Episode 2 is the first time anyone has ever heard both Lara and Charlie Morgan tell the story together of building Pacific Direct that Lara set up when she was 23 with Charlie joining 3 years later.  This is their incredible journey in building the business, taking it globally and their exit 17 years later for £20m. They tell us about their sweaty knickers moments including how, early on, they were thrown in to turmoil when their supplier from China chose not to supply them anymore and they had to set up their own manufacturing plant. They share how running an exit process is brutal and hard and just what gumption is really required to do this. 

This is a hugely compelling story of building a global brand together that wasn’t planned, where a priceless group of people delivered time and time again and just how important developing a great culture is together with having fun. With the ferocious growth came stress and anxiety that Lara shares with us in a way you may not have heard before and she also shares more about her mental health particularly post the sale and in more recent years. Lara and Charlie tell us ‘if you believe you can you will’ and this Couplepreneur share how they did just that and their continued journey in now focusing on health and wellness products that save time and improve life. You hear the absolute faith and trust they have in one another.

I’m Tricia Bacon and I’m the founder of Couplepreneurs, a growing global community of couples in love and in business. This is a growing economic segment and one that I believe is somewhat undiscovered, unknown and undervalued. As I set up my consulting business in 2015 helping companies to scale, I started to attract couple owned businesses through no intention and as I began to research the market more it became very clear that there are many thousands of Couplepreneurs in the UK, millions globally and this is definitely a thing. It’s happening in all sectors and across all ages. There are ridiculous myths that exist around being a Couplepreneur not least that they aren’t a viable investment opportunity.

 

Couples can be stronger together, they have each other’s backs and complementary skillsets that enable the business to thrive. And Couplepreneur businesses are being set up in a myriad of ways whether through a strategic plan, falling upon an idea, at a particular life stage and also, at times, as a result of trauma. Many themes are emerging. And as we live the 100 year life we are witnessing more couples exploring ways of working together. The time now feels right to shed light on these incredible people and what and how they do this. We also need to bust open the myths and find out what it’s really like to be a Couplepreneur.  

 

Each couple we meet will share their insights into just how they juggle work, life, love and everything in between. These are real, raw and inspiring stories of their journeys together.