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From Beyoncé and Jay-Z to Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, there are dozens of prominent entrepreneurs in pop culture, each of whom achieved success in their respective fields and partnered in life to become a famous power couple . But what if you and your loved one are early-stage entrepreneurs like Nina and Tim Zagat, who started their entrepreneurial dreams together? Running a business together by day And can you have a loving relationship at night?
On August 1, 2013, I quit my job and started working full time. Two weeks later, she met her future husband and business partner. After 10 years of working together, starting and running two businesses, getting married and combining our families, we’ve learned through trial and error how to make not only our business flourish, but our relationship as well.
Do you and your significant other have the potential to be a power couple? Here are four lessons my partner and I have learned over the past 10 years to help you decide.
Power Couple Lesson #1: Evaluate Compatibility and Common Goals
Nowhere is the phrase “opposites attract” more appropriate than in the dynamic of a power couple. Although Aaron and I enjoy many of the same hobbies and interests, we are quite different when it comes to our work styles and habits. I’m a bit of a workaholic and work from lunchtime until late at night. Aaron takes a walk every day at lunch and finishes work at a normal time, whether he’s having a relaxing day or an insanely busy day. I like managing the finances, but he doesn’t. We each have strengths and weaknesses and we complement each other.
Both Aaron and I worked in restaurants when we were younger, so we understand the importance of customer service and have very high standards for our customers. Our values, work ethics and long-term vision are well aligned. We balance each other out and that makes us both more well-rounded professionals.
If you can work together effectively, resolve differences, and effectively separate personal and work matters, you can become a power couple.
Power Couple Lesson #2: Define roles and responsibilities
While it’s important to draw the lines around who owns which aspects of your organization, you also need to be willing and able to color (a little) outside the lines. As a female business owner, I am sensitive to gender-based roles in any business, especially in equal partnerships. I was in a position where I was asked to take notes as the only woman at the table.
In our business, we manage our finances. My husband manages production. I’m copy and strategy. He is a design and an idea. He can do anything offline, so whether it’s printing signs or making boxes for in-store displays, he’s our go-to person. I rely on Aaron for all things creative for my agency and clients, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t creative. In fact, I look at it and see great creative, but I also see not-so-great creative. I have an idea about the design. I can’t execute them and I’m not always good at explaining my vision.
If you can clearly outline and communicate your specific job responsibilities and expectations, and avoid biased roles, you could become a power couple.
Related: 8 Traits That Make Successful Entrepreneurs
Power Couple Lesson #3: Call a Friend
All couples, especially those with dual incomes, have to overcome arguments.it doesn’t matter if You don’t agree, but when. It is essential to have a system in place to overcome these challenges. One of the most important lessons my partners and I have learned in business is to bring in a third party as a tiebreaker.
At one point, Aaron tried to convince me to add another segment of the business that was perfect for scaling. I was 100% against it and didn’t think it would work. Instead of shutting him down (as I wanted to), I agreed to “call a friend” and asked a business coach for a second opinion. she agreed with him. This sealed the deal for me. Revenue also increased significantly. He was 100% correct. (Yes, I said it.) Having a trusted source to turn to for tiebreakers is a must in any power couple partnership.
If you can be open to the idea, or at least agree to bring in a trusted tiebreaker who can resolve arguments, you have the potential to be a power couple.
Power Couple Lesson #4: There are no (hard) rules.
During our first year together, we always wanted to talk about work. That’s all I thought. During work, after work, on the weekend, and even on vacation. I drove my partner crazy and it wasn’t good for a healthy relationship or our mental health. But that passion is also part of the reason I’m so good at what I do. This has enabled the company to quadruple its revenue over the past seven years. We have learned not to set rules or restrictions on what to say and when. Sometimes we talk about work after hours and on the weekends, and sometimes we talk about personal things during the day. Nothing is off limits and there are no set hours. It keeps us thinking creatively and staying connected.
I’ve read articles that advise that each partner needs to give 100% performance every day. Let’s be honest, we can’t always give her 100% every day. Brene Brown once said that successful relationships are not 100/100, nor are they 50/50. The percentage each person brings to the relationship will naturally vary depending on the day and what each person is feeding into their “tank.” And it’s our job to communicate that to each other. When I feel burnt out, it’s my job to tell Aaron that she only has 30% left that day. That way he understands and is ready for the remaining 70% of him. It’s no different from our home life. Our personal relationship is most important to both of us, and if we had to choose, we would not hesitate to remove “power” from our couple title.
If you believe that rules are made to be broken and changed as you evolve as individuals and partners, then you have power couple potential.
If you’re thinking about starting a business with your partner, use our hard-learned lessons to start crafting your own power couple story today.
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