Couples in Business

Small businesses are the life blood of our national economy. In a staggering statistic, the Small Business Administration estimates that 99.9% of businesses are considered small businesses. SWLA is no different. Small businesses employ and service residents and bring a personal touch to the community.

It is common for couples to found or buy and operate a business together. When two people have a strong foundational relationship, the gift of complementary skills, and the drive to get things done, they are an unstoppable force in the business world.

As February celebrates Valentine’s Day, Thrive features three local businessowner duos whose stories began with love.

John & Lisa Foret: Snap Fitness

First meeting at an educational workshop on communication and leadership skills in Baton Rouge, John and Lisa Foret began dating after reconnecting and dancing at an event sometime later. After a courtship of eight months, during which the couple enjoyed concerts, dancing and LSU sports, the couple married in 2002 with a small wedding ceremony attended by close family, including Lisa’s two children, Ethan and Emma.

“We were convicted early on that it was very important for us to create family and have a strong foundation built on faith, love and rich traditions. We were also committed to putting our relationship and our sacrament of marriage in the forefront, even though that was very challenging with full-time jobs and four children,” Lisa says. John and Lisa had two more children, Trinity and John Noah, in 2003 and 2004.

John embarked on a one-year journey to obtain a Muscle Activation Techniques Certification in 2006 and became the first specialist in Louisiana, founding Muscle Activation of Louisiana, LLC. But it wasn’t until 2013 that John and Lisa went into business together. They purchased Snap Fitness so John could better serve his clients. Lisa was in charge of the business side of Snap Fitness while also focusing on the children and continuing her job in occupational therapy.

“We longed to expand and build a business where anyone could walk through our doors and get the unique custom help they needed and deserved. We knew our skills, education and our gifts complemented each other, and we also brought different perspectives to the table. So, after much prayer and discernment, we decided to take a leap of faith and begin our business journey together,” Lisa says.

The couple developed one on one and personal training classes. Group classes for children and the elderly were added as well. The work at Muscle Activation of Louisiana continued to thrive and John and Lisa knew they were improving the lives of those in the community.

“A typical day at Snap Fitness consists of helping people, building community, creating programs, problem solving, and maintaining a professional, playful, and fun atmosphere. Our members are a part of our extended family. We truly care about each person that walks through our door and we know we can improve the quality of their lives or, in many cases, save their lives,” Lisa says.

Owning and operating a business while maintaining a marriage is a balancing act that isn’t always easy. The stress of the job can cause frustration, but “we have to remind ourselves from time to time at work that our marriage always comes first,” Lisa says. At the end of the day, we always strive to remember the reasons we fell in love in the first place.”

Trent & Hillary Robertson: Planet Fitness, Coffee:30

Hillary Robertson describes encountering her husband, Trent, as a “classic young adult meet-cute.” The two locked eyes and felt sparks at AJ’s Bar & Grill in 2010. While the couple didn’t meet that night, they connected on Facebook. “We have been inseparable since,” Hillary says.

While Trent and Hillary own and operate Planet Nutrition, a journey that began in 2011, in both Lake Charles and Moss Bluff, and are partners with Josh and Taylor Smith at Coffee:30 and Louisiana Coffee Company, both individuals have always been entrepreneurs. “When Trent and I first met, he was a math teacher at Sulphur High and owned a disaster relief company. I owned and operated a dance school,” Hillary says.

With multiple irons in the fire, one workday does not look like the next. While Trent and Hillary are often taking care of different business in separate places, Hillary says, “Each morning we discuss our day ahead, review tasks, and share any meetings or priorities for the day. ” The two have different approaches to ideas, solutions, and problems, so they are able to view a situation from multiple angles and make balanced decisions.

The extra stress of working together can put a strain on any marital relationship. “There have been unexpected challenges, disappointments, and plans that have gone awry. We’ve had to learn how to navigate those challenges without it negatively impacting other areas of our relationship and our family space,” Hillary says. Despite the challenges, she notes that there’s a sense of comfort in the knowledge that your spouse has your back in the workplace.

When asked what advice she would give to couples seeking to operate a business together, Hillary emphasizes it is essential to make time for yourself, your spouse and your family. You can’t own a business and expect to operate on a normal schedule. You’re always on call, which can lead to burnout if you don’t take time for self-care. Hillary also says it’s necessary to remember that even though you are business partners, you are also individuals with person interests and ambitions. “You once were two individuals who fell in love with one another’s unique qualities and personality. Each person should continue to feel valued and fulfilled, not only as a couple and business partners, but as individuals as well.”

At the end of the day, it’s people like Trent and Hillary who make SWLA a better place to live. Locally owned businesses have a warmth and a passion about them that chains are without. Hillary says, “We feel incredibly blessed to build something meaningful together, bringing our mutual goals and dreams to life. Celebrating each other’s accomplishments has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of this journey. Knowing we are building something that brings members of our community joy has made it all worth it.”

Gary & Tiffanie Goff: Chicken Salad Chick

Gary and Tiffanie Goff’s story began in Valdosta, Georgia. They became friends after meeting at Valdosta State University and working together at a Levi Outlet. The two dated during their junior and senior years in college before graduating and getting married in 1998. Moving to Atlanta, Tiffanie taught English at Cherokee High School while Gary worked a corporate job in a bread company.

Gary decided to switch gears and began coaching football, first at Cherokee High School where Tiffanie was employed. He then took a job coaching college football in Iowa at Iowa Wesleyan University. The couple have put down roots in seven different states since then. They had a son, Tyler, in Hammond, La., while Gary was a coach a Southeastern University, and a daughter, Audrey, in Las Cruces, N. M., during Gary’s tenure at New Mexico State.

Apart from originally working together in retail and working on the same high school campus, Gary and Tiffanie didn’t work together again until Gary became head coach at Tiffin University in Ohio in 2011. Tiffanie was hired on as a professor of English where she began working on her PhD. “Every job and move since then, we’ve worked together at the university level but also partnered with each other through various events and fundraisers to help take care of his teams and each university’s student body,” Tiffanie says.

Since moving to Lake Charles three years ago so Gary could take a job as McNeese State University’s head football coach, the couple has become attached to the local community and recently purchased the Lake Charles franchise of Chicken Salad Chick. “We have fallen in love with the rich culture and the welcoming community here. Because our connection to Lake Charles is so strong, we have been looking for an opportunity to become more involved and established within the community as a family. The values and service-centered focus of the Chicken Salad Chick brand was appealing to us as educators who have spent most of our lives making meaningful connections for a living.”

The idea of collaborating more closely was attractive to both Gary and Tiffanie. “Gary’s strengths are his marketing and business background, along with his understanding of how to build and maintain a cohesive team,” Tiffanie says. “My strengths as an educator help me see the importance of communication, collaboration, and cooperation. A typical workday for us involves Gary working with our store manager behind the scenes on the logistics and bookkeeping while I’m out front working in the dining room with the guests. Our son Tyler, a sophomore at McNeese, and daughter Audrey, a junior at Barbe, are also a part of the Chicken Salad Chick crew, so it is truly a family affair.”

The advice Tiffanie and Gary would give to couples considering going into business together is to take the risk and do what you feel is right for you. People’s biggest regret is often the dreams they don’t attempt to realize.