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Business Couples Secret Sauce

Author: Marcus Nicholls and Ariel Endean

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Join Marcus and Ariel as they interview successful Business Couples to find out how they have negotiated the balance of being working and life partners while making their business a success and their relationship stronger. Couples share their highs, lows, and tips, tricks and ideas on how they have achieved this. It's fun, informal, and essential listening if you are or plan to be a couple in business.
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Shifting from running a number of very successful Caltex Petrol Station franchises to a Signarama franchise was always going to be a big shift especially given neither Melissa nor Gary Marshall had any experience in the signage/printing field. Fast forward five years and they are winning awards and leading the field in many areas. Have a listen to find out how this entrepreneurial duo has achieved so much success in such a small amount of time.  Learn More:Website - https://signarama.com.au/store/tuggerahLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-marshall-649b8a187/FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/signaramaaus Some Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 The one thing we've tried to instill in everyone in the business is that we need to be positive. #2When you are a husband and wife team running a business, there are things that might be becoming overwhelming for you that you can discuss with your partner that you couldn't talk about with staff members.  #3Differentiate yourself with professionalism, speed to market and the quality of your work.   #4Keep honing your skills & don’t miss an opportunity to study, learn, grow. #5Make sure your weekends are yours and take time to have your own hobbies. You've got to find that time either after work or on weekends to have your own time to do what you like otherwise you’ll burn out.
Magic happened when Nicola & Alexandra Coccia, a talented Chef & Sommelier respectively walked away from fine dining to return to their Italian & French roots. In their restaurant Osteria Il Coccia they embrace quality produce cooked over wood in a charcoal oven and match it with wine sourced from winemakers, focused on a smaller production, organic, biodynamic & respecting the earth. The result is simple, high-quality, delicious food. But getting here was not easy. Discover how Nicola & Alexandra overcame some pretty big business and relationship hurdles to create a successful restaurant that’s in sync with who they are. There’s lots of wisdom here so pour a glass of wine and settle in for a great listen. Learn More:Website - https://osteriailcoccia.com.auInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/osteriailcoccia/FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/osteriailcoccia/Some Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 - Everyone can fall down but not everyone are good to stand back up. #2 - Everything that we do in life has happened in one month. Every decision is always very fast. We don't think too much. We just decide and go flat out. We like the challenge. We both like that. Like the constant change. #3 - Our staff is our family.  #4 - As a business couple, you are always together. Not like enjoying your time off together relaxing but at least you are together. BioNicola’s passion for cooking stems from his fond memories of his grandmother rolling fresh sheets of pasta in her kitchen. This is where he learnt to handle every ingredient with passion, respect and love.Alexandra pays homage to her two favourite regions, Beaujolais in The Rhone Valley where she grew up and the South West of France where her mother lives. She invests her time looking at new generation winemakers, focusing on smaller production, organic, biodynamic & respecting the earth. Chef Nico grew up in Naples and found a love for cooking with his hands as he watched his grandmother roll sheets of pasta in her kitchen.Nico’s respect for each ingredient and the way it’s prepared shines at Osteria il Coccia where every ingredient is fresh, sustainable and organic (where possible). Nico’s philosophy is that food needs little intervention, just a little love and a little heat (fire). Nico is one of the only chefs in Australia to have a kitchen built around fire.Nico trained in Italy before working in El Bulli, New Zealand and Sydney – and now luckily for the central coast –resided on Ettalong Beach. He has previously worked at Otto, Quay, Fratelli & Ormeggio before moving to Bowral where he worked at Biota. Nico and his wife Alexandra received 1 hat at their previous restaurant Bistro Officina in Bowral.Alexandra is French Italian and is responsible for the eclectic wine list at Osteria il Coccia. Alexandra is strict when selecting the wines available at the restaurant and her ethos is to showcase regions she loves, share her knowledge and encourage guests to drink something totally different. The wine list boasts drops from Nico’s home of Naples & Puglia, wines from her parents region where she grew up & Beaujolais where she spent many years harvesting with friends.
Taking a small garden maintenance business and turning it into an Industry award-winning landscape & design company is no small feat. Find out how Colin & Lisette of Costata Landscape & Design managed to do this whilst simultaneously growing their loving relationship. Hint - It involved some hard days and robust fights, but as they say “Great things are worth fighting for…..and about". Have a listen to pick up some awesome Business Couple Secret Sauce. Learn More:Website - https://www.costata.com.auInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/costata_landscape_design/Some Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 At some point, you have to start really thinking about what jobs and clients you want to take on and which ones you don't. It has to be a good match if you are going to work together. #2Surround yourself with good people all throughout your business structure. And find a good supportive business community.   #3As a business couple, we have very different personalities. And we work differently as well. However, our skills complement each other, which is why it works so well. It's always been this way.  #4If you're working together as a couple in business, challenging times are going to happen where you are stressed and fighting. But don't let it pull the rug out from under your feet. In the first year or so you might be thinking “This isn’t working. This shouldn't be happening”. But it's all part of the process as you grow your business and your relationship. #5Celebrate your milestone in the business: winning an award, completing a project, getting a fabulous new client.#6Use people outside the business to supplement the skills you don't have. We have used a business advisor, a financial advisor, we have an accountant. Whenever it’s needed we use professionals to help our business. Don't try and do it all yourself.#7Hug every day. BioOur business partnership has been in existence for 30 years and we have been partners in life for 38 years.We currently work together within our landscape design and management business, Costata Landscape Design, Colin as a landscape designer and myself as a building designer. We also project manage the installation of our projects which are mostly on the NSW Central Coast.Our office is in our house and that is one manifestation of our life/work approach. We have built this business around our skills and our love of design and construction whilst living as ourselves, in our own surroundings. Whilst this could sound idyllic, it has not always been a clear and easy process to shape this business around our somewhat different personalities.We are proud of where we are now in our work and our personal achievements
What do you do with an empty cool room left from a previous business? Start a mushroom business of course. That’s what Kim and Christine Margin did and worked out how to grow mushrooms along the way. Have a listen for some great Secret Sauce pointers on Love, Business and Mushrooms.Learn More:Website - https://marginsmushrooms.com.auFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/Marginsmushrooms/Some Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 For romance, we plan special meals once a week. We cook something fantastic and enjoy it with a glass of wine. It's nice eating together. Food is love. We put on the wood-fired oven and sit down in front of it and hold hands while listening to music. #2As a family, it’s good to have two to three proper business meetings a year to discuss problems, brainstorm ideas and map out your goals. We’d all vote on new ideas which meant everyone felt like we were moving forward together.  #3Our first selling model didn’t work so we changed it.Originally we sold our mushrooms to wholesalers and they wanted a cheap price, mushrooms that were all the same size and expected us to pick twice a day. We were exhausted and not happy so decided to change our approach and sell direct to customers via Farmer’s markets. We liked to engage with our customers and did a great job of it.From that moment on it made a big difference to both our happiness and the success of the business.#4Communication is a big part of business couple success. We make lists of things we want to achieve together. Otherwise, you’ll just amble along doing the same thing. If you're driven to change, you've actually got to do it. Figure out, how you’re going to change, and then do it. If we think something has got to be done, we don't put it off. We just do it. BioMargin’s Mushrooms is a farmer-owned family business. We grow three types of mushrooms: White Mushrooms, Swiss Browns and Oyster Mushrooms.We sell direct to the public from our farm and at Farmer’s markets from Sydney to Newcastle including Gosford Farmers Markets.Margin’s Mushrooms started off as a bit of an experiment to see if a cool room from our old ice cream factory would be suitable for us to grow mushrooms.We put in the effort had some successes and failures and great support from the industry and Neal Marland.In June 2011 we expanded our operation into the old Woy Woy Abattoirs which had been closed and unused for 7-8 years.The whole family jumped in and helped with the setup. My wife Christine finished her work, managing a coffee shop, and joined the business full time, My eldest son Charlie held his part-time job but worked full time on the mushroom farm. Our youngest son George who was doing his final year at school helped out whenever he could.We had a team going for a couple of months. Fred Nichols the owner of the abattoirs pitched in and helped every day, My mother made lunches for everyone and my father helped me all day every day for months while we recycled the cool rooms into our mushroom farm.We produced our first crop in 2011 rolling out room 2 about a month later. After a few more months we commissioned room 3 and about  2 years later we commissioned Room 4.Along the way we have continued to tune up our mushroom growing skills. We have a collaborative approach to this where we discuss our growing decision so we all benefit from the experience.
How did a traveling Aussie and a beautiful Guatemalan woman meet, fall in love & start a successful skincare company that only sells 100% natural handmade products? Listen in to find the answer and also discover how to grow a business ethically! Toby & Rosie definitely have some great Business Couple Secret Sauce to share so grab a cuppa and have a listen. SPECIAL OFFER: 10% Off all Toby & Rosie products. Just use the code naturalme18 at the checkout. Learn More:Website - https://www.tobyandrosie.com.au/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TobyandRosie/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tobyandrosie.com.au/ Some Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 If you're meant to be doing something, doors will open up as long as you put the work in.#2Knowing that we've changed someone's life for the better. Helped them heal something that’s bothered them every day for years is so rewarding. It's incredible. It’s what feeds that spirit or energy in us to keep creating and keep going with helping people.  #3When we get stuck. I say NO/STOP, we need to find help. Get out of your comfort zone, remove your ego, and go out and find someone who can coach you and help you to break through because otherwise, you won't last. #4Word of mouth can only take you so far. BioOur natural skincare & soaps reflect the passion we have for a healthy, ethical and sustainable lifestyle. We’re based in Lake Macquarie NSW, Australia and we personally handcraft all of our products usingonly the purest, freshest and healthiest ingredients possible. Our story began in 2009 in Guatemala, when a girl named Rosie, whilst studying at University, went to a party on the beach. Toby, an Australian traveling through Central and South America saw Rosie and it was love at first sight. We dated and spent the next few months building our love together until Toby picked Rosie up in a canoe on the beautiful Lake Peten on New Year’s Eve and proposed. We came back to Australia together and in 2011, we got married in a beautiful ceremony in Byron Bay. Eventually, our love of nature and the environment got us making our own natural products, just for ourselves but the more we learned about how bad most skincare was the more motivated we became to share our ideas and creations with friends and family.​ Whilst researching how to be as healthy as possible, we found that so much attention gets placed on what to eat, but not on what you put on your skin. When you consider that what you put on your skin ends up in your body, it’s just as important, maybe more so because, with skincare, you’re basically digesting chemicals and poison.
Marcus & Ariel - Business Couples Secret Sauce - We were lucky enough to be invited by Brendan Rogers to be guests on his “The Culture Of Things” podcast program. https://brendanrogers.com.au/podcast/It was a great experience but did feel a little weird having the table turned and being interviewed instead of the usual deal of us asking the questions.  Hope you enjoy listening and getting to know a little bit more about us and our story. SPECIAL OFFER - Mention this podcast & one of Brendans top 3 takeaways from below and we'll give you 25% any of our coaching programs.Learn More:Website  https://businesscouplessuccess.com/Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/BusinessCouplesSuccess/LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-couples-successInstagram  https://www.instagram.com/businesscouplessuccess/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkpE2RDxeHzaVAOLY8w-hZgBrendan Rogers top 3 Take-Aways:#1 Leaders get everyone on the same page.#2Complimentary skill sets are a foundation of success. As a business couple it is very important that each of you understand your strengths and weaknesses. Play to your strengths and ensure there is absolute clarity about the responsibilities of each partner.  Get clear on this and take action. #3Celebrate the wins. Taking time to do this is important.Business is a grind. If you don’t stop to reflect on what you’ve achieved the grind can become more and more daunting. Bio DescriptionMarcus Nicholls & Ariel Endean are Business Coaches & Consultants, Speakers, Authors, and occasional relationship rescuers. They have been in Business & a relationship for a quarter of a century. During that time they have bought, built, managed & sold a seven-figure business without it costing them their relationship. Business Couples Success was born from those years where at times they struggled and could have really benefited from a strong supportive community of like-minded entrepreneurial Business Couples.They work directly with Business Couples to maximize their profits, improve their systems, and strengthen communication throughout their business and relationship. They also run a Podcast called “Business Couples Secret Sauce” where they interview successful Business Couples to get their tips, tricks, and stories and how they have built a successful business without destroying their relationship. Their goal is to help Business Couples get the same level of Wealth, Health & Happiness into their lives that they have. They believe that gaining knowledge and implementing what you learn is key to any Business Couples Success which is why they call themselves learners of life. Courses, books, podcasts, events, conferences, business network groups are all part of what helps them be a happier more successful business couple which in turn helps the clients they work with.  Their motto “Stronger Together” means you achieve more with the person you love most right by your side in Business and life. 
What happens when you work together 24/7, share the same values, and understand the difference between Business time and family time? You get great business couple success. That’s what Bruce and Freya have done for 30 plus years. Tune in for inspiration on how they've done it! Learn More:Website  https://www.bibnbrace.com.au/Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/BibnBrace/LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-cottrill-b355ba60Instagram   https://www.instagram.com/bibnbracecentralcoast/Some Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 When we're in the business channel, we talk about business. When we’re in the Family Channel, we try very hard not to talk about business. If we're at home and we talk about business, we realise we’re taking time out of family time so we make sure it's focused time to do it. You need to be disciplined about being on the right channel at the right time.#2Good communication takes place when you pick the right time. A time when you're both not exhausted, and you are able to sit down and talk about things.  #3It’s important to know exactly how much money you've got, how much you owe, and how much is coming in. You must have a handle on that if you want to run a successful business. 
DescriptionThey say in business, you need to constantly evolve to survive. Well, boy is this the case with Coachwood Nursery that has been adapting and pioneering in the plant business for 50 years. Listen in to hear how Ruth & Peter have achieved ongoing success in both love and their retail nursery/dried flower emporium through good times and bad.SPECIAL OFFER! Mention the word “Podcast” and receive a discount on any of their upcoming workshop days!Learn More:Website   Facebook  LinkedIn Instagram Some Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 You have to be prepared to think outside the normal box. You have to be prepared to consider all possibilities and options to change your business if it's not working.  We've had to do that to survive.  #2You don't want to come home at the end of the day's work and just talk about the business because you really do need to have some space and get away from it. It's important to have other outlets, apart from the business so you can get a break from work and each other. It’s very important to have separate interests as well. #3We’re always looking for ways of doing things better. And we've always been experimental even now.  Always improving and rising to the challenge. We rarely do the same thing twice in a row. Bio & HistoryCoachwood Nursery was registered with the Department of Agriculture in the 1970's and then expanded when Ruth married Peter in 1979. Peter completed his training in Horticulture at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College and Ruth at the Ryde Horticultural College. Ruth managed an Indoor Plant Shop at Wamberal while building a wholesale nursery at Matcham. Peter worked at a retail nursery at Erina Heights, then joined Ruth at Coachwood Nursery. They also initiated and built a new retail garden Centre at Foresters Beach, which they sold after two years to focus on their wholesale nursery at Matcham. They moved the nursery to a larger site at Somersby in the 1990's. For decades they exhibited at Garden Show around Australia and are now open to the public each month at special Open Days and hold regular onsite workshops and at other businesses on the Central Coast. They are passionate gardeners. Peter's main focus is edible plants and Ruth's is ornamental. Both both love all types of plants.
Mr & Mrs Claus

Mr & Mrs Claus

2020-12-2740:25

Mr & Mrs Claus - Santa - Business Christmas Presents and Delivery.DescriptionImagine designing, making and delivering a Billion Christmas presents every single year. That’s what business couple Mr & Mrs Clause AKA Santa & his wife have been doing for as long as anyone can remember! We can only imagine the stress of that deadline. Listen in to find out where they get their inspiration from, how they keep the romance alive, and what they give each other for Christmas. Learn More:Facebook Santa TrackerInstagramSome Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 If you’re lucky enough to get a good elf (staff member) I'm telling you now. Just stick with them. Give them whatever they want. #2You can't go past an ice bath for physical recovery, especially after a big night of delivering presents. It’s the best recovery tool yet.  #3The crisp air of the North Pole is fantastic for a ruddy complexion and turmeric lattes will sort out any cold-weather arthritis problems.
For this episode we thought it would be fun to share a little bit of our story in getting "Business Couples Secret Sauce" up and running and where we are looking to take it moving forwards.  Keeping in mind we've been a business couple for a long time now but starting a podcast is a new direction for us. We haven't started one before. So we thought it'd be cool to share our story on how that's going. We'll be checking in every quarter to share the learnings that we've had along the way. Enjoy!Our Why - why did we start Business Couples Secret Sauce?We love learning.  We're lifelong learners. We love going to business seminars and reading books and listening to podcasts on relationships and business. What we discovered though was that there was a lot of content for businesses individually and relationships individually but not much on people being in business with their other half and what the unique advantages and challenges are of being a business couple.We wanted to meet a lot more business couples and get the low down on how to be a successful business couple. So we thought the best way would be to go and interview them and share their story and wisdom through a weekly podcast. We wanted to learn about the challenges they are having, and what tips and tricks that they might have, that we can take into our relationship and into our business. We thought how cool would it have been if we had this ourselves 25 years ago. To listen to business couples sharing how they're doing it. It's our gift to business couples.  It's our way of putting in and giving back.
Making a complete career change can be a tricky process but ultimately fulfilling if it's switching to something your passionate about. That’s what Daniele & Orly did when they studied for their Chef and Bakery certificates and started sharing their delicious Sicilian street food. Firstly at local Markets and then through opening their own shop/bakery “Sasa Sicilian Artisan Bakery”. Have a listen to find out how they did it!Learn More:FacebookInstagramSome Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 Selling at the markets gives you a little more freedom because you don't have to pay your own rent each week and only go when you want. So if you want to go on holiday for two months, you can. But I believe if you have a product that is a good one,  a shop is best as it allows you to be more in control of what you do.#2There's a reason why normally in kitchens, there is one head chef. There was a time when we had to decide who’s the head chef and who’s in charge of the front of house. We had to choose our different roles. It was a very healthy decision for us at the time. That's when our business and relationship changed for the better. Because before that it was pretty tough. #3It’s wise to be quick to change things like processes, or products. When things weren't working and a product or process was taking too much of our time or energy we had to stop making it or adjust the process and move on. 
Tune in to discover how Michael & Gail built a thriving building and interiors business whilst sticking to their core values of Integrity, service, quality, communication, sustainability, team and Innovation. There are some great learnings here of how to play to your strengths as a business couple and keep an eye on the big picture. Grab a cuppa and enjoy!Learn More:WebsiteFacebookLinkedInInstagramSome Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1 When going into a business as a couple make sure you have the skills in what you're doing. Make sure that at least one person has the specific skills needed and is really passionate about what they're doing? Because everything else will kind of fall into place#2When it gets overwhelming remember to take a breather, take a breath and remember your goals and what you're doing it all for. And don't expect to get it right all the time. #3You can’t make all your decisions together as a business couple. You have to figure out who’s going to take the responsibility for a particular project. You can’t have 100% joint decisions on everything. The person with the better insight into the situation is the decision-maker to go with.  You have to trust each other when one or the other gets a good feeling or a bad feeling about something.  
DescriptionWhat do you do when you’ve got a great business running under management? If your Maurie & Cathay Dobbin you start another business of course. One that introduces EMS fitness technology to Australians looking to regain their health & happiness. And the best bit: You get twice as fit in half the time. Even Rodger Federer uses it! But that’s not all you’ll find out. Hit the play button and get ready for some great advice on how to be a super successful business couple. SPECIAL OFFER! Mention this episode to Maurie, Cathy, or one of the Fastrak team and receive a FREE Fastrak Fitness Session!Learn More:WebsiteFacebookLinkedInInstagramSome Secret Sauce highlights from this episode:#1Your health is one of the most important things you need to worry about. I plan to live to 100 and so should you!#2You need to listen to the other person if they have issues. With the business, you need to take note and not just ignore them. I think that it's really important if one person has got issues, the other partner really needs to listen. Because it's a joint business. You're a team. You can't just make decisions on your own. #3If I can emphasise one thing in a business relationship, and it applies to a personal relationship too, it's communication. Being transparent, being open, being honest, not hiding anything.  Being upfront. Unless you've got a very strong relationship, going into business together, is inevitably going to cause problems. It is a very testing time for any couple to get involved in business together. You need to consider that very carefully.Bio & HistoryMaurie and Cathy Dobbin founded Fastrak Fitness in August 2020. We both have a life-long commitment to good health and when we learned about the benefits of EMS we decided to bring it to the Central Coast. Maurie is an entrepreneur who has founded a number of companies with a focus on leading-edge technologies. His biography has been published in Volume 2 of Unsung Business Heroes https://unsungbusinessheroes.com.au/maurie-dobbin/. He has also played field hockey for over fifty years and still plays today in the Newcastle Masters competition. During his hockey career, he has played in teams that have won Gold Medals in the European and World Masters Hockey Championships. Cathy was a registered nurse for over forty years of specialising in ICU and midwifery. She founded and managed a nursing agency that employed over 200 nurses serving public and private hospitals throughout Sydney. She has many other interests including healthy cooking. There are over five thousand EMS studios around the world but only a handful in Australia. After researching the technology and visiting studios overseas we decided to partner with XBody a world-leading EMS brand. The XBody suits are wireless unlike some other EMS technologies allowing our clients freedom of movement when undertaking exercises. Our studio is located in the Life. Style building in Erina within what was once a squash court. We have refurbished it with the vibrant colours associated with the XBody brand and equipped it with the latest EMS technology. Within the studio, we can train up to three clients simultaneously or work individually with a client that has special needs.
How do you move from being co-workers to great friends to a business couple that helps Multi-million and Billion dollar organisations get their internal language aligned. Have a listen to Mark & Terry as they share their story on achieving just that whilst moving halfway across the world to set up in Sydney Australia. Please enjoy!Learn More:Intraversed WebsiteFacebookLinkedIn  Some highlights from this episode:It’s crucial that everyone within an organisation be on the same page using the same language otherwise it’s a case of “What you think I said is not what I think you heard”We’ve evolved through time. We started as a professional services company which required us to be on-site delivering our training. We realised this was not sustainable or scalable and thought: How can we change/productise what we do so we can step away from the business at some point. It’s a work in progress that’s going well.  TerryCovid has helped us. We were already transitioning our education to be more online but up until that point we were still expected to travel to the client’s site. We’d be in  Melbourne one week and Brisbane the next. Now everything revolves around zoom meetings which is saving us an awful lot of time and money and lets us be more cost-effective for our clients. And we can take care of more clients at the one time. MarkBetween us, I tend to be a little bit too big picture and Terry digs really deep into the detail (which is important) and somewhere we seem to meet in the middle which works. As a working couple, it’s really important to understand this. Mark The best thing about being a business couple is also the worst thing. Quite often we are talking or thinking about the business, even in our spare time. But we’re also able to take a bottle of wine out to the deck and sit in the sunshine and have a pleasant time talking about a problem in the business. Mark & TerryIt’s difficult competing against big companies spreading ill-advised solutions. One way we’ve done this is by enrolling in DENT/KPI (an entrepreneurial program). That’s been a game-changer for us. It helped us realise that we can tackle this problem by putting together assets (blogs/brochures etc) to educate our market. Any problem can be solved over a glass of wine. MarkSecret Sauce: RESPECT!  MarkTo escape and have some individual time. I play music and Terry reads books and watches movies and has art projects. This works well. We’re not co-dependent. It’s important as a couple to have individual time. MarkThere is a separation between business and personal life. That’s important. If in your personal relationship you can’t tackle a problem together without bringing emotion into it, if you can’t do that and work something through to get a solution you’re not going to be able to do it in your business life. TerryYou need to be able to be transparent, feel free to speak your mind, not be concerned that you’re going to hurt someone’s feelings and be able to take your partner’s point of view on board. Be professional about it. You’ve got to feel free to challenge. A robust business couple team needs to be able to have arguments, open debates and disagreements in their workplace and then leave it behind once that conversation is over and you’re on your own time. TerryStarting a business is like starting a fire. You’ve got to get one going really well before you start another one. Stoke that one fire. Mark
With five years in small business together, Iain and Stacey have developed their own secret sauce that makes it work seamlessly - all in pursuit of the most inspiring 'big picture' goal. We think you'll really enjoy this episode!Learn More:Bridge Mowers & Chainsaws WebsiteFacebookSome highlights from this episode:"I don’t think there’s a ‘worst thing’ about being a business couple. When I’ve had a bad day, he knows what I’m going through, so when we come home and talk about it he can understand where I’m coming from.” Stacey“The best thing about being a business couple is working together. When we didn’t work together, I use to call him a hundred times a day!” Stacey“Our relationship is like best friends. We know everything there is to know. There are no secrets, we know if something’s not right.” Ian“I’d rather work with him than anyone else. I know he has my back and would never hang me out to dry.” Stacey“In a big business where there’s lots of people, you’re probably more secure to a degree, but I think small business is a lot easier - yes, you’re doing it all yourself, but you know what’s going on and have control over what’s happening.” Ian“We’ve thought about leaving the business many times. I think it’s common to get to that point where you want to pack it all up. It’s the big picture that keeps us going.” Iain“Our secret sauce for couples in business together is lots of laughter, lots of taking the piss out of each other - and, if you need to, being able to say how you feel without any repercussions.” Stacey “I find it really helpful listening to other people who are in small business. We’ve all got similar ways, but it’s an opportunity to keep learning.” Iain“Trust your gut, and trust your partner. Just know you can.” Stacey“When it comes to running your own small business, you should always be learning. It’s not just the pretty stuff, it’s the stuff behind the scenes too.” Iain“When you register your ABN, people will come out of the woodwork trying to sell you things. It can be overwhelming - take a break, let them know they can email you the details, and take a look at it later with your partner.” Iain“Never go to bed angry at each other, because the very next day, you wake up right next to them.” IainA bit more about Iain & Stacey:Iain and Stacey have been married for 17 years. Iain did his apprenticeship at Bridge Mowers with the previous owner, he then went on & worked with other companies & eventually came back to Bridge Mowers in 2014 with the vision to at some stage purchase the shop when Steve was ready to retire. Stacey’s background is 30 years of dentistry which was a job she loved. She loved the patients, caring for people and the surgical aspect of what she did but after 30 years her body couldn't do it anymore. Her back, neck & shoulders just couldn't do it anymore. Once Iain returned to Bridge Mowers, Steve was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Steve wanted Iain to take on the shop as he knew that together, Iain & Stacey would nurture it as he had. On January 23rd 2015, they officially took over Bridge Mowers. Stacey worked both jobs until such time that it was clear she needed to be at Bridge full time, 1st May 2015.
Hayley and Jo have had one of the most intense first years in business we can think of! Opening just 11 months ago, they've seen their brand new bakery through busy school holidays, Christmas period, the bushfires and Covid... and they've come out thriving! Tune in and hear how they've overcome every challenge that's been thrown their way.Learn More:Burnt Honey Bakery WebsiteFacebookInstagramSome highlights from this episode:“Community is vital. When we closed during Covid, we wouldn’t have survived if we hadn’t connected with our community. It’s just as important as keeping costs low.” Hayley“Our roles were clear from the get-go. They’re very different, but they’re evenly split and very clear. It was a natural thing.” Jo“The best thing about being a business couple is always having someone to talk to about the business, and them be completely understanding. We can always debrief. If something makes me anxious or upset, she can calm me because she knows the business.” Jo“For us, it was vital that we stuck to our guns about what was important and what wasn’t as to how we were going to operate and how we were going to affect the planet and the people around us. It was important to make sure we were on the same page with that.” Hayley“There’s no real grey areas about what we do and don’t want to do.” Hayley“It was important that we believed in the same things. We had already put that to the test, living with each other for 5 years.” Jo “Having different roles also helps us, we don’t overlap. We’re each very good at what we do, and can manage our own areas.” Jo“We’re very supportive of each other, we make sure we have those open discussions. JoA bit more about Hayley and Jo:Joanna hails from the Northern Beaches of Sydney and learned to make coffee shortly after she learned to walk. She a deft hand with a group handle and has the quick wit to match. Her favourite customers are those who bring their own cup, even is it’s a novelty size M&M promotional mug as one cheeky customer brought on our opening day. Hayley is a true Central Custodian, returned to the area after learning to make killer bread and pastries in Sydney and London (BlackStar Pastry, Dominique Ansel Bakery and Honey & Co.). It may seem at times that she’s too hard on herself about what she produces but her super-power is her drive for perfection within the realm of practicality. She has an extreme distaste for faff.Hayley and Jo met while working at Black Star Pastry in 2014 and married in 2016, shortly before travelling Europe and the UK to soak up as much bakery inspiration as their minds, Instagram account and tummies could handle. Much of what they took in has found its way to the little bakery at Copa, which opened on November 16th, 2019 to a heartwarmingly enthusiastic welcome from the local community.
Thomas and Melanie Unwin are living the Business Couples dream running their Gosford-based marketing business, Mogrify! They've put considerable effort into building a productive, positive work environment for themselves and their team members, with work-life balance at the core. We hope you enjoy!Learn More:Mogrify WebsiteTwitterLinkedInSome highlights from this episode: “Since the early days, we’ve always set out to eventually have a 4-day work week. A work-life balance in our lives and everyone who works for us. We made this conscious decision when we hired our first person.” Melanie“We did a lot of work around the creation of the different seats in our business for the team, for instance, do we have the right people in the right seats, and if not we need to clarify and move people around. We spent probably six months of really working on the business rather than in the business.” Melanie“If there are things that Tom isn’t doing or can’t do, doesn’t want to do, they’re probably things that I like and vice versa.” Melanie“There’ll be times when one of us has a strong opinion, so it feels like that person is in charge of that decision because they have a stronger passion for it, but in reality we’re both in charge and we need to make decisions together.” Thomas“If Tom isn’t doing something, either because he doesn’t want to or he thinks he’s not good at it, I’ll do it and vice versa. We’ve always been able to pick up each other’s weaknesses and leave each other to our strengths. That’s because we’re a couple. There’s no other reason why. That’s why we can’t hire someone else into a role that takes on both our responsibilities - we’ve tried, and it doesn’t work.” Melanie “I love working with Tom. We debate, we argue, we get through our issues like every other business owners, but we always get through it. We’ve always wanted to work together. That’s the big benefit for me, to get to hang out with Tom.” Melanie“You feel different about your business when it’s growing compared to when you’re maintaining it. With this welling up of positive feelings about the business, there’s also this flip side - if something goes wrong, you feel that more too.” Thomas“If our ultimate happiness was impacted really negatively by this business, that would be enough for us to pull the plug. So long as we’re feeling happy - not wealth - feeling connected to our team and our clients, that we’re not sacrificing, we're in a good place.” Melanie“It’s like that quote - happy people are not those who have the most, but those who need the least.” Thomas
If you're partial to a very nice glass of wine, you're going to love this episode! Tim and Naomi McMullen are a business couple running Borambola Wines in Gundagai, on a property that has an enormously rich history - so much so, they're wines are often based on one of the remarkable stories the property has seen... everything from bushrangers to visiting royalty! Pour yourself a glass, sit back and enjoy this inspirational couple sharing their tips to business success.SPECIAL OFFER! Mention this episode at the Borambola Wines cellar door and receive a free Wine Tasting Tour courtesy of Tim and Naomi!Learn More:Borambola Wines WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeSome highlights from this episode:“Knowing that I can park all the events and marketing side of the business with Naomi, and knowing that she’ll organise all of that in an amazing way that I could never do, allows me to go off and be hands on in the vines. It takes off a lot of pressure.” Tim“Mostly it’s positive, we do work really well together and we’re both really busy all the time. We each do our thing and then try to come together, discuss what we’ve achieved and where we want to go. We can see the growth and the success, which makes it a positive experience” Naomi“We don’t really argue about the business - sometimes we have different opinions, and then we both have to compromise to know where each of us are coming from and determine what will work best” Naomi“We both have an appreciation of the work that we do. I’m more in love with my wife now than I ever have. It’s about admiration and respect.” Tim“It’s helped to grow us closer together, and know that we can achieve many challenges together, work through it and come out the other side happy and successful in business together.” Naomi“Part of our secret sauce is to really engage yourself in your local community and the people around you, or even your competitors, and building your brand, area and self within your community. We found that through building our relationships through the hoteliers and restaurants, we’re getting that local support.” Naomi“Having strengths that we keep working towards - that’s the secret to our success. If we had lots of cross-over of skills, we would spend too much time discussing how best to do things.“ TimA bit more about Tim and Naomi:Tim is the Managing Director of Borambola Wines. Tim planted the first vine (Chardonnay) in 1995 and finally began living out his passion for the wine industry.Borambola Wines is a family owned business specialising in 100% locally grown wines in Gundagai, NSW wine growing region. Borambola also produces a Hoppy Lager Beer and Craft Apple Cider under the Tuckerbox brand. Borambola Wines has received numerous awards at various regional shows, and recently won the 2019 NSW Business Chamber State Winner - Excellence in Export. Naomi is the Chief Marketing Officer of Borambola Wines. Naomi has a background in marketing and events having worked in the travel industry for over 20 years.Naomi manages the functions, weddings, and events at the Cellar Door, and co-ordinates all aspects of the marketing and social media plan for Borambola Wines and Tuckerbox.Naomi is also community orientated, and is the past President of the local group, Women in Business Wagga Wagga Inc. She is currently studying to be a Vinyasa Yoga teacher, with her goal to run Yoga & Wine Retreats at the vineyard.
This week we're in Griffith, NSW speaking with Greg and Carol Collier, a couple who have been in business together for 50 years! Their time working together spans a variety of different businesses and with such an impressive tenure, it's no wonder they had so many stories, tips and words of wisdom to share. Learn More:Collier Trennery WebsiteFacebookSome highlights from this episode:“I think the reason why it probably works - and I might be old fashioned, but - Greg’s the head of the household. We’ll discuss something, but he has the final say.” Greg“I’ve been really blessed with Carol. She’s allowed me to make decisions, and I’ve sometimes done that without consulting her, but Carol has the confidence to know that I’m able to do that and she would always stand by me. There’s never any condemnation if things go wrong.” Greg“I think sometimes business has to be balanced with your personal social life. Maybe we haven’t done that very well - we often work seven days a week. I think it’s something young people have to understand, there needs to be a balance between the two. Not to allow themselves to get into a rut.” Greg“Greg’s a sprinter, I’m more of a stayer. I’m a more traditional person. There’s a difference between us, but we still mesh together.” Carol“For those couples starting out in business, the relationship has to be very strong. They also need to be evenly yolked. One can have skills in one area and the other can have skills in another, but it needs to be even.” Greg“Follow your passion, no matter what that is. Whether it’s a retail store, a farm, whatever it is - if that’s your passion, go for it and grab it.” Greg“If you’ve got sufficient finance and knowledge, go for it, and be as one. Think along the same lines so one can help the other.” Carol  “It’s important to do a SWAT analysis and understand your weaknesses and your strengths. If you’re realistic in understanding your weaknesses, there’s always someone out there you can bring in to sure that up.” Greg“At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself the question - why am I in business? Is it only to produce money? If so, it’s not going to be very satisfying. But if the business becomes the vehicle for another passion in your life, everything falls into place.” Greg
Chef Daniel and his lovely wife Jennifer are one of the busiest business couples we know! With so many projects on the go, they have buckets of useful tips to share. This really is a couple not to be missed - hear them explain how they found their incredible rhythm and built their successful businesses.Learn more:At Baker St Cafe WebsiteFork & Knife Catering WebsiteChef Daniel WebsiteChef Daniel FacebookLinkedInInstagramSome highlights from this episode:"Our success doesn't just happen with good food. It doesn't just happen with good marketing strategies. It's all about a good team. We've been married for nine years, and we still like each other." Chef Daniel"I think we slowly transitioned into whatever suited us better. There was no actual I'll do this, and you do that." Jennifer "Sometimes we need to check ourselves. Say, 'ok, we need to switch off' - and that's not for one of us, it's both of us." Chef Daniel"When it comes to helping each other switch off, I think time will teach you - but more importantly, communication will teach you." Chef Daniel"Working together has brought us closer. If Jennifer's not around me, it feels weird." Chef Daniel"I find it interesting when people ask, 'how are you guys still married and still in business?' I respond with, it's a respect thing. It's respecting marriage, but it's also respecting business. In business, she's my business partner. What she says about something happening in the business is her checking me. There's a reason why she's bringing it up. It's not her picking on me like a wife would - no, she has a valid point, and that point needs to be processed." Chef Daniel"In the restaurant, if he says something, I say, 'Yes, Chef'. The respect goes both ways." Jennifer  "There's some people who work together and the man wants to be the 'head', whereas Danny's like, 'ok - which way are we going? How can we do this together?' It may seem like he's trying to take the lead, but we're both here together working towards the same cause." Jennifer"People say, now you've worked for yourself you won't be able to work for someone again. Well no, I can easily and happily work for someone else - the one thing I can't do is work for someone else without Jennifer next to me, and vice versa." Chef Daniel 
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