Unlimited Partnership

Why are more and more couples risking romance to launch a business together? How do the successful ones make it work? Five couples - and one ex-couple - share their stories and strategies.

Alan Carmichael and Cynthia Moxley
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Alan Carmichael and Cynthia Moxley
Moxley Carmichael
Knoxville

When Cynthia Moxley invited her husband, Alan Carmichael, to join her public relations and marketing firm in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1998, the couple proceeded with caution. "A lot of people said I could never work with my spouse," he says.

To smooth the transition, the two enlisted outside help: They called a therapist. Dianne Lemieux, a friend and clinical psychologist, helped them work through the potential clash of their very different working styles - his militaristic and hierarchical approach, hers more collaborative and horizontal.

A decade later, the firm is now Moxley Communications, with a staff of 16 and revenues that have rise 86 percent since the partnership began. Clients appreciate the unique perspectives of the company's co-presidents: "I got two for the price of one," says former client Susan Brown.

Last updated January 10 2008: 10:16 AM ET

Divide and conquer

No shop talk at dinner

Spend time apart

Get professional help

The trust factor

After the breakup

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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.