Connector Spotlight: Antoinette and Sean McDonald on Marriage, Publishing, and “It’s Not Ours to Keep”
Married 26 years and building a publishing company together, Antoinette and Sean McDonald have used {THE AND} conversation cards for years: at home, on dates, and now in their marriage enrichment community.
“Strong marriages aren’t built in one moment, they’re built on forever and a day.”
It’s the mantra behind Forever And A Day Publishing LLC, and the way Antoinette and Sean McDonald have lived for more than 26 years of marriage. Based in Triangle, Virginia, this couple is a highlight of what deep connection means. They’re Connectors in The Skin Deep community and have been playing {THE AND} for more than a decade, at home with their kids, on dates, and now with the couples in their marriage enrichment community.
Meet Antoinette and Sean McDonald
Antoinette is the CEO of Forever And A Day Publishing LLC (FAAD Publishing) and a retired elementary school principal. Throughout her career in education, she focused on developing leadership in students and staff and helping them recognize their strengths. After retiring in 2023, she devoted herself fully to the publishing company, bringing her experience as an educator into editing, proofreading, formatting, and guiding authors through the publishing process. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and she’s especially committed to amplifying underrepresented voices.
Sean was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the Hazelwood / Glen-Hazel community, and raised by a single mother. He graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 1997, where he met Antoinette in September 1996. They married on October 14, 2000, and were recruited to teach in a Virginia school division in August 2001. Sean continues to work in that school division as an HR administrative coordinator, where he hires classified staff. As a co-founder of FAAD Publishing, he also leads FAAD Assets, the company’s financial literacy branch, which helps people work toward becoming properly protected, debt-free, and financially independent. He’s a strategic partner in business development as well, and provides production, talent, and fulfillment support for The Forever And A Day Show on YouTube.
The company and its subsidiaries have been incubating since 2000. Both are writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and both say they were led by faith to launch the business and help people strengthen their relationships through communication. Their guiding mantra: “It’s not ours to keep.” As Antoinette puts it, if she knows how to do something or has a resource, she’ll provide it to you.
What Inspires Them
For Antoinette, it’s helping people recognize the value of their own voices. As an educator, she loved watching someone move from uncertainty to confidence, and publishing lets her support that same growth in a different way. People often carry stories and wisdom they question whether anyone needs to hear, and she loves helping them see that what they’ve lived through could encourage someone else or open a meaningful conversation.
Sean’s inspiration grew out of experiencing little to no meaningful communication as a child and young adult. Beginning his own mental health journey and recovery taught him to express himself instead of suppressing his feelings and thoughts. He’s since watched people improve their relationships with family, colleagues, and friends through activities he’s shared with them, and he believes his life is an open book that can help others along their journeys.
How They Found {THE AND}: A 10-Year Tradition
Antoinette discovered The Skin Deep more than 10 years ago through an ad for the Family Edition deck. She bought it for their family of four, and they began gathering monthly to connect through the questions. The tradition grew when they added the Couples Edition and started bringing it out when hosting other couples.
Today, Antoinette and Sean take a deck on their dates, opening conversations while they wait for dinner or enjoy cocktails. They’ve also gifted decks for weddings, housewarmings, and to their publishing clients. For Sean, the decks are a way to reflect together on life, family, friendships, and goals. A prompt may call for a short answer, he says, but he’s had deeply rich conversations that began with a single card, and the responses have brought tears, laughter, and reconciliation. He also uses the questions to help him have difficult conversations he might otherwise be intimidated to have.
Curious where to start with your own partner? Browse our couples decks, or warm up with How To Keep Choosing Each Other: 15 Deep Relationship Questions for Married Couples Who Want More.
What The Skin Deep Means to Them
To Antoinette, The Skin Deep represents intentional human connection: making space to be transparent, reflect, and feel seen and heard. As an educator and school leader, she learned that connection is foundational to growth, and she sees the questions as a way to move beyond assumptions and discover what someone is thinking, feeling, or carrying.
Sean calls the brand a tool that gives him prompts he wouldn’t have thought of on his own. Every time he uses the decks, he says, he’s encouraged to be his authentic self, and he’s felt deeply validated by his wife and friends in the conversations that follow. Families are healing and growing closer, he says, as he and Antoinette introduce and gift the decks.
Marriage Stands, Commitment Wins
Through their marriage enrichment brand, Marriage Stands, Commitment Wins (MSCW), Antoinette and Sean create opportunities for couples to connect through faith, conversation, and community. Two things are on the calendar:
- A five-volume anthology series. Married couples share their experiences in chapters centered on a specific theme. Two volumes are out, and Volume 3, focused on communication and conflict resolution, is releasing in early November 2026. Each contributing couple receives an author copy, a coloring companion, colored pencils, and a {THE AND} Couples or Long-Term Couples deck to keep connection and conversation going beyond the page.
- Marriage Stands: Together 27. Their inaugural marriage enrichment weekend runs February 25 to 27, 2027, at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland. It’s designed to give couples intentional space to reconnect, reflect, and strengthen their commitment while building community with other married couples. Registration and details.
More from the McDonalds
- The Forever And A Day Show. The couple produce a weekly show on YouTube, with each original episode airing on Tuesdays.
- Sean’s autobiography. Sean is writing his life story and is on track to publish by December 2026. He calls his life “nothing short of a miracle.”
- Relative Race, Season 17. Antoinette and Sean are featured contestants on BYUtv’s Relative Race, a ten-week season in which four couples travel to find relatives they’ve never met and compete for a $50,000 cash prize. The season premiered September 13, 2026. Read the Prince William Times feature on their journey.
What They Hope People Feel
Antoinette hopes people walk away feeling seen, heard, and valued, and a little more confident in what they have to offer. Whether the conversation is about a book, a marriage, or everyday life, she wants them to know their voice matters and that they don’t have to have everything figured out to take the next step.
Sean and Antoinette hope people feel as if they’ve looked into a mirror that reflects shared experiences, so they know they aren’t alone on the road of life lessons. They’re intentionally vulnerable and transparent about their own lives, and they hope that helps others see the commitment and perseverance of a marriage covenant as worth every moment.
Daily Rituals and Fun Facts
Antoinette absolutely loves to dance. No matter the genre of music, she probably knows the words, and she’ll always have a smooth two-step to go with the song.
Sean’s daily ritual starts before he leaves for work: he prays over Antoinette, thanking God for another day and asking for protection and for the discipline to complete the tasks he believes have been assigned to them.
“Never let your circumstances determine your destiny.” — Sean McDonald
Antoinette and Sean McDonald FAQ
Who are Antoinette and Sean McDonald?
A married couple of more than 26 years in Triangle, Virginia, and the founders of Forever And A Day Publishing LLC. Antoinette is the CEO and a retired elementary school principal. Sean is a co-founder, leads FAAD Assets, and works as an HR administrative coordinator in a Virginia school division.
What is FAAD Assets?
The financial literacy branch of Forever And A Day Publishing LLC, led by Sean. It helps people work toward becoming properly protected, debt-free, and financially independent.
What is Marriage Stands, Commitment Wins?
Their marriage enrichment community centered on faith, conversation, connection, and community, including a five-volume anthology series and an inaugural marriage enrichment weekend in February 2027.
When and where is Marriage Stands: Together 27?
February 25 to 27, 2027, at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland.
How do Antoinette and Sean use {THE AND}?
At monthly family gatherings, with other couples they host, on their dates, and as gifts for weddings, housewarmings, and publishing clients.
Where can I watch The Forever And A Day Show?
On YouTube, with original episodes airing weekly on Tuesdays.
Connect with Antoinette and Sean McDonald
Follow along with their work:
- Forever And A Day Publishing: faadpublishingllc.com
- Instagram: @faadllc
- Facebook: FAADLLC
- YouTube: The Forever And A Day Show
More Stories from Our Community
Meet another Connector: DeJa Jovon Survillion on Art, Intimacy, and Getting Curious About Each Other.
Want to Be Featured Next?
If Antoinette and Sean’s story resonates with you, and you’re part of The Skin Deep community too, we’d love to hear yours.
Karissa Basalyga
The Skin Deep | Global Community Activator
Comments ()