My husband became my employee after losing his pilot job — Businesswoman

Nigerian entrepreneur and fitness coach Bunmi George, popularly known as JBums, has revealed that her husband worked at her company for 11 months after losing his job as a pilot, describing the experience as one that strengthened their marriage.

Speaking on the Dear Ife podcast hosted by Ife Agoro, George said her husband responded to the setback by reviewing the family’s finances and introducing measures to reduce expenses.

According to her, he insisted the family adjust to living on a single income, including selling one of their two cars and cutting back on household expenses.

“He had a meeting with me and said, ‘We have to cut down our expenses.’ We had two cars, and he said one had to go,” she recalled.

George said her husband also suggested reducing the number of domestic staff and took on more responsibilities at home to ease the family’s financial burden.

She disclosed that he later joined her fitness company, Shredder Gang, where he worked like every other employee and earned a salary.

“He came to work for my company. He used to come to the office, and he was earning a salary,” she said.

The entrepreneur revealed that her husband even handled product deliveries, with many customers unaware that the person delivering their orders was a former commercial pilot.

“Some people actually got deliveries from my husband personally. They didn’t know he was doing delivery work,” she said.

George described his decision to work in her business as an act of humility and leadership, saying he refused to remain idle despite his unemployment.

“I thought that was humility. He didn’t just sit at home. He came to work for his wife and did whatever was needed,” she said.

She added that although she became the family’s sole breadwinner during that period, she made a conscious effort to continue treating her husband with respect and honour.

“I believe my husband is a leader, and leadership is not about how much money you make. It’s about the position you hold in the home,” she said.

Reflecting on the experience, George said the challenging period ultimately strengthened their relationship.

She noted that her husband remained active throughout his unemployment by praying, fasting, helping with household chores and preparing the family for future challenges.

“He wasn’t just sitting there being depressed. He was praying, cooking, cleaning and leading by example. That season brought us closer, and I wouldn’t change it if I had to live through it again,” she said.