I grew up being fascinated by business development and I’ve always seen myself at the head of (more than) one company. Ever since I was little, I knew I would start my own companies and that they would become part of my everyday life. I’ve always clearly seen my business plans. But I never thought about doing business with the woman I love nor sharing my life, my house, my company and my office with the same person.

This article has nothing to do with having a stoma or suffering from an IBD. It instead focuses on something that personally affects me and others probably. ANA is the third company I’ve started. I never thought about my girlfriend becoming my associate when starting my two other companies. Even though she was not my associate, she was always actively involved in them and she was very understanding. She was always ready to lend me a hand. A little over a year ago, when we decided to start ANA, I had no idea what being in a relationship with your business partner meant. ANA obviously is the result of Andréanne’s condition following her illness, but it’s also my baby; the one I’ve put my body and soul into to make sure everything goes well. Andréanne had never been an entrepreneur. She put her trust in me and she supported me so we could build a thriving company.

Marie-Noël joined our team really quickly, so we didn’t get to work as a duo very long. Still, the fact that we are life partners and business partners remains. Doing business with your life partner means that you are constantly torn between emotional and rational thoughts. It also means you have to talk about your mundane daily routine during dinner to avoid talking about production costs, suppliers and disagreements on how to run the company. I was often told that it was hard to work with your partner and that not everyone can do it. Now I understand and I know it involves a lot of personal work. I want to say this to everyone who works with their spouse: if your relationship is always perfect, and you have no problem making a distinction between love and work, I envy you. I’d even go as far as to say you’re my idols!

I want to say this to everyone who works with their spouse: if your relationship is always perfect, and you have no problem making a distinction between love and work, I envy you.

Some people say I am exaggerating, but I’m not. When you love someone, you love them for who they are, and not who they are at work, unless you meet them at work I guess. I often forget that at work, she is Andréanne the vice-president and businesswoman, and not Andréanne my lover. I have always been intense in my work. Everything goes quickly and everything must go quickly while being perfectly synchronized. I am really hard on myself and on others around me. Andréanne is the kind of person who takes her time and analyzes everything to ensure we’re heading in the right direction. While we do complement each other, this doesn’t always work like a charm at work.

Still, being in a relationship and working with the same person has a lot of positives. It’s always fun to share your passion for a project with someone you love. While I do complain sometimes, I think I couldn’t ask for a better partner, because she understands my intense and demanding lifestyle. I think starting a company with your lover is kind of like having a child, as you build it over multiple months before it’s “born”. Starting your business also means discovering another side of your partner and learning to love them differently in order to become stronger.

Think carefully before mixing love and business. But don’t hesitate to try, because it will make you grow a lot!

Alexandre