Valentine’s Day: A Guide to Being a Coupled-Up Creative Team

In his own words, 2015 was a monumental year for Charles Frank. Two milestones defined it: meeting his future wife Nico, and co-founding production company Voyager. This is what happened next: “Around 2017, Nico was making a career jump from graphic design to editing and I was full steam ahead on helping build Voyager. We are both extremely hard working people and in those early days we accepted that our work needed to take centre stage. Instead of fighting it, we decided to find ways to bond through the work. We began collaborating as a director/editor duo. I felt like I got to know Nico on a deeper level with every collaboration.

“Truth be told, Nico takes her time opening up to people (even her future husband) and every time she edited a film I directed, she revealed a new part of herself through the work.” As they worked together, Charles learned about Nico’s sense of humour, compassion for others and most significantly – her patience. “She is a patient storyteller, never rushing a moment or jumping to a conclusion. She challenges me to consider new perspectives, to slow down. I am endlessly moved by the depth in which she understands and communicates other people’s emotions. I truly believe the work brought us closer together as a couple and I hope we continue learning more about each other with every collaboration.”

Nico agrees that at the start of their work together, she was still new to the editing world and her insecurities got in the way of creative problem solving once or twice. “My feelings would get hurt very easily, or I would hurt his feelings. My response would often be defensiveness while he would grow impatient. 

“Navigating through that situation is quite the challenge when you're in your early twenties, sharing a life and work space with your partner in a new city, all while operating out of your dingy Bushwick apartment.”

And the most difficult thing to navigate? “I think that the most delicate thing to navigate when you first start collaborating with someone you love is remaining true to yourself and your decisions, but also being willing to be wrong and accepting it gracefully. Of course, this applies to non-work situations as well. I'm not always perfect, and I hate being wrong, but Charles is really good at being wrong. That's one of the reasons I love him so much.

He has taught me humility, kindness and empathy in an industry where that can at times be challenging. He has made me a better person by showing me that it is OK to not be perfect or right all the time. These days our process together feels more peaceful and stable. At times we don't even need to speak to know what the other is thinking. With age and experience, we continue to push each other to do the best work we can, together.”

Gina Fallon admits to being a sucker for that thrill that comes when sharing an idea with someone you admire – as well as the opportunity to get the feedback from them and push each other further, to share struggles and successes. “And when that person you admire is also the one you love… Someone who is always on your team and supports you holistically – that’s magic.”

The pros of working with your partner are obvious to Gina: “Freedom to spitball any time, any day. Trust. Sweeping away the communication eggshells and getting down to the nitty-gritty. Understanding on all sides of your life: ‘I have to work on this treatment this weekend’. ‘I know, I’ve already called Grandma’.”

It’s “just efficient”. And Gina loves efficiency. The cons, though, are all over the place too. Some predictable, some unexpected. 

“We have two young kids at home, and when there’s a big project in our lives, it’s in all of our lives, for better or worse. I’m a mom, and that tugs at my heart for my boys. 

“At work, your relationship is so public, especially in this industry. There isn’t really room to put on a smile for your coworkers and then duke it out at home. There’s no compartmentalising. I feel for our coworkers when we’re off-sync. 

“I think the key to making it work – in your relationship, at home, with your team – is all about communication. If you can say anything to each other and know that your foundation is solid no matter what you said or how you said it, you can do it. Because when you spend so much time together and rely on each other so much, words get thrown. But bonds are built, too.”

“Falling in love with someone is a spiritual connection. It’s the breath – the pneuma – between two people,” adds Andrew. “I think that spirit, that spark, is the same as the creative one. In its own way, it is creativity. It’s the connection you look for in creative partners, but now it’s also your partner.” In his case with Gina, Andrew believes that their strengths and weaknesses complement each other fully – one fills the gaps where the other needs help. It’s this balance that allows them to act as one unit, where they’re “greater than the sum of [their] parts.

“There are fewer roadblocks because you have this flowing conversation and movement with this person you’re so close to. One minute, we’ll be having a conversation about the kids’ lunch, and the next, we’re jotting down ideas for a concept we’ve been trying to crack. I can’t count the number of times I’ve asked my wife for feedback on an idea late at night. That freedom and openness are now invaluable to my process, and I can’t imagine life without it – or her. 

“Of course, separating work and life can be challenging, especially when it comes to date nights and quality time alone together. You have to find time for those moments together, turn off, and just be present together. Especially after long projects or a tough stretch. Remember that this is your partner in life, first and foremost. Be there for each other when you need it. All pretty normal relationship stuff, but you have this added work/life balance to be conscious of.”

As two Aquarians, Gina and Andrew view their work as part of their purpose – it’s what makes them stronger both as individuals, and as a couple. And speaking of dates…

“We have a date night this Friday,” says Gina. “And I can’t wait to sit across the table from my best friend and talk about the full spectrum of our week. The same week that we shared nearly every waking hour together. It’s sick but really freaking great, too.”

Boomranng’s creative process mirrors their life together as a couple – relaxed, collaborative, and filled with things they love. Mostly cats. “Our casual movie nights and comic book afternoons aren’t just downtime, they’re a hotbed for some of our most creative ideas. When working, we focus on our strengths as illustrators, discussing and dividing tasks to keep things enjoyable. We brainstorm, combining serious planning with spontaneous ideation, and then divide to conquer: one sketches while the other adds detailed renderings.”

Over time, their individual styles blended into something uniquely Boomranng. With travelling as their creative lifeline, Boomranng always seek fresh inspiration and mental block resets for each other, which is part of their process of learning and growing together. 

“It’s about putting in effort, love, and strength, and learning from each attempt. The final piece isn't what matters most; it's the journey, full of growth and mutual support.

“Dealing with challenges is a dance we’ve mastered together. We always start by talking things through, ensuring we understand each other's perspectives. We then tackle challenges using our individual strengths, like piecing together a puzzle. We've learned that it’s okay to make mistakes. Supporting each other through these learning curves, growing together both professionally and personally, is what really counts.”

To couples embarking on a professional collaboration, Boomerang’s key advice is to maintain open and honest communication. “Respect each other's individuality and creative space. Remember, the foundation of your work together is your relationship. Striking a balance is essential, make time for your relationship outside of work. Embrace your differences – they add unique flavours to your creations. Enjoy the process of creating together, understanding that not every project will be perfect and be patient and kind.”

Samantha and Jordan are another couple on our list that wouldn’t change their relationship for the world. With them, the most positive aspect of having it as a love-work-hybrid relationship is the unequivocal trust they have in each other, as well as their perfect alignment when it comes to the notorious ‘big picture’, no matter what it comes to. 

“It’s our shared livelihood on the table, so our eyes are always on the same prize and work lock step in that regard,” they say. “The challenging part can be turning work ‘off’ at the end of the day, and on weekends, holidays, birthdays. This can blur the line between the respective hats we like to wear as a couple.”

Both Samantha and Jordan bring different skills to the table, like many great duos, making them “yin and yang” for most areas of the business.” In 2019, we made the decision together to bring on talented partners and turn Mint into the full service, creative agency it is now. Through profound collaboration, we are producing culturally impactful work that we are proud of every day.

“As it stands, our partnership is based on mutual respect for what each of us bring to the table, and the boundaries we both need in place to enjoy both work and home life together. Through 23 years together and 14 years working together, we’ve designed the business with clear roles defined for each of us and a bench of extremely talented people surrounding us, which allows for many voices at the table to solve problems collectively. “

Abi and Matt have decided to express their creative (and romantic) relationship with a couple of Valentine’s day poems. And what’s better on a day that celebrates love than poetry. Read Abi’s (first) and Matt’s (second) below.

I know it sounds like insanity.

Working day (and in advertising also working nights) with your significant other half.

But I swear it’s not as bad as you’d think.

Sure, there are days we think about how calming one and others untimely deaths would be,

And yeah, sometimes when we gaze into one and others eyes all we see are the looming deadlines.

But that’s only some of the time.

The rest of the time it’s like getting paid to come up with stupid shit with your best pal,

It’s like a Christopher Nolan continuum of shared imagination.

It’s like going into battle knowing your best mate has your back, drawing fire whilst you combat.

It’s working with the one person in the world that totally gets how your mind works

It’s knowing that no matter how bad it gets they’ll probably never report you to HR.

It’s sharing the lows and absolutely making the best of the highs

Sure, some people think it’s crazy.

To be honest they’re probably right,

But our overpriced therapist says that if you can’t love the crazy then what’s the point.

And come on, who doesn’t love a bit of crazy.

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Advertising requires you to work late

So working with your partner is ideal, the office is a perfect place for a date!

It’s not without its challenges, working and living together 24/7

But when you crack that brief together at 2AM, you might as well be in heaven!

And even though sometimes we might be at the end of our tether

What keeps us going is that every success and failure is ours to share together!

Besides working together in advertising for many years, Katie and Ryan have also been romantic partners for nearly 20 years, with a wedding on the horizon. Most recently, their first baby, Holly, joined the creative team – “It’s the best idea we’ve ever had,” they say.

“Firstly, there's strong chemistry between us that translates nicely into our work. We have shared experiences, inside jokes, and a mutual understanding of references and creative tastes that serve as the bedrock for our creative output. We’re mostly in sync too, so it feels like our ideas flow at a fast pace.”

There isn’t much holding this creative couple back – Ryan and Katie aren’t shy with each other, especially if one wants to throw something crazy in the bucket. Or, vice versa, if one thinks that that’s not the right way to go.

“‘That’s a bit shit’ can be freely deployed. Another advantage is the source of inspiration we find in each other. Cheesy, but it’s true. Whether it's a quirky habit, a heartfelt conversation, or a random trip somewhere, we often draw from our relationship to fuel our creativity.”

But, it’s not always rainbows and butterflies – like in any relationship, there are some things needing a fine tuning. Like with a lot of our other participants, balancing personal life and work can prove a challenge – work can easily seep into every aspect of the relationship.

“Date nights can quickly turn into impromptu brainstorming sessions. Learning to separate constructive criticism from personal attacks is another skill that requires patience, empathy and a whole lot of love.

“Despite the above, we wouldn't trade our partnership for the world. The highs are higher, the lows are more manageable, and the journey is more rewarding when you have your best friend by your side every day.”

For Edric and Sarah, spending time together both inside and outside of the agency has a “weird effect” -- a certain kind of intuition has been nurtured between the two that has made seeing things from the other’s point of view almost second nature. “Though not 100%, it’s really enough to deduce what’s on the other person’s mind,” says Edric. “Is it… Telepathy?”

Edric calls it telepathy, Sarah calls it ‘the secret sauce’ of their relationship. ”While we don’t directly work with each other, we do end up in the room together pretty often, discussing strategies of big projects. Edric’s love for advertising is why I fell in love with him and we keep the ad love very much alive in our household. He is also the inspiration for a lot of ideas we ultimately end up riffing off and helps me understand different human behaviours.”

Secret sauce or telepathy, whatever it is, it certainly helps that their interests are aligned, both in ensuring creative excellence and in their hobbies outside of work (although while they may not always agree on music and films, consensus is always found). “Plus of course humour, humour is the only thing that matters and probably the reason we’re so rock solid,” adds Ed.

When it comes to troubles in paradise, Edric’s love for advertising comes to the rescue – the two solve these by applying the strategy they apply to any brief. “We find out the why, digging into the details and analysing all the information. Helps us identify what’s wrong. Then, we figure out what the solution is and how to get there.”

“We’re both extremely practical people,” adds Sarah. “We’re also incredibly emotional and exceptionally hot-headed – especially with each other. But because of the nature of our personal relationship, we always work it out.”

For Ed, like for many others, it all comes down to trust and objectivity. “I trust Sarah 100% that she’ll do everything – her judgments, opinions, process – to make UltraSuperNew amazing.

“And that same trust extends to the personal setting too – everything for the good of the family and the relationship.”

As for objectivity, throwing ego aside, Edric knows that when Sarah disagrees with him, it is not him she’s disagreeing with, but the subject matter at hand. “And… that brings us back to the first point, trust her judgement.”

“Ditto. And also, respect,” adds Sarah. “Ed and I respect each other both as professionals and spouses. Some days are harder than others but respect allows you to understand each other and support each other regardless of how the wind blows.”

Fernando and Lina met at Wunderman in 2008 and have shared multiple pitches and awards ever since. One thing led to another, and in 2020 they got married. Fernando went on a slightly different path for a few years with VMLY&R, which leads us to today, when they’re together again at VML Dubai.

This duo works on the principle of ‘No risk, no reward’. “Getting into a relationship with your creative partner has an obvious prerequisite. Vulnerability. Know what else requires that? Coming up with great ideas. At first, dating each other felt a lot like taking a risk. But since it paid off, we’re braver individuals, and braver creatives.”

For Lina and Fernando, there is efficiency in the familiarity. “The idea of having someone to brainstorm with, and then having them filling in gaps of your nomadic mind excursions, and then turning it all into great creative work – can become clockwork when that someone is your life partner. They know you, know exactly how to support you, and will do it with love.”

But, they’re categorical on one thing: if you’re not prepared to compartmentalise, two relationships in one aren’t for you.

“Every morning we head to the office, talking about our plans for the day, chores, our dog (who gets dropped at daycare). But once we get to the office, it’s briefs, ideas, ranting and a lot of rolling up our sleeves. Then we leave to pick up Puddles [their dog] and talk about dinner. It all feels like routine now, but it used to be a very conscious daily effort.”

And while separating work and personal life is a strong belief for both Lina and Fernando, they never stay away from taking creative ideas home. “To us, it isn’t ‘bringing home our work. If creativity is something you’re passionate about, you’d share it with your partner.”