Work Wife: The Power of Female Friendship To Drive Successful Businesses

Is the old adage "Friends and business don't mix" true? Not according to college friends Cerulo and Mazur, who translated their love of fashion and desire to support emerging fashion designers into a successful business, the e-commerce site Of a Kind. The authors credit part of their achievements to their intimacy, vulnerability, and mutual support—qualities often associated with women. They reflect on their experiences and interview 14 other "work-wife" partnerships, including Pam Koffler and Christine Vachon of the movie production firm Killer Films (now Killer Content), Deborah Jackson and Andrea Turner Moffitt of Plum Alley Investments, and Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs of Food 52. By exploring topics such as setting expectations, defining roles, dividing responsibility, dealing with finances, and addressing disputes, they deftly demonstrate how female friendships produce empowering business partnerships.