Working with your spouse in business isn’t always easy — but for us, it works
TL;DR:
Working with your spouse in business isn’t always smooth sailing, but for us, it’s been the foundation of our agency. Here’s what we’ve learned from co-founding Standard Beagle — together at work and at home.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2015 and has been updated to reflect where we are today—still building Standard Beagle together, still married, and still learning as we go. You can read more about our team here, but this is the story of how we got started — as co-founders, partners, and yes, spouses.
When we first started Standard Beagle, it wasn’t part of some master plan. I had been freelancing for a while, and Andy, my husband, had always been quietly cheering me on behind the scenes.
Then one day, he said something that changed everything:
“What if we did this together?”
At the time, I was the designer and UX strategist. Andy had deep skills in development and systems architecture. Together, we realized we could build something stronger than either of us could on our own. So we took a chance and turned my freelance practice into something bigger: a full-fledged UX agency.
And somehow… we didn’t kill each other.
Standard Beagle was born from trust—between two people, and now among a growing team.
What we’ve learned from co-founding and working with your spouse in business
Working with your partner means sharing a lot more than a desk. You’re blending work, life, values, and daily stressors in a way most people never experience. But over the years, we’ve figured out what makes our partnership (and our agency) tick.
Communication is everything
Early on, we had some heated “discussions” (OK, arguments) about how to run the business. One night, we were so stressed we found ourselves snapping at each other over when to send an invoice. Not our finest moment.
We learned quickly that silence doesn’t help anyone. Now, we check in constantly—about priorities, projects, and how we’re doing, both as partners and as co-founders. Talking it out is what keeps us moving forward.
Play to your strengths
Andy and I are very different in how we think and work—which is a blessing and a challenge.
He’s great with backend systems and infrastructure. I focus on design and UX strategy. At first, we tried to weigh in on everything together, but we soon realized: we needed to trust each other’s expertise and divide and conquer.
Now, we each stay in our lane — but meet in the middle when it counts.
Humor helps
Things got tense in the early days. We were juggling projects, parenting, and keeping the lights on.
Enter Bennie — our coonhound and the inspiration for our company name. Her deep, dramatic bark and total lack of personal space cracked us up when we needed it most. Having a “standard beagle” around reminded us not to take ourselves too seriously.
Even now, we make time to laugh, even if it’s just at ourselves.
Respect matters
One of the biggest lessons we learned? You can’t build a business — or a marriage — without mutual respect.
There were times we disagreed (strongly). But we always came back to the fact that we trusted each other. That respect became the foundation for how we lead our team, communicate with clients, and show up as business partners.
Building a business on trust and balance
Working with your spouse in business has its challenges, but it’s also taught us how to navigate big decisions, hard conversations, and daily stress with empathy and clarity — skills we bring to every client relationship.
Standard Beagle was born from trust — between two people, and many times among a growing team. Our clients often tell us they feel like we’re a partner, not a vendor. I think that comes from how we built our company: on collaboration, shared vision, and mutual support.
And no, we don’t always agree. But we’ve learned to work through it, and we apply that same flexibility and empathy to the way we design products, lead projects, and support our team.
Curious what it’s like to work with us?
We’re proud to say we’re still in business—and still married.
If you’re curious about what we’ve learned from working with your spouse in business (and how it shaped our approach to UX), we’d love to hear from you.
About the Author
Cindy Brummer is the Founder and Creative Director of Standard Beagle, where she helps B2B SaaS and health tech companies turn user insights into smart, scalable product strategy. She’s also a frequent speaker on UX leadership.
