How Shenae Grimes and AnnaLynne McCord Balance Being BFFs and Biz Partners
This week on WorkParty, the co-hosts of "Unzipped" don't hold back.
Photo: Courtesy of Shenae Grimes & AnnaLynne McCord
Listen to the full episode here.
Going into business with a friend can be an incredible experience, but it can also be a real challenge. You need to ensure your values, goals, and work ethics align.
So, how do you make it work with your bestie? How do you maintain healthy boundaries between being friends and being business partners? How do you navigate creative differences and make sure both of your opinions are heard?
To talk about what it really takes to go into business with a friend, Jaclyn Johnson, founder and CEO of Create & Cultivate and host of the “WorkParty” podcast, chatted with Shenae Grimes and AnnaLynne McCord on this week’s episode of “WorkParty.”
Although Shenae and AnnaLynne played fictional best friends on the CW show “90210,” today, they’re real-life besties and co-hosts of the podcast “Unzipped” where they talk about everything from friendship and parenting to pop culture and social issues.
On the “WorkParty” podcast, Jaclyn asked these BFFs turned business partners what it’s like to navigate the friend-business-partner relationship, why they decided to launch a podcast, and so much more. Listen to the full episode here.
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On starting a podcast together…
“We like people's stories. We like having in-depth conversations. We like questioning ourselves, we like questioning other people, and we're not afraid to quote-unquote go there.” — Shenae Grimes
On finding value outside of your career…
“You can be rich in life and not be the richest and most famous.” — Shenae Grimes
On being an advocate for children…
“I want to be a part of creating a world where we don't see the number of child suicides that we're seeing right now. For example, children as young as eight and nine years old, are killing themselves.” — AnnaLynne McCord
On prioritizing a career with work-life balance…
“Ultimately, what led me down wanting to get into the content creation thing and veer away from acting was the freedom to work from home, so that I could physically be present with my family instead of on a set for 16 hours a day.” — Shenae Grimes
On balancing friendship and business…
"This is business. If there's a decision that needs to be made, this is not about your heart or your feelings, this is about money." — AnnaLynne McCord
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By: Ashley Banayan
Ashley Banayan is a senior at the University of Southern California pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism with a minor in Web Technologies and Applications from the Viterbi School of Engineering. Currently, she works as an editorial intern for Create and Cultivate. She has experience in traditional public relations, social media marketing, influencer relations, content creation, and web development. Furthermore, she is the founder of Geocasion, a company designing Snapchat Geofilters for both businesses and personal clients, garnering 4.5 million views. In turn, these experiences led her to focus on the convergence and disruption in media, communication and web technologies.
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Proving that necessity is the mother of invention, design duo and best friends Cammy Hebert and Cologne Schmidt, both 29, of Show Me Your Mumu reinvented the classic mumu after a weekend vacation in Miami. The rest is modern fashion history wrapped in their eclectic brand that has been embraced by celebs like Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, and Beyoncé.
BFFs in Business: Cammy (left) and Cologne (right) of Show Me Your Mumu
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Proving that necessity is the mother of invention, design duo and best friends Cammy Hebert and Cologne Schmidt, both 29, of Show Me Your Mumu reinvented the classic mumu after a weekend vacation in Miami. The rest is modern fashion history wrapped in their eclectic brand that has been embraced by celebs like Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, and Beyoncé. Show Me Your Mumu is loved by women everywhere who can find it online and in more than 300 stores nationwide.
We chatted with Cammy and Cologne about the ins and out of business and friendship, and how they make their #femship work (literally).
Name: Cammy Hebert & Cologne Schmidt
Trade: Co-founders of Show Me Your Mumu
Location: Venice Beach and Vernon, CA
So-called "femships," aka female friends run businesses together, are having a moment. How has your friendship given you a business edge?
Cologne: We started this business as friends, and we're lucky that we still are best friends and work together so well! Usually people advise not to go into business with your best friend, but we have been very lucky. Our relationship is more like sisters now—we have been through a lot together. The Mumu lifestyle is all about girlfriends and having fun, so were have been able to translate that lifestyle to our customer. We also each bring different vibes and styles to the table, rounding out the Mumu line and aesthetic.
"we started this business as friends and we're lucky that we still are."
How do you think your business would be different working solo?
Cologne: Having a business partner makes the whole process so much more fun and emotionally manageable. Cammy and I go through all the highs and lows together—we get to cry and we get to celebrate together. When problems arise, we can help each other solve them. We also manage different channels of the business, so we can split up some of the workload and teams we manage. The creative part, which we both love, we get to do together and bring our unique vibes to each collection.
How was the transition of working for companies like Calvin Klein, to packing your bags to LA and starting your own business?
Cammy: We laugh because starting your own business is kind of like having a baby. You care about them so much, they are nonstop work, and you will do anything for them—including staying up all night. Working for yourself is very challenging, but also very rewarding. It involves a lot more emotion and work, but we would never change it. We love our baby, Mumu!
Show Me Your Mumu is a very female-powered business. Who are the women that inspire you?
Cologne: We have both learned a lot from our moms. My mom is a very strong lady, who always taught me to speak up, work hard, and be and be myself. We have 3 women on our board who we work closely with—Liz, Cammy’s mom Teresa, and Janet. They are amazing women who inspire us and make us better women and #girlbosses.
"always be honest and vocal with each other. it will help in the long run."
What would be your best advice to someone who wants to start a business with their friend?
Cammy: Make sure that you can see it working longterm. Think about all of the situations you will have to go through and imagine how you'd handle them together. It is so much fun to work with a friend, but it can also be strenuous on some friendships, so it is not for everyone! If you do choose it, make sure to always be honest and vocal with each other. It will help you in the long run. Also, have fun with it! Running a business with your bud is a blast!
Thanks, girls!
Shop the line and follow @showmeyourmumu on Instagram for tons of color and goodness daily!