How to Successfully Work with the People You Love

Working with someone you love - your spouse, sibling, best friend - can be one of the most rewarding and challenging things you’ll ever do.

We're Siân and Andrew Jones, and we started working together in 2013. What was meant to be a short-term arrangement quickly turned into a business partnership that’s lasted over a decade. In that time, we've co-founded and grown two successful consultancies (and we're embarking on our third), raised a family, and navigated the highs and lows of working, living and parenting side-by-side.

We’ve also had to learn (sometimes the hard way) how to stay aligned without becoming the same person, what good communication really looks like (beyond the transactional stuff), how to let go of ego and competition, and how to build a relationship that works both in business and in life.

In this honest and practical session, we'll share real stories, useful frameworks, and the key principles we've discovered for working with loved ones without losing your identity or your connection.

By coming along, you’ll get to

• debunk some myths about working with people you love

• explore the roles of self-belief and alignment in building a thriving business

• learn how to set boundaries without feeling like you need to apologise for them

• walk away with ideas you can use to strengthen both your working relationship and your personal one

Whether you're already working with a loved one or just thinking about it, this session will help you avoid the common traps and build a partnership that actually works - for both of you, and the business.

This event is part of the 2025 Geelong Small Business Festival, proudly delivered by the City of Greater Geelong in partnership with the Geelong Chamber of Commerce.