All’s fair in love and business

CHENNAI : Don’t mix business and love’, is an old cliche that’s offered as advice when couples decide to begin a venture together. Three entrepreneurial couples who’ve risen above cliches, talk about their journey of taking on the challenge of starting a business together, and finding the right balance between matters of the heart and work.

‘We make time for ourselves’
Navz and Deepika, India’s only couple DJ, got creative in mixing business and love together when they found ‘DJs for U’, an entertainment company, in 2016, after marriage. “We dated for six years and then got married. So far, we have done more than 1,800 shows together,” says Deepika.The pair recently won the Best Couple DJ title at Sound Room Music Awards and are also the co-founders of Hub, a restaurant in ECR.

The couple always make time for themselves and have their roles clearly sorted. “We respect each other and ensure that there are no ego clashes. We are dedicated towards work, but that doesn’t affect our bond,” says Deepika.     Being able to turn their passion into a profession, and doing it along with the person they love has been a major learning curve for the pair. 

‘To accept and embrace one another’

Krishnaswamy and his wife Indhumathy set up Ki Artworks, a handmade gifts and party supplies venture, in 2012 and The Happy Diaries, an event decor and planning company, in 2016. “We were brought together by our passion for art and creativity,” says the duo.

Managing challenges in their personal and professional lives has been easy, with help and love from their families. “We believe in understanding each others’ strengths,” shares Indhumathy.
Indhu, is a ‘people charmer’ and Krishna manages negotiating and material sourcing. “Our teamwork has made entrepreneurship possible and we’ve learned so much from each other,” says Krishna.

‘Our business brings us closer every day’

Vishant and Kalyani took over Gogo Ramen in April 2016 and a month later, got married to each other. “The initiative was taken together as we both had the same mindset. We had initially floated a company to set up something of our own in Cochin and eventually ended up taking over Gogo Ramen,” says Vishant
Both were used to handling room operations. When the duo discussed their long-term goals they realised they had the same inclination towards setting up an F&B unit of their own. 

It was a bold move and drained them to an extent financially. “Kalyani stood by me and we were determined to go ahead in spite of all the chances we could have had,” shares Vishant. Vishant confesses that they have been tried, tested and pushed to their wit’s end. “But, we realised that the restaurant is also a factor that brings us closer. There’s no better feeling when you have to do it with your life partner,” he smiles.