Ladies Who Launch: Sleepin' and Workin' Together

Most people find it daunting to consider moving in with someone. When you're newly in love, you want to eat, breathe, sleep and practically BE the other person half the time. But to live and work, side by side, after years of marriage, is another proposition. Partnerships take many forms, as we talked about in the Ladies Who Launch magazine, but marriage and business can either be hugely disasterous or uniquely prosperous. Some couples do it with harmony and seamless division of labor, while others find that their chemistry in other realms doesn't translate well to the office. Holli Ehrlich and her man, fortunately, have built something that works in the boardroom and bedroom.

Amy Swift, Editor In Chief, Ladies Who Launch

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Holli Ehrlich

New York Incubator

Wedding Podcast Network, www.WeddingPodcastNetwork.com

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All You Need is Love - A Tale of a Happily Married Entrepreneurial Couple

My husband Robert Allen and I have been happily married 16 years and have been working together ever since we got home from our honeymoon. Together we successfully ran a video production company documenting special events. Two years ago we co-founded Wedding Podcast Network www.weddingpodcastnetwork.com, a new bridal media company, and now work closer than ever - VERY closely! Our compatibility is extraordinary. We are friends, lovers and business partners.

What's good? As in any successful partnership and relationship we communicate well and really listen to each other's ideas. We make decisions together that will affect our business and our family. The key is balance. We are each other's yin and yang. We complement each other's strengths and weaknesses. We both wear many hats, but each brings something special to the company. We both have creative input and deal with most of the daily operations together. We help each other accomplish our goals daily. Robert is the executive producer and the master tech guy ensuring the best audio quality and production value. I prioritize the aesthetics and brand as well as book guests on the network. Respect, trust, hard work, talent, patience, high energy and self motivation are integral to any strong partnership in business and marriage.

What's bad? We work together nonstop, 24/7. You wake up, take the kids to school and get right on the computer. Something ALWAYS needs to be done - proposals, e-mails, e-mails, and more e-mails, phone calls, meetings, scheduling, sales, marketing, publicity, newsletters, recordings. It's hard to switch on the "off" button. Business chat rules whether at home or in the car. Arguments, complaining and shop talk need to be kept in check. There is a high level of stress. Pick your battles. We don't always agree, but try our best to compromise - or escape and watch some reality TV. Not agreeing sometimes results in a battle, but we learn and grow from this too. Making up can be fun! And we have two children, Lindsey, age 14, and Alex, age 11, and need to keep their lives and schedules in mind. This entrepreneurial business is our third child and we care about it greatly.

It's not easy working with a spouse, but we achieve personal satisfaction because we believe that what we are working on is innovative and helpful to couples worldwide. Being a loving, married husband/wife team in the business of love, weddings and marriage is a powerful connection that offers credibility and comfort to our audience. They trust us personally and professionally. Together we are a dynamic duo that enjoys sharing the ups and downs of life and business partnership together happily ever after.

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Holli Ehrlich is Co-founder and Producer of Wedding Podcast Network, the first and best place to listen to wedding planning advice on the Internet. Robert and Holli have been partners in marriage and professionally involved in the wedding industry for more than 20 years. They are successful new media producers using podcasting as a means of reaching global audiences in the hundreds of thousands. Prior to Wedding Podcast Network, Holli was a former executive in both publishing and high-end retail management. Holli is a proud mother of two children Lindsey and Alex.