FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020

(Photo by Amy Thorp)

COUPLES MAKING IT WORK!

“One of the biggest benefits of working together is that we know what to expect when it comes to the demands on our schedule and the necessary sacrifices of time.”

Jordan and Megan Barry realtors married since 2007

MB: In the real estate industry, a "typical" work schedule does not exist. At the beginning of our careers, we were quick to schedule things at everyone else's convenience but there are only so many family dinners or date nights that you want to miss, and so our priori ties have had to change. We used to ‘be available’ at all times but now put ourselves in the schedule and are very intentional with the time we take off.

“If we are away and not working, then we work hard to not work.”

MB: We also have the benefit of working towards the same goal. There is something so motivating in having someone working with you to achieve a target that is important to the team. We know, weekly, what we are both trying to accomplish and, even if we are working on different shortterm projects, the long-term goals are a team effort.

Building on Life’s Passions, Together

Of the working couples showcased here, a common thread exists between each of them: love for what they do—and each other

Colleen Wilson and Ken Achs Lawyer, designer; Owner of Mid-West Group Married since 1995

flow: How did you first begin working together? CW: Ken and I had just begun dating and we had plans to go to the movies. He said “Meet me at the office” as he had gotten bogged down in a situation over buying a building. Ken had lawyers on it, but they couldn’t resolve it fast enough to suit him. I said, “Come on, we’re going to be late for the movie. I’ll take a look at it tomorrow.” I resolved it quickly and it sealed my fate... flow: Do you know of other couples who work together? Who do you look up to in this regard? CW: [Laughing] There are no role models for this (kind of relationship). However I learned from my parents that if you have your own business, it’s not a 9-to-5 job.

“My mother was very much a stay-at-home, traditional wife and mom who was the hub of the household, and my father a successful entrepreneur working long hours. I think to be happily married to Ken, you had to come from that background and understand the sacrifices that go along with it.”

When I met Ken, I was a lawyer and I had a TV show and I was happy with my career, but when he could see that I could make a contribution to the business, which was his passion, he wanted me to work with him. It wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about what was good for us because that’s how we see marriage, as a partnership in every way. You support each other and so the personal partnership by happenstance grew into a business partnership. The fact was that I also knew if I ever wanted to see Ken I would have to work with him, and even though giving up my enjoyable career in law and television was not easy for me, when we got married Ken became my priority and that meant my career focus had to be the business. KA: I joke that I only work half-days: twelve hours. No, I’m not aware of any role models; we just kind of worked it out. We had skills that complemented one another, and while we each had strong opinions about business matters, somewhere in the middle we came together, and the result was very good. Like-mindedness and conscientiousness work for us. People that have those traits stay with us because we’re all on the same page. CW: I enjoy what Ken does. When we go on vacation, we don’t go to lie around on a beach all day. We go places where we look around at properties and sites that look interesting to develop. For us, there’s no real secret to work/

Text and interviews by Paul Miazga, Naomi Zurevinski and Marina Pshebylo Photos by Amy Thorp (except as noted)

life balance. As our CFO Trevor Jacek says, we have “fully integrated” our work/personal life relationship. So while we don’t really have any role models, we have some critically important people that work with us and “get” us, and who understands how Ken and I interact. flow: What’s changed since your relationship started? CW: At the beginning, we didn’t talk about work as much—there were a few discussions about personal things, but now it always seems to end up in some discussion about business. One of the problems in working with your spouse in these all-consuming businesses is that you don’t know when to draw the line and stop talking about business. We even worked on our engagement trip to New York. It wasn’t planned that way, but when a bundle of time-sensitive legal documents got FedEx-ed to us, I had to review them. Lots of fiancées would’ve been annoyed, but it’s just part of life with Ken. It was probably about then that I drank the Kool-Aid and became as consumed as Ken for wanting to do business deals. However, I would love to have a little more balance, and while Ken has been saying for years says he’s go ing to try, it never changes. He loves his work and I’m proud of him for what he does. His enthusiasm is infectious. We keep each other re-inspired, pick each other up, and feed off of each other.

Rachel Kong and Andy Yuen Accountant; Engineer Co-owners of Odd Couple Married since 2014

(Courtesy photo)

flow: What, if anything, has changed in your relationship since you started working together? AY: I think we learn a lot from each other. For the most part, I am super grateful that Rachel and I have the opportunity to work together because I get to spend a lot of time with her, a lot more than I even expected.

“If Rachel was still a corporate accountant and I still worked as an engineer, we would have a typical 8-to-5 work schedule and could only see each other after work, whereas now we commute together, we work together at the restaurant sometimes, and strategize our business together.”

AY: Obviously, sometimes we disagree with each other, and we have learned to not bring work home—physically and mentally. Overall, we appreciate that we get to work together and build our business together. flow: What’s new on the horizon for you and your business? What should the public know about what you do? AY: For this year, my goal is to launch a delivery division of Odd Couple. Currently, we only offer dining in or takeouts. We deliberately did not sign up with delivery providers like Skip the Dishes, Door Dash, etc., as from our point of view we don’t get to control our guest’s overall experience. We also do not want to compromise any service level for dine-in customers, so we want to do it at our own pace.

Heather and Cam Williams Brewmasters; owners at Prairie Sun Brewery Together since 2011

flow: How, when and why did you decide to start doing business together? HW: Cam and I met while working at Paddock Wood Brewing Company. We instantly bonded over our love of beer and started taking beer trips, doing home brewing and judging beer together. We ran a lot of the day-to-day operations over there together and realized we did it very well and without fighting. Soon we started developing a business plan, wondering if we could pull enough finances together to start brewing our own recipes and selling them out of a tap room. We were able to and started a small 10bbl brewery after about a year of planning. We opened our doors in August 2013. flow: What, if anything, has changed in your relationship since you started working together? CW: We are working in our second brewery together; we have grown and our day-to-day jobs have changed a lot to more of leadership than manage rial duties, though our relationship has stayed very much the same. We are best friends and love to have beers together and dream up new projects and adventures. We also now share a very beautiful 2.5-year-old girl, Azalea. She is the light of our world and a little brewery princess. She plays “brewery” every day at daycare, we are told. flow: What are the benefits/strengths of working together? What are some of the pitfalls or issues? CW: There are many benefits of working together. One is communication: being together at breakfast, during work while watching TV, which makes it easy to pass important business information back and forth in real time. You also don’t need to always be worried about upsetting or offending the other person. HW: It’s very important to be sensitive and aware of how we talk and interact with people like staff, customers, suppliers, etc., but sometimes you just want to complain or frown and maybe cry a little. This is always ok to do with each other because we know exactly what the other person is going through.

“If we didn’t have that support or outlet in the office, I think it would be really tough to stick out those long days. You just can’t be on-point 100 percent of the day!”

Brad and Carmen Hamm Owners of Taste Restaurant Group Married since 2012

NZ: How, when and why did you decide to do business together? CH: We were married in 2012, and we love the challenge of creating something of value that others can enjoy. Hospitality is a great fit for us, and we decided to move forward in this industry in 2014. We were fortunate to have a clear and compatible vision for the businesses we wanted to create. Our hopes and prayers became reality when we were able to hire the amazing team we have around us. NZ: Do you have any role models when it comes to doing business? BH: When I was growing up, I had front row seats to strong role models who were partners in both life and business. My parents founded a construction business in the city that continues to grow under the leadership of my brother today. But it was more than that:

“...while my parents worked as entrepreneurs, they modelled partnership in other ways as they raised three boys, gave their time as volunteers, and spent time visiting those who were sick, hospitalized or shut-in.”

BH: Their social life was strong and they even managed to fill a mantel of trophies for win ning card tournaments together. They set the bar high while working very humbly and graciously. I couldn’t have had better role models for what we’re trying to do.

NZ: What, if anything, has changed in your relationship since you started working together? CH: Thankfulness, laughter and contribution. We know we are fortunate to be able to work together, and even during seasons of sleepless nights, we remind each other how lucky we are. When things really hit the fan, we double down on our efforts but try to keep our sense of humour. On the days when laughter is a stretch, we still remind each other that we have much to be thankful for and we are a part of a bigger vision for the future. NZ: What are the benefits, strengths and pitfalls of working together? CH: The benefit of working together stems from our complementary strengths and common val ues. We’ve worked hard to define those and then to make room for each other and our business to thrive. We work hard to keep our egos in check and try to gently and graciously be the other’s “mirror,” keeping each other sharp and growing. NZ: What’s new on the horizon for you and your business? CH: First, we recently acquired an additional arm to our business, The Cure Artisanal Charcuterie. We’re proud to be working with Lorenzo Brazzini as he develops our in-house butchery program as well as developing both in-house and retail cured, artisanal meats. As a third-generation Italian artisanal butcher, Lorenzo brings a ton of talent to our team. Second, we recently launched our Taste Restaurants Catering program. We have three amazing senior chefs with a combined 30 years of catering experience. Finally, we are also really passionate about growing the nonprofit side of our business. We currently partner with MealShare, FoodRenew and Water First, and we’re working towards some exciting food security and sustainability initiatives locally and internationally in the coming years. Brad and Carmen, from p. 20

Alex Pozsonyi and Susan Gallagher Graphic designer; Interior designer Owners of Soul Paper Paperie Married since 1999

NZ: How, when and why did you decide to start doing business together? SG: Ever since we met, we have collaborated on projects, whether it was for class, client or personal projects. We even renovated our whole home together, doing all the design and labour. Creating a shop like Soul Paper is a dream I have had since I was a child. The great old shops in Moose Jaw, my hometown, inspired me. So it was a natural progression for us to move towards. Then in 2011, I attended the Praxis School of Entrepreneurship here in Saskatoon to complete our business plan, and we incorporated shortly after. We opened our doors in August 2014 after much time spent finding a special location. NZ: What are the benefits, strengths and pitfalls of working together? SG: Honestly, it depends on the day. Some thing that is a strength one day (becomes) in a particular situation a pitfall on another day. There is history and subtle nuances in being a couple that sometimes work their way into the business relationship. It’s not all bliss to be sure, but working with each other makes the successes much sweeter and the disappointments lighter to carry. NZ: What’s new on the horizon for you and your business? SG: This new decade will begin with new offer ings in Saskatoon as well as online. We will also be expanding our commitment to our community with fresh workshops, gatherings and pop-ups.

Jamie Lee Shebelski and Will Brooks Actor; Artistic Producer for Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Married since 2005

flow: What role models do you have for working together as a married couple? JLS: Collaboration in theatre is difficult whether you’re a couple or not. A home relationship complicates things, so it takes a conscious effort to not bring up at home those arguments or discussions that you had at work. We fairly consciously established a private life outside of theatre to create more separation there. Once we became foster parents, it’s become much more difficult to work together now. “If we’re not going to be able to work together, let’s positively do it never again.”

WB: Schedules in this industry are ridiculous—they’re not family-friendly. You’re working for 12–15 hours during walk-throughs on set. How many daycares work from noon to midnight on a Sunday? flow: What’s on the horizon for your work? WB: There’s the development of the site. On July 10, we will welcome our first public audience to the new home of Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. This summer, we’re doing The Tempest and Macbeth. JLS: We’re also finalizing the process of adopting our older foster son, Liam, who is 5, so we’re really excited about that!

Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote and John Cote Farmers, owners of Black Fox Farm & Distillery Married since 1987

MP: How did your latest farming operation start? JC: After a few hiccups trying to grow corn we decided to trade vegetables for flowers and wine for something a little stronger. We’re known all over the world for growing the best-quality grains for bread and pastas, so why shouldn’t we be able to make the best spirits in the world? We’re farmers and we know farming well, so growing the grain gives us better control over the base ingredients. We visited other distilleries and did plenty of our own experimentation before we started bottling our first batch of gin in the summer of 2015. BSC: The biggest thing that sets us apart from other distilleries is that we grow our own ingredients. Everything happens on their property: growing, harvesting and distilling. We take pride in our products and put our heart and soul into every step of the process. MP: How do they make a business partnership and a marriage work? JC: First of all, we genuinely enjoy spending time together. Second, we both have different strengths and we play to those and lean on our partner for theirs. Third, we have a great understanding that we get to create something together and that we would get to spend the most time together if we created a business together. BSC: You each know why you’re working from dawn until dusk and you get to do that together—we’re building something together. We get to spend a lot more time together than most married couples, and we love it!