#12 Linda Smyth - Marriage, Business Milestones, and Marbella

We’re back with episode #12 of The Game Plan podcast with your host Rob Lipsett. In this special episode we're sitting down with my fiancée, Linda Smyth.

We explore our engagement, travel, and the joys and challenges of building our dream home in Marbella. as Linda shares her evolution from art student to fashion. We discuss our passions, the challenges in maintaining a strong connection, future aspirations and planning our wedding. 

If you enjoy this podcast, please leave a 5 star rating on Spotify and a review on Apple podcasts.

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(00:00) Preview
(00:25) Introducing Linda and How We Met.
(03:49) Our First Adventures Together
(06:28) Settling Down in Marbella
(10:36) Our Engagement 
(17:01) The Proposal Story
(22:50) Planning our Wedding 
(26:40) Dream Homes and Relationship Keys
(31:17) Choosing The Right Partner and Having Shared Interests
(35:36) Managing  The Fast Paced Life
(39:40) Relationship Dynamics and Handling Red Flags

Transcript

Rob Lipsett: 0:00

I think the main kind of reason behind marriage is showing you're super committed. You're signing a deal with each other Starting a family. Starting a family, you're signing a deal saying, hey, I'm going to stick with you, you're going to stick with me and we're going to start a family and bring kids into a safe relationship. The night we met was five years ago to this day.

Linda Smyth: 0:23

Yes, it was the five year anniversary.

Rob Lipsett: 0:25

All right guys. Today we have a very special guest. We have my fiance, my wife, to be my life partner. We have the one and only Linda Smith.

Linda Smyth: 0:36

So, hello, I'm finally on the pod.

Rob Lipsett: 0:38

Yeah, we've been waiting a while to do this. The last couple of months have been crazy, to say the least, even the last year. We've been building a villa, we've been travelling all around and we haven't had the chance to sit down. And now here we are. So, Linda, before we get into things, what is your background? How did we meet? What are your hobbies and interests? Tell the people a little bit off the Linda Smith backstory.

Linda Smyth: 1:02

So I'm obviously from Kildare or I'm from Ireland as well as Rob, but I'm from Kildare and Rob is from Dublin. I grew up in Kildare and then I went and studied in Art College in Dublin, so I have my design degree, and after college I moved to Melbourne in Australia and then, following Melbourne, I moved to London, both where I worked as a makeup artist, so that kind of fell under my arty side my degree. I studied design for stage and screen, so I loved anything film fashion based, worked in fashion for a while and found that super interesting and a big passion of mine. So then I started my own fashion brand, A Girl to Die For, and I also helped with the design of the villa. So design fashion would be my main interest and I also love the gym, travelling, food and Rob.

Rob Lipsett: 1:50

She's just a dream wife. She's just a dream wife, yeah. And so Linda and I met at a house party, but not just any house party, my house party and so I was throwing just a small one. There's like 20 people there in an apartment in Dunleary and we've got so many mutual friends we do, and we've known each other for years.

Linda Smyth: 2:11

I used to see Rob viewing my Instagram story for years before we ever met. I saw you and there's a photo from like 2011.

Rob Lipsett: 2:22

We can scroll back on Instagram and it's like Rob lives it like this. But I didn't follow. No, I was playing the cool, I was too afraid to follow. And so we had loads of mutual friends and they asked hey Rob, you know I hear you're having a few people over. Can we bring our friend Linda? And it's so funny that, like, do you think, oh yeah, whatever I was like, I'll bring her up. You know, I didn't put the two of us together like that. This was Linda.

Linda Smyth: 2:46

I was. I was home from London, I think, for only like I think it was, two days. I hadn't actually visited home in Ireland for like two years and I came home and, like one of the chances that the literal night I get home, that this is going on.

Rob Lipsett: 2:59

But it was my friends, Kate and Lauren, so you knew them for years, and so they brought Linda over and it was love at first sight. I actually was like sodded.

Linda Smyth: 3:09

We actually didn't even kiss or anything that night. We just talked and laughed so much, which is like the basis of our relationship. It's all about laughter and it's very fun. So we got along so well. And then after that night I went back to London and Rob was over doing a creator agency event and he was speaking in London. So I met you in Chelsea and we had some dinner with some of my mutual friends Well, some of my friends. I brought you and brought the ice a little bit.

Rob Lipsett: 3:36

And so it was like it started very casual and then we just started to really like each other and it gets better. The night we met was five years ago to this day.

Linda Smyth: 3:47

Yes, it was. It was a five year anniversary. Yeah.

Rob Lipsett: 3:49

Well, no. So five years to this day we met, and then we started officially going out a couple months later. But let's just round it off, let's round it off, let's round it off. I presume we're going to be with each other in two months. Yes, but this podcast, so Disaster Happens. But so that is the backstory of how we met, and another funny one as well. Okay, so I had a collaboration with a Maldives resort. Okay, shout out Candima being there like two, three times or something. It's just absolutely amazing. It's perfect. And so I'm single and I get this collaboration. You don't go to the Maldives if you're a guy.

Linda Smyth: 4:25

Over the group of guys.

Rob Lipsett: 4:27

Oh, that happened. That's the most suspect looking thing. You'll just not have a good time. It is strictly a couple's place. There's very few places in the world like maybe Santorini is another one where I would not go on my own or with a group of guys. But Maldives is 100%. You do not go on your own, you go as a couple. 100% of the guests there are as a couple.

Linda Smyth: 4:48

Yeah.

Rob Lipsett: 4:48

So I had this collaboration. I'm going on my own, I say this goes suck. So we're going out to the Maldives next. We're going out for a month and I'm like, you know, come to the Maldives next month. Yeah, that was great, and of course we'll go down very well with any girls. So that was pretty much our first, not our first date. Why didn't we?

Linda Smyth: 5:08

Paris, first Because I got the Eurostar from London to Paris, and then after that we, because obviously Rob lived in Dublin and I lived in London, so we had to find a way to just maybe see each other.

Rob Lipsett: 5:18

And then eventually you moved over to London for eight years and then we moved to Marbella, so that was like perfect timing with the collaboration and everything. But a really good topic now that we're on this is long distance. Now no, Dublin in London isn't that long. If for anyone Americans listening or anything, it's like I think it's a 50 minute flight and I guess I have my house in Ireland. I knew the house in Ireland so I wasn't a true long distance compared to other people. But, Linda, what would you recommend a long distance couples do?

Linda Smyth: 5:47

I guess, like no, there are situations where, like I think I would never start a long distance relationship with someone if I wasn't realistic, like is there a chance of this actually working out? So for me and you because Ireland is my second home and like London is so close it kind of worked. And I think after I moved out of my apartment I went home to Ireland for a little bit and we lived in the beacon. So, it was all very relative to each other. I think a lot of people have jobs where they need to travel a lot and just basically stay in touch and video call, maybe just planning exciting things for the next time. You see, I would say planning out the calendar year.

Rob Lipsett: 6:28

Like everyone, you have to put in work to have something planned every single month, but just going to be real with 95% of the people you just find someone nearby. The world is a big place, you know. Unless you're living in a town with 10 people, you'll probably find a good match. But that was what we made . I always forget. We were almost in a long distance relationship for maybe like two or three months and then we've been pretty much inseparable ever since, and so, going on from that, I like to do my podcast in chronological order. So we did our year in London, which was amazing, not just for me, like we. I met so many new people. I love London. Yeah, we had so much fun. It was the lockdown, but we still had like the best crack ever. We had picnics and battery Picnics and like there were even a few social gatherings. I think that's what they called them in the lockdown era but we had a great year. But we also said, realistically, we're not going to settle down here, we're not going to raise a family here, we're not going to buy here.

Linda Smyth: 7:29

Yeah, I think you do your time in London and then that's like enough for me.

Rob Lipsett: 7:33

Yeah, you do your time, you experience it all, and then you kind of move on. And then it was January 1st 2021. We said, okay, gyms are closed in London. It was still in that semi lockdown place. I said, why am I paying Kensington rent for a locked city? Dublin was like a turbo lockdown, like all curtain twisters, yes, ultra lockdown. All the gyms are closed. So we said, where in Europe have we both been to before? I know it very well? Gyms are open. Life seems normal in the EU. So you know we can pass freely, have a beach, and have a beach as gyms. We know people there, the international community, and when you tick all those boxes, there's one place in Europe that is Marbella, yes, marbes. And then we moved here just for, like, we got a monthly Airbnb and then we ended up purchasing the lipstick. So tell us, what do you think of the villain? Now? What's it like living here with me?

Linda Smyth: 8:26

It's just so good. It kind of feels like a big studio and we've made it for such an airy minimalist house. We've made it feel very homely and so by the furniture choices, like we chose lots of woods and beautiful curtains. But we have a lot to finish off, Mainly the outdoor we have to finish, but we just love it so much.

Rob Lipsett: 8:47

Yeah, and Linda was creative Racket off it. Yeah, you gotta have a woman's touch in here to make things go smoothly. Me and Pinterest, yeah yeah, no, honestly. And like my Instagram explore page is just like interior decor and we literally just showed, for our builders were like just do this. I don't even think we are now accepted.

Linda Smyth: 9:05

No, we didn't. They said we did and we were like we've never met him. Yeah, exactly.

Rob Lipsett: 9:09

He's like yeah, he's in the back store. So a challenge is that we faced in the last couple of years and what has helped us, you know, grow as a couple, I think. On the topic of the house, yeah, I think there's nothing more ancestral than building all together.

Linda Smyth: 9:23

And I think with the house comes like there's always going to be a little bit of stress and like putting other things on pause. Like basically the house kind of for the last year was like a main focus, especially if I was working a lot with designing it and Rob didn't have an office. We didn't even have a wardrobe till maybe like what a month ago, yeah. So I think with the house came just like a lot of moving around, a lot of uncertainty of when we could move in. We were in like different Airbnb's, maybe doing a couple of trips going back to Ireland Just waiting for it to be finished. So it's a nice relief now that it's finally done and a very rewarding feeling yeah.

Rob Lipsett: 9:59

That's why we're, like you know, doing this podcast now, like I know we got. We'll get on to the engagement soon, but it's like I know we got engaged. Was it September? Yeah, no, august, it was the end of August. It was the end of August, and then we came back for September. Then we first travelled all of October. Yeah, so, the last like three months has kind of seemed like one month, like we actually haven't had the chance to sit down and do this. So it's lovely to be able to do this now, and so also last year we were moving around so much that it was a stressful challenge, like living out of a suitcase. That was definitely kind of a strange transitionary period of our lives.

Linda Smyth: 10:36

I think everyone goes through a strange period. That was just one of ours, I think, yeah.

Rob Lipsett: 10:40

And especially like when you know building a house it's like a life event. Yeah, it's going to be stressful, but it's definitely been worth it. So worth it. Like, how happy are we here? Yeah.

Linda Smyth: 10:49

I think like I can also envision like lots of fun things Like basically we've had, I've had a few of my friends say I've had Kate and Joanna say you've had other friends over, you've had your big event, yeah, but I can see, I can just envision a lot of good memories happening here, Be it with barbecues with our families or like little events we'll put on and just more guests. And it's really we had Rob's family here the other day for like a big meal and it was just so nice.

Rob Lipsett: 11:12

Yeah, and so do my two sisters. I have three sisters. Two of them were here and they both have kids. Yeah, and so there were two kids running around.

Linda Smyth: 11:19

Chopper yeah.

Rob Lipsett: 11:20

So there were six people. First time we actually filled this table up, there were six people here and I was like Linda, we can crank out a few kids and, yeah, there's plenty of room. There's plenty of room, large bench. I still need to do the final tour, but, like this house is way too big for just the two of us, so we need to fill it up. Okay, and we'll get to kids and marriage later on, but now we got to talk about the proposal. Okay, so setting the scene.

Linda Smyth: 11:42

Our favourite holiday, I think.

Rob Lipsett: 11:45

Favourite holiday.

Linda Smyth: 11:46

How would you describe it? See right, I think when we go on trips sometimes we usually do like a month, but because this was like it wasn't a week, it was actually five days.

Rob Lipsett: 11:56

Yeah.

Linda Smyth: 11:57

And we, basically we had all the like plans made. It was like a very holiday mode, whereas if we went away on other trips, sometimes these big gyms were going to Content every day. Yeah, we're like doing other things called non-stop. Yeah, we really just clocked off for this and really enjoyed ourselves. It was very holiday mode and I had been to Capri maybe when I was like seven, so I couldn't really remember it, rob had never been. So it kind of felt like the first time that me and you had gone somewhere by Mexico that neither of us had kind of experienced together.

Rob Lipsett: 12:29

Yeah, which is also funny enough, our all time favourite trips, all time favourite trips, so maybe, maybe, there's something to be said about going somewhere you both have never been.

Linda Smyth: 12:39

Yeah, yeah.

Rob Lipsett: 12:40

And so we did three days in Positano. No, where do we stay? You know, give people some. We gotta give people some info.

Linda Smyth: 12:46

We stayed in what was the name of the first accommodation?

Rob Lipsett: 12:51

I'll put it on the screen, but it was like four.

Linda Smyth: 12:53

The guy was so nice.

Rob Lipsett: 12:54

Yeah.

Linda Smyth: 12:54

It was like a restaurant underneath which is highly rated, yeah, and the view from the balcony was just spectacular. It was also in a really good location If you want to walk in and out to Positano town. It was like the perfect location and the perfect view.

Rob Lipsett: 13:08

Yeah, and it was not expensive either. Yeah, you know like it was definitely bold, yeah. Something sweet, yeah, something sweet. So put it on the screen and we'll put some clips of it on the screen, but it was absolutely amazing. So we did three days there, or was it four days?

Linda Smyth: 13:23

We did three there and then three in Hotel Weber.

Rob Lipsett: 13:26

Yeah, but wait, wait, so I got sorry. Okay, so AI might be the most important new computer technology ever. It's storming every industry and literally billions of dollars are being invested, so buckle up. The problem is that AI needs a lot of speed and processing power, so how do you compete without costs spiralling out of control? So I'm upgrading to the next generation of the Oracle Cloud infrastructure, or OCI. Oci is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development and AI needs. Oci has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds, offers one consistent price instead of variable regional pricing and, of course, nobody does data better than Oracle. So now you can train your AI models at twice the speed and less than half the cost of other clouds. If you do want to do more and spend less, like Uber, eight by eight and Databricks Mosaic, take a free test drive of OCI at oracle com slash game plan. That's oracle.com slash game plan. Go check it out, you won't be disappointed. I had the ring on me and it came in this massive box.

Linda Smyth: 14:33

You got it from.

Rob Lipsett: 14:34

Beespoke diamonds, beespoke jewellers, in just off graph and street. What's the name of the street?

Linda Smyth: 14:40

I think it's like Wicclo. No, it's not Wicklow.

Rob Lipsett: 14:42

Yeah, well, anyways, beespoke diamonds, it's in town. If you Google it it'll come off straight away and they're so professional. I was very worried about picking it off, walking through town with it and like kind of you know just choosing and everything. But they held me so much and it was like you had an idea of my life. Linda told me about a hundred times.

Linda Smyth: 15:04

But anyways, I liked the oval shape and the gold band.

Rob Lipsett: 15:08

Add the ring I had in a really big box and I had to shove it into one of my shoes. Like my shoe was shaped like a square. And then I hid that in my suitcase. And you know when we have to tell you, just open the suitcase and leave it in the corner. And so for the first three days I was like when am I going to do it? I actually thought I was going to do it. I was going to pack for you as well. Oh yeah, and I wanted to get away from the pack, but I thought I was going to do it last night in Positano and I don't know why I just bottled it.

Linda Smyth: 15:35

You know, it didn't feel like the right moment, and then I think I was slightly hungover, so you're like I don't want to be there.

Rob Lipsett: 15:41

That's what she wanted me to do, but so, either way, I always knew Capri would be like the peak of the holiday, like a magical spot. It's just a magical spot that looks almost like Thailand, with the mountains and everything. It's like exotic. And so we got to Capri. We're blown away. Night one we were in such a giddy mood. We just checked into a new hotel. We had insane views. Like the views were crazy. It was all like the main marina Piccolo, that's what it's called, and we only realised that was like the spot to go to after we left and started looking up like Articus on Capri, and then we were getting ready to go out. This is so good, I love talking about it. We're getting ready to go out and we were taking photos, as we do. We love taking photos of each other. We always just prop up the tripod, like what we're doing right now. Right now.

Linda Smyth: 16:31

And it's just the easiest and most convenient way.

Rob Lipsett: 16:34

I hate asking people for those photos. One is wrong . Are they like yeah? And two is like we're all like manhandling shit. I'm like I don't want to put something through this, yeah. So, anyways, prop up the tripod, have the view, and, instead of putting on a timer, I put it on record. So the whole thing is like recording. And then I go, hey, look, I got something that'll make this way better. And so Linda's like what's it going to be? Oh my God, I thought it was going to be aporos, aporos. So I was going to be. We were on our aphorobus. Yeah, for that, oh Jesus.

Linda Smyth: 17:03

Super.

Rob Lipsett: 17:04

And so then I just came out with the ring and got down on one knee. I can't remember what I said. Yes, yeah, what did I say?

Linda Smyth: 17:11

I think you basically. So we were trying. Well, no, first of all, I started bursting out laughing, so did you. Yeah, which I really like. Yeah, like I want we were we. I can't like it was just all so funny.

Rob Lipsett: 17:23

I like we were like we were like this is like so happy. Yeah, do we like laughing with happiness? Yeah, we really like we were getting kittens and we're like, oh my God, we're actually doing this, whereas, like I would hate if we were like you know, I just find it hard to watch. I find it nice and light and easy to watch. We started laughing.

Linda Smyth: 17:42

I think I saw you coming towards me. So in the video, like you can see, you can see that I'm like fixing my dress, that I could see him coming through, and I can like there was no hiding the box. So I was like I knew it was just about to happen, so I was just like, oh, like it was funny.

Rob Lipsett: 17:57

And then, yeah, I just said I love you so much.

Linda Smyth: 17:59

Yeah, it was like I love you so much. She gave me a little talk about just how much I meant to you, yeah, and about the future, and then we got a ton.

Rob Lipsett: 18:08

And then afterwards, guys, the lobster pasta. Wait, we're slowing down now, right? Ultra giddy mood yeah.

Linda Smyth: 18:16

Like I think I changed dress because I was like I'm just like I'm going to spill something on this If I wear this, yeah you were wearing a white one, and then you got into a pink dress and then we went out.

Rob Lipsett: 18:25

And then, in the ultimate giddy mood, literally in the best mood ever, we just walked or we got a taxi into town, walked around and just went to a random spot with you.

Linda Smyth: 18:34

The photographer. We actually were having a little cocktail. It was like this kind of lookout point at the sunset in Capri and it just happened that there was this photographer there. He took a picture of us and he was like come back in about maybe two hours and I'll have a studio where you can select the photos. We selected them way later in the night and we woke up the next morning. We don't even remember what they looked like, they forgot about us and we had to call back to the studio what it was like a day or two later, and have a look at the photos. But they turned out really, really well. I think we thought that that was all we had of the engagement, and it wasn't for maybe a day or two. After, when we looked at the video, we were like wow, this is amazing. Yeah, I'm glad we left it a little bit as well. We didn't like to look at the video on the day, or even the day after, I told my family I think we told my mom the line of the actual engagement and then we filled the rest of our family and friends in the next day.

Rob Lipsett: 19:24

Yeah, and then we did the post on Sunday or something like that. I hate to be one that, like you know, lives for social media and all this, but get like everyone saying well done and congratulating you.

Linda Smyth: 19:36

You're getting nice messages. It's like catching up with people that you wouldn't have caught up with in a while and talking to them about it. It's fun, yeah.

Rob Lipsett: 19:43

So that was amazing and we just went home back to Ireland to see our families in the best mood ever. So now a great question is why get married? What's the point of it all? I think so it's like you know what changes once you say we married me and I do, and all that Okay, and it's a piece of paper. I think the main kind of reason behind marriage is showing you're super committed. You're signing a deal with each other Starting a family, starting a family. You're signing a deal saying, hey, I'm going to stick with you, you're going to stick with me and we're going to start a family and bring kids into a safe relationship. I think that's the main reason. Yeah, it's just. It's just literally saying you're committed, and I think I think I saw Jordan Peterson say this. He was like they're hard to get out of for a reason. Yes, like if you have an argument and you, instead of saying like, let's say, you're dating someone and you have an argument, you just leave it, you just ghost them. But if you're married and you have an argument, you're like all right, we're going to work through this, yeah, so I think that's the main reason and benefit behind marriage is just showing you're committed and raising a family. And so now onto the family. Kids for you on Linda, how many?

Linda Smyth: 20:51

girl boy. Ideally I love two kids, but three, maybe four. If that happens, I think I'd be happy with two.

Rob Lipsett: 20:58

Yeah, I love two girls and I love two boys, buddy, I will flip the coin and see where we land. And what do you think? Do you think, okay, right, so we've been here five years now. Do you think there's a date where you can be like, okay, let's get married? Do you think there's a certain time or when it's right is a right?

Linda Smyth: 21:20

I think when it's right, it's right. I also think that there should be a certain time like I think a year is quite short. I think it depends on how old you are as well, but I think anywhere past two years, if it's the right person and you really really know yeah, and late twenties. You know thirties Like I wouldn't recommend, like a twenty one year old, being with someone for two years. Okay, let's go, you're literally kids.

Rob Lipsett: 21:42

Yeah, twenty one and, but so late twenties, thirties. You know, the three year mark is ideal, yes, and really the longer the better. So I think we were pretty safe and responsible with five, five. Almost five yeah, almost four and ten months. So I think if you've been with each other for years, you know she's wife material locker down. And now also, one thing I want to ask is do you guys, the listeners, and what are your proposal stories? How did it make you feel? Drop a comment down below. I'd love to hear some feedback. And have you any advice for getting married as well, because look, let's be real, there's some disaster.

Linda Smyth: 22:21

I know I'm answering percent you know, I'm entering, like, the wedding planning realm and it's very daunting, I think. So we love all the information and advice on the wedding yeah.

Rob Lipsett: 22:32

So Three comments leave down below any wedding planning tips or tricks that you guys have. Your experience with marriage and your experience with proposals are very educational. So now we are on to future plans and that is a wedding. When is the wedding gonna be, linda?

Linda Smyth: 22:50

so we were trying to decide are we gonna do twenty twenty four, twenty twenty five? I know we want a small marbella wedding. I think that's pretty set in stone and I've decided who my bridesmaids are. I've decided, I think, roughly how many people we want, what kind of dress I want. We're just trying to decide when really and I think it's looking more like it'll be at the start or end of summer, be it in may or else in october, september, october, just because it gets really really hot here during the summer months and very busy. So I'll have it either before or after summer, whatever year we choose. So we're just trying to decide the year and small or big wedding small enough, like I think one, eighty, two hundred. Yeah, eighty two hundred is that small, is that big?

Rob Lipsett: 23:39

we don't know, but so I think I think it was Alex hormones you're. Someone just put a good quote up and it's like, if you're like splurging on a big wedding wedding before, like reinvesting into yourself and like you know I have seen a car and everything like you've got it backwards, like at the end of the day it's just like a one day event.

Linda Smyth: 23:58

So you know, obviously we're gonna have a really nice wedding, but some people go over top, yes, and they kind of put themselves in debt, reading, reading, like I'm kind of just opening a new whole, like a Chapter. I like these amazing things. What can happen to people with their wedding plans and they just go too far.

Rob Lipsett: 24:18

no, we are. We were talking, we were thinking about having one to learn with ten people. Seriously, yeah, I'm like christian Max, flying down from Texas when I think, like you know, there's something nice about having a little barefoot wedding on the beach. Barefoot, yeah, little barefoot wedding on the beach? Yeah, but most likely it's gonna be in marbella. We're gonna utilise the villa, like this is bigger than any restaurant, really, especially the outdoors. This would be great, I think, for a day to barbecue or something.

Linda Smyth: 24:47

There's also so many nice venues, not even just on the beach, but the so many nice mountainous Venues in marbella that like look like a possibility, and I think I've started writing the list of who I want to invite and so, as we're gonna be extra nice, linda guys, yes, so we have it all kind of an idea. I know we want to DJ over a band you want. You know little details. I know what kind of flowers I want and what colours and stuff. It's just kind of Putting it all in place yeah.

Rob Lipsett: 25:16

So the next thing, I think you know day one you just have the main event, you know sit down meal I don't think I have the other welcome dinner.

Linda Smyth: 25:25

I'm like I will wake up hungover.

Rob Lipsett: 25:26

Five long oh no, no, you just have you know the day's event. You rock up and you know everyone sits down. You do the church whatever, yeah, and you go. You have fun sitting down, eating, drinking, whatever, and then go out to a nice barbecue the next day.

Linda Smyth: 25:38

Yeah, play a padre and that's it. Yeah, my favourite spot to go out on sunday is about it's on sunday's work.

Rob Lipsett: 25:45

Do you think so? I'm like you know again, we know everyone in mosh. Yeah, we could sort of deal and that's it. And look, if there's anyone who has any connections with wedding venues in marbella, please hit us up. We'd love to chat. That is probably gonna be in what may.

Linda Smyth: 25:59

It'll be in May or september. We've definitely decided the months, and it could be next year. It could be twenty twenty five. Yeah, we will have to wait and see yeah, we're fine, like so.

Rob Lipsett: 26:08

Another good tip I heard is when you're engaged, prologue about the engagement period. Build the high, yeah, build the high band. You know, enjoy kind of like the buzz behind planning it, because when you're married it's all over joking, but now it is a kind of fun time being engaged.

Linda Smyth: 26:24

So we've been loving it so far. Yeah, any restaurant we go to rub shows the ring yeah, I was like I'm drinking those kids free drinks.

Rob Lipsett: 26:31

It's a free drink for the next year and a half. Dreams and aspirations: what, as an engaged couple, are our dreams and aspirations going forward?

Linda Smyth: 26:40

I think so far, we've accomplished one of our dreams. I always wanted to kind of contribute to the design of a home and somewhere we can call our own, and we have that now. We're pretty happy here and I think, like for the foreseeable, we will base ourselves in marbella, but it would be nice, like I have my home, my family home, in arland. But it would be nice for me and Rob to have our own family home in arland when we could spend a majority of the year and also have this place. We love our, we love our. It's just to be honest. Yeah, friends are there and, like we, I can't wait. We're going home again at christmas and we do really love our life like a novelty, even though it wears off.

Rob Lipsett: 27:17

But it's a pain of being home when we are home we love sitting on the couch watching or tea, yes, so we absolutely love our land, in small doses yes, novelty wears off pretty quickly, yeah but now we do love it and so our our goal, like our dream life set up, is the house here, marbella, nice house in arland, and that's pretty much it. you know what. We have our businesses going, we're able to travel freely and I also like I think if you three properties that's a Property in marbella, dubai and arland you could just rent to out, but not when you're in one, and then this is done on a life hack, just different, free forever. Is that how proper developers do it?

Linda Smyth: 27:58

Dublin yeah, we love a house in Dublin.

Rob Lipsett: 28:00

Yeah, maybe in like the next, like decade, we're not in any rush Down in any rush, yeah, and Dublin prices are absolutely insane. So at Newhouse in Ireland, kids, a nice big Jeep, yeah, that's us. You'll be getting your Jeep soon, maybe, maybe, if more people tune in to the podcast and I upload more YouTube videos, they will easily get a Jeep. A nice defender, that's what I love. This is the biggest one. This is the big question: Tips and praxis that have helped you maintain a strong and healthy relationship. And like, think about it, do you know anyone who's been like that? I'm sure you know a few, but not many. Like you don't know many people who have been in a five year relationship.

Linda Smyth: 28:38

Yeah, I mean like it's pretty rare. Yeah, my best friend Lauren, she, her and Keith have been together quite a time, like some time. My sister, who's now married, I guess I know a couple of people and it does. I think the key to a long-term relationship is obviously having a lot of fun planning date nights and also being a realist. So, like if things aren't perfect all the time, you work on those things. Don't expect everything to be like magic or like if you've a fight, you have to break up. Yeah, Like you have to be real with the person, communicate super well and be patient and loyal and honest.

Rob Lipsett: 29:12

And communication honesty is always the best thing ever. Nope, sneaking around, you know people hiding their phones and laying on a leash what the hell? Yeah, so weird. Yeah, you need to be just completely open, honest, communication, loyal, dedicated and on each other's team.

Linda Smyth: 29:28

And showing interest in each other Like I show a lot of interest when Rob is like maybe recording for YouTube or designing something for my brand. We'll always make sure to show interest and that's like the most important thing you can do and make quality time, doing date nights quite often hugely important, hugely important, yeah, because you and your girlfriend, your half, you start becoming mates.

Rob Lipsett: 29:50

Not good, no, you need to never be we're buds, we're buds for our mates. Now you need to always, you know, keep the girlfriend, boyfriend or husband and wife dynamic and keep things romantic. And another one Percy for me maybe call me shallow, al right, percy for me I think you got to keep standards high. Like Linda's in the same shape, she's like a fitness model. Like you know she looks, she puts in the work for me and I want to look good for her and for you. And so I want to look good for her, she wants to look good for me. You know we want to put our best foot forward and put our best selves for each other, and so, as soon as like, of course, we, you know, walk around in our pyjamas and stuff, but as soon as you this is messy bone, everyone, this is a messy bone and like, as soon as you stop putting in an effort for each other, you need to wind things back and say okay, you know who else, who do I want to impress?

Linda Smyth: 30:42

And I think having date nights is kind of like they, you, you, you. I glam up quite often and they remember why they like you.

Rob Lipsett: 30:48

We do, but now this month we're doing it.

Linda Smyth: 30:50

Yeah, we're doing November.

Rob Lipsett: 30:52

So November, we're saying no to everything. There's nothing on. So we're doing a month of just recording at the gym and working hard, but on average, like, let's say, in the summer, we do like a date night every Saturday.

Linda Smyth: 31:04

We love it. Yeah, date night like twice a week during the summer, because in Marbella there's just so much happening and like there's always good things in the summer, like the winter time here is the perfect time to kind of hibernate. It's raining today, so that's perfect.

Rob Lipsett: 31:17

Yeah, and so another one. How do you get into a good, strong nature, like, how do you pick the right person?

Linda Smyth: 31:24

I think someone who makes you laugh, I think that's going to be something that is forever, Whereas like obviously looks are quite temporary, you know. But I think someone who can really like to the core, make you really, really laugh and that you can be comfortable and be yourself around. Just choose someone like that and who likes you for you, who doesn't like to try and change you.

Rob Lipsett: 31:43

Yeah, Linda, you're nailing these answers. You're killing it, okay. So, wrapping things up, before we go into the audience questions, what is our favourite memory with each other? I got a few.

Linda Smyth: 31:55

I think we always have our favourite memories on a trip, like a travelling trip, because it's when we do things out of the norm. I remember one time we were in Joshua Tree and we had a beautiful barbecue, like in the middle of the desert in the Airbnb and they had this kind of bathtub. It was like out underneath the stars. They also had like a boat, I think it was converted into like this big kind of couch thing, yeah, and we just lay there like looking at the stars and chatting and laughing loads, and it was like one of my favourite memories.

Rob Lipsett: 32:24

It was just out of a movie.

Linda Smyth: 32:25

Just the whole Joshua Tree trip always is one of my favourite memories, and then also a lot of Mexico memories from a movie trip.

Rob Lipsett: 32:32

It was amazing. That was like a proper trap, very surreal. It was crazy. It was proper. Like the other movie, the Beach. Yeah, it was like that and I think, like I'm a man who has done a lot of things in life, like I've pretty much experienced everything you know, I don't know what else. Seriously, there is another floor for me to go up to. You know, really You've been with the jet, the yacht, the best you know, the best thing in life has a beautiful girl that loves you Travelling the world. Yeah, I don't think there's a bit better than that. Yeah, we do love to travel, we do the court, everyone does, you know, and so, yeah, that's probably some of our fondest memories together and I also loved for some reason it's just sticking out in my mind when we're in Santorini and we're in Cabo to go and we're just watching like the most insane sunset. There's a violin playing and you're just like those surreal moments like that that are just absolutely insane. And here's to money more, and here's to money more. Alright, guys, so time, some quick fire questions from you, the audience. So let's get through these. I say quick fire, but they'll probably last a little bit longer. So how important is it to have common interest in a race ship? And what do you do if you don't have money?

Linda Smyth: 33:48

Well, we luckily have.

Rob Lipsett: 33:49

We both love the gym, yeah we really just have generally active health.

Linda Smyth: 33:53

I think I always had quite like I loved going to the gym quite often and like always had a membership, but I never actually took it as seriously as I did until I met Rob because he educated me a lot more on it. And now it's just like part of my daily routine now, where it was just something that I do the odd time before I met Rob and I think Linda, by the way, is like a fitness industry standard. Well, I do, I think, like over the last, like maybe three years, it's kind of just like your squats coming up to 70 kg.

Rob Lipsett: 34:25

you know, you know all about your amazing cock. Yeah, your actual genetics and physique are crazy, no worries, but yeah, no, Linda puts a lot of personal trainers to shame.

Linda Smyth: 34:35

We have a lot of common interests, but I mean finding them in a relationship. I mean it's easier to meet the people that you're supposed to be with if you're meeting them through common interest.

Rob Lipsett: 34:45

Yeah, personally I wouldn't say like you know. So sometimes what do you do if you don't have money? Don't get with the person you know, you're just off.

Linda Smyth: 34:52

It's just a little bit different sometimes as well.

Rob Lipsett: 34:54

Yeah, but you have to like your overall lifestyle. I think it has.

Linda Smyth: 34:57

Rob, I think, made a point. You made a point recently. You were like I'd like I don't know if it would work if I was with someone who didn't understand social media, because that's like a huge thing, like a huge part of who you are very true, like you know, not only being on camera, but like helping me with photos, videos and everything.

Rob Lipsett: 35:13

Like you know, and even this episode right here so that's also a big one for me is to kind of like you know, you don't have to be an influencer with a million followers, just be with someone who understands social media.

Linda Smyth: 35:23

Yeah, like if you're on a trip and you surf vlogging, yeah, well, I think I was definitely a little bit like I like awkward in the vlogs, maybe the start or like talking on camera. And now here I am today on a podcast. I think I've come for it.

Rob Lipsett: 35:36

Very true, and so what is your advice for maintaining a relationship when both partners are extremely busy? We are the wrong person because we are with each other 24/7. We're extremely busy, but like we don't have to go apart. No, everything I do is completely remote. I don't have air in the day, but yeah, we're always beside each other. So what would you do if someone like you knew? They both had very full time jobs, very full on jobs?

Linda Smyth: 36:03

I mean, just make time when you're not doing the busy work to see the person and check in with them in the little while of the day that you have. That isn't busy. Make sure that they know they mean a lot to you and that's kind of the best thing you can do. I mean, a lot of jobs can be so full on and I completely get that.

Rob Lipsett: 36:21

I would say the same advice if you're in a long distance relationship, plan out the whole year yeah, you know, like cuz I think it's too much to look forward to. It's a very good one. Yeah, that's like you know, just a life hack. And it's like, if you're in a long distance ratio and you also have, like that's a bow work like nine to nine, like you're more less than long, this ratio, yeah, that's each other you know. So it's just so important to plan out those events for an advance. So what's the best way to support a partner going through tough time when I feeling overwhelmed yourself? So best way to support a partner going through tough time? That's a great question.

Linda Smyth: 36:58

I mean, just being kind and being a good listener is always the best thing. I think listening can do more than like. What do you say? Yeah they want someone to talk to you, I suppose when they're going through yeah, sometimes it's important to just have something there. It's like to just like actually cuz like sometimes rob's going to be like a really stressful situation here.

Rob Lipsett: 37:15

like voice to me and he'd be like If there was no one here I just be completely silent yeah, yeah exactly so I think, yeah, it's good to just have a nice someone to just listen and take it all in and yeah, advise you, and it's also great like, especially from a man's point of view, to have like a very nice feminine nurturing woman. Yeah, it's just like to just be a simple to yes just be, just be a weakling too. Yeah, yes, I'm gonna cry on the shoulder. What if I do that stuff so bad? Yeah, just be there for each other and be a listener Next up. Do you think it's important to have relationship goals? If so, how do you set them? Yes, yeah, of course. Like you know, we, like we were talking about, we want the house in Ireland, we want to have 2.5 kids, we want to have one half, we want, you know, a nice Jeep and we want to, like you know, more, we want to be and get in our best shape ever. You know we want to build like these, as productive as possible. I definitely think, like the whole thing, this comes from me cuz I'm just the way I'm. As you know, I'm planning everything for tea. I need a whole life. The whole point of life Is having goals and working towards them, and it's not necessarily hitting them, it's just having something to work towards. You wake up every day and you've nothing to aim for. You're literally lost. Think about those words that are lost. If you don't have something to aim for, you don't know where to go and you're gonna get depressed. You're gonna. You know, your mindset is not gonna be good. And so, having goals in business, goals in life, goes in your relationship. Extremely important. Always have something to work towards, but don't. And understand that the best part is the work towards. Yes, it's not the end goal, you know, cuz when you get the end goal, he said some more and kept going. Live life. So, yes, have ratio goals. And then the last question: what are some red flags to look out for in a relationship? There's actually like there's a few like dating coaches I follow, even like how to be. You know we need to go see as well as do full videos on this. But one that pops in my head is if she has no long term relationships with her friends, with her friends like if she's always moving a friend group you know some going on there. Linda's had her like friends forever actually my bridesmaids, like this friends.

Linda Smyth: 39:40

Choosing like I'm gonna choose for friends and then for family members. So my sister and one of Rob's sisters and then the rest are gonna be for my friends and they've all been like solid parts of my life for a super, super long time. So that's one.

Rob Lipsett: 39:55

Another one is a relationship with their father. Yeah, that's how they view men. That's the most common one that I can't get her. Dad loves me. Great relationship. Thank thanks, be the god. Another one for me is just someone who disregards her health and fitness. I think health fitness most important thing in the world. If a girl does not stay in shape and she neglects her health and fitness, from an evolutionary Standpoint it's actually on track. Because you're like oh, is this person you were automatically on attractive to people who are unhealthy. Because they're like how are the? How are we going to carry on our life? Or genetics are offspring, so that for me, is a huge one. And someone who talks ill of other people, you know, just just better people, that's not what one father, one like.

Linda Smyth: 40:40

If someone had a dad who liked left, or dad on something that is like, or dad who wasn't great to their mother, yeah, well. I'm lucky I have a good relationship with my father, but I think, yes, I can see, you know yeah, and so they are probably my top three.

Rob Lipsett: 40:58

There's another one I saw having a woman that competes with you. I don't know when I've got it, I'm not sure. You certainly don't. You like to support me, but having someone who's always trying to get one up on you in the race, I've read that's a really terrible trade to have. Let's see if I can think of one more. I guess I'm not sure. I'm trying to be secretive or yeah you know not being completely real yes, that's probably number one, and then I'm not sure I hate that way.

Linda Smyth: 41:30

That is a. Things but, yeah, but like someone who I am well, no right if the other person, if both of you are doing a bit of one person, is actively showing you off or like, yeah, you know the other person is being weird about it. That is kind of strange.

Rob Lipsett: 41:43

Actually Joe nowadays. Mike and Sadie can have a relationship as psychologists. They made a good quote. They're like if you're in a relationship in person, you're also in a relationship online. Just out is so Think that's also one as well.

Linda Smyth: 41:56

So anyone's you want to try and I think that was my only one, yeah there we go.

Rob Lipsett: 42:00

So, guys, hope you enjoyed this podcast, with the one only Linda Smith really enjoyed as well. It's actually I don't know if you can see it, but it's raining outside and go get some sushi at my favourite spot we're gonna go get some sushi. Chill out for a little bit and hope you enjoyed listening to some relaxing podcast. Maybe people will do it again sometime. Maybe we will. Rent is in and is right here. Keep it real. Thank you so much for listening. Be sure you are subscribed on every platform. I will see you in the next one. Game plan is back.