My Boyfriend Is Also My Boss

This blog is a part of a series presented to you by the MGMT staff. Since we spend so much of our time working and wearing our business hats, we thought it’d be fun to open up a bit and get personal.

Zach, CEO/Founder of MGMT Digital, is my boyfriend and boss. We live together, and now due to COVID-19, we’re working from home together. Barf, we’re one of those couples. I do have to admit I don’t mind being at home right now. I get to take breaks throughout the day to take our dogs outside and get some sun on my face. I’m healthy and everyone I know is currently healthy, so I’m not complaining.

Now that we’re home every day, Zach and I usually work in different parts of the house, mainly because we have different working styles. I like to listen to music while I work and he spends most of the day on the phone. Although I was a bit apprehensive working for Zach, it’s going great so far. I’d love to share with you all how we’ve managed to not completely get under each other’s skin.. yet.

How I Got Here

Late August 2019, I moved from New York City to Los Angeles so Zach and I could be in the same time zone. So brave of me, I know. All jokes aside, moving meant leaving behind my family, friends I consider to be family, a job I really liked, and amazing food. Dining out and trying new food is a big part of who I am so leaving New York wasn’t the easiest decision. Sure Los Angeles has great food but it requires getting in a car to get there and sitting in traffic (I’m a ride or die subway girl … you cannot beat the convenience!). Am I still in denial that I can’t hop on a train and eat Xi’an’s Famous Foods hand-ripped noodles every day? Yes, yes I am. I digress…

Right before I moved to Los Angeles, I approached Zach about the idea of me working at MGMT. After discussing, we both agreed that it would probably be better for me to stay in the tech space and meet new people. I ended up doing this for a little, and it was great while it lasted but, ultimately the job wasn’t for me. Luckily, me leaving my job coincided with MGMT needing to bring on a new staff member to help manage content. After an extremely lengthy interview process and two rounds of salary negotiations, I landed the job! Kidding. I did sign an offer letter though and had an official introduction to the company, which brings me to my first point on how to make a romantic/professional relationship work.

Be Professional.

I think one of the biggest reasons I’m able to work for Zach is because I take the job seriously. I signed all the paperwork everyone else signed upon being hired. I’m genuinely interested in what MGMT does and am proud to be a part of the team. I’m not doing this job because it’s an easy way to make money.

If I have to make an appointment that falls during work hours, I run it by Zach first before booking it. If I’m running late to the office (before COVID-19 we did not carpool to the office), I will give him as much notice as possible. I also refer to him as Zach and not “babe” or any other pet name. Let’s be real, “babe” is not cute and doesn’t belong in the workplace. We’re all adults here and perfectly capable of referring to each other by our wonderful birth names.

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Be a Team Player.

One of the cool things about MGMT Digital is that it’s a small company, which means we all wear many hats. Although I was hired to do one thing, Zach encourages everyone to come up with ideas on how the company can improve, and I fully participate in that. I’m sure I could just get by doing the bare minimum because you know, I have an in with the boss, but that would probably make me feel terrible about myself. Self-esteem in the workplace is important.

If I see something that can be better, I let everyone know, respectfully of course. I find that when everyone works together towards a common goal (for us it’s being the best digital marketing agency), going to work is fun. I think the most important part of this is that I care about the company the way Zach does, which strengthens our bond. Let’s hope he doesn’t get mad at me for getting emotional here.

Have Respect.

Last but not least, I respect Zach and the MGMT Digital crew. It can be easy to get caught up during the workday and want to pick a fight with Zach because I am a woman and we’re always right, but I don’t do this. The respect I have for the job gives me the ability to think before I speak and not bring personal issues to the workplace. Alright, I may have done this once but I haven’t done it since said incident! I’m only human, eh.

Overall, would I recommend to a friend to work with or for their significant other? Hell yeah! It’s fun. If you like them enough to date them, then you probably like them enough to collaborate with.