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#WorkTrends Recap: Spouses Working Together

There are so many entrepreneurs who have built businesses from the ground up — alongside their partners — but not many talk about the intersection of work and personal lives.

During this week’s #WorkTrends show, Maria Orozova and Scott Thomas addressed how husband-and-wife entrepreneurs can work cohesively and collaboratively in the business world. They will share their first-hand experiences of working together as partner agency owners.

Here are a few key points Maria and Scott shared:

  • Knowing how your partner works is key to success
  • Boundaries are important – leave work at work and leave home at home
  • Opening the lines of communication for all matters will make working with a spouse more harmonious

Missed the show? You can listen to the #WorkTrends podcast on our BlogTalk Radio channel here.

You can also check out the highlights of the conversation from our Storify here:

Didn’t make it to this week’s #WorkTrends show? Don’t worry, you can tune in and participate in the chat with us every Wednesday from 1-2pm ET (10-11am PT). In two weeks, on July 13, host Meghan M. Biro will be joined by Josh Allan Dykstra to discuss how to ignite the fire and motivate a team.

The TalentCulture #WorkTrends conversation continues every day across several social media channels. Stay up-to-date by following the #WorkTrends Twitter stream; pop into our LinkedIn group to interact with other members; or check out our Google+ community. Engage with us any time on our social networks, or stay current with trending World of Work topics on our website or through our weekly email newsletter.

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Working With Your Spouse–And Making It Work

Can you work with your spouse and make it work? It’s common nowadays to hear someone dedicated to their career say they are “married to their jobs,” especially in today’s non-stop workforce. However, it’s become more common to find couples working together behind the scenes of entrepreneurial businesses.

My husband, Scott Thomas, and I are a successful example of spouses who have fused their marriage with their work.

I had been working as President and Creative Director for the design and marketing house, The MOD Studio with a client roster that included —Exclusive Resorts, Lexus, Circuit of the Americas, Dell, Four Seasons Residences, to name a few. After more than seven years of collaborating with my husband, Scott Thomas, who served as President of the revenue growth agency, Intelechy Group, we decided to join forces. Building a stronger company ecosystem between a creative firm and technology partner has since allowed The MOD Studio to evolve into a fully integrated print and digital marketing house, plus offer a more complete range of services.

While we both agree that we have experienced our fair share of roadblocks—and lessons—along the way, our businesses and our marriage have valiantly withstood the tests of this merger.

  1. Balance. We have found that to make such a situation harmonious for each person involved, a work and home balance is vital. Though in the past, the rule of thumb has been “keep your work and personal lives separate,” it’s becoming increasingly unrealistic in our tech-centered world to be able to unplug from work once the 5 o’clock whistle sounds—especially when you own your own business.
  1. Rest.To avoid falling into an “all work, no play” mindset, it’s important for you each to give yourselves a little rest here and there. After long, hectic hours at the office, reward yourselves with relaxing getaways—and be sure to turn your “out of office” message on! This is your time to reconnect with one another. We often extend the length of our out-of-town business trips to sightsee, recharge and indulge in some much-needed together time–sans work-related conversations.
  1. Respect.Having and showing respect for your partner is essential for both your marriage and business partnership. It can be easy to let your temper flare, especially when you can’t quite see eye-to-eye, but it’s vital to be understanding and respectful. Maintaining the same level of dignity in the office as you do at home will prevent feelings from getting hurt and keep small disagreements from snowballing.
  1. You are a spouse first. Above all, your marriage should always come first. Being able to run your business as a couple is quite a privilege, but mixing business with pleasure should never be compromising to your marriage. We stress the importance of these practices to maintaining a fulfilling professional and personal relationship with your spouse: Support each other unconditionally, stay attentive to each other’s needs, embrace compromise and keep in mind that even if you are a CEO—you are a spouse, first and foremost.

 

#WorkTrends Preview: Spouses Working Together

There are so many entrepreneurs who have built businesses from the ground up — alongside their partners — but not many talk about the intersection of work and personal lives.

During this #WorkTrends show, Maria Orozova and Scott Thomas will address how husband-and-wife entrepreneurs can work cohesively and collaboratively in the business world. They will share their first-hand experiences of working together as partner agency owners.

Join us as we discuss how to:

  • Step forward in your businesses and be confident in forging your own paths
  • Break the norm by taking non-traditional approaches to partnerships
  • Build a foundation to feel comfortable when working alongside your partner

We will also review other useful tips you can use every day to make working with a spouse more harmonious.

Spouses Working Together

#WorkTrends Logo Design

Tune in to our LIVE online podcast Wednesday, June 29 — 1 pm ET / 10 am PT

Join TalentCulture #WorkTrends Host Meghan M. Biro and guests Maria Orozova and Scott Thomas as they discuss how spouses can balance working together.

#WorkTrends on Twitter — Wednesday, June 29 — 1:30 pm ET / 10:30 am PT

Immediately following the podcast, the team invites the TalentCulture community over to the #WorkTrends Twitter stream to continue the discussion. We encourage everyone with a Twitter account to participate as we gather for a live chat, focused on these related questions:

Q1. How can you assess beforehand if you will work well with your partner? #WorkTrends (Tweet the question)

Q2. What are the pros and cons of working with your partner? #WorkTrends (Tweet the question)

Q3. How can people define boundaries between their personal and professional lives? #WorkTrends (Tweet the question)

Don’t want to wait until next Wednesday to join the conversation? You don’t have to. We invite you to check out the #WorkTrends Twitter feed, our TalentCulture World of Work Community, LinkedIn group, and in our TalentCulture G+ community. Feel free to drop by anytime and share your questions, ideas and opinions. See you there!

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