Running With Sisters-Teamwork With A Smile

    Kitty is the one in Zumba class who always knows the moves. You know the one.  I follow her lead because I never know the moves.  And she is always smiling.  Even when she pulled a tendon, she kept on smiling, really!  We chatted recently over a glass of wine and she enthusiastically told me about the business she and her sister have built together.  Her description of their working relationship prompted me to ask if they would share about building their business together.  Kitty and her sister Jennifer jointly write books and articles for major magazines describing fun and easy craft projects for the whole family, using found “treasures”.

    In the spirit of using our own “treasures” to design a legacy or create a memory, they offered some ideas for family time during Thanksgiving weekend.  You’ll find their story and a couple of their suggestions below. You can also find out more about their fun ideas at the blog www.RunningWithSisters.com  It should keep you smiling during the family gatherings ahead.

Loren: I love the name of your business - Running With Sisters. How did you decide to start a business together?

Kitty: We didn't really plan on starting a business together. But we had an idea for a book. It was when Feng Shui was really popular and we are both big time collectors.  People would joke that our Chi was going to get lost in our houses because we have too much stuff. We thought of a book that celebrates your stuff instead of trying to get rid of it. Funky Shui! We met an agent, sent her the proposal, and she got us a book deal! We had so much fun writing the book together, we decided to keep it going!
 
Loren: Describe how you work together on a regular basis. Some families might like to pick up a few pointers on how to work with each other and avoid pulling out the sharp instruments.

Jennifer: We work every day, Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm. When you are self-employed, time can get away from you so the schedule helps to make it concrete. Also, when you depend on someone else to work with, you need to have a fixed and reliable schedule. We take our business very seriously and this schedule sets that tone for both of us. We either write and do tasks over the phone or get together to do photoshoots and crafts. We have a "to do" list we work from, so we know each day what's on the agenda.

Kitty: As for getting along, we are both pretty equally matched in how serious we want to take our business, how many hours we want to work, and where we want to take the business from here. Having that shared vision is critical.

Jennifer: Day to day, we are kind to each other, give each other the benefit of the doubt, and do whatever we each need to do to keep from ruffling the other's feathers. We love each other, so we err on the side of being extra nice. Plus it's more fun to work together when you're nice to each other!

Loren: Do you have other siblings and what did your family do when you were younger to foster such great camaraderie and cooperation?

Jennifer & Kitty: We always got along well. When Kitty got her own room after our older brothers moved out, Jennifer came over and spent the night almost every night.
 
Loren:  O.k., here’s my curve ball question. If you could see the world a better place in 50 years, what would you like to pass on to your family and friends that would keep that vision alive?

Kitty: We laughed when we read this question. We feel lucky to work in an arena of pure leisure and enjoyment like crafts. We want our articles to make the world a little bit nicer and a little more fun place. If everyone had the goal to make what they touch a little better, a little nicer, a little more wonderful…wouldn't that add up? 
 
Loren:  Definitely! In retrospect, what would you have done a bit differently in starting or growing your business together?

Jennifer: We both agree we are terrible risk takers. We should have taken bigger risks sooner and we still are not big risk takers! It's hard!
 
Loren: Thank-you for taking a risk and sharing your thoughts with us. Thanksgiving seems like great opportunity to create some fun family memories. Do you have a simple and fun project our family could do over Thanksgiving weekend?

Kitty: The Thankstionary and the Thank You Cards would be super fun for parents and kids to do together.
http://www.oneilsisters.com/kidcrafts/Thankstionary.html
http://www.oneilsisters.com/Thanksgiving/ThankYouCards.html

Post a comment on how the project worked or ideas for other family businesses.