Jenny Santamaria didn't wait around for a good moment to open her pelvic floor physical therapy practice. She started it while she was still dating a rookie firefighter, then kept building right through the wedding, motherhood, and a schedule that flips every month. In this episode she gets straight about the nanny math that never quite adds up, the color coded shared calendar that nearly started a fight, and the point where she finally stopped calling herself type A. If you're trying to run a business, raise a toddler, and love a firefighter all at once, this one's proof you don't have to do it all in the same season.

Takeaways

• Running a business as a firefighter's wife means building flexibility in from day one. No nanny or sitter can promise to match a shift schedule that changes every month.
• Firefighter marriage communication often comes down to small systems, like a color coded calendar. Get the system wrong and it creates more mental load than it solves.
• A fire wife running her own business can protect her focus at work by making her husband the point of contact on shift days, then actually trusting him with it.
• Mom guilt shows up even when you love your job. It's loudest on the nights your husband is solo parenting on his one day off so you can have a night out.
• A firefighter marriage that lasts starts with reminding each other you're on the same team, even when your daily stress looks nothing alike.
• A working fire wife growing a business and a family doesn't have to do it all at once. Life comes in seasons, not all in one.
• Self care for firefighter spouses isn't selfish. Filling your own cup first is often what lets you actually show up for your marriage and your kids.

Mentioned

Website: https://www.femme-strong.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femmestrongpt/

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The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests of the Fire Family Collective Podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or views of their affiliated fire departments, agencies, employers, the Fire Family Collective, or the Ventura Fire Foundation.

All content shared on this podcast is for informational and personal perspective purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, mental health, legal, or therapeutic advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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Copyright of Ventura Fire Foundation 2026.