It Takes Two, Baby
“When you start your own business you’re no longer married to just your spouse, you’re married to your business.” It’s been decades, but I still remember my uncle’s sage words of advice to my brother Richard. My uncle had the vantage point of running a family business (a photography studio and, later, a pool business) along with his brothers for nearly his entire adult life; my brother was preparing to open a marketing agency with one of his best friends.
Uncle Billy, of course, was right. Both men achieved business success in their respective generations—but when one owns a business, you never operate it alone. Life partners become business partners, whether official or unofficial. Spouses, as well as kids (right, Chris?), siblings, and friends, all play a role in the exhilarating, frightening, fantastic, all-consuming roller coaster ride that is a family business.
So, perhaps it’s no surprise that I’ve always been fascinated by small, independent “family” businesses. I grew up with them, and New Jersey is rich with them. From the bakery down the street to the family farm, I believe the true lifeblood of these entrepreneurial ventures is the personal bond that exists between the husband and wife, life partners, mother and daughter, or brothers who are so uniquely committed to their operation.
In this issue, we finally take what is, for me, a long-awaited look at this phenomenon in Elizabeth Moglia Jackson’s “Couple Capital” (page 26). How can a couple give nearly everything to building their business 24/7 while sustaining a healthy relationship? We think you’ll find the insights inspiring, whether you own your own business or not.
Since it’s spring, we’re also digging into the advantages of community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscription programs (page 22), looking at a new wine course from Rutgers (page 60), trying a new restaurant (page 36), enjoying some jazz (page 42), and other adventures. And as we head to press with this particular issue, I can’t help but reflect on the role that my husband, Ray, has played in this, and every, issue of Edible Jersey.
Ray and I have worked our business—Edible Jersey—together for over 18 years now and to say I couldn’t do it without him would be a major understatement. We bring different strengths to the business and there are areas where our talents overlap. Ray is the one who calms me down when I look at our bank account; I’m the one who reminds him of the need to stay on deadline. There is give and take, puzzling through strategies, brainstorming, disagreements (of course!), deliberating decisions, lifting each other up when needed and, yes, love and laughter along the way.
On the day we married nearly thirty years ago, in October of 1995, Ray and I certainly didn’t foresee that we would one day become business partners as well as life partners. It’s not always easy working with one’s spouse every day, but here we are—and our lives as well as our marriage have been enriched by it. Love you, Ray. It takes two, Baby. Me and you.
Sincerely,
Nancy Brannigan Painter, Editor & Publisher
