113. Partnership and Pilates | with Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell

When partners in life become partners in business, it can go really well... or it can go very, very wrong. You need to combine your expertise, create something that’s sustainable for both of you, and enjoy what you do. Easy, right?

Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell share the journey of how they met—which is so fun—and how they came to the decision to do business together. Together they run onlinepilatesclasses.com, which started as a side hustle before they both collectively agreed to pour their efforts into it. Using Brad’s skills of helping other startups launch and get their products out there, he felt he could take Lesley’s company and extend her reach even further.

Over the years, they’ve learned several lessons—some the hard way—about how to operate an online business, especially as a couple. Learning to embrace each other's strengths so they each brought their own special skills to the table and hiring for their weaknesses allowed them to grow their business without blindspots. And when the pandemic threw a wrench into their plans this year, Leslie’s responded quickly: she identified what her clients needed and pivoted to meet them where they were.

This is a story of how two people came together to complement each other and become greater than the sum of their parts, all while growing a heart-centered business that lets them live a life they love.

How to work together with your partner effectively

• When Leslie was starting Online Pilates Classes, she also self-published a book called “Profitable Pilates: Everything But the Exercises,” and unfortunately it did not sell well. She did not have a marketing plan in mind when she put it out. Over time it has done very well and has helped her growth, but it was a lesson to think about the launch strategy and target market before starting a project.
• In their partnership and marriage, Brad and Leslie are well aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and how to take advantage of them in their business. They both used the CliftonStrengths system to learn more about themselves.
• When you know your own strengths and weaknesses, you can hire people to make up for your weaknesses—or hire someone who matches your strengths when you’re replacing yourself in your business.
• When the pandemic arrived, it threw off a lot of their business plans. They had a lot of in-person workshops all over the world planned out and those had to be canceled. They moved fast to come together and decide what comes next. Leslie immediately began preparing her clients to teach online, remote pilates classes. She looked at the circumstances and what people needed today and moved quickly to meet it.

Take Action:

• Find your strengths at gallup.com/cliftonstrengths
• Follow the podcast on Instagram for more tips, advice, and inspiration: @yourbadassjourneypodcast
• Get your SLP Mastery Workbook