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You’ll Totally Gush Over These 11 Business Owner Couples

They knew it wouldn't be easy, but they were certain that it would be worth it. Get inspired by these couples crushing small-business-owner life together, one day at a time.

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by Shop Small, Proudly Backed by American Express

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1. Cassandre Davilmar and Isiah Michael | The Classic Man Barbershop | New York, New York

Mark Clennon

Cassandre and Isiah met during a scholarship interview in their law school program in August 2010 and instantly hit it off, sharing ideas about unconventional career paths and their shared entrepreneurial spirits. After the two earned their JDs and spent four years in corporate settings, they decided to follow their instincts and open The Classic Man Barbershop in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

2. Jon Floyd and Breanna Lien | Timbermade | Grand Forks, North Dakota

Courtesy of Jon Floyd

Jon and Breanna have been together for eight years, and this DIY duo has always had their sights set on running a business. The pair started out with an eyewear company six years ago, where they sold sunglasses made from skateboards (cool, right?!), but decided they wanted to kick their creativity up a notch, and thus Timbermade was born.

3. Ricardo and Ane Trillos | Cao Chocolates | Miami, Florida

Courtesy of Ricardo Trillos

Originally from Venezuela, Ricardo and Ane came to the United States shortly after marrying almost 20 years ago, and they now call sunny Miami home.

The duo opened Cao Chocolates after Ricardo was laid off from an accounting job during the recession in 2009, turning his chocolate crafting hobby into a full-blown business.

Ricardo and Ane constantly travel abroad to personally verify the quality of their ingredients, and they even take time to visit with the families who help produce these ingredients along the way!

4. Cole and Shilpa | Khao'na Kitchen | Brooklyn, New York

Courtesy of Cole and Shilpa

Cole and Shilpa have been together since December 2015, and one of the things that unites their love is the magic of food. What began as an idea for a coffee shop would soon evolve into Khao'na Kitchen, a health and wellness food cooperative that serves up flavorful Indian and Filipino cuisine. Though they officially opened just one year ago, the idea was years in the making for Cole and Shilpa.

The couple found themselves constantly stressing out, getting sick, and feeling fatigued, and they knew the food they ate was to blame. With Khao'na Kitchen, they wanted to focus on making the flavorful foods they knew and loved growing up — ones that nourish bodies without compromising taste.

5. Erin Patten and Willis Marshall | DāO Detroit | Detroit, Michigan

Courtesy of Erin Patten

They've only been together for three years, but for some, that can feel like a lifetime. Erin and Will are self-described soulmates who have been inseparable since their first date, and their first business venture together, DāO (which stands for Defying All Odds), happened pretty naturally.

After Erin did the "big chop" to allow her mane to grow back as healthily and naturally as possible, she and Will began mixing their own natural hair products in their bathroom at home, and the compliments came pouring in. Strangers would stop Erin to find out what exactly she was doing that had her hair looking so amazing, and the lovebirds realized the opportunity in front of them.

6. Wayde Cartwright and Bruce Boyd | Lang House Bed & Breakfast | Chicago, Illinois

Courtesy of Wayde Cartwright and Bruce Boyd

Owners and innkeepers of Chicago's Lang House Bed & Breakfast, Wayde and Bruce met over three decades ago in the Bahamas and can now proudly say they’ve been journeying together through life and entrepreneurship for an incredible 32 years.

Wayde and Bruce first opened up Tree Tops Bed & Breakfast in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, which they owned for five years, and then later moved on to running a pizza franchise for over 22 years. Eventually, the long, late hours demanded by a fast-food delivery franchise grew tedious, so the pair explored other opportunities and were lucky to find an opportunity on Chicago’s North Shore that worked for both of them. They officially left for the Midwest in 2008 to become the proud owners of Lang House Bed & Breakfast.

7. Kris and Jay Chan | Fancy Nancy | Brooklyn, New York

Courtesy of Kris Chan

Kris and Jay began dating almost eight years ago while working at the same restaurant in Manhattan. They would eventually come to find out that they both had plans to open their own restaurants, but over time, they decided that their ideas and philosophies were so similar that it made the most sense to combine their efforts. The couple opened Fancy Nancy in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, in August 2015.

8. Paula and Dave Jasinski | Green Fin Studio | Richmond, Virginia

Sara Harris

Paula and Dave first met at a small marine science lab in the Chesapeake Bay in 1994 and tied the knot one year later.

What brought the two together initially was their shared interest in marine science and clean water, and after exploring the environmental field in their individual careers, they realized a need for more inclusive communication and impact-driven marketing. To address this need, Paula and Dave launched their own consulting business, Green Fin Studio, in 2010.

9. Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart | BLK MKT Vintage | Brooklyn, New York

Courtesy of Kiyanna Stewart

Brooklyn natives Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart fell in love five years ago, opened up shop one year later, and have been curating and selling vintage and antique black artifacts and collectibles ever since.

Jannah and Kiyanna opened BLK MKT Vintage because of their love for all things vintage, and with their shop, they wanted to make sure they focused on vintage black artifacts, collectibles, and other things of the past in ways that would resonate with how black people see themselves in a contemporary context.

In terms of advice for couples who aspire to run a business together, they believe very strongly in one thing: "Separate church and state. In other words, create healthy boundaries separating your work from your relationship. It'll help you push through challenging moments — and there will be many."

10. Patricia and David Beets | Dell Cove Spices & More Co. | Chicago, Illinois

Courtesy of Patricia Beets

Patricia and David love what they do: They’re a close couple and are passionate about their business, but if you rewind to early 2010, you’ll find that their path to opening Dell Cove Spices was rocky.

Eight years ago, Patricia was a national correspondent for a newspaper whose parent company had just filed for bankruptcy, and her editors moved her job from the Midwest all the way to Los Angeles. The distance was difficult, but they realized they could stay connected by cooking together via video chat. It became their date night during their time being separated by three time zones.

Money was tight, but Patricia’s parents had raised her to believe that you don't have to be rich to eat well. So for holidays and special occasions, she and David gave loved ones what they call “edible luxuries” of their own making: handmade infused sugars and salts for baking cookies or sprinkling over popcorn; BBQ seasonings whipped up to make friends sweat; and homemade spice kits filled with ingredients discovered at organic markets or off-the-beaten-path farms.

11. Allison and Matt Robicelli | Robicelli Studio | Baltimore, Maryland

Courtesy of Allison Robicelli

Last certainly does not mean least, especially in this case. Allison and Matt Robicelli have overcome it all: From Allison beating cancer to Matt being a 9/11 first responder to the 2008 recession hitting just four days after they opened their first business to Matt having a heart infection that spread throughout his body and almost shut down all his organs, this couple knows a thing or two about grit.

Oh, they also had two boys in between everything. Eighteen months apart.

The now owners of Robicelli Studio, a blanket company for writing, TV, and consulting, the Robicellis spend their days writing recipes, making video content for a major network, whipping up pastries, and writing their fourth book.

American Express is all for small businesses during the holidays and year-round, making it easy for you to support these inspiring and ambitious duos.