Friend or Foe?
As those of you who have read our books know, we always weave a few serious subjects into whatever story we’re telling. We usually include health (mental, physical, emotional) issues, family dynamics or dysfunction and a wide range of topics about the elastic boundaries of friendship. Today we’re starting a series of blogs where we’ll ask you to weigh in—give us your take on some of the situations we have posed.
One of the most frequent questions we get asked (almost every interview including the one on YouTube http://youtube.com/watch?v=W7zB01MdqEE ) is how does working together affect your friendship? We established Pat and Gayle’s very different personalities in Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made and in Gotta Keep on Tryin’ —using Gayle’s ideas and creativity and Pat’s business savvy (and initially her money), they have formed the Ell and Me Company. But their different outlooks lead to a serious rift when they have opposing ideas about how to grow the business.
So today’s question is:
Would you go into business with your best friend? And if you did, do you think both your friendship and business would thrive—or even survive? Please feel free to post your comments here or send us an email if you're looking for a more "private" expression!
One of the most frequent questions we get asked (almost every interview including the one on YouTube http://youtube.com/watch?v=W7zB01MdqEE ) is how does working together affect your friendship? We established Pat and Gayle’s very different personalities in Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made and in Gotta Keep on Tryin’ —using Gayle’s ideas and creativity and Pat’s business savvy (and initially her money), they have formed the Ell and Me Company. But their different outlooks lead to a serious rift when they have opposing ideas about how to grow the business.
So today’s question is:
Would you go into business with your best friend? And if you did, do you think both your friendship and business would thrive—or even survive? Please feel free to post your comments here or send us an email if you're looking for a more "private" expression!
Labels: business, friendship, novel, writer, writing
1 Comments:
I have 4 friends. These are the women that I can count on no matter what and who in turn can count on me.
Each of these women are unique and talented in their own right, and anyone would be lucky to work with them in their chosen fields or on special projects. Anyone that is, but me.
I have tried working as a partner with one friend and though I love her to death does not work well with others and I don't have the time or energy to stay on top of her agenda to force her to work as a team. I'm too laid back and she prefers to be seen as a one woman show. So rather than look at it from a partnership angle I chose to just insist on payment for work rendered and a monthly stipend as a consultant. I still get to do what I love, she gets all the credit (which she loves), I get paid and we stay friends
Yet another friend has floated the idea of our beginning a literary magazine. She is an has a MA in English and would be the perfect person to write with. Accept, that we both have a tendency to be stubborn. Again, I am laid back and less likely to show the attention to detail that she would like. I can see this driving both of us crazy so I say friendship is more important.
I have successfully run a home based business as an independent paralegal for 5+ years and it is the ability to be self aware that permits me to know what kind of business woman I am and recognize that my fly by the seat of your pants, work 14 hour a day weeks followed by no work for 2 weeks is enough to make folks want to kill me.
I love all my friends like sisters and I never want something as petty as money or a business venture to cloud that bond.
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