It’s a scary thought to be in business with your life partner. The stakes are so high! But the amazing value you can get out of it, when you dive deep and lean into one another’s Strengths, is overwhelmingly worth it. Learn more during today’s discussion with Jeff and Heather Coughenour.
About Jeff & Heather Coughenour
Jeff and Heather Coughenour are the dynamic duo behind Rebel 42, a copywriting and branding agency based out of Minneapolis, MN. They use their backgrounds in sales, business management, graphic design, and copywriting to help overwhelmed entrepreneurs create engaging content, brand clarity and focused marketing goals. They help their clients represent themselves authentically and strategically so they can find and engage their ideal customers.
Jeff and Heather also enjoy doing a Facebook Live feed every (Thirsty) Thursday night to talk about their beer choice of the week and the branding behind the label. What a nice reminder not to take things too seriously!
Heather’s Top 5 StrengthsFinder Strengths
- Strategic
- Achiever
- Relator
- Futuristic
- Ideation
Jeff’s Top 5 StrengthsFinder Strengths
- Deliberative
- Relator
- Consistency
- Analytical
- Intellection
Key Takeaways
- In long-term relationships, it’s amazing to know what the other person’s Strengths are! It gives you the ability to see that there’s another way to look at the world, and that way is OK!
- Your individual gifts shine in different areas, and that is what makes you, together, a whole company.
- StrengthsFinder can help you really focus your business and home in on what works best for you.
- If you’re considering bringing your partner or spouse into your business, have them take the StrengthsFinder profile. Just getting the profile done with give you some major “a-ha’s” that will help you enhance communication and help fill gaps that exist in your own Strengths.
Listen in now!
Alissa Daire Nelson Married to Your Business Partner? There’s Hope! With Jeff and Heather Coughenour Married to Your Business Partner? There’s Hope! With Jeff and Heather Coughenour
Time-Stamped Show Highlights
Our StrengthsFinder results look nothing alike, and we were worried that our business was doomed.
- [7:02] – Jeff’s Deliberative and Analytical in action
- [11:24] – Heather & Jeff’s shift from fear to excitement
There’s a learning curve, for sure! We had to learn a new way to look at something. But it started to shift our mindset from adversarial to advocates. Like any other muscle, however, as you develop it, it becomes easier.
What we’ve found is that people tend to think that Heather really runs the company (likely because she is a bit more charismatic). We have to be purposeful about getting Jeff in front of clients when they tend to reach out to Heather for everything.
- [21:52] – Using Strengths to help rebrand Rebel 42
- [25:03] – How to better communicate needs and wants with your business partner
Part of this is simply learning your partner’s Strengths. But there’s more to it to preempt conflict before you reach it.
- [28:57] – The Rebel 42 branding process
- [35:50] – A freebie offer, plus final thoughts for partners living and working together
Heather: “My biggest advice is to let it cool. Step away for a minute, calm down and start to look at the situation as a whole.”
Jeff: “Find something that you enjoy. When you start a business with your partner, it is so easy to let your work life take over your days. Make sure you stop and do something just for you.”
BONUS: “Don’t take it personally when your partner needs a break!”
