Partners of local entrepreneurs speak of having successful relationships at startup festival
In this 2017 photo, a mural depicting various Utah startups and Utah companies adorns the wall at the new Silicon Slopes headquarters in Lehi.
In this 2017 photo, a mural adorns the wall of the Silicon Slopes nonprofit organization’s Lehi headquarters.
StartFEST, a startup festival celebrating Utah’s evolving tech scene around Silicon Slopes, was held June 16-17 with various local startups being spotlighted. One of the panels at the event revolved around the partners of entrepreneurs and how successful businesses and relationships were built.
Amy Osmond Cook, chief marketing officer for Simplus and founder of Osmond Marketing, moderated the panel that included Charlene Edmunds, partner of Entrata CEO Adam Edmunds; Megan Ord, partner of GuideCX CEO Peter Ord; and Jim Birch, partner of Salsa Queen CEO Maharba Zapata.
The discussion dove into the pitfalls, pleasures and possibility of being in a successful relationship with an entrepreneur.
One of those pitfalls was the fact that entrepreneurs are often unable to escape from the business, often bringing work home. The panelists talked about experiences in which their partners could not get away from work while on vacation, while there was a belief that as the CEO of a business you could get unlimited paid time off.
That bubble was burst for the partners, and Birch even brought up a story in which his wife forgot her cellphone while on the way to a Hawaiian vacation. It was a good escape for her, but Birch said the work piled on when the couple returned home.
Edmunds said she likes to go on cruises with her husband due to the lack of good cell service. It’s a time when her husband had to disconnect completely.
“You just need to have fun together,” Edmunds said when asked about tips for having a relationship with an entrepreneur. “Communicate and have fun together, take the time. Life gets stressful and if it’s hard, you’re doing it right.”
She added that a relationship being difficult is not a bad thing, that it’s good to work on it through the process. For their relationship, Edmunds said she is doing pain in progress over pain in stagnation.
Osmond said something that works for her is the ability her husband has to flip from a heated discussion to watching a television show, moving on from an argument and not letting things fester for too long.
The final question posed to the panel was aimed at entrepreneurs watching, with the panelists advising on how to have a successful business and relationship.
Edmunds stressed that entrepreneurs and partners need to know that the relationship is a priority. While the business may be everything for the entrepreneurs, spending many hours away from home, the relationship should come first.
“Letting each other know that you are a top priority, even above the business,” Edmunds said. “A priority, having a safe space together, communication, and just have fun. Don’t ever stop having fun; when you’re not having fun, it goes down.”
To learn more about StartFEST or to watch any of the recorded events, visit www.startfestival.com.