Or, 8 Tips from Jaime and Erin about successful partnerships.

Hi guys, sorry we’ve been super busy with getting our course ready. We decided to do a joint post with both of our perspectives on partnerships. We’re both married and work as a husband-and-wife team (even though our husbands have their own jobs to deal with). We also work together on BAKERY and a few other things.

1. Diversify.
No one should wear Ed Hardy t-shirts everyday, especially if your name is Jon Gosselin. Furthermore, it’s important that each partner in the collaboration keep a diverse set of skills and activities outside of the partnership. That way, you can take a break individually and re-connect when things get frazzled.

2. Align Your Goals.
Just like Kate’s hair is a bit… well, off-balance, so, too can your collaboration become disproportionate. Communicate often about the future of your collaboration and be sure you’re on the same page. After all, no one wants an asymmetrical haircut, let alone a cockeyed business.

3. Communicate.
And no, if the communication is on behalf of your lawyer(s), it doesn’t count. Talk often and in depth about scheduling, roles and future plans of the business. Communication is key in any relationship, whether or not the cameras are rolling.

4. Do Your Part.
It takes two to make eight children, and in a collaboration, it takes two to make your business work. Both partners need to pull their weight to succeed. If not, you never know when your partner’s production company will write your name out of the show…

5. Speak Up.
If you have a problem, don’t wait until you’ve got 5 TV cameras in front of your face and a bunch of babies. Speak up now, and do it tactfully.

6. Learn Some Trust.
I don’t know about you, but I (Jaime) am a super crazy anal-retentive control freak. Erin knows this. She accepts it. However, it’s been a challenge for me to let go of some things and trust that she is taking care of it and not off gallivanting with a 23-year-old.

7. Do What’s Best for the Business.
Think of your business as your litter of 8 children. It’s your baby. You want to watch it grow and make sure it gets the best treatment and attention. Sometimes you have to stop thinking about yourself, and think more about what’s best for the business.

8. Know That Things Change.
This one is a hard one. Don’t lock yourself into a long-term multi-season show deal. Take it one step and a time and meet with your partner often to re-evaluate where the business is going. If you do this frequently, you will both always be in sync with where things are. You can’t expect that when you are in your early 20s that you know where you’ll end up in 5, 10, 20 years.