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Sure, some things stand alone just fine.
Peanut butter, for instance.
Perfectly delightful, but with jelly or chocolate?
Joe Biden is nice, but add Kamala Harris to the mix and youve got the Golden Ticket.
There are plenty of inspiring one-(wo)man founders stories.
Design by Cristina Cianci
Taking part in a collaboration requires companionship and compromise.
Its not about your sole wants, but rather the collective view.
Having a co-founder makes this business journey much less lonely, says Marianna Hewitt, co-founder of Summer Fridays.
Design by Cristina Cianci
I couldnt imagine doing it alone.
Whenever we need to vent or talk through things, we always have each other.
Heres seven dynamic duos to inspire your next idea (or two).
Design by Cristina Cianci
Mented is vegan and paraben-freeand their executive team is 100% women of color.
We pride ourselves on staying approachable and community-oriented.
It’s why we spend so much time in our DMs!
Design by Cristina Cianci
What’s a quality you love about your business partner?
KJ:Amanda is so even-keeled, especially compared to me and my rollercoaster of emotions and reactions.
I’m amazed by her every day.
Design by Cristina Cianci
Amanda: I love that KJ is so funny.
She is a former comedian who is great with words.
She keeps me laughing all day and I couldnt have done this without her.
Design by Cristina Cianci
[She] is great at strategic thinking.
She is thoughtful and organized with big ideas.
That makes it easier for me to execute and rally the team around our big plans.
Design by Cristina Cianci
What makes you excited about the industry you work in?
I love that we’ve been able to help the industry become more inclusive.
Beauty to launch something new.
to develop and formulate the products in the collection.
Pair that with e.l.fs expansive repertoire of innovation and affordability, and you have celebrity beauty done right.
What differentiates you from your competitors?
Dr. Renee:Keys Soulcare is a community that lives beyond beauty and lifestyle products.
We are calling and bringing together those who bring light to the darkness; the warriors of light.
And when we shine brighter, we increase the positive frequency.
Whats a quality you love about your partner?
Dr. Renee:I am constantly awed by Alicias affection for bringing something new and uplifting to this community.
She truly leaves us all inspired and empowered anytime we are together.
Name something your partner does that makes you better at your job.
Alicia:Dr. Renee encourages us to strive for greatness with our formulas.
She knows what I like and suggests awesome things that really make it special.
She truly makes my wildest skincare and bodycare dreams come true.
Uniquely you, they feature notes that dont just harvest memories but are inspired by modern culture.
Oh yeah, and at $29, theyre an affordable luxury.
What was your biggest win as a team?
Fu and Lu make learning about skincare fun, easy to follow, and accessible to everyone.
The company is working to expand their actives lineup in 2021.
What quality do you love in your business partner?
Victoria:Theres a lot!
What I love the most is her humor (its how we became friends).
Gloria:I think I’d have to say how scrappy she is.
We have done some really weird stuff working on Chemist Confessions.
And it somehow included Victoria breaking into my parents' apartment at some point.
Victoria:Based on the hundreds of questions we get, we still need better product education.
The skincare market is incredibly oversaturated and many users now wanting to find better skincare are still lost.
So theres still a lot of work to be done in skincare education.
Hewitt and Ireland both note that opportunity changed the trajectory of their business,Summer Fridays.
(Youve probably seen it gorgeously photographed in a flat lay on Instagram.)
Both influencers, the co-founders pride themselves on working with their community of followers to inspire their launches.
Always forward-thinking, the brand would be remiss not to focus on sustainability.
What quality do you love about your partner?
Lauren:I have a lot more than one.
I really admire Mariannas ability to work more efficiently than anyone else Ive ever known.
Plus, her creativity and ability to build a brand with such a specific vision is unparalleled.
She pushes our team to find solutions to issues that may seem impossible to others.
These are incredible qualities to have in a friend, business partner, and leader.
That is so important to have when people look to you for guidance.
You want someone who can remain positive even in the toughest of situations.
Marianna:I am pretty quick at making decisions, but sometimes a little too quick.
Its not about pushing an agenda as it is helping women make the best decisions for their lifestyle.
In October,Modern Fertilitylaunched an ovulation and pregnancy test at Walmart.
Afton:Carly has made me a much better writer.
Carly:Afton is a master negotiator.
She lives and breathes Modern Fertility in a way that inspires me every day.
The fertility industry desperately needs new and improved research.
These better predictors of future fertility will eventually bubble up into our products and help push the industry forward.
They are the OGs of this list, having been in the industry longer than the other brands combined.
Because we see the world almost entirely differently, I believe we are the perfect complements to one another.
While it may not always be an easy process, it is indeed a great process.
Andrew is opinionated and sees things differently than I do.
This provides a check and balance to problem solving and ultimately the best possible solution.
What was the biggest win for your team?
We were profitable in our first year.
We have always been transparent about our formulas and brand.
We could speak louder than we have.
It was also a differentiator.
