Chrisney and Adam Formosa
Much ink has been spilled over the dangers of running a business with your partner, but not enough has been said about the unparalleled convenience. When Chrisney Formosa decided to start a greeting card brand in the middle of a pandemic-inspired lockdown, enlisting her husband Adam was a no-brainer. Not only were the pair already cooped up side by side every day sharing a workspace, they knew each other’s working styles inside out. “It really just makes sense,” Chrisney says. “Your significant other is there all the time, and they’ve got your best interests at heart.”
The Brisbane couple met 14 years ago at an architecture firm – Adam was one of the senior designers and Chrisney had just started as a student architect. (Long story short, Chrisney wooed Adam and the pair got hitched in 2015.) Both still hold day jobs in architecture – though now at different firms – and work together on their business Mrs. Fo. on weekends. Chrisney takes care of the art and creative side, while Adam sorts out the back-of-house systems and logistics.
Having already worked together in some way for seven years, starting a new venture wasn’t particularly daunting for them. Plus, they’d given it a whirl a decade earlier when they teamed up on Chrisney’s former shoe business – an experience that taught them a lot about boundaries. “It’s hard to find separation from work and home life when you’re interested in the same things,” Adam says. Chrisney agrees: “You want to talk about work all the time, especially when you’re someone like me who’s bad at switching off.”
Eventually, they learnt to create healthier routines and are no longer afraid to be blunt to one another if they don’t feel like discussing business. “You have to respect the other person’s wishes,” Adam says. “There’s a time and place to talk about work.” What Chrisney appreciates most about their working relationship is the space to be completely honest. “You can get angry, stressed, be emotional. It’s different to working with other people where you have to put on a façade. I can tell it like it is because I’m never going to push too far – we’ve always got the relationship to come back to.” The other benefit of working with your partner in life is having a cheerleader who pushes you to do your best. “I know what Adam’s good at and what he’s capable of, and I can remind him when he’s slacking off!” Chrisney laughs.
The Formosas don’t want to sugar-coat their partnership – but they wouldn’t have it any other way, either. They’ve argued, pushed each other’s buttons and gotten testy plenty of times, especially during lockdown, when they were working from the same room all day. “It’s not an easy thing to do,” Chrisney admits. “If anyone says it is, they’re either lying or they’ve got this amazing relationship that’s one in a million.”
The crucial thing, they agree, is to get over the tiffs without taking things too personally. Oh, and to find separate hobbies. “Make sure you actually spend time apart,” Adam advises. “When we first started working together, we didn’t do that enough.” Chrisney adds: “It became stressful and put a strain on our relationship. You need to get out of the house; have coffee with a friend – not being so reliant on the other person is really important, as horrible as that sounds!”