When you and your romantic partner share a passion and a vision for a business, the idea of running a company together might seem like a dream come true. Or maybe you’re exhausted from working separate jobs outside the home that leave you little time to connect, and you start to fantasize about how great it would be to work side by side. While there are certainly lots of potential benefits to running a business with your partner, there are some very real challenges to consider and plan for.
The familiarity they have with one another can also be an asset, she explains. “We know each other’s body language, our strengths and weaknesses. We jump on a call with someone and we know who is going to lead the call because of who is connecting with the other person on the call.” As much as they love being together all day, everyday, Marina explains, from exercising together in the morning to taking calls, to working on projects, that constant togetherness can also be challenging.
He adds,”Something that’s interesting is that, even though it’s 2024, we’ll jump on a call with prospective investors and people just assume that I’m the CEO. We’ve actually walked away from them when the respect for Marina hasn’t gotten better in those calls.” Randy also highlights the importance of letting go of societal gender norms. “Throw it out the window. Let's come together as equal pieces.” He also stresses the importance of letting your partner excel at what they love and are great at. “Let them have their shine. It's amazing how you can shine if you allow the light to happen before you ever hit your switch.”
Marina shares that these kinds of boundaries have been so incredibly helpful. “We have a hard and fast rule that we don’t talk about work until we’re back from the gym in the morning. We also have a rule on weekends that we can’t talk about YourCoach operations, but can talk about ideas.”