4 Tips for working with your significant other! The other day I was asked what it’s like working with Michael. I had to pause because sometimes I forget that we do work together 😂😅 we have been working together in some capacity since we started dating. A few weeks into dating I asked if he wanted to come to watch a photoshoot I had for a brand campaign. When it was over, he proposed being a photographer for me if I ever needed one. He’s been my photographer ever since 🙌🏾😂 He played a significant role in developing our first @isalinebeauty product and of course many of you know we work together on @thenewellhouse. I decided to make a short list of tips for working with your significant other since a lot of us are still working from home together and even starting businesses with our mates: (1) Know each other’s strengths: for each business, we work on, we have relegated duties without much overlap. Michael will be the first to admit that the creative part of the business is not his forte. When it comes to the budget, management, and most legal tasks, I feel the same 😂 We stay in our lanes. Setting each person’s expectations for their roles at the outset and playing to each person’s strengths makes a huge difference! (2) Boundaries: As hard as it is, work and business should be kept separate as much as possible. I would like to pretend at 5 we shut down but we are always working. For us, work stress and conflicts mustn’t spill over into our personal life. Work is work and home is home. It takes hard work but being intentional about this will help you in the long run. (3) Communication is key: this is true of any relationship, but especially when you start working together. Being able to articulate your viewpoint in a respectful, concise way, makes life and work much easier! 🙌🏾😅 (4) It’s not for everyone and that’s okay! This is probably my biggest tip. I get so many messages from people wanting to know how to get their significant others to help them with their content creation. At the end of the day, it’s not something you can force. Some personalities work great in a relationship and terribly in business. #blacklovedoc #blacklove #thenewellyweds