And the not so obvious….you might not know that designer Diane Von Furstenberg is married to media giant Barry Diller, Chairman and CEO of IAC, which owns Paramount Pictures and FOX among other brands.
What, though, do all of the Forbes couples have in common that other “normal” couples should emulate to become more powerful? A few things:
- Dual importance careers. When you look at all of the couples on Forbes’ list, all of them have equally successful and equally lauded careers. Sure, you can argue that POTUS and Secretary of State aren’t the same in power, but across the board, it’s clear that all of these couples value one another’s careers as much as their own.
- They’re invested. Almost every one of these couples has some form of business crossover. Sure, Melinda Gates isn’t intimately involved in Microsoft’s day-to-day, but the two run the Gates Foundation together. They are both invested heavily in the work the other does. The same goes for Cher Wang and Wenchi Chen. He even runs one of her tech startups.
- Maybe opposites don’t attract. When scrolling through these 15 couples, you don’t really see opposites on the list. One can find clear similarities between Bill and Hillary, their speaking and leadership styles. The same goes for Jay-Z and Beyonce, behemoths in their fields but vehement about their privacy.
Of course, we all want to be powerful women….but it might just be a good idea to also set our sights on being a part of a powerful duo.
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
Comment with Facebook