Married to Each Other AND the Business

“Seriously. Are we really husband and wife now?”

The question sounds like a refrain that a couple might utter while standing at the altar. But for my beautiful bride of 27 years, it comes up nearly every evening as we transition from business partners to life partners.

Friends, family and clients are fascinated (and dumbfounded) that Michele and I operate K+L Storytellers AND are wife and husband. “We’d be divorced” is a common response we hear through a haughty laugh and swig of a vodka-esque drink.

One point for sure: It’s not always easy. In fact, it can get darn right nasty as business and marriage roles often intertwine, making neither very fun.

So how do we make it work?

There’s not an easy answer. One advantage we have is that our children are older. They are not tugging at Mom every 15 minutes. Another advantage is that we’ve been in business together on and off since 2003. The nature of the business has shifted, from public relations/communications to storytelling and content.

Our business, like so many others, took a massive blow in late 2007 through 2011 when our clients were cutting costs in their own fight to stay afloat. As a result, I returned to the corporate world, which stabilized our family and financial lives, but also strengthened my education. I worked with younger people who mentored me in SEO and social media. I teamed with marketing professionals who guided me on brand strategy. I sat next to data scientists who analyzed and heralded the importance of the numbers behind PPC, website visits and posted content clicks. I learned from other business owners on how to grow a business, engage new clients and how to better manage cash flow.

And then, through no fault of my own, I was laid off on my 58th birthday.

After countless job interviews and with no contract in hand, Michele asked if I wanted to rejoin the company. I was humbled and embarrassed because it was the only offer on my plate. But I was hardened in my resolve to help build the business back to peak form.

We are doing that. Together. As business partners. As wife and husband. As “The First Couple of Story,” a phrase used to introduce us recently as we shared the speaker stage. If that’s how people see us, we’re all in.

We comfort in knowing how the other person thinks, how we best work and what makes the other person’s head explode. We know we’ve always got each other’s backs. We can avoid landmines by staying out of each other’s way and trusting the other’s skills. We’ve learned to take emotion out of our strategy discussions (not easy for my Italian partner), and we’ve become better listeners.

One absolute key to our business success is to physically and verbally shut it down at the end of each Friday. It’s satisfying to play husband and wife with a martini (me) and a glass of Malbec (Michele) in hand on the back terrace at the end of the week. Wouldn’t you agree, Babe? (Full disclosure, Michele ignores me when I let this slip in a business setting. However, I often notice a hint of a smile.)

Tomorrow, Aug. 31, is our wedding anniversary, and I am more sure than ever that in business and in life, I picked the right partner.

K+L Story Minute

These Five Young Authors Wrote A Book. What Can You Give Away?

 

5 young authors. 3 stories. 1 published book. THEY DID IT!!!!

What do you know that you can give away? How can you change young people for life? What is your legacy, that leave-behind to the world? 

Two years ago, I started a program called Your Extraordinary Story to teach middles-schoolers how to write a short story in teams.

This past year, I was invited to bring YES to an after-school program at Washington Middle School in Aurora, Ill. What an honor!!!

We published an anthology of short stories called 3 Lessons. When you write a short story, you get creative confidence - not just about writing, but about creativity and about your ideas.

THANK YOU to Dr. Burton, WMS principal, the My Genius Now grant leaders Pat Swanson and Ann McBride, and the Dunham Foundation for believing that the arts transform all of us, especially our youth. And thank you to these young authors who, with a pencil, a spiral notebook and their imaginations created beautiful, unforgettable stories.

What do you have in your wheelhouse to give away? What knowledge, tools, advice, mentorship, passion can others benefit from? 

HR Sharing Stories to Attract Top Talent? You bet.

Compelling, captivating, intriguing. The latest bestseller? Hardly. It's the all-important job description. It was GREAT to be a speaker for the Valley Industrial Association along with my cohort and IT search and recruitment superstar Laurie Swanson, founder of  The Laso Corporation.

HR professionals, tell your story and you will keep the talent pool abundantly filled.  Here are highlights from our presentation entitled "The Job Description: A True Story in 3 Parts."

Part 1: The Story of Your Company and People: give people reasons to believe.

• The candidate is the hero, you are their guide to success (every hero has one. What would James Bond do without Q?). The villain: lost opportunity to contribute to your company's success.
• Your company story requires exploration: What are your roots? How do you slay the competition? How do others see your brand? How do you give back? What values guide your mission?

Part 2: The Story of the Open Position: show how your company helps people live an amazing life - then show how their contribution makes that possible.

• Define the career path and the vision.
• What's the day in the life of the position?
• Show, don't tell (No. 1 rule in writing): include vivid details.
• What does success look like in the role?

Part 3: The Story of the Successful Candidate

• Think of two buckets: required skills and nice-to-have skills
• Create a clear and direct call-to-action (I love it when people tell me what to do!)

Go on, tell your story, HR professionals. People are perched on the edge of their seats waiting for it.

Laurie Swanson is the founder of The Laso Corporation. Contact her at lswanson@lasocareers.com.

Michele Kelly is co-founder of K+L Storytellers. Contact her at michelekellywriter@gmail.com.