Podcasts about coupleco

This is a special edition of CoupleCo. We've engineered this show for shameless self-promotion! Blaine helped write a satirical business book created by Dan Hill. Dan is a very smart guy who has consulted to over 100 of the world's biggest brands on the topic of reading emotions through facial coding. He also collaborates with his wife, Karen Bernthal, who's an artist and a designer. That's where the CoupleCo angle comes in. So, how potent is Dan's advertising prowess? Honey has had a career working in big ad agencies, and Dan had her wondering if everything she knows is wrong. This conversation is also about Dan's book, aimed at corporate-speak BS: “Blah, Blah, Blah: A Snarky Guide to Office Lingo.” Honey has worked in corporate America and is a tough audience—and this book made even her laugh. And finally, this convo is peek at what we're calling “the collegial CoupleCo.” Dan and Karen are not exactly business partners, but they're always collaborators.

Today, we are back with Part 2 of reaching for the moon. Specifically, craft brewer Crazy in Cholula Puebla, Mexico. When we were invited there, we replied using one of Honey's favorite travel philosophies: Por qué no? “Why not” is a great phrase to know in any language. It has served us well around the world, including in Mexico. Craft brewers John Lord and his wife Alma Aguilar are lovely people who introduced us to more lovely people and we had an excellent time. They are also serial entrepreneurs. When they decided to open a brewery, they thought, “How hard could it be?” But nobody can count on their business being beset by a global pandemic.  To their credit, John and Alma kept everything up and running and kept everyone on the payroll. Crazy Moon brews excellent beer. They have confronted the challenges of the pandemic, and they've just closed their first round of funding, exceeding their goal by almost 20%. Did keeping the brewery open during COVID help fuel the investor enthusiasm? Who knows? But they're on their way to the ultimate goal of building a newer, bigger brewery and exporting to the US.

In this episode, CoupleCo leaves the country for the moon—specifically, the Crazy Moon brewery in Cholula Puebla, Mexico. This business is run by an old, Connecticut friend of Blaine's and his Mexican wife. John and Alma are serial entrepreneurs who started this craft brewery in time for a global pandemic—which they have survived as they enter into a new funding series for taking their brewery to the next level. They make excellent beer. They confronted the challenges of the pandemic by keeping everyone on their staff employed and doing the pivots required to keep the revenue coming. They're raising funding with the ultimate goal of building a newer, bigger brewery and exporting their beer to the US. They're also great company, and provide excellent insight into the trials and tribulations of running a business together with the added bonus of cultural duality. 

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Opportunities, priorities, profit—all kinds of greatness is afoot. But that also means: something's gotta give. Will it be this show? Nope. Well, not really. But we are taking a dose of our own advice and attenuating everyone's favorite show about couples in business together. And honestly, it's not just because we're feeling queasy from being stuck in the hot, humid freak show that is South Jersey…

Why are a pair of married capitalists talking about Marxism, and what does that have to do with the price of CoupleCo-ism anyway? In this episode, we avoid the adolescent jokes surrounding the great question, “How big is big enough, anyway?” In your business, is it OK to want to remain small? We ask ourselves this question as we hang out with friends who've started really big companies. The answer has a lot to do with your priorities in life, and another, more important question you need to answer for yourself…

How did this happen?! On the 20th Anniversary of our wedding, Blaine Parker and the Fabulous Honey Parker turn the tables on themselves and reveal the answer to the Single Most Important Question of their CoupleCo interviews: “How did you two meet?” The reason it's so important is without the answer to that question, there'd be no CoupleCo to follow. And since our answer includes dueling hangovers, a clever ruse involving a used car, and a famous comedy club, it might just be worth listening to…

Should you do the dangerous deed of becoming a CoupleCo? Maybe your answer is here: it's the 2021 Independence Edition of CoupleCo Uncorked! There are upsides to being in business with your spouse. Besides the fun! You're your own boss! You can take risks! Set your own hours! But, there are also downsides. Hear our take on CoupleCo Independence after 15 years of doing this. Maybe it'll sway you one way or the other. Maybe it'll make you close the doors and go back to your 9-to-5. Who knows? Listen in and take a chance…

Innovative, paradigm-shifting, champion-inspired cult camper moving and shaking! Jen and Chris Hudak have moved Escapod travel trailers, shaken up their own world, they're changing world of teardrop campers, and they've built a collaborative business model in a burgeoning CoupleCo effort that began in a garage, expanded to an antique gas station with one employee, and now occupies an enormous space filled with employees in what was once a Ford dealership. In two years, they've expanded production exponentially, moving from selling dozens of units to hundreds. And they still can't meet the overwhelming demand. In short: the Hudaks are crushing it. In this episode, we discuss the realities of success, what it really means, and the emotional preparedness it requires. And what happens when, despite your desire to remain totally independent, you really do need to consider using OPM (Other People's Money)?

Honey Parker really knows how to live! We rented her home in Park City, Utah, during our first adventure at Sundance, and the more we learned about her, the more we had to have her on the show. She started her career in advertising, and has since done stand-up comedy, competed in a sailing race (even though she cannot sail), started a podcast with her husband (CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse for Fun & Profit), spends half the year traveling in an RV with her husband, and is now the author of not one, but 2 novels! We get into the importance of good lighting, loving New Orleans, the inspiration behind her first novel, Careful-ish, and the important reason behind turning the book into a series. This was a really fun chat, and we thank Honey for giving us some great tips on living, loving, laughing, and being careful-ish. You can follow Honey Parker on IG & Twitter  & FBYou can purchase Careful-ish and future novels hereYou can join the Careful-ish FB group hereListen to the CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse for Fun & Profit Podcast here--Be well, stay safe, Black Lives Matter, AAPI Lives Matter, and thank you for getting vaccinated. --Buy us a cup of coffee!Subscribe to our channel on YouTube for behind the scenes footage!Rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts!Visit our website! www.bitchtalkpodcast.comFollow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.Listen every other Thursday 9:30 - 10 am on BFF.FMPOWERED BY GO-TO Productions 

Once you’ve made it, it all get easier, right? Mmm…nope. This is the episode that’s equally for the aspiring CoupleCo that thinks success is a panacea, and for the veteran CoupleCo who believe that once they’re crushing it, they’ll be coasting on the gravy train (to mix a metaphor). The truth is, success is good. It just doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to kick back and print money. But it does mean that you’re likely to enjoy life more…

“Whatever I can do, she can do better... She is equally responsible with me for everything that goes on here.” And with that, we begin gushing about another collaborator CoupleCo, this one responsible for so much of the design that we are used to in our lives today. Charles and Ray Eames were iconic designers, responsible for the Eames chair (among many, many other things). He was always banging the drum for her part in the Eames equation. But really, their collaboration is something that is an object lesson for anyone in business. Everyone in their organization and even their clients were part of the collaboration equation. The result is genius, and enormously useful…

Crushing it by modeling other successful businesses is a time-honored tradition. Having vision. Taking chances. Being bold. Sticking to you guns. Knowing each other’s strengths. Presenting a united front. All great qualities, and all part of the package created by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, founders of Desilu Productions. A groundbreaking juggernaut of television and film production success in their time, Desilu shows the power of committing to simple ideas and crushing it as a CoupleCo.

This is the credit where credit is due episode. Do you need to take credit for everything? Do you dismiss the contributions of others? Do the ideas of the other players get short shrift because they aren’t yours? Why are we even asking these questions? If the answer to all of the above is yes, you probably don’t have enough self-awareness to listen to this show, and that’s too bad. You need it, especially if you’re in a CoupleCo because your marriage is probably in trouble…

In a time when so-called word-of-mouth advertising is more powerful than ever, one must consider always entertaining the enthusiastic fan. Dismissing the fan can be dismissing a vast number of sales. And when you’re a CoupleCo working together, you have the opportunity to help steer the other who might be behaving badly. But you also have to be careful that you don’t go down a rabbit hole together…

Get out! Get immersed! Get into green! This is the working-vacation edition of CoupleCo Uncorked in which we discuss semi-wild places, birdlife galore, and why it’s important to change your mind by changing your place—even if right near home and only for a little while. And as a bonus: the crazy wild birdsong that is part of the daily routine here along the Mississippi Gulf Coast…

So, so many questions that defy sensible answers. Like, what can a CoupleCo learn from a) New Orleans, b) one of the legends of Madison Avenue, and c) working your hobbies instead of your business? That doesn’t actually sound like a recipe for success, does it? Well, it might surprise you. And frankly, this is an episode full of surprises and very little keen insight. Or so it seems. You’ll probably hate it. Or will you? Well, here’s something you can do: sit back, crack a beer, and revel in the first ever CoupleCo Uncorked Saturday Afternoon Beercast…

What have we learned after last week’s stress-fest? It pays to be in business with someone to whom you can vent and then strategize. Also, Honey invents a category of noises, we talk about hand puppets, and the added CoupleCo bonus of having your own food taster. In other words, about 10 minutes of insight and nonsense.  

This is just one of those things. You do everything in a business deal in good faith, and someone tries to work an angle when they don’t have to. And it’s going to cost money. But isn’t handling all this together just part of being a coupleco? In fact, being a coupleco is about being gung ho. We have a story about couple so gung ho, not even an emergency C-section would stand in the way of their interview. (Of course, we decided another time would be better.) But in the end, it’s all about one important question…

Insanity abounds: customers losing their minds; how handling that is the measure of your business; how garnishing a martini with a cherry pepper becomes a cherry bomb; the hazards of hiring a coder in Romania; a surprise drop-in guest; and the interiors of recreational vehicles if you want to live the the life in Nomadland. These are the uncharted waters of this edition of Uncorked, which all begins with being fed up. And not necessarily for fun and profit. But hey, it’s all what you make it…

This starts with sourdough and a casual fuming about fatigue, and unravels into a surprising debate about why fear begets failure. And it all happens because of one simple sentence about one of the easiest things on the planet: making a sourdough starter. Someone says, “Scared, but inspired.” We talk about being creative, being afraid of not measuring up, winning huge awards, struggling through the night with billboard ideas, and how a great idea is often the result of pushing the execution the extra 10%. And surprise: no alcohol!

Simple fact: Most businesses fail. And if you pursue your startup the way we pursued our first business, it’s no surprise. So today’s message or mirth is minimalist and pithy: Don’t suffer the blind ignorance of uninformed arrogance. Learn what you think you know. Do the due diligence. And understand what the market expects. Are you suffering from the blindness of “How hard could it be?” Are you mistaking your friends for a focus group? Do you believe the research predicts success? You need this. Bonuses include drinking a 21-year old beer and (yes) arguing!

We are overwhelmed. How about you? In this episode, we share three practical tips for overcoming overwhelm. They all involve varying degrees of The F-Word: Focus! Yes, that might sound simple. And it is—if you understand what it really means and how to do it. We also talk about working as screenwriters, creative visualization in both Olympic sports and office tasks, and the boneheadedly simple solution to accomplishing one big-ass task. And we barely fight!

Is there a silver bullet for your business and/or your relationship? As Valentine’s Day passes by yet again, we face the challenges of how to make it all work. Here’s a hint: there’s no such thing as a tool that does the work for you. But people keep seeking them out. But, whether we’re talking about couples or commerce, the only way to make it work is to do the work. Buying tools is great, but tools don’t do the work for you. So, where do pizza and extramarital affairs fit in all this?

You have a reset button on your relationship, and you may not even know it. This is the episode where we bare all in sharing three simple tips to making bad times better. In an effort to avoid the impression that this show should be called the Argument Hour, we get down to the easy-out of interpersonal weirdness with regrouping, relating and resetting. In the process, we tell stories about mayhem with furniture assembly and not dying while at sea on small boats. Come for the tips, stay for the fun!

It all begins a grand advertising lie that “Nobody reads long copy,” and snowballs into getting all geeky on legendary marketing, and approaching copywriting and Tootsie Pops with a Zen koan. (Really? How did this happen? Insanity!) Bonus material includes: Volkswagen “Lemon,” a Rolls Royce at 80 miles an hour, and the “No blather!” directive. Come for the answer to the question: “How long should my ad copy be,” and stay for the ridiculousness. Alcohol was involved.

Do not shave the cat. It is a metaphor. No, it’s not dirty. It’s a mistake we’ve made ourselves, and it costs a lot of money. We’ve wasted the money, and it’s possible you have as well. It’s a metaphor about hiring someone who’s a specialist to do the specialized tasks you’re not good at. But…what does this have to do with shaving a cat? Honey and Blaine have a story that involves shaving a cat. There was no blood as far as you know. Join us for another tale from living the dream, and stick around for some valuable free stuff…

Yes, we are going to be insulting your marketing. Sorry in advance. This is an episode based on one of the worst marketing copy transgressions of our time: “Passion.” It’s a word that doesn’t belong anywhere near your copy. And this is something about which we are impassioned. (See what we did there?) We talk about how the word passion is used, and what is much, much stronger than that. Yes, it takes a little original thinking. But in the end, it’s totally worth it. Plus, MORE VALUABLE FREE STUFF!

Is insurrection making it hard to accomplish anything in your business? We get it. It’s difficult to run a business and make things happen when it seems like the capitol is burning. But times of high weirdness and constitutional crisis are understandably distracting. In this episode of CoupleCo Uncorked, we pretend to drink a fine wine from Napa while we offer Three Big Tips For Mentally Surviving The Latest Crisis—and two bonus tips we never considered. Oh, and we laugh.

Is it the skiing or the day drinking? People say they want to be us—which is a really bad idea. They see outward manifestations of some ideal, and want to jump right on our bandwagon. We’ve also heard other couplepreneurs say the same thing: people want to be them. Whether it’s having a business with a spouse, living in an RV, doing a podcast, living at a ski resort, day drinking, doing creative work together, no matter what it is: it’s not just about the fun stuff. See a photo of us skiing at 10am? You don’t see us working at 10pm. Instead of aspiring to someone else’s apparent lifestyle, aspire to your own. And here are Three Simple Things that go into being able to do what we do, which is this: living it on our own terms and the money be damned.

Yet again, we have been fighting with each other, so we’re uncorking a bottle of wine, and giving stuff away. This Uncorked edition offers valuable tips based on real-life examples. And there’s a FREE gift to kick up your marketing (and it’s worth 200 bucks--FREE). Yes, we’ve just been giving away the farm and it seems to keep happening. We discuss a common mistake small businesses make with their brand, what to do about it, and how to think about it in 2021. We talk about successful small brands you’ve never heard of, why their brands help them crush it, and the one simple ingredient that you can use, too.

This Christmas, CoupleCo has two gifts for you—one is an insanely simple piece of advice, and the other is worth 200 bucks. And yes, it’s a gift. Free. No strings, just a bow. This is CoupleCo Uncorked #3, the Christmas Eve Edition. We uncork a bottle of modest Italian wine, talk about the overcommitment problem some entrepreneurs face, use examples from clients of our own, and offer up what has been a very popular DIY course amongst our entrepreneur friends and clients. (Hint: it’s exactly what we do for our big-money clients in an easy-to-digest do-it-yourself package. And did we mention it’s free?) And yes, a few laughs and a ridiculous new business model.

Gambling for Hanukkah gelt, the neuroscience of decision making, copywriting and voiceover by Hal Riney—what do we NOT discuss in this new holiday edition of CoupleCo Uncorked? We have a few laughs, drink a little wine, and give away another valuable prize for the first couple of listeners to respond. And while we do this, we also manage to talk about advertising, branding, and other things vaguely related to working together. Come and laugh and drink along!

This episode is the product of conflict! One of us got annoyed, so we threw out the business topic we had planned on discussing. Instead, we are popping a cork, and talking about couples during COVID lockdown, Italian wine, Dolce & Gabbana, our “blockbuster” books, our secret relationships with celebrities, and hey--a free offer worth almost 200 bucks!

What happens when a CoupleCo splits up for separate projects? Or vanity projects? Is it possible that it’s still a couplepreneur venture, even though only one of them is getting all the glory? It works that way with us. Honey and Blaine abandon the regular CoupleCo format for a whole new chat about crushing it with Honey's new novel, Careful-ish. This is about buying the big lottery ticket, doing what seems like a vanity thing when it’s still a covert joint venture, and being supportive. Or…too supportive? What happens when one partner pushes the other out of the comfort zone in pursuit of fame and fortune through art? Well, fame and fortune can be a slow build…

We’re back with part 2 of Annmarie and Kevin Gianni of Annmarie Skincare. We are revisiting their 2018 interview because these two are brave and brazen entrepreneurs. They do things on their own terms with a 21st century skincare company that pivots and profits. And long before CoupleCo was on the road recording interviews, they were doing it in a different business venture. They also learned some life lessons of couplepreneurism that are unique to living and working out of a motorhome. They’re fun, funny, and you’ll love them as much as we do…

Welcome to the CoupleCo resentment episode. This is the one where we pretend to argue! But seriously, folks: How can you work with your significant other if you harbor resentments? We have no idea. We may not be a model couple, but we seem to have it nailed when it comes to cooperating with each, celebrating one another, and doing what it takes to make it all work for each other.

Want to start your own business together? These two left New York and Los Angeles behind, moved to the country, built a miniature empire, picked up national business, raised a family, and have avoided many of the stumbling blocks faced by a married couple in business together. Here in part two of our first CoupleCo convo, hard-charging A-types Robin and Jim Whitney of Whitney Advertising tell their story—including what it’s like running an all-consuming business while raising two kids...

They’ve built a little local empire of their own. They’ve picked up national business from a virtual cow town. In the middle of it all, they’ve raised a family. And in the process, they have vaulted over many of the hurdles faced by a married couple in business together. Would you consider moving your family and going into business with your spouse? It’s happening all over, so it seemed like a good time to revisit an important conversation. This the first-ever CoupleCo interview newly improved, and it is one of the most significant. Hard-charging A-types Robin & Jim Whitney of Whitney Advertising left the big city for rural living—and have lived to tel the story...

If you’re in business with your significant other, does your business need a prenup? That’s not the legal name for it, but it is a legal document that could save your business should something happen to one of you. And the time to start planning for it is when things are good. If you wait until things go bad, it could be too late. Join us as we speak with the LawyerHumans at the law firm Lay Roots, CoupleCo partners Shreya and Colin Ley. They can help save your bacon…

Lots of couples are starting businesses these days. If you are one of these couples, three mistakes are common. We know, because we’ve made them. Prof. Dan Horne, Associate Dean of Corporate Initiatives at Providence College sets us straight with good advice and a lifetime of insight. He grew up in a family that ran a business. He’s also a gifted researcher, analyst, and adviser. He lived the family entrepreneur dynamic firsthand—and has continued studying real-world CoupleCos during his career. He also has some highly salient advice for any CoupleCo anywhere. Professor Horne shares with us three important tips for any couple co that wants to avoid big trouble and possible ruin.

Is this the shortest and most potent episode of CoupleCo yet? We revisit an interview with Pennie & Roy Williams of Williams Marketing and Wizard Academy. Honey asks a question that leads Roy to wax poetic: calling on the landmark work of Spanish literature, "Don Quixote," Roy talks about the idealism and absurdity of commitment. Then, we talk about what it means to be a couple in business together--especially during the pandemic weirdness of COVID. Great things are going to happen... 

Back with our favorite expats living the dream, Anne Pound and Paul Speed of Mango Vacation Rentals in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. Last week, we talked about everything from the realities of living the dream of a high-value, low-overhead lifestyle to adapting to the rhythm of life in a place where nobody is ever on your timetable. We continue  by covering the craziest thing that has happened to them on the job in Nicaragua (Anne did wonder whether she was going to survive it), and an unusual CoupleCo survival tactic, which involves having a safe word.

This is an unfortunate first for Coupleco. The Pod Mill is a dynamic, aggressively optimistic podcast production studio in Salt Lake City. We sat down with CoupleCo Spencer Wright and Jill Hyde Wright last year. They were lovely, generous and open with their story. They'd risen to challenges that include their adopted, special-needs son, and Jill’s life with a transplanted heart. We’re sorry to report that half a year later, the world has lost Jill. Her obituary indicates her passing "was due to complications following a difficult yet successful surgery." In Jill's honor, we’re presenting highlights from our conversation together--a discussion that underscores the power of the love that can go into a CoupleCo. 

Back with Angie and Davor Rostuhar, the Croatians who used their year-long honeymoon to shoot a documentary about love around the world. In this episode, we’re going to look at the vital capacity for members of a CoupleCo to endure, forgive and forget. And when we asked about the craziest thing that’s ever happened to them in circling the globe, we got the challenges of an entire African nation. Davor and Angie have an interesting rule about fighting. There’s also an unusual discussion about empathy. And what are the benefits of surviving the intensity of working together? Or breaking up because of the job—and continuing to work together? And how can the best date night possibly involve arguing? This is one couple with a lot of miles and stories to share.

We are continuing our conversation with Vicky and Jim Fitlow of Re-Bath Utah and Re-Bath Colorado. This franchise CoupleCo is crushing it in bathroom remodel. It’s a choice they made not because they came for the construction trades, but as a business decision for the lifestyle it would provide. Vicky is a lawyer, and Jim was a ski racing coach. They were expanding the business, doing big things, and the recession hit—sending their big things into a tailspin. But, they went with the belief that they had become too big to fail, and they were obliged to move forward. As a result, they’ve flourished, unlike others who pulled in the oars and shortened sail. In this episode, we’re going to be talking about success, including an unusual definition of the word. And as a business owner, what about leaving town and making yourself unreachable? Is that fabulous—or dangerous? And the biggest question of all: Will they win the Ginsu knife?

This is a tale of two very different people, in a very different place, grappling with some very different challenges and overcoming enormous odds. He was a ski racer and ski coach. She’s a lawyer. Vicky and Jim Fitlow do not come from construction. Having a construction franchise was a quality-of-life decision. And the operation has become huge. They own and operate Re-Bath Utah and Re-Bath Colorado. And yes, this our second CoupleCo convo with a Re-Bath franchisee—but this one is very different. We discuss how they weathered the economic downturn by being “too big to fail.” There are keen insights on what happens when you’re going big—and the economy decides it’s going big in the other direction. And yes, Ultimate Frisbee plays a part...

Branding. Do you *REALLY* know what it is? Blaine & Honey Parker's definition will simultaneously blow your mind, and bring you a level of clarity usually reserved for Monks on mountaintops. In this episode, we talk about: - What branding really is- What company they believe does branding extremely well- Why focus is possibly the most important thing for your brand...and a lot more.Blaine and Honey Parker are the founders and owners of Slow Burn Marketing, and CoupleCo, their podcast which they operate from Park City, Utah.https://www.MarketAnything.co

Hit movies, TV series and bestselling novels: meet Hollywood creative power couple, Cathryn Michon and W. Bruce Cameron. They’re best known as screenwriters for the Dog’s Purpose film franchise. The first film, A Dog’s Purpose, starring Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid and Peggy Lipton, broke $200 million at the box office on a reported budget of $22 million. Cathryn is a writer/actor/director, known for her independent comedy films, Muffin Top and Cook Off, and the Grrrl Genius books. Bruce’s bestseller, 8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter, became an ABC sitcom. At this writing, Bruce is touring to promote the third in the Dog’s Purpose novel series, A Dog’s Promise. All these separate projects. Isn’t this supposed to be about couples working together? Yes it is. And these two are dynamic business and creative partners. Everything that goes out the door, they've both worked on. She edits his books. He works on her movies. They’re funny, and share a potent creative and business dynamic. They also have a useful decision making structure that every CoupleCo should consider. And, that they’re both dog people is important. Without dogs, and without Bruce spontaneously telling Cathryn a story that eventually became a New York Times bestseller, we might not be here today. (And a lot of Hollywood dogs would be out of work.)

Today, we are talking to a pair of publicans. We are in downtown Salt Lake with Michael Eccleston and Katy Willis of Quarters Arcade Bar. This is not about that place where everybody knows your name. If you ever thought about owning a bar, this is the story that might scare you away. We’re talking about everything from the kind of investor relationships that should make you very afraid, to the power of persistence that demonstrates how overnight success is years in the making. This is also our unofficial, talking each other off the ledge episode. We’re going to be examining the power of a solid brand and purposeful, intentional brand marketing. We’ll talk about the things you don’t ever want an investor to see. And this is the first CoupleCo convo that features a Zoltar machine.

This episode is unusual. Some might argue that these two are not really a CoupleCo. Paul and Laura Whitmore work together in a category with a ragingly high divorce rate: married clergy. The Reverends Whitmore are ministers who run a congregational church in Southport, Connecticut. We’ve interviewed all kinds of people from all kinds of faiths, from faithful evangelicals, to fallen Mormons who follow the Jedi, to atheists who converted to Judaism, to everyday agnostics. Here, it doesn’t matter who or what you believe, as long you are a couple committed to your mission and each other. This is a story about having faith in building something big. What Paul and Laura have done requires entrepreneurial sensibility, intense cooperation, and shared vision. They’ve been building their church since the 1990s. In that time, they’ve roughly quadrupled the congregation and tripled the annual budget. This from two people who swore they would never work together. Not unusual enough? Wait for Paul’s assertion that spirituality and marketing go hand in hand. This is a conversation with parallels and even allegories for all couples in business together.

We are back in suburban Chicago with Jon and Beth Van Dyke of Modern Re-Bath in Lake Villa. ReBath is a national franchise operation specializing in quick and easy bathroom remodels. In this episode, we discuss some interesting challenges. What if you’re a CoupleCo—who is essentially taking over a family business from the original CoupleCo? We’ll be talking more about the value of acting with purpose and intent—which plays into different communication styles, and how it’s a challenge when you don’t act with purpose and intent to understand those differences. And why on earth would you have a regular Monday-night date night? (This might be useful if you have a business where Mondays are a challenge. ) And, a bonus: At the end of the episode, a few good laughs with the first-ever multi-generational CoupleCo surprise guests.

We are in suburban Chicago, talking construction. Beth and Jon Van Dyke are crushing it with Re-Bath, the national franchise that specializes in quick and easy bathroom remodels. One reason these two are on this show is they‘re dedicated listeners. They were thrilled to find a resource for couplepreneurs. They’re also big fans (like us) of being purposeful and intentional. So, should you seek counsel about whether you’re doing the right thing for your relationship and business? What if deciding to not bring work home with you can get ugly? What happens when you each manage different departments that often conflict? Or, what if the economy goes off the rails and one of you has to be laid off? Plus, this began as a family business. What happens when you’re the interloper?

Thieving employees, digital Cyrano, and a huge lesson on disagreement: We’re in Miami for a conversation with a multi-unit retail CoupleCo. Dan Hitchcock and Ceci Rodriguez-Hitchcock of Miami Home Centers own four True Value hardware stores. These two are in business together almost by accident. Really, this story has several happy accidents, including how they met. And when Ceci came into Dan’s business, she was known by a sinister name. Dan sat back and waited on the outcome, which tough, as it’s not how he normally operates. And Ceci learned an important lesson from Dan—which she wants to share with all couples.

We are back with Jill & Spencer Wright of The Pod Mill in Salt Lake City. These two developed a thriving podcast studio and network after Spencer’s business partner ended up in trouble with the law. They admit that don’t know if they could have done this a few years ago. Do you let challenges make you or break you? It helps to be working in a business that can be fun. Still, this business is not all hats and horns. Jill lives with a transplanted heart, and in some ways this is a mission in their work. You have to understand what’s important to each other, and be supportive. It’s also important to be able to say, “No, that’s a bad idea.” But what if the other person isn’t necessarily right about that? They also have some interesting marketing insight for any CoupleCo in the podcasting age.

We’re back with a listener favorite: Clinical psychologist Dr. Rachna Jain of InLoveAndBiz.com. Our conversations with her are among the most popular on CoupleCo. Today, she’s talking about one of our favorite subjects because it is such a motivator—but not always in the right way. Hello, FEAR. For a couple in business together, fear can run amok. It can prevent you from starting a business together. It can prevent you from taking necessary risks. But did you know that fear is informative? How do you tell the difference between basic nerves and real dread? Want to learn how deal with fear and get past it—or understand it and come to an agreement? And where does improv comedy fit in all this?

Today's special guests, Blaine and Honey Parker, talk about the journey that led them to founding CoupleCo, a podcast that explores the dynamic between couples who've formed a successful business partnership. Successful screenwriters and advertisers themselves, the Parkers knew that there was a marketable magic found in the stories and challenges that come with working in business with your partner. Join us as A Server's Journey dives deep into the do's and don'ts of working with a spouse.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/aserversjourney?fan_landing=true)

We’re traveling to cow country in the greater Park City, Utah area to meet our first-ever manufacturing CoupleCo, Chris and Jen Hudak of Escapod Trailers. If you’re a skier or a fan of The Amazing Race, and “Jen Hudak” sounds familiar, that’s because she is that Jen Hudak: the multiple-medal-winning freestyle skier in halfpipe who took part in Amazing Race season 30 in 2018. If you follow mixed-martial arts, you might know her husband by his former name, Chris Moore. He has competed in mixed martial arts internationally, which qualified him for an equally dangerous task in turning around underperforming restaurants. Do not mess with these people. They are lovely—lovely and dangerous. They’re also a complete delight. Presently, they own a travel trailer business that started as a side hustle, and now produces a compact, rugged camper that is an object of desire in the mountain biking subculture. It’s a really good trailer and it’s affordable. We’re going to hear how this side hustle happened, and how they’ve made it work. They have serious business objectives that are less about building an empire and more about building a lifestyle. We’re also going to hear about the salad days and the all-nighters—and how they maintain a high level of cooperation amid potential conflict.

We are back in Calistoga, continuing our conversation with Shane and Suzanne of Phifer Pavitt Wine. These two are an uber couple. Serious business chops, a deep dedication to business and family, and some important insights for anyone looking to go CoupleCo. If you’re looking to go into business with a spouse, their advice is short, sweet and serious. Join us as we talk couples in business with the purveyors of world-famous Date Night wines.

This Calistoga couple is an inspiration for any CoupleCo—or anyone in the corporate world who thinks, Hey, maybe I should start a winery. Or both. We’re talking with the purveyors of world-famous Date Night wines, Shane Pavitt and Suzanne Phifer-Pavitt of Phifer Pavitt Wine. They are a solid pairing, coming to Napa with serious business chops and a love of libations. Additionally, Suzanne is a motivational business woman. She likes being out front and leading the charge. She also enjoys mentoring women trying to make it in the wine business—something that she found nonexistent when working in high-tech. As Phifer Pavitt’s CFO, Shane had to learn to come to grips with the idea of pouring capital into a business without having a product to sell for years. He was also influential in one of the brand’s most important marketing decisions, proving you never know where the brand thinking is going to come from.

Does goal setting ever really work? Yes. But you have to do it correctly. Today, we’re sitting down with CoupleCo’s most popular guest, clinical psychologist Dr. Rachna Jain. We talk about a potent and powerful tool for couples in business together who are looking to set—and reach—their goals. It happens through The Power Of One. It’s a surprisingly simple process with five steps, but it takes cooperation, communication and candor. And the results can be worth it. Fail to follow these simple steps, and you’re in for a much more challenging, uphill slog. Want success? Listen in with the original couples-in-business psychologist.

We are returning to Napa to continue our conversation with Smokin’ Mary herself and her husband, Smokin’ Marc. Marc and Laurie Nadeau are the original road warriors of craft cocktail mixers—which leads to some really crazy stories about doing festivals and food shows together. We also get to hear some tips for surviving and thriving as a CoupleCo. And it’s especially piercing and meaningful, since it comes from a couple who spends half their life together living and working out of a camper.

CoupleCo has talked to couples running what seem like romantic businesses: Wineries, breweries, food, photography, etc. Today, we’re looking at a couple running a tech business that might seem a little less romantic—but it’s the kind of business that is incredibly necessary and, in the digital age, pretty lucrative. It’s people like Elden and Amy who keep the world humming along at the speed of digital. Theirs is a story that answers an age-old question: What happens when you move into a new house with your wife and two toddlers, you have a couple of mortgages, and you suddenly lose your job? This is a story about having the courage to take the leap, including the courage that requires asking your wife to join you in a business that isn’t her dream. But then what happens when it becomes her baby? Or you decide to become a woman-owned business—only to find out that it just means a runaround without any actual benefit? And, we’re going to get some insanely simple advice for handling those occasional interpersonal, interspousal annoyances that pop up on the job.

Is your business making these three big mistakes? We talk with Prof. Dan Horne, Associate Dean of the Providence College School of Business. The man is a gifted researcher, analyst, and adviser. And when he was a kid, his parents ran a CoupleCo. Professor Horne worked in the business mom and dad started—driving a diaper truck, among other things. By the time he got there, Mom had left the business. But Prof. Horne lived the family entrepreneur dynamic firsthand—and has continued studying real-world CoupleCos during his career. He also has some highly salient advice for any CoupleCo anywhere. Professor Horne shares with us three important tips for any couple co that wants to avoid big trouble and possible ruin.

In this episode, we are back with the fighter pilot and the schoolteacher. Murray and Felicity Gardner of the Gardner Group in Park City, Utah, like to get in the middle of other people’s home construction projects. Murray is the project leader, and Felicity is the interior designer. Together, they help keep their clients custom home projects on task, on time, and on budget. They’ve also worked with another CoupleCo, Whitney Advertising, interviewed in our first two episodes. And the Whitneys gave them the tagline that embodies the essence of their business: Better experience. Better result. Better value. This for people building big homes for big money, and facing potentially big challenges.

As we continued our Napa tour as part of the CoupleCo interviews, The Fabulous Honey Parker and I came across an interesting and dynamic couple who operate a brewery. And they produce extraordinary brews that you may never get to taste. And that's OK. It's your loss, yes. But their scarcity is one of the keys to their success as a brand...