It’s far from business as usual for these power couples as they test the boundaries of their union by choosing to marry love and work
VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL
"HOWARD WEARS BOMBER JACKET AND TURTLENECK, BOTH FROM SANDRO; SHIRT FROM COS; AND HIS OWN PANTS. HUI NAN WEARS TWEED JACKET AND TURTLENECK, BOTH FROM SANDRO; DENIM DRESS FROM COS; AND HER OWN JEWELLERY."
Empire Eats Group
In business together for four years and married for six, this entrepreneurial couple draw on each other’s wisdom and knowledge when it comes to running their burgeoning culinary legacy, Empire Eats Group. The company counts 12 brands under its banner, including Standing Sushi Bar, Tanuki Raw, Salmon Samurai and The Secret Mermaid. While the two consider their company to be their first baby, Howard and Hui Nan are also parents to two young children.
What do you love about working with your spouse?
Howard: “I think one of the best things is that on the good days when you’re working together, you have someone who truly understands exactly what you are going through because she is right there going through it with you – together.”
Hui Nan: “It’s exhilarating to work with my husband and just seeing how his mind works. It’s quite fascinating to find out about all these ideas that he has inside of him and being able to help him execute them.”
What’s the hardest part?
Hui Nan: “I think the hardest part has been trying to find a balance between our interactions as partners in business and as partners in marriage. It’s inevitable that our business life will spill over into our personal lives, especially when there’s a disagreement, but over the years we’ve learnt to fight better.”
Howard: “In business, there are always a million different things that can make you feel frustrated. When you are frustrated and you’re interacting with someone a lot, your frustration is bound to come through even when that person is totally unaware of whatever is happening. Being married, because you’re so close, you don’t try to temper or mask those feelings.”
Do you think you’ve learnt more about each other through working together?
Hui Nan: “The business, especially over the last two years, has pushed me into situations where I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone and it’s reassuring to know he’s there alongside me in this journey. To realise just how resilient I’ve become through these trying times, that’s been nice to learn. Seeing him grow as well, I feel so fortunate to be married to this person who places his family’s needs, and our needs, before his own.”
Howard: “I think our core strengths are very complementary. She is a very detail-oriented person who likes to be hands-on in the restaurant, talking to the team, and mapping out things in an exact way. Whereas I’m more of an ‘ideas’ person. Nan is able to take that and figure out exactly what needs to be done to translate this feeling or idea that I want. She’s very good at that.”
What would you like to tell each other on Valentine’s Day?
Howard: “I love all the support she’s provided and especially through the times when things got really stressful. It’s incredible to see how she responds to that, which is hard as iron.”
Hui Nan: “I think back a lot to the time when he uttered his wedding vows to me and he is truly living up to what he said, promising me a life of excitement. Thank you for bringing me on this journey.”
"DR KIM WEARS DRESS, PANTS AND SHOES, ALL FROM COS. DR HUANG WEARS SUIT AND T-SHIRT, STYLIST’S OWN; AND SHOES FROM COS."
The Visiting Vets
It was not love at first sight for Dr Kim when she met her future hubby as an undergrad at the University of Melbourne. Theirs was a love that grew out of friendship first, which has bode them well once they started their own veterinary practice, The Visiting Vets, in 2015. Having tied the knot in 2014, the duo added a newborn into the mix last year, compounding the challenges they have to deal with as partners in work and marriage.
What do you love about working with your spouse?
Dr Huang: “I think it’s good knowing you have a partner whom you can truly trust and you don’t have to worry about getting cheated or that she’s not doing something in the best interest of the business, and that she has your back.”
Dr Kim: “That at the end of the day we still want the same things. We want our business to do well, we want to take care of our patients, and that our interests are still aligned.”
What’s the hardest thing?
Dr Kim: “I think it’s hard to find time to just be a family. We’re just always discussing work, at home or at the clinic, and we work pretty long hours. Our child comes with us to the clinic quite a lot, most days actually. It’s difficult finding time to switch off.”
Dr Huang: “You can’t just treat her as another coworker. Sometimes that can be a bit tough because you can’t speak to your wife in a loving manner at work, you almost have to be a bit brusque. Also, you’re spending so much time at work, but still need to make time for your relationship.”
Would you recommend that other couples try to start a business together?
Dr Huang: “I would say it’s very tough. It’s a great challenge unless there’s a clear leader and follower in the relationship, which we have not achieved. So, it’s tough.”
Dr Kim: “I would say don’t do it! You have to know each other really well. I wouldn’t recommend it for a new couple, because it can test your relationship, but if you do, make time for each other.”
What would you like to tell each other on Valentine’s Day?
Dr Kim: “I don’t say it enough but he’s doing a really good job as a father and it has definitely impressed me. And he’s been an incredible support to me.”
Dr Huang: “For the sake of our relationship, we’ve both had to readjust our priorities to put our family first. So I do appreciate her, although I don’t say it often enough.”
"ROBYN WEARS SILK DRESS FROM BROOKS BROTHERS; AND BRACELETS FROM ATELIER SWAROVSKI. DHYLAN WEARS SUIT AND SWEATER FROM BROOKS BROTHERS."
Le Petit Society
Bankers Robyn and Dhylan left their cushy jobs to take the daring leap into retail when they decided to launch Le Petit Society, a lifestyle clothing brand that focuses on delivering chic but affordable apparel for the family. Since exchanging vows in 2012, the pair has shared triumphs, tantrums and numerous tests while attempting to juggle entrepreneurship with raising their brood of three children.
What do you love about working with your spouse?
Robyn: “The best part is when you realise you have a partner in life who is on the same wavelength as you. We can agree on things fairly quickly, which makes the whole process so much easier. We also have the flexibility to plan our work around our personal schedule.”
Dhylan: “Many people think if you work together you get angry at each other all the time, but that’s not true. Most people don’t get the luxury of spending so much time together, and we do. I’m not saying we don’t need our own personal space, but it’s nice to be together and not have to take leave or go on holiday to do that.”
What’s the hardest thing?
Dhylan: “We chose to start our own business so that we could spend more time with our kids, but we’re so busy now, we’re actually spending less time with them. So, we’re trying to figure out how to re-establish that balance.”
Robyn: “We see each other 24/7. There’s no such thing as a time out. For a lot of people who work together, it’s a challenge to stay together, but when you’re married, the threshold for breaking up is much higher. We really treat our business seriously and that’s because we’re married. There’s more to lose if it doesn’t work out.”
Would you say working with your spouse is a benefit or burden?
Robyn: “We’ve managed to build a family alongside a business and I think we’ve been fairly successful on both fronts. So there’s definitely a sense of achievement when working with Dhylan.”
Dhylan: “When it comes to business, Robyn is able to handle a lot of decision making. I see my wife making intelligent, strategic moves every day, so I get to see her at her most beautiful every day. That’s definitely a benefit.”
What would you like to tell each other on Valentine’s Day?
Dhylan: “When we got married and had to say our vows to each other, the most memorable line for me was saying, ‘Robyn makes me the best man I can be’. That’s something that always makes me strive to be better every day. I can only do that because of her support and understanding.”
Robyn: “I love the father he’s become. He’s the husband I thought he would be, but I would never have imagined how good of a father he could be until he became one. I know I made the right choice in choosing him.”
