A defining moment as cofounder in my brand agency sparked a passion to help others navigate the complexities of co-founding. Now I coach cofounders to build successful partnerships

entrepreneur, leadership, empowerment, diversity, career, equal, mentorship, success, opportunity, networking, inspiration, ambition, glass ceiling, work-life balance, professional

In March 2020, one week before the first lockdown in the UK, I launched my branding agency, Luna and Lion, with my wonderful co-founder, Scarlett. Scarlett and I used to work together in marketing, she actually was my boss, and we'd always say after a few cocktails, we should do this for ourselves, let's work with brands we actually care about, make cool stuff, we'll be such a great team, it'll be so fun, let's start an agency. And a few years later, and a few more cocktails later, we made that happen. But setting up in that environment during lockdown, with no clients, marketing spend falling by the second, and no way to meet new people, or even see each other in real life, it was definitely tough. But we did it, we did whatever we needed to build our own brand, generate some income, we even made and sold our own t-shirts, ran online events, dance classes, you name it. I'd also started my own business coaching practice a few months earlier, after deciding for my diploma, and loved the blend of the two. But somehow the creativity of the branding work fed my focus and energy for coaching, and vice versa. I always felt so fortunate that I met Scarlett through work, because we instantly had that professional respect for each other. Which I think is tricky to create if you've only been friends before, let alone don't even know your co-founder before you start working together. We then became best friends, I'm also godmother to her little girl, and in lots of ways my relationship with Scarlett is the most complex one I had in my life, because there's so many roles and amazing emotions within it. And I didn't realize what it would be like to be a co-founder, how could I? I had not done it before. And we've always been a tight team, and in a way the fact that we meant so much to each other made those wins at Luna & Lion feel even sweeter. And fast forward a few years, and we're well on the way to building our vision for Luna & Lion. We'd worked with big global corporates, we'd even been flown to France on a private jet for a project. But for me, I'd realized I'd left corporate marketing to avoid politics, to be more creative and have an impact. But we'd ended up back in the boardroom, just at the other side of the table, still with the politics, the conversations, the back and forth. And that was a really challenging moment for me personally, because I thought I really wanted this big agency. But did I? And a lot had changed since we started the business. We'd been through a pandemic, I'd been through a big breakup, I'd moved house, moved again. Scarlett had become an amazing mum and gone on her own personal journey. I also wanted to work on my coaching business more, which I'd been running alongside the agency. So how did we reset what we both wanted from Luna & Lion? How do we evolve our vision to mold to the people we now were? What even was that vision? And I found that really hard to realize, let alone articulate. And part of me felt fiercely loyal to that first vision we had of somewhat ruling the world. And I really wanted someone to help me realize what came next for us as partners and as a business. I wanted a co-founder coach. Someone who was an expert in the co-founder dynamics and the critical role that plays in business success. To help me understand what I wanted as an individual and as a team. To be aware of the emotions involved, the practicalities, the finances, our individual egos, the bigger company vision. All that complex magic. To help me and us feel confident and aligned on what comes next. And I couldn't find someone. There are coaches who work with co-founders. But at the time, no one was owning that much needed expertise. So that was it. I pivoted my coaching to support co-founders. To align on vision and feel charged with that unity to move forward with a clear plan of action together. And you'll be glad to know Scarlett and I navigated our own way through that defining moment as a team. And we're now progressing through the next chapter for Luna & Lion. I now run both businesses and love the blend of the two more than ever. And I can't wait to see what adventure comes next.

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