About the author: Leanne Carling is the co-founder and M&A Director of international family investment firm, The Carling Group, and has been involved in hundreds of transactions with a combined value way in excess of £1billion.
Unity is plural, and at minimum, is two
Working with your significant other can be challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. As a couple, Graeme and I have been growing businesses together since 2008, after working for the same company together before, and it has been a journey filled with growth and learning. We are each other’s fiercest critics, but always each other’s biggest supporters.
When it comes to ambition, Graeme and I believe in pushing the envelope. We set goals that seem unachievable and strive to surpass them. This mindset has allowed us to exceed our wildest expectations and has fuelled our success. We hold each other accountable and question one another’s targets, which can lead to heated discussions, but ultimately, it helps us stay on track. It can be painful when your partner holds the mirror up to your failings, but it keeps us laser focussed.
One of the reasons why we have been able to work together successfully is that we have completely different skill sets and outlooks on things. We respect each other’s strengths and have complete trust that we will take care of our respective areas. We also make sure to stay on the same path, learning and growing together. This conscious effort has allowed us to speak the same language and work towards the same goals. We just get each other, our challenges, and share each other’s successes.
When we got married, we entered a partnership of life AND business. We support each other in every aspect of our lives, including work. We are each other’s wingman, always looking for ways to help and support one another. It’s not about competing; we genuinely want the best for each other and push one another to reach our greatest potential. We’ve worked on separate projects before, but it never works as well as when we are together.
Of course, working with your husband or wife can have its challenges. We are each other’s fiercest critics, but it’s because we believe in each other and want to see each other succeed. Living with your business partner means you’re never off the clock, work challenges are discussed around the dinner table, and during our morning 8km walk, but that’s how we manage to get so much done, first thing in the morning or late at night, we can make progress.
I love working with Graeme. It requires trust, respect, and a shared vision. Graeme and I have been able to grow together as individuals and as a couple by working towards our goals and supporting each other every step of the way. We know that not every couple can work together successfully, but it’s our superpower, it gives us a competitive advantage, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
