Before they could work together on behalf of their clients, this duo had to work out the kinks inherent in the shift from family to business. While their personal bond and shared interests led them to the same professional passions, they are the first to admit it isn’t always smooth sailing when working closely with someone you love. We asked them to share their challenges and triumphs of thriving on the job.

The C Words: Control, Communication, Compromise, Change

Lou: As with any good partnership, even though it is supposed to be 50/50 usually it isn’t. Someone is controlling and someone is controlled. When I invited my daughter into my company, I had mixed emotions. I was skeptical. We both like control.
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Hannah Seligson

Hannah Seligson, who grew up in Alexandria, Va., says that after she graduated from Brown University with a degree in political science she took a job–then found herself glued to a computer looking at spread sheets.

“I took a job in political consulting, where I was essentially an Excel monkey,” she says. “The job was a bad fit all around, and they beat me to the punch and fired me after nine months.” That inspired her to write a career guide for young women, called New Girl on the Job: Advice from the Trenches (Citadel, $19.95).

“I wrote the book that I wish I had had when I graduated college in 2004,” says Seligson, now a journalist, author, speaker and blogger. “Being a journalist appeals to me because I love finding the story in things, even if it’s something like a dog parade. ‘Why’ is my favorite word.”
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Put your best foot forward with a complete profile. Fill out your profile like it’s an executive bio—include past companies, education, affiliations and activities. Descriptions of roles, responsibilities and accomplishments dramatically improve your appearance in search results. By filling out past companies and educational details you increase the likelihood of being found by former co-workers and alums.

Build your network before you need it. Networking done well is about an exchange of value. Connections are one of the most important aspects of your brand—the company you keep is a reflection of you. Generally, you need about 30-plus connections to start seeing the value of LinkedIn. The quickest way to build your network is to import your address book from Outlook or your webmail account and see who you know on LinkedIn.

Give before you ask. If you find ways to help other people achieve their goals, the laws of reciprocity will work in your favor. LinkedIn helps you maintain your relationships by giving you a way to reach out and help your network when they are asking for advice, hiring or looking for experts.
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by Shannon Joseph

The fear of getting in front of people has never been an issue for me. It’s typically the place I feel most comfortable. Having been an entrepreneur for so many years, selling products and out-of-the-box ideas was second nature. However, selling myself to a potential employer had become a challenge.

After relocating from New Orleans to Dallas after Hurricane Katrina, it was essential for me to re-enter the work force. I spent hundreds of hours glued to my computer searching every possible job site. I have no doubt that I have visited every career search engine in cyberspace. By the time I realized my results were unremarkable, a year had passed and I was still unemployed.
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