In the online space, business partnership is rarely seen and even more rarely front and center when it exists. Jessi Honard + Marie Parks are one duo that have been business partners for several years and they share with us a peek inside their journey to becoming partners and what it takes to stay that way every day.

 

• They are the CEOs of Northstar Messaging.
• They knew each other about six month after meeting online, lived in the same city, and decided to start a writing business together.  
• They took on any writing projects from curriculum, grant writing, resume writing, etc.
• For the first 3-4 years they were both doing this and working full time jobs.
• Marie always had an idea of owning a bookstore but never really knew what she wanted to do.  She just loved stories and books but did not think about being an entrepreneur.
• Jessi was always entrepreneur focused.  In middle school she would burn CD’s off napster for kids.  She got an English degree, became a teacher, and got a little lost.  She realized she is really good at doing her own thing and not what people told her to do.
• The two of them would go camping and hiking together.  This was how they got to know each other so fast.
• They had met in an online forum celebrating stories and creativity.  They wrote together and knew they had very similar styles.
• The idea of the business was Marie’s.  Jessi felt so much better having a partner to do it all with.  They could split the fear and worry.
• They took it from side hustle to the dream due to circumstances.  Marie’s job was changing to something she was not very interested in.  She took this opportunity to make the jump fulltime into their business.
• Jessi stayed working fulltime for another year.  She was going through a divorce, friends had moved away, and Houston was just not home anymore.  Jessi moved to California with a friend and started full time in the business.
• They were both careful people and are grateful that the circumstances pushed them to go full time.
• Marie was able to jump into grant writing after her job was no longer a conflict of interest.  At the time, the bulk of the income in the business was this type of writing.
• Jessi’s forte was education.  In trying to come to a middle ground, they decided to help purpose driven businesses build an eloquent business.  They decided to hone in on this and started letting go of the other stuff.
• They did realize they were in very different places.  They went on a trip to confirm they should do this, they wrote a business plan from the ground up, and this was truly the beginning of the business.  
• Every day you have to choose to stay in business and stay partners.  
• Last year they did a lot of copywriting and then mastermind and online programs.  They realized they really like this part of teaching others.
• They want to work with thought leaders that make an impact.  
• To figure this out it was trial and error and thought checking.
• Going back, the advice they would give is to hang on tight and trust the process because it will work out.  This entrepreneurial process is about becoming a better version of yourself and not about the money.