Shows
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitDan Hill & Karen Bernthal: Blah Blah Blah--A Snarky GuideThis 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 know...2022-02-261h 25
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitIt's Figureoutable: John Lord & Alma Aguilar of Cerveceria Crazy Moon, Part 2 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...2021-12-0834 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitIt's Figureoutable: John Lord & Alma Aguilar of Cerveceria Crazy Moon, Part 1In 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...2021-12-0137 min
Reader's Entertainment RadioLaughter is the best medicine: A great read with author Honey ParkerBack on the show is one of my favorite writers, Honey Parker.
A veteran advertising writer and creative director for big agencies in New York and Los Angeles, Honey Parker eventually co-founded her own creative shop in Park City, Utah.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, Honey began doing standup comedy in clubs and on TV, and won the coveted title of Funniest Person In Advertising.
Honey is married to her best friend and business partner, Blaine Parker. Or, as Honey’s father refers to him, “The man who took her off the market.” In their spare time, Honey & Blaine...2021-08-2652 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked XXVI: Anniversary Madness!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…2021-07-1420 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked XVIII: The One With Beer And LawnmowersSo, 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 Aftern...2021-04-2124 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked XVII: Post-Tequila-Fueled Bitch FestWhat 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. 2021-04-1410 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked XVI: Tequila-Fueled Bitch FestThis 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 impo...2021-04-0714 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitA Bigger, Better Fish Story: Sena & Rich Wheeler of Sena Seafood, Part 2We’re back with Sena and Rich Wheeler, the couple who’s crushing it in the seafood business by not only catching the famed Copper River Salmon, but by selling it direct to consumers like you and me. In this episode, they talk about the demands of this job they choose to do, there’s the challenges of being apart during COVID, and the story about giving an iPad the old heave ho and splash! And by the way, all their young kids are in the business and workin’ it…2021-03-3133 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitA Bigger, Better Fish Story: Sena & Rich Wheeler of Sena Seafood, Part 1Here’s a couple who turned the business model of their profession upside down to have more leverage, a better life, and bigger money. Sena and Rich Wheeler were just a run-of-the-mill professional fishing family until Sena had a brainstorm. They came up with a business model on a car ride, a smart lawyer said she should be the CEO, and the rest is history. Sena Sea Seafood sells fish direct to consumer—and the prize in their lineup is the famed Copper River Salmon that Rich fishes in Alaska. (We had some. It was incredible.) These two are crus...2021-03-2434 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked XV: Fed Up, Down & SidewaysInsanity 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…2021-03-1735 min
Reader's Entertainment RadioPermission to Laugh with author Honey ParkerCareful-ish is Honey Parker’s first novel, but not her first written words.
She’s co-authored several business books, written and sold several screenplays which, as per Hollywood tradition, are circling various levels of that place known as Development Hell.
Honey is a veteran advertising writer and creative director for big agencies in New York and Los Angeles, she eventually co-founded her own creative shop in Park City, Utah.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, Honey began doing standup comedy in clubs and on TV, and won the coveted title of Funniest Person In Advertising, which brought no sash nor cash...2021-03-111h 01
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked XIV: Beware Fear Of FailureThis 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!2021-03-1026 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked XIII: Ignorance, Meet Arrogance!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!2021-03-0321 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked XII: Overwhelmed? Try The F-Word!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!2021-02-2424 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked XI: Do The Work Or DieIs 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?2021-02-1719 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked X: Stressed? Anxious? Reset!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!2021-02-1022 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked IX: Advertising Lies Your Mother Told YouIt 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.2021-02-0330 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked VIII: Do Not Shave The CatDo 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 dr...2021-01-2723 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleco Uncorked VII: How To Undo Your Passion Marketing MistakeYes, 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!2021-01-2026 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked VI: Insurrection Survival EditionIs 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.2021-01-1330 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked V: Being Us Is A Huge MistakeIs 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’...2021-01-0622 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked IV: Tips For A Profitable YearYet 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...2020-12-3037 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked III: Don't Get Mad, Get Wine & Gifts!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...2020-12-2325 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked II: Don't Det Mad, Get MORE Wine!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!2020-12-1629 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCoupleCo Uncorked: Don't Get Mad, Get Wine.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!2020-12-0926 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitSee The Business Clearly: Denis Randall And Jerry Miller of Anywhere Vision, Part 2We are back with the rule breakers of Asbury Park, NJ. Or are they rule makers? One thing’s for sure: they would not trade the couplepreneur lifestyle for any other. Denis Randal and Jerry Miller’s pandemic-perfect business model is a mobile optician service. They bring their eyeglasses showroom to you in the Asbury Park area. The business was born of Jerry’s dissatisfaction with his corporate gig, where his employer was treating the patient as a number and limiting the amount of time Jerry had to do his job well. He thought the patient deserved better, and propos...2020-12-0229 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitSee The Business Clearly: Denis Randall And Jerry Miller of Anywhere Vision, Part 1This week, a couple who are breaking all kinds of rules. Or making their own, depending on how you look at it. Denis Randal and Jerry Miller have a pandemic-perfect business model. They’re running a mobile optician service. They bring their showroom and optical service to wherever you are—as long as you are in the vicinity of Asbury Park, New Jersey. Yes, greetings from Asbury Park. It’s a business model that’s perfect for the pandemic lifestyle. It’s also a business model that was born of Jerry’s dissatisfaction with his corporate gig, as you hear at the...2020-11-2535 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitThe Big, Careful-ish Comedy Author InterviewWhat 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...2020-11-1820 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitSkin In The Game: Annmarie and Kevin Gianni of Annmarie Skincare, Part 2We’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…2020-11-1132 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitSkin In The Game: Annmarie and Kevin Gianni of Annmarie Skincare, Part 1These two have done it all on their own terms, they’ve evolved, adapted, survived and adapted some more. They’re smart, unafraid to pivot, and they’re committed to their cause. This is Annmarie and Kevin Gianni of Annmarie Skincare. We are revisiting their 2018 interview, which is one of our favorites ever. And not in the least because she’s not afraid to back up a big RV. These two went on the road with an RV long before we did it, and they conducted interviews all over the country. Hear about their choices, their pivots, and their organic...2020-11-0442 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitBride of Fire & Knives: Chuck Heath and Colleen Keblish, Chop Shop Park City, Part 2We’re back with Chuck and Coleen, the professional couple who are helping start a business that’s kind of a dream gig—and one in which they have no experience. It’s a high-end, nose-to-tail butcher shop with a limited menu and delivery. Didn’t anyone tell them that starting a food service operation during COVID-19 comes with a high degree of angst? Why have they found the pandemic so good for them? And despite the fact they’re experiencing setbacks in a business that has yet to launch, they remain optimistic and philosophical. That’s probably because, as a serial en...2020-10-2829 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitBride of Fire & Knives: Chuck Heath and Colleen Keblish, Chop Shop Park City, Part 1We’re talking to Chuck, a veteran real estate developer, and Colleen, who comes from PR and corporate sales. We’ve been talking to their partners in launching a high-end butcher shop with a limited menu and delivery. Of the three couples involved, only one has food experience. This is daunting, especially when COVID is in the mix. They’re counting on the culinary leadership of Paige and John Courtney (episodes 135 & 136). But none of these people are afraid of hard work—nor setbacks, and they’ve had a few. Their opening has been pushed back to December, so they’re missing s...2020-10-2129 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitBlaine and Honey: The Resentment EpisodeWelcome 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.2020-10-1425 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitNapa Winemakers Shane And Suzanne of Phifer Pavitt Winery (Redux) Part 2Suzanne has been quoted in the news stating a belief in miracles—and she has good reason. We’re back with one of our favorite Napa winery couples. Last week, we revisited a 2019 interview with Shane Pavitt and Suzanne Phifer-Pavitt of Phifer Pavitt Winery. Since the Napa fires, their family is fine, their winery is safe, but their home is damaged. They’ve also lost a vineyard of cabernet sauvignon--but two weeks before, it had given them the first harvest. Wine Spectator magazine reports that first harvest was 10 years in the making. They got the grapes, and we hope they g...2020-10-0740 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitNapa Winemakers Shane And Suzanne of Phifer Pavitt Winery (Redux) Part 1We are revisiting these two winemakers because they’re an inspirational pairing. Shane Pavitt and Suzanne Phifer-Pavitt moved to Calistoga with some serious business chops and a fondness for libations. Their Phifer Pavitt Winery makes the nationally famous and hard to get Date Night wines. As CFO, Shane had to come to grips with the idea of pouring capital into a business with no 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. Unfortunately, as we are pres...2020-09-3057 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitTaking The Leap: Robin And Jim Whitney of Whitney Advertising (Redux) Part 2Want 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...2020-09-2339 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitTaking The Leap: Robin And Jim Whitney of Whitney Advertising (Redux) Part 1They’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...2020-09-1635 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitFeel The Fear And Go Make MoneyWhen should you push your partner out of the comfort zone? How do you tell the difference between basic nerves and real dread? Want to learn how to deal with fear and get past it? And where does improv comedy fit in all this? Especially today, in times like these, the conversation about fear is an important one. Dr. Rachna Jain is a listener favorite. We are revisiting dealing with fear and finding the courage for CoupleCos. For the married couple in business, fear can run amok. It can even prevent you from starting a business together. It can...2020-09-0932 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitWhat If Life Brings A Hammer?What happens to your business if life gets in the way? Who owns the business? Who runs the business? Could you suddenly find yourself in business with an in-law you don’t like? What if you wanted to just take off six months to recover from the grief of losing a partner? There are all kinds of issues that CoupleCos might not think about because they’re deep in the day-to-day of running the business. But sometimes life smacks you in the face. And life-planning with legal insights is smart. Shreya and Colin Ley, the Lawyer Humans at Lay Root...2020-09-0224 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMore Fire And Knives: Dan Ibach & Courtnay Scott Gray of Chop Shop Park City, Part 2Chop Shop is a high-end butcher shop with table service. It’s also a passion project for the three couples doing it together. We’re talking to each couple separately about the journey. Dan and Courtnay have an unusual story. They knew they’d be getting married by the end of the first date. And Dan was part of a small military unit. He was often leaving home for months at a time, which created stress. But these two don’t mess around. They get down to business and call ‘em like they see ‘em. So, what’s it like plunging...2020-08-2625 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMore Fire And Knives: Dan Ibach & Courtnay Scott Gray of Chop Shop Park City, Part 1We are revisiting the danger of working around fire and knives—this time with people who have never before done it. But she trains enormous and potentially dangerous animals, and he is good with firearms. Daniel Ibach and Courtnay Scott Gray are part of the team of couples opening gourmet butcher business Chop Shop Park City. They’re working with Paige and John Courtney. John’s a Chopped Champion, and she’s been a front-of-house manager and sommelier for some amazing restaurants. Dan and Courtnay have no food service experience, and are launching a gourmet food business in a big-mone...2020-08-1933 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitBallerina & Business Guy Go Whole Hog: Hannah and Daniel Neeleman of Ballerina Farm, Kamas UT, Part 2You’d think it might be a battle of wills. Who sees this coming? But a Julliard-trained ballerina and pageant queen marries an MBA with entrepreneurial tendencies, and they start a family farm. This is the story of Hannah and Daniel Neeleman, who moved from New York to rural Utah. They now raise Angus cattle and Berkshire pigs, and send their pastured products to meat lovers nationwide. We start this episode where we left off last time, about to find out how having agricultural entrepreneur parents affects their five young kids (soon to be six).2020-08-1230 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitBallerina & Business Guy Go Whole Hog: Hannah and Daniel Neeleman of Ballerina Farm, Kamas UT, Part 1She’s a Julliard-trained ballerina who has worn the crown of Miss New York City. He’s a history major with an MBA and an entrepreneur bent. Hannah and Daniel Neeleman are former inhabitants of New York and Connecticut, respectively. Now they live in rural Utah, where they raise Angus cattle and Berkshire pigs. If you like meat, this is a big deal. If you’re vegan, we’re sorry. At least you get to know that these are pastured animals who lead a lovely life until the day of reckoning. And they taste amazing. This is the episode with hap...2020-08-0534 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitDocs To Save Your Bacon with Shreya & Colin LeyIf you're a couple in business together, chances are good you haven’t done any of these things. They’re simple, useful, can cover your butt and save your bacon. What happens to the business if something happens to one of you? With luck, very little—if you have laid some simple groundwork. But, without paying attention to these simple tips, you could lose everything…2020-07-2921 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitFun With Fire & Knives: Paige & John Courtney of Chop Shop Park City, Part 2This is the conversation for anyone who’s ever fantasized about crushing it by opening a food business—and considered going into business with a spouse in a high-stress, all-consuming career. We’re back with Chop Shop “power couple” Paige and John Courtney. With careers spent in big restaurants, they’re now in the resort town of Park City, Utah, preparing to open a nose-to-tail butcher shop. Besides dry-aged beef and the meat of lovingly raised animals, they’re planning to sell and deliver prepared foods and serve a limited menu. They’re also launching during a pandemic, and they’re in busin...2020-07-2245 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitFun With Fire & Knives: Paige & John Courtney of Chop Shop Park City, Part 1Ever fantasize about having a restaurant? Or starting a business in which you have no experience? Or wonder, “Are we just crazy?” Here's your show. Like food and cooking? Even better. Chop Shop Park City is not yet open. Bonus: launching during a pandemic. The Las Vegas Review Journal called Paige and John Courtney a “power couple.” With careers in big restaurants, they're now dancing with danger. John is a Chopped Champion. Paige has worked for famous names of the Las Vegas strip, and been a front-of-house manager and sommelier for some amazing restaurants. Now, they’re launching a gourmet fo...2020-07-151h 02
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitCouples In Love, In Business, In IndependenceWith US Independence Day just past, we thought we’d talk about the idea of independence as a couple in business together. We talk about how independence is often born of conflict, and how it lead to our own business. One couple we know chose independence from an oppressive industry business models for both themselves and their employees. Another couple chose independence for working mothers by hiring them whenever possible. A couple with a manufacturing business who decided to remain independent of outside financing—and are now crushing it. And a couple whose business is about gaining financial independence, both...2020-07-0826 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitEducated In Argument: Tera & Byron Ames of Ames & Ames LLP, UT & NV, Part 2This week, we are back in Kamas, everyone’s favorite Utah cow town, to resume our conversation with Tera and Byron Ames of the law firm Ames & Ames. These two are one of the most dynamic couples we’ve spoken to in over 100 episodes. They are delightful, candid, fun, funny and revealing. In this episode, we get some of the most important advice ever for a couple considering being in business together. And we get some of the best and most revealing anecdotes about being a couple on this roller coaster journey of co-entrepreneurism. We get more laughs, a few...2020-07-0158 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitEducated In Argument: Tera & Byron Ames of Ames & Ames LLP, UT & NV, Part 1This episode, we are in Kamas, Utah. Population 2,234. The cattle in Kamas may outnumber people. It's also a surprising and delightful rural hotspot. We are sitting down with Tera and Byron Ames, who unpack all kinds of great intel about being in business together. From learning how to understand each other’s moods and not take them personally, to dealing with the pay cut that comes from suddenly leaving a fat job and being in business for yourself, this was a great time with lots of laughs and pathos. But where does the Grateful Dead t-shirt collection come into th...2020-06-2457 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitDoes Your Business Need A Prenup, feat. Shreya & Colin Ley of Law Firm LayRootsIf 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…2020-06-1724 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitYou Can Have Better Arguments, feat. Dr. Rachna JainHow well do you and your spouse argue? (Hint: It’s not about winning.) This is an important conversation with clinical psychologist Dr. Rachna Jain about how to have a productive argument. We are revisiting this interview because Dr. Jain offers tips for making things better. And in a time of high stress like COVID-19, especially if you’re locked in the house with your significant other, this is a good one to listen to. You’ll get more than you ever imagined. And your arguments will be better than ever.2020-06-1034 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & Profit3 Common Mistakes To Avoid As A Couple In Business, feat. Professor Dan HorneLots 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...2020-06-0333 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitThe Impossible Dream: CoupleCo Commitment During COVIDIs 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... 2020-05-2712 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & Profit"Is it a mistake being in business with your spouse?" feat. Dr. Rachna JainSo many couples are considering this right now. And this discussion also offers tools for any couple facing normal challenges of business together. So, why launch a business together, and why now? More freedom? More flexibility? Or is it like our own situation, where one gets laid off and the other says, “Let’s do it!” What are bad reasons to do it? And with workplace arguments, who ya gonna complain to? What are the red flags? Should you be in counseling? (No pancake counseling. Real counseling. And what IS pancake counseling, anyway?) And, three useful exercises for any couple...2020-05-2029 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitExpats In Paradise: Anne Pound & Paul Speed of Mango Vacation Rentals, Nicaragua, Part 2Back 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.2020-05-1330 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitExpats In Paradise: Anne Pound & Paul Speed of Mango Vacation Rentals, Nicaragua, Part 1Living the tropical dream: Anne Pound and Paul Speed left North America. They moved to a famous expat surfer beach destination of San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua and started a property management company, Mango Vacation Rentals. From the realities of living the low-overhead lifestyle, to adapting to a rhythm of life where nobody is on your timetable, how does this Canadian couple make it work? And what about when your dream job wakes you up at 3am? We answer burning questions, like which socio-economic vacation rental demographic misbehaves the most? You might be surprised. And yes, there are stories...2020-05-0638 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitLawyer-Humans In Love & Biz: Shreya & Colin Ley of LayRoots, Seattle, Part 2Colin Ley and Shreya Ley of the law firm LayRoots are a dynamic, energetic pair had a lot to say about branding and marketing. Revealing themselves to their prospect has been an important part of that. In this episode, we hear about a new rule—called The Headphone Rule. They also have an interesting way of coming to terms with the problem of always talking about work: they choose hobbies where talking about work could cause a great deal of physical pain. Colin and Shreya are now living the life they want, and are designing their business around that. An...2020-04-2934 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitLawyer-Humans In Love & Biz: Shreya & Colin Ley of LayRoots, SeattleColin Ley and Shreya Ley operate the Seattle law firm Lay Roots LLC. This pair are young, dynamic, energetic, and are doing it for a lot of the same reasons other CoupleCos are doing it: they want to do what they do on their own terms. They both got their law degrees at Tulane in New Orleans, then left for Seattle, for which their livers probably thank them. Talking with LayRoots was fun. And that’s not just because they’re lawyers who are smart and funny. We spent a lot of time talking about marketing and making those deci...2020-04-2254 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMayhem Marketing Minute: New Customers, New Skills w/ Dr. Rachna JainPsychologist and entrepreneur Dr. Rachna Jain is back with insights into how these crazy times can be good for business and good for you. Ironically, social distancing is leading to all kinds of new ways to meet new prospects. And, there are more opportunities to put new skills into your tool box.2020-04-1609 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMayhem Marketing Minute: Profiting In Tough Times w/Trish McMillenIs profiting in tough times pure luck? If you listen to Trish McMillen, it’s more like pure love. She’s back, sharing tips that she and her husband Jared used during the last recession, increasing their business by 40% per year for seven years. Together, they are fine-art photographers with a retail gallery. Additionally, Trish is a real estate agent. This bite-size interview covers a lot of territory. In 12 minutes, we cover the power of motion, inviting normalcy, maintaining routines, ignoring the chaos, tapping the Dalai Lama, influencing what we are capable of influencing, being open to opportunities, making the...2020-04-1417 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitRemembering Ina Cohn: Ina & Jerry Cohn of Label Makers, Inc.This episode is a memorial tribute to Honey's mother, Ina Cohn. Back in episode 38, we interviewed her parents, Ina and Jerry, who spent 35 years in business together and lived to tell about it. These two may be the sitcom Jewish parents you never had—because they’re the sitcom Jewish parents who taught Honey everything she knows about a couple in business together. They had an extraordinary relationship through 35 years in business and 60 years of marriage. You’ll hear tips about being in business alone vs. with a spouse, about finances, about the right way to treat your vendors, and wh...2020-04-0949 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMayhem Marketing Minute: Flexing Your Money Muscle w/Dr. Rachna JainToday, we are back with Dr. Jain, talking about getting creative and flexing your money muscle. In some cases, this is about your side hustle. In other cases, this is about adapting your existing business for the moment. And, it could be as simple as being proactive, and talking to existing or dormant clients.2020-04-0710 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMayhem Marketing Minute: Delete The Noise For Focus & ProfitDo you know how to profit in tough times? Trish and Jared McMillen are a creative power couple. We first interviewed these two way back in episodes 5 and 6. They are photographers, and own a fine art photography gallery that sells their high-end landscape photography. Additionally, Trish is a real estate agent with Keller Williams, which is a very entrepreneurial-minded operation. Today, we are talking with Trish, who shares some of the simple secrets she and Jared used during the last recession to increase their business by 40% per year for seven years.2020-04-0209 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMayhem Marketing Minute: Mindset Can Save YouPsychologist Dr. Rachna Jain is one of our most popular guests. Episode #26, where she explains to couples in business how to argue, remains one of our top 5. This time, she's joining us to talk about the surviving the mayhem through mindset and (who saw this coming) adapting your marketing to the moment. 2020-03-3108 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMayhem Marketing Minute: Being Fearless In Redefining SuccessWe asked entrepreneur attorneys Tera and Byron Ames what tip they would have for a business in this crazy, COVID-19 cultural climate. Their answers were about being flexible and adaptable, and bringing a fearlessness to redefining what success actually means in this age of staying apart. 2020-03-2608 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMayhem Marketing Minute: Where's The Opportunity In Serving?Dave Lakhani is a marketing powerhouse and internationally known persuasion expert. He and his partner, Sarah Skeem, run Growth Foundry, a digital marketing agency based in Boise, Idaho. We asked Dave, "If you could provide a marketing tip for a business looking to survive the mayhem, what would it be?" His answer was in-depth and interesting, and is predicated on a theme of opportunity through service.2020-03-2415 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMayhem Marketing Minute: Why Double-Down On Ads During The Mayhem?There's a time-honored tradition of doubling down during bad economic times. It goes back as far as World War II. And a client of ours did it during the last recession--and crushed it. And if you don't have paid advertising, it's still proactive wisdom for social media. How can you be proactive in your business, serve your customer and community, and keep your business going during high weirdness...?2020-03-2007 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitMayhem Marketing Minute: Does Proactive = Profitable?There is a simple question to ask about your business in a time of mayhem: Am I being reactive—or proactive? Being reactive feels lousy, and could even be the end of your business. Being proactive feels better, serves your customer better, and helps you have legs for the long haul. So, how do you be proactive, and serve your customer better during pandemic pandemonium? In this short conversation, we talk about a simple way to think your way to the better reality. 2020-03-1705 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitHow To Become YouTube Stars: Dirt Farmer Jay & Dirt Farmer Maggie, Part 2Back with YouTube sensations, Dirt Farmer Jay and Dirt Farmer Maggie. Their central theme of authentic living leads to plenty of revenue from videos with millions of views each. We hear about the power of mutual respect. There’s an odd twist on the question, “How does having entrepreneurial parents affect the kids?” It’s also likely that the craziest thing ever to happen in your business did not involve a taser. They share a pitfall to avoid that comes from their corporate days—and is both important and scalable. We discuss getting beyond defining success to seeking significance. And there’...2020-03-1137 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitHow To Become YouTube Stars: Dirt Farmer Jay & Dirt Farmer Maggie, Part 1When you lose not just a job, but your career, how do you reinvent yourself? A career counselor will probably never say: Become a YouTube star! But that’s exactly what Dirt Farmer Jay and Dirt Farmer Maggie did. Finding themselves collateral victims in a hostile takeover could’ve led to early retirement. Instead, it has led to their accountant saying things like, “Stop making so much money!” But, after spending much of their careers together, they found they were facing new challenges. Like, the problems of doing a creative job together. And when you’re working in a creative c...2020-03-0446 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitRemembering A Braveheart Life: Jill & Spencer Wright of The Pod MillThis 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 o...2020-02-2626 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitProducing Love Around The World: Angie & Davor Rostuhar, Filmmakers, Part 2Back 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 togeth...2020-02-1942 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitProducing Love Around The World: Angie & Davor Rostuhar, Filmmakers, Part 1Angie and Davor’s honeymoon is a year-long global journey, shooting a cross-cultural documentary about love. He’s a National geographic-seasoned photographer who interviewed her for a job. He also didn’t hire her, because he saw more there than just an employee. Eventually, he proposed, and they conceived of this project in an unusual place. And this movie is anything but an ode to romance. No hearts and flowers. This is love, warts and all. Even forbidden love. This was a new professional experience—learning how to become equal partners in a business relationship. And how do you tell the...2020-02-121h 00
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitDifficult Conversations Made Easier: Belinda Pruyne of Business Innovation GroupPurposeful and intentional communication is especially important for a couple in business together. The stakes are so much higher than just business. We’re talking with Belinda Pruyne, previously a global Executive Vice President at Grey Advertising, one of the world’s biggest advertising agencies. Today, she runs her own consulting firm, Business Innovation Group. One of the things Belinda specializes in is working with small business owners to become BIG Picture Leaders. We’re going to be talking communication tips, and how to have those difficult conversations. And no, this is not about winning an argument. It’s about ha...2020-02-0538 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitConstruction Couplepreneurs Go West and Go Big: Vicky & Jim Fitlow of Re-Bath UT & CO, Part 2We 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...2020-01-2929 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitConstruction Couplepreneurs Go West and Go Big: Vicky & Jim Fitlow of Re-Bath UT & CO, Part 1This 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 ar...2020-01-2251 min
Marketing With TimEp. 7: What Is Branding (and How To Fix Yours) - Tim Burt interviews Blaine & Honey ParkerBranding. 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...2020-01-1951 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitComin' Out Swinging: Luke Hinz And Maryguenn Vellinga of Rise Boxing, Park City, UT, Part 2Back with Olympic-caliber boxer Maryguenn Vellinga, and her big-mountain skier husband, Luke Hinz, recorded in the boxing ring at their gym, Rise Boxing. In part one, we established that getting into the ring, skiing big-mountain chutes, and starting your own business all take courage. We also talked about how these couple entrepreneurs were influenced by their own entrepreneur parents. Luke’s dad grew a hauling business from one truck to over 100. Maryguenn’s mom started a watermelon farm in arid, rural Utah. So how does being the offspring of entrepreneurial parents who became entrepreneurial parents impact raising their own kids...2020-01-1534 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitComin' Out Swinging: Luke Hinz And Maryguenn Vellinga of Rise Boxing, Park City, UT, Part 1We recorded this interview in a real, live boxing ring with Luke Hinz and his wife, Olympic boxing hopeful Maryguenn Vellinga, of RISE Boxing. She’s a high-caliber boxer, which sounds intense. He’s a big mountain skier. Whether it’s facing off against a boxer in the ring, or against a deadly mountain, these are courageous people. It also takes courage to open a boxing gym in a town most noted for skiing, mountain biking and fly fishing. They wanted a franchise, but felt it limited them. They’ve embraced a hybrid business model that offers both fitness and cont...2020-01-0844 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitNinjapreneurs: Rachel and Duncan Richardson of Bodies In Motion, Boise, Idaho, Part 2We are back with two people who are strong in will, in stature, and in relationship. Plus, they throw axes. We’re picking up where we left off with muscular marketer Rachel Richardson, and her engineer/American Ninja Warrior husband, Duncan. They own and operate Bodies In Motion, a unique gym and family recreation facility. They train American Ninja hopefuls, offer fitness classes and martial arts, a preschool and more. Their teamwork and sense of seizing the moment are sincere. Here in part 2, we ask some burning questions, like How do people NOT work with their spouse? And how sc...2020-01-0134 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitNinjapreneurs: Rachel and Duncan Richardson of Bodies In Motion, Boise, Idaho, Part 1These two are in seriously great shape, and they throw axes: We have a real, live American Ninja Warrior and his partner in muscle tone. Duncan and Rachel Richardson own a cool, one-of-a-kind gym called Bodies In Motion. You’re going to hear a lot about fitness—and teamwork. A hopeful for the TV show, American Ninja Warrior, Duncan never got a callback on his audition video. But then came the open-heart surgery. He and Rachel took a “vacation” at the Cleveland Clinic—and used the surgery as a video opportunity. Guess who finally got a callback from American Ninja Warr...2019-12-2541 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitBetter Together: How These Couples In Business Improve Each OtherFor episode 100, we’re digging into the archives for choice clips from the first six couples we interviewed: Ryan and Crystal Waugh of Waugh Cellars and Waugh Family Wines. They’re the first interview that made us think, Wow, we need to be a better couple. And during the interview, we swear we watched these two fall in love all over again. Robin & Jim Whitney of Whitney Advertising in Park City, Utah. They met in big New York advertising, and for over 20 years, they’ve been running their ad agency in Park City, and do most o...2019-12-1834 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitAdventure Travel For Two: Michael Hodgson & Therese Iknoian of HI Travel Tales, Part 2We are back in Grass Valley, California with travel writer/photographers Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian and their globe-spanning blog, HI Travel Tales. These award-winning journalists have transformed their print careers into digital success and are loving life. In this episode, we discuss the importance of acknowledging who’s the boss—and how that can be less challenging than you might imagine. A couple in business also requires a certain level of trust, and must be able to call BS on each other. A sense of humor is key. We discuss a quality that creative pros are good at, and...2019-12-1141 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitAdventure Travel For Two: Michael Hodgson & Therese Iknoian of HI Travel Tales, Part 1We’re in Grass Valley, California with travel writer/photographers Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian of HI Travel Tales. They’ve been to all 50 states, and 45 countries on all 7 continents. Both are award-winning journalists—there’s even a Pulitzer—and they transformed their careers from print to digital and are loving life. He was once a consultant, but gave it up because he couldn’t hold back—an apt metaphor for their lives together: they can’t do anything just halfway. The challenge of loving your work, being good at it and driven to do it, is that it becomes hard to...2019-12-0448 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitTeaching Meets Trampolines: Chad & Katie Babcock of JumpTime in Boise, Idaho, Part 2Chad and Katie Babcock of JumpTime indoor trampoline parks, TumbleTime tumbling, and SoccerTime indoor soccer, have operations around Idaho and Montana. They are both exceptional athletes with teaching degrees, and this empire began when Chad, a freestyle skier and self-described carny, started a TumbleBus business. For them, everything is about education. We’re going to hear them discuss the importance of developing thick skin, learning how to separate business from married life, and motivating each other in ways that we might not expect. Get ready for everything from big air—to small-child bodily fluids day at one of the busi...2019-11-2728 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitTeaching Meets Trampolines: Chad & Katie Babcock of JumpTime in Boise, Idaho, Part 1This guy calls himself a former carny, so maybe the question is: What kind of a carny becomes a successful sporting business entrepreneur with his wife, and half a dozen operations and 80 employees around Idaho and Montana? These two are objects in motion. Chad and Katie Babcock’s businesses are JumpTime, TumbleTime and SoccerTime—indoor trampoline, tumbling and soccer. They went from being teachers to educating in a much different way. They’re doing a job that’s fun, but also gives both kids and parents confidence. They’re respecting developmental levels, helping kids discover their talents, and helping parents un...2019-11-2030 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitRetail Partners In The Amazon Age: Amy Dannwolf and Jordan Jones of Powder7 in Golden, CO, Part 2We are back in Golden, Colorado, where Amy Dannwolf and Jordan Jones are crushing it in ski retail. Their brick-and-mortar and online retail store Powder7 is huge, both in size and stature—11,000 square feet of warehouse space, and a local retail sales floor, all run by a staff that has helped them earn kudos from Outside Magazine as a great place to work. We hear about how and why they have such great team members. And how does a business launched in Mom’s basement have an easier time being principled than some other businesses might? Powder7 also has some...2019-11-1339 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitRetail Partners In The Amazon Age: Amy Dannwolf and Jordan Jones of Powder7 in Golden, CO, Part 1This is a retail story for the digital age, when local businesses are worried about competing with Amazon. Amy Dannwolf and Jordan Jones of Powder7 in Golden, Colorado started a business in his mom’s basement with some lightly used snow skis. Today, they have 11,000 square feet of warehouse, and a retail storefront that serves customers from around Denver—and even around the world. They made this business work probably because they didn’t know anything about running retail or building websites. They had no expectations or preconceptions. They’re both track stars who met at Boston University. Jordan’s a histor...2019-11-0639 min
CoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitA Dog's Purpose, A Couple's Mission: Cathryn Michon & W. Bruce Cameron of Surprise Hit Films, Los Angeles, Part 2We are back in Los Angeles with the killer couple behind Surprise Hit Films. W. Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon are best known as co-screenwriters on the box-office busting movies from the film franchise that began with A Dog’s Purpose. They’ve been involved in studio pictures, independent film, TV, and bestselling novels. In this episode, we hear about how important is knowing who’s the boss—and handling staff complaints about the boss in a way that honors the partnership. This is especially important when the business is clearly not a democracy. There’s also a special warning fo...2019-10-3032 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitA Dog's Purpose, A Couple's Mission: Cathryn Michon & W. Bruce Cameron of Surprise Hit Films, Los Angeles, Part 1Hit 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...2019-10-2300 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitOwning A Bar Is Not For The Meek: Michael Eccleston and Katy Willis of Quarters Arcade Bar in Salt Lake City, Part 2Can you become so efficient, you don’t think you’re busy—even when you are? Good bartenders are good listeners, but these bar owners are a great case study for couple entrepreneurs. We’re back with Michael Eccleston and Katy Willis of Quarters Arcade Bar. Their story has interesting intel about couple cooperation, business insight, and will cure you of any fantasy about owning a bar. This convo is where yin meets yang and chaos meets lists and notes. (One loves a list. The other? Well…). There’s learning about, coping with and forgiving each other’s idiosyncrasies. And, bonus, in...2019-10-1600 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitOwning A Bar Is Not For The Meek: Michael Eccleston and Katy Willis of Quarters Arcade Bar in Salt Lake City, Part 1Today, 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 goin...2019-10-0900 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitForging An Entrepreneurial Relationship: Dave Lakhani & Sarah Skeem of Growth Foundry, Boise, ID, Part 2We continue talking with Dave Lakhani and Sarah Skeem of digital ad agency, Growth Foundry. We discuss treating both customer and employee well, and the things in your business that marketing won’t solve. There’s an unexpected lesson from a digital agency. We talk about making clients cry. (It happens. We’ve done it at our agency, Slow Burn Marketing.) What if your marketing is the difference between your kid going to college or not? Why does hiring a marketing agency run by a committed couple have an added benefit? And, as a business owner, why is connecting on a h...2019-10-0200 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitForging An Entrepreneurial Relationship: Dave Lakhani & Sarah Skeem of Growth Foundry, Boise, ID, Part 1She was going to change the world by becoming a lawyer, a politician, and the first woman president. For a while, he was living life angry. At 16, he had the courage to leave a religious cult and go out on his own. Today, he’s a marketing and persuasion pro. He’s been seen on CNN and CNBC, and in magazines like Success, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. As long as these two have been a couple, we kept wondering why they weren’t working together. Well, it happened. Dave Lakhani and Sarah Skeem finally started a business: a digital market...2019-09-2500 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitIs Entrepreneuriagational A Word: Paul & Laura Whitmore of Southport Congregational Church, Southport CT, Part 2Back with Reverends Paul and Laura Whitmore of Southport Congregational Church in Southport, Connecticut. Not obviously an entrepreneurial couple, they’ve accomplished something that requires a distinctly entrepreneurial sensibility: by their wit and wisdom and coupleco cooperation, they’ve grown a membership by over 300%, and increased the annual budget by 500%. In this episode, we get an up-close and personal idea how staggering the divorce rate is for married clergy. We also hear more about the job and relationship in terms of a Venn diagram—sometimes together, sometimes apart. But, can there be too much together? And can there be too mu...2019-09-1800 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitIs Entrepreneuriagational A Word: Paul & Laura Whitmore of Southport Congregational Church, Southport CT, Part 1This 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...2019-09-1100 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitThe Joker, Jedi And Java: Mike Tuiasoa And Cori Christine of Watchtower Comics And Coffee, Salt Lake City, Part 2We’re back with Mike Tuiasoa and Cori Christine, proprietors of an unusual mashup of a comic book store and coffee shop in Salt Lake City. We’ll be talking about the crowdfunding campaign that they used to fund their newer, better location—a campaign that succeeded in part because of national attention from important people. We’re also going to get even more candid. As nerds who were misunderstood and even harassed as kids, they have now found themselves with a business that is a haven for nerds, misfits and the under-represented. We’re going to be talking about thei...2019-09-0400 minCoupleCo: Working With Your Spouse For Fun & ProfitThe Joker, Jedi And Java: Mike Tuiasoa And Cori Christine of Watchtower Comics And Coffee, Salt Lake CitySmart, funny, passionate, committed—this couple has it all. And this conversation is an eye opener into the joys of nerd culture. The business also seems like an obvious mashup—but why didn’t anyone do it sooner? It took Cori Christine and Mike Tuiasoa to put comic books and latté together at Watchtower Coffee & Comics in Salt Lake City. In part, this is about buying an existing business to avoid the pain of breaking in a new boss. This is also a story we’ve heard before: a couple breaks up in the middle of their business. Will they reco...2019-08-2800 min
Hot Shots - Firey Little Rants On MarketingBuilding A Brand In A Bottle...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...2017-11-2700 min