It might sound like a terrible idea to some, but there are a number of couples who successfully manage to work together, keeping their family-work-life balance carefully intact! We caught up with three such North Coast couples …
BRETT & DOMI
Brett and Domi Roux have been married for six years. They met in Cape Town in 2014 and decided to move to KZN that same year to start a business and be closer to family, the bush and warm water. Brett and Domi have a beautiful little boy named Roan and are also parents to two French bulldogs, Bijou and d’Artagnan.
Tell us about your job and what you each do.
“We initially launched health a food café and yoga space called Tree in Umhlanga and Ballito. It was a brilliant time and the café was successful with a very special community and vibe. When we closed that chapter in our story, we dived into our lifelong passion in the safari and tourism industry,” says Brett. The couple are now bespoke travel specialists with a deep love of Africa, conservation and travel. Their company, African Footprints Travel, focuses on all-Africa travel, including major cities and the beautiful Indian Ocean islands. “We love sharing our intimate knowledge of locations and understanding of the industry to curate memorable and unique experiences for both the local and international market.”
Domi’s role is to handle and curate travel experiences into Africa and the surrounding African islands, and she manages all the business’ admin. Brett focuses on business development, marketing and the event side of the business. “There is, however, a huge amount of crossover between our roles. Domi is a qualified yoga instructor and Brett a professional photographer, which both add value to our experience-based itineraries.”
Pros and cons of working together?
“The pros are being able to structure our days around our personal lives and parenting with flexibility, being able to show up for our family, for each other and really be present for all of life’s ‘little and in between’ moments. The cons are that we often ‘take the office back home’, which isn’t always healthy as it’s vital to switch off at times. Definitive boundaries do help, but the nature of our business means we don’t always have true time ‘off’, even when we are visiting and exploring partner properties or on ‘holiday’. Our advice for couples who work together would be to remember to step away and reconnect as husband and wife as often as you can. Keep it light and fun as much as possible and support each other wholeheartedly. The job is not your relationship and will never be more important than it, but it can be an exciting adventure that allows a deeper connection for both of you as partners.”
Details: Our African Footprints Travel: @africanfootprints,
www.ourafricanfootprints.com
SHAFIQUE & AYESHA
Dr Shafique Sayed and Dr Ayesha Seedat met as medical students at Wits Medical School and got married in their fifth year. They have been together ever since and will this year celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary! After studying together, the couple survived a gruelling two years of internship and community service together. After specialising, they began working together again, which they have done for the past 15 years. Shafique and Ayesha have two children, Suhail (21), who is currently a third-year student in mechatronic/ mechanical engineering at UCT, and Nabila (17), who is currently in matric at Ashton College. They moved to Ballito from Johannesburg 16 years ago to enjoy the sun, sea and a child-friendly town.
Tell us about your job and what you each do.
Shafique has been a gynaecologist in private practice at Alberlito Hospital for the past 15 years.
“I stopped delivering babies seven years ago to focus solely on female gynae care. My passion is laparoscopic and minimally-invasive vaginal surgery.”
Ayesha, who has a Master’s degree in public health, is Shafique’s full-time surgical assistant and manages the practice. “I joined Shafique temporarily at Alberlito to help him get his practice up and running and just never left! In addition, I periodically assist a few other surgeons at Alberlito Hospital as well.”
Pros and cons of working together?
“The biggest pro has been the effect on our family life with our kids. The flexibility of me being available for our kids, especially when they were younger, was a huge advantage,” says Ayesha.
“We tried to structure work so I was available for all parent meetings and extracurricular activities, and was just across the road if ever they were sick. We could also structure our cases so we’d both be there for important events.” One of the cons, Shafique says, is that being together all of the time can be challenging. “Over the years we’ve learnt to respect one another’s skills and personal space, though. Taking work home is another struggle. Given the nature of my work it’s unavoidable at times, especially if I need to operate after-hours and Ayesha is assisting. But we’ve tried to separate non-urgent work and home life where possible,” he says.
Details: Dr Shafique Sayed, Alberlito Hospital, www.ballitogynae.com, [email protected], 032 946 6979, 067 822 0543
CHRIS & EMILY
Top class photography and videography team Chris and Emily Allan have been married for 14 years, the past 12 of which they’ve spent working together. They have two awesome kids and moved down to Ballito from Joburg 12 years ago, ‘almost before it was fashionable to do so’, they say. “We are still high-fiving each other for that great decision,” says Chris. “We arrived with a camera, a laptop, and a whole lot of ideas about a glamourous life as a photographic couple, which we quickly adapted as we scratched around for work and shared two-minute noodles and spicy samoosas on camping chairs in our newly rented apartment.”
Tell us about your work and what you each do.
“We are photographers, videographers and storytellers with a smattering of the skills that accompany creativity of that nature. Emily is a whizz at transforming a chaotic timetable into well-produced, useful, high-end projects, juggling bookings, weather forecasts, client requests, kids’ school lifts and a painfully neurotic photographer husband and his many requests! She is also the video powerhouse with editing skills and a TV background that have made the introduction of moving images to the studio offering an easy one. Chris has developed calluses on his (smaller-than-normal people’s) hands from wielding Japanese digital image-making equipment over the last 20 years and still gets great joy out of creating good-looking pictures and videos. He lives for the odd compliment from his clients and openly admits that photography is more fun and successful when shared with a team, especially if that team includes his blonde, blue-eyed and bubbly wife!”
Pros and cons of working together?
“On the pro-side, teamwork is easy and we have developed a flow that results in a stress-free, efficient shooting style. Being able to overlap in both skills and understanding the different roles we play is important and possible. Ego and selfish aspirations need to be put aside for immediate goals and keeping each other in check is part of the package. It is also super fun working with your best mate and post-work sushi/cocktail sessions are great! We do struggle to leave work in the studio, often talking work while making fish fingers, packing school lunches and trying to help with surprisingly difficult maths homework. Also, it is tricky to call in ‘sick’ when your only other work colleague woke up next to you. Our advice for couples working together would be to figure out early on what you are trying to achieve. Don’t forget that just like any work colleague your wife/husband will appreciate being trusted, thanked, encouraged and given space to achieve their own goals. For the guys: wash your coffee mugs and, even if client meetings are via Zoom, don’t get into the habit of going to work in a smart shirt and your underpants!”
Details: Chris Allan Photo: www.chrisallanphoto.co.za, @chrisallan; Peppermint Pix: www.peppermintpix.co.za, @peppermintpix
