In this very special episode, Elizabeth interviews her business partner and lover, Derek Solberg. They chat about the challenges and joys of working on the Hair Love brand together, and how allowing your partner to spread their wings and reach higher with your support is one of the most meaningful ways to show your love.
2:12 – Getting to know Derek
Derek reveals and talks about his strange hobby: beekeeping. He also does woodworking. Derek shares what the hardest part of dating Elizabeth is like.
7:35 – The Pros and Cons of Working Together
One con is that you will spend a lot of time together. Everyone needs alone time, so it’s important to make sure both of you are getting that space.
One possible downside of working together is one of you having the fear of losing your identity. If one of you is jumping into the business with you, they might feel worried that they are losing part of themselves by diving in. Regardless of when in the process you start working together, you can both work to grow your business like a baby – or a garden.
13:22 – How They Met
Thanks to modern technology, Elizabeth and Derek met on Tinder. Both of them share their side of the story how their chance meeting on the dating app blossomed into a relationship.
21:30 – The Pros of Working Together
Elizabeth thinks that working with her partner adds a lot of layers to their relationship. She talks about how you’re constantly intertwining your lives together.
Derek thinks that it’s been easy to grow together and understand each other. When one of you wins, both of you win big.
Even if you aren’t working with your partner, make sure you are bringing them along on the journey with you. Share stories from your work life, introduce them to your coworkers. This helps both of you feel like you aren’t alone on separate professional islands.
26:25 – Five Things We’ve Learned
#1 Meet in the middle & set rules
Boundaries and rules are good! It’s important to set boundaries for when work hours are happening, and when you make time to connect as a couple.
#2 Communication
Everyday communication is so crucial. Checking in with each other frequently about what projects need to get done, and making sure expectations are clear makes a world of difference.
#3 It’s not always easy and that’s totally OK
Being in business is HARD, especially when you are doing it with a partner. Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean that you are bad at being a couple, or shouldn’t be doing it. And ultimately, it ends up being so rewarding to see a project finished that you created together.
#4 You are stronger together
Having someone love you and believe in you can transform your work. Allowing your partner to spread their wings and reach higher while giving them your support is one of the most meaningful ways to show your love for your partner. If you are able to do this for each other (whether you’re in business together or not) you’ll both grow as individuals and together.
#5 Have outside interests
As much as you love each other, you still want to feel like your own person. Whether you work together or not, it’s important to have friends, social time, and outside hobbies. Making sure you are taking care of your interests and needs will ultimately make you a better partner.
44:00 – Hiring a nanny & date nights
Elizabeth and Derek chat about how hiring a nanny recently has been life changing. They also talk about how making date nights a priority is important for them to get quality time together that isn’t related to work or parenting.
Make sure you are enjoying your work
Not taking yourself too seriously and maintaining a playful attitude during work will help you enjoy your work more and stay lighthearted at work. Derek reminds us that it’s about the journey not the destination, and staying present and playful during work hours helps so much.
If you loved this episode of Hair Love Radio, please leave us a review on iTunes. It helps a lot!
You can also subscribe to our mailing list to get updates every time we release a new episode:
