Harrison and Tochukwu Nwozo - Be honest, Communicate. Compromise.

Harrison "Harry Baba" Nwozo Jr. is the founder and president of Tribe X Entertainment, LLC which has been responsible for promoting some of the greatest African, particularly Nigerian, events in the Washington DC metropolitan area since 2001. An Entertainment Consultant, Management & Promotional Expert, Harrison Nwozo is married to his wife and company VP, Tochukwu Nwozo, and they have three beautiful daughters. Enjoy their marriage avowals below;

How did you meet your wife?
I attended a surprise birthday party for a friend in Maryland in 2001. He was being surprised by his wife , she invited all his friends to the party. I noticed a beautiful young lady sitting in the corner. I went up to her, we chatted, we danced and exchanged numbers. We started a long distance relationship (she lived in New York at the time) until her company transferred her down to Maryland a year or two later.

How long have you been married?
Since 2003. Ten Years. We will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary at a few exotic travel venues this year.

How did you propose?
I put the ring, if I can remember, inside a box, that had several small boxes inside or something....something she had to open up, before she got to the one with the ring...I got down on one knee...and the rest is history..

What do you think is the “key” to a successful relationship and marriage?
I think the key , or keys, you need more than one, to a successful marriage , I call the three C'c, compromise, communication and companionship (friendship). You should have respect for one another, strengthen your friendship, trust by communicating, working together as a team and learn to accept each other's shortcomings while working together to help each other grow.
No one is perfect. You both have to realize this and work together as a team.

What is your favorite part about being married to your husband?(Tochukwu, the wife, replied..)
It has varied through the years- Right now, my favorite part about being married to my husband is the fun we have together. It's hard to stay mad at him because he will do everything in his power to make you laugh. There's never a dull moment with him. We love laughing and we could spend an hour just cracking jokes on each other or about something we saw. We genuinely enjoy each other's company. During our early years of marriage, my favorite part about being married to him was his commitment to the success of our marriage. That's really important in the early years, especially when the honeymoon phase starts to wind down and you start facing some real challenges.

What is the hardest part about being married?
With your marriage, you're basically trying to find a sound balance with various dynamics at play- you're dealing with identity issues as individuals and as a couple, general differences, children, joys, disappointments and so on. Once you find your rhythm, it's pretty much smooth sailing after that. You'll have disagreements and other challenges even thereafter, but the goal is to figure out and agree on a few fundamentals such as: 1. Your mutual commitment towards a successful and happy marriage for both individuals 2. Your commitment to God to commit to a successful and happy marriage where there is genuine love and respect for one another.

Do you have children?
yes, we have three lovely daughters

How has this affected your marriage and how do you cope?
I love my children. It has actually made the marriage even more fun and exciting because we get to do so many different things with the kids...our children are adorable, beautiful and a blessing from God. We cherish every moment with them. We also take time for ourselves from time to time. We'd celebrate some anniversaries and Valentine's Days with the kids but we would also go on brunch or dinner dates or we'll take the day off from work (when the kids are in school/ daycare) and we'll go to the movies.

What is your advice to those dating or young couples?
I have a few pieces of advice:

For dating couples, at some point , when you feel the relationship is going in a very positive direction (hopefully marriage) introduce each other to each other's family members . Family not in your town or state? Use Skype to connect or plan to travel to see and meet each other's family members.

 It sounds cliche but you really have to be able to communicate effectively in any relationship. If you're not communicative at the dating stage, it'll be even more challenging in your marriage. Know that your spouse is far from perfect, just like you, which is why God needs to be integrated into the relationship. He is the sole source of perfection. Love is not enough to make a marriage work, you need to be committed to the relationship and to one another.

Both individuals have to decide to be happily married and hold themselves accountable for that decision. You have to understand that the end goal is not just the marriage but a "happy, balanced married life". Your relationship should make you a better person and not be a detriment to your life/ success. Marriage in terms of the way a husband and wife relate to one another should be seen as an extension of the fun you have as a dating couple. The fun shouldn't stop because you're married. It may evolve a little bit as you mature and with additional responsibilities, but you shouldn't forget to have fun when you get married.

Be honest, Communicate. Compromise. Advise. Listen. Treat your partner like your best friend, be patient, share things, be prepared to sacrifice for the other person, support each other's projects and goals in life, support in education, work, don't leave God out of the relationship.