Starting a business is like having a baby, or getting a new puppy or starting a new relationship.
It's exhilarating, exhausting, and occasionally, you wonder why you didn’t just get an adult dog or stay single!? haha kidding! But having a business partner, especially one who also has kids, is like having a co-parent who totally gets it. Here’s why partnering up is the way to go in my humble opinion.
Tag team the madness.
When you're both parents, you get to tag team the madness. One of us needs to be at a football game? No problem. The other can handle the shop. This way, we’re always there for our little athletes and dancers without the guilt of missing out. Vacation time? Psh, we’ve got that covered too. While one of us is off to Disney World or enjoying a mountain getaway for an anniversary, the other is holding down the fort. Everyone deserves a break, and with a partner, it’s actually possible!
I'm the big idea person.
I've got dreams as grand as a five-tiered wedding cake, and so does Dara! But Dara’s the steady hand that stops me from trying to serve that cake on a windy day. She plans, she organizes, and she gently reminds me that maybe we don’t need to turn the boutique into a dog rescue shop with a coffee bar and flower boutique. We balance each other perfectly. Dara is the queen of QuickBooks, inventory, and logistics. Together, we’re an unstoppable force. Like tequila and a beach vacation, like sun and sand, we just make sense.
Having someone to talk through every idea, every hiccup, and every victory is an underrated perk.
Running solo, there’s no one to celebrate the little wins with. Did we nail that tricky consignment deal? High fives all around! Did a customer give us a five-star review? Cue the happy dance. Sharing the highs and the lows makes the journey so much richer.
Sure, it's not all sunshine and roses.
There are disagreements, of course. Like when I bring up getting a puppy for the shop, I think it's a brilliant idea. I mean c'mon—a cute little fur-ball greeting customers! Dara sees right through it and knows I’d be the one taking it home and my family would be like "umm no." Spoiler alert: she's right. Or when I want to redecorate the entire shop, and Dara has to remind me we’re not made of money. And in the beginning there were lots of times when we needed to learn how the other person "worked" all our little quirks! But those moments are fleeting, and we always find common ground. Plus, having someone to hash things out with means we end up with stronger, well-thought-out decisions.
At the end of the day...
Having a business partner means sharing the load. We co-own this adventure 50/50, and there’s something incredibly rewarding about that. We work hard together, celebrate together, and yes, even stress out together. But knowing we’re in this side by side makes all the difference.
So if you’re thinking about starting a business and wondering whether to go it alone or find a partner, take it from me: find your Dara. Because life, like business, is better when you have someone to share it with. Plus, you might just dodge a few puppy-related/relationship disasters along the way.
With love DM xo