speak during the day’ During working hours, the couple leave one another alone. ‘We never speak in the day because every distraction can take 23 minutes to get back into flow state again,’ explains James. James works during the day until 3pm (Picture: Jam Press/James Dooley) ‘When I’m working, I am seriously focused, and I don’t want distractions unless it is something serious.’ James says the boundary is about protecting dedicated time for work, before switching his attention fully back to his family. Equally, he says he protects the hours between 3pm and 7pm for his three children, who are all under five, and his staff know he is unavailable. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. ‘In the blink of an eye, the kids will be teenagers and want to do their own things. Having a work-life balance is very important for me.’ ‘I never buy her gifts’ Despite his success, James says he does not shower Kerri with designer handbags, jewellery or expensive birthday gifts. ‘I actually never buy her gifts,’ he says. ‘Time and memories mean more than anything you can wrap. ‘I will always prioritise time and memories over material gifts.’ Despite his success, James says he wants his family to remain grounded. James Dooley and his wife Kerri have been together for 16 years, since before James set up his company (Picture: Jam Press/James Dooley) ‘We enjoy nice holidays, and apart from that [ has changed zero. ‘I try to keep money and wealth out of conversations. I don’t want any fast cars or expensive products.’ That does not mean the family never splashes out. They own a holiday home in Wales, a jet ski, and racehorses. ‘We own some racehorses, and that is one sport and event that all the family can attend, dress up nicely, experience great race-day vibes, and it brings us together.’ ‘Sometimes I need to get things out of my head’ ‘Entrepreneurs struggle to slow down and see opportunity in everything,’ says James. That can mean waking in the middle of the night when inspiration strikes. ‘There are times I can wake up at 1am with new crazy business ideas that I need to get out of my head. ‘The wife understands it’s better I get up and go into the garden office because otherwise I’ll be restless and not sleep. ‘She understands me better than I do myself, and she knows when I need to get things out of my head.’ James and Kerri share three children under five (Picture: Jam Press/James Dooley) ‘We’re not raising spoilt brats’ ‘Parenting is 10 times harder than I ever imagined. ‘I have utmost respect for mums who bring up kids. It’s the hardest job in the world. My career is super easy compared to parenting.’ And while he could give his children a privileged upbringing, he says: ‘I do not want to raise spoilt brats. ‘They need to understand how lucky they are and have to work hard for their own success. James working virtually in Dubai (Picture: Jam Press/James Dooley) ‘They will get guidance, and I’ll try to open doors for them, but they need to earn their own stripes.’ James says the things he values most cannot be measured in money. ‘Success is having a roof over our heads. Clean water easily flowing out of our cold tap. Three healthy kids. ‘A beautiful wife who supports me in whatever direction I think is best to take.’ Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Deals of the Day Shop MySweetSmile's biggest Bank Holiday offers before they end Back-to-school shopping just got a lot cheaper thanks to Primark The back-to-school essential parents forget every year – and it could cost them Simba's cooling mattresses are now up to 30% off ahead of the bank holiday The best hosepipe ban-friendly products to protect your garden this summer Arrow MORE: The ‘uncomfortable’ sign your marriage could be doomed before it’s even started Arrow MORE: ‘Snapping’ is the dangerous teen craze every parent should know about Arrow MORE: I have 11 kids and counting – people accuse me of being ‘addicted’ to pregnancy The Hook Up Metro's hottest newsletter, with juicy stories and tips for spicing things up in the bedroom. 18+