Inside the marriage of billionaire Spanx founder Sara Blakely and entrepreneur Jesse Itzler, who met at a poker game and slow dance to make up after fights

In a post wishing her husband a happy anniversary, Blakely wrote, "4 kids, lots of laughs, 9 years, and still climbing ... Happy to be on this journey with you @the100mileman. You make everything more colorful and fun. And thank you for thinking ambition in a woman is sexy! Your support both at work and at home has meant the [world] to me. [Love] u. #TruePartnership #JustLoveHim #9yrs #Anniversary #MarriedLife #TwoEntrepreneurs #OneFamily #5KidsUnder50."

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Itzer has described his wife as "the Michael Jordan of women's underwear." "She's just the most amazing person, and I’m so lucky to have a front-row seat in her life," Itzer told Success.com.

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"One of the parenting things I think is so important is not praising the child, but praising the effort," Blakely told Business Insider.

Blakely previously told Business Insider's Tanza Loudenback about a parenting strategy she's passed down from her father. He often encouraged her and her brother to look on the bright side of failure. "Failure for me became not trying, versus the outcome," she said.

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... to artistic escapades at family dinner time.

... to trying on group Halloween costumes...

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Blakely and Itzler now have four young children. The couple frequently documents their family adventures on social media, from adventures with the four little ones...

They do have one thing in common, though. "We respect that each of us moves at a fast pace," Blakley told Marie Claire. "That might bother some, but we get it."

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Blakely wrote about the "opposites attract" nature of their relationship in a Facebook post. "He eats fruit until noon, I don't. He likes old school rap, I like old school 70s & 80s. He's a New Yorker, I grew up on Clearwater Beach, Fl. He can run 100 miles, I can run 1. I live to eat, he eats just to live. When we disagree, we Rock Paper Scissors , and if we get really mad at each other we have a rule that we stop and slow dance. 4 kids later."

Itzler is known for trying out different adventures, from going off to live with monks for two weeks to inviting a Navy SEAL to move in and train him. He's written about his adventures in "Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet" and the upcoming "Living with the Monks." He included a note to his wife in the dedication of the former: "To my wife, who continues to teach me about unwavering support and love. Plus, she has the patience to put up with me."

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"As long as she gets seven hours of sleep and has her Starbucks in hand when the sun comes up, life is good," Itzler told Marie Claire, discussing his wife's schedule. In the interview with the magazine, Itzler said he trusted his wife to take the reins when it came to their finances — purchasing a new Lexus or putting their La Jolla, California property up for sale without telling him.

In the early years of their marriage, the couple traveled quite a lot. Itzler was mostly based in New York City, while Blakely ran Spanx in Atlanta. The couple told Marie Claire they typically didn't talk about work together. "We're older now and have other things we're interested in," Blakely said.

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Olivia Newton-John was also on hand to serenade the newlyweds with a rendition of "Hopelessly Devoted to You." "The eight-year-old in me is still flipping out that she was at my wedding," Blakely told Atlanta Weddings.

The couple tied the knot in 2008 at Gasparilla Inn and Club in Boca Grande, Florida. Itzler's father officiated the ceremony, 450 guests attended the festivities, and Blakely wore her grandmother's restored 1918 wedding gown.

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After a year, Itzler kicked off his proposal outside their New York City residence with a gold band engraved with the words "BRING IT!!" In an ensuing scavenger hunt, Blakely collected seven hidden presents — including three more rings, one engraved with "Jesse Hearts Sara" — in their apartment

After they first met, Blakely and Itzler emailed back and forth for about seven months. Ultimately, they began to date. Atlanta Weddings reported Itzler would often tell Blakely, "I could marry you," and she would respond, "Bring it."

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