Work-linked couples can foster heightened career success and well-being, according to a recent study.
The Oxford Economic Papers Study released in September finds that “being work-linked is positively associated with income satisfaction and might also slightly improve life satisfaction.”
Eric and Shannon Evangelista, the husband-and-wife duo behind Hot Snakes Media, are proof it’s possible to mix a personal relationship with business and be successful at both. They are the power couple behind the Critic’s Choice Award winning hit series “Deaf U,” as well as 11 record-setting ratings for seasons of the “Breaking Amish” franchise on TLC.
On the surface, Eric and Shannon might come off as somewhat of an odd couple, seeing as how they’re partners in a TV production company. Eric spent 14 years as a broadcast news producer and newspaper journalist, while Shannon was a prosecutor in Manhattan’s district attorney’s office, tackling organized crime and narcotics.
They met on a blind date in 2004 and got married three years later.
I recently had the chance to interview the Evangelistas, who shared their insights about how they collaborate to maintain a healthy work and professional life. The theme? Trust, transparency and mutual respect are crucial in both business and personal relationships. The following are some of their most important lessons for simultaneously succeeding in business and marriage together:
Start With A Strong Foundation Of Trust
Eric and Shannon admit people are always asking them how they have found success both at work and at home, especially when you consider their diverse backgrounds.
For the Evangelistas, everything comes down to trust. Trust is a must-have for a thriving company, as it leads to less stress, more energy, higher productivity and less burnout.
Shannon shared the following advice: “Trust is a big thing. I know that what he does is going to get done well. You have to give the person latitude, trust that they’re going to do what they are going to do correctly — that they’re going to make the right decisions.”
Eric added, “You really have to let your partner, in any business, run with their own ideas. We’ve learned to trust each other’s instincts and let each other follow their passion on a show.”
No Secrets. No Lies.
Transparency is another secret behind the Evangelistas’ success, who — in addition to hectic work responsibilities — also juggle parenting duties (they have two children).
The Evangelistas are adamant about the need for transparency: “You cannot keep secrets from your spouse. It will destroy your marriage. Secrets and lies erode a great partnership. I’m uncomfortable with even the smallest secrets. I believe in complete transparency,” remarked Shannon.
Eric noted that transparency is equally important in business relationships: “We’ve had situations where people working for us will say something negative about Shannon to me, or they’ll say something negative about me to her. Of course, she’s going to tell me. And equally important, of course, I’m going to tell her.”
Lean On Your Unique Skills
While Eric cut his teeth in TV production in the newsroom, he always had a passion for TV shows. “I was obsessed with TV since I was a little kid. But being from Boston, everyone told me I’d never have a chance if I didn’t have an ‘in’ with someone.”
So, Eric decided to volunteer to work for his local news station. By the time he was 19, he had three Emmys. As a side job, he started pitching TV shows independently. But his shows always seemed to go nowhere. “Every time I pitched a show, they would pair me with a production company and bring others into the fold,” he said.
Eric liked the idea of collaborating with others, but his collaborations never really jelled. “Everybody thinks that they have a better idea or they can improve upon your idea,” he shared. Soon enough, the project would fall apart.
Eventually, after this continued to happen, Eric decided to start his own production company, which would allow him to see a project through, instead of handing it off. Naturally, Shannon jumped in to help with the company’s legal and business affairs.
But Shannon soon shifted to the production side herself after watching production staffers conduct interviews of video subjects. Eric and Shannon quickly realized that Shannon’s background as an attorney was a real asset, not just behind the scenes in legal affairs, but also in the production process itself.
“Shannon would interview people and would bring a lot of emotion out of them,” Eric shared. “She was really good at it from being a trial attorney and getting people on the witness stand. She was able to get people to open up to her on a TV show. And that was really important.”
Those skills came in handy for the show “Breaking Amish,” which aired on TLC between 2012 and 2014 and centered around five young people leaving their traditional lifestyles behind.
By focusing on their unique strengths and skills, from developing creative ideas and interviewing experience to legal and journalistic insights, Shannon and Eric are able to beautifully complement each other and put out amazing entertainment products because of it.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to be a married power couple to know that trust, transparency and mutual respect for one another’s skills are good advice. Still, it was fun interviewing the Evangelistas to learn how they apply these concepts equally well in their personal and professional lives to bring out the best in one another.