Co-founder and president of Cardone Ventures, Natalie Dawson, has sparked a massive viral debate after revealing she fired two employees for cheating on their romantic partners. The shocking admission came during her recent appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast, and the resulting clip has since exploded online, racking up more than 1.7 million views and generating thousands of comments. Dawson, whose company helps entrepreneurs with financial goals and growth, told podcast host Steve Bartlett that she made the decision to terminate both employees immediately after discovering the affair. She confirmed that neither of the affected partners worked for Cardone Ventures, but she still felt the behavior couldn’t be tolerated in her work environment. This is a wild story, and honestly, I can see why people are freaking out about the boundaries between work and home. But Dawson isn’t backing down. She emphasized that she would make the exact same decision again “in a heartbeat,” according to NY Post. CEO fires employees based on their own relationships The 32-year-old founder explained that she previously shared her decision on a viral TikTok post, saying, “One of things I have gotten so much criticism about online was when I publicly shared a TikTok about firing somebody because I found out she was cheating on her significant other and the other person also had a significant other.” For Dawson, the issue boils down to integrity and liability, and she doesn’t believe you can separate how someone acts at home from how they behave professionally. “If they are going to cheat on the person they are supposed to spend the rest of their life with, do you think they are cheating on their work?” she asked. From her perspective, that person becomes a “liability to the environment.” She also clarified that while this specific incident did “happen around work,” even if it wasn’t directly related to the office, she would still “fire the person immediately” if she found out they were cheating on their partner. Bartlett, the host, seemed genuinely shocked by this stance, pointing out that many people believe what employees do in their personal lives is “none of [her] business.” He argued that people can act “very different to the way they show up professionally.” Bartlett added that he doesn’t want to be the “government” of his employees’ private situations, saying that as long as personal issues don’t show up in the office, he isn’t concerned. Dawson was quick to disagree with that idea, insisting that if someone has a problem in their personal life, it is “absolutely my business.” She can’t separate what someone is doing at home and not think that it’s going to “bleed over into our environment.” In the wake of the video going viral, Dawson took to LinkedIn to address the firestorm directly, explaining that the firings weren’t about punishing employees but about protecting the company culture. She wrote that leaders have a responsibility to create an environment where people can grow, which means “holding the line on integrity, even when it’s uncomfortable.” Dawson concluded by reiterating her belief that “Character is consistent. And if I tolerate dishonesty in one area, I set a new standard for everyone else watching.” This is a tough line to walk, but she’s clearly committed to it.