This story appears in the May 2026 issue of Utah Business. Subscribe.
Managing work-life balance is difficult for anyone, but when your business partner is also your life partner, the lines become far more blurry and the off-switch nonexistent.
Across Utah, power couples are redefining what it means to have shared aspirations.
Jason and Meradith Christensen, co-founders of Blue Unicorn, produce the “unicorn” of protein bars with a mix of culinary art and protein chemistry. Their mission is simple but ambitious: create plant-based, allergen-friendly nutrition that tastes as good as it performs.
Traci Edwards and Bill Young are the photography team behind Adventure and Vow, which specializes in outdoor-centric elopement weddings from the rugged landscapes of southern Utah to the glaciers of Alaska and beyond.
Crista and Matt Vance are the leaders behind Mobrium, an employer reputation platform that improves public ratings, supercharges employer branding and maintains a competitive edge in recruiting and retention. Crista and Matt work together not only as co-founders but also as co-hosts of The Culture Profit Podcast.
How do you handle the transition from business partners to life partners at the end of the day, or do you embrace the idea that the two roles are blurred?
Blue Unicorn — Meradith: Lines are so blurred they’re nonexistent! We go to bed at night talking about our kids and Blue Unicorn and everything in between. Sometimes I wake up at 3 a.m., and I can tell he’s awake too, so I try to strike up a conversation. He pretends to be asleep because, as it turns out, that helps you actually go back to sleep.
Adventure and Vow — Traci: This is one we’ve been getting a lot better at and working consciously on. Our business is built on our passion for photography, and because it’s not only our work but also our art, learning how to put boundaries around that has been challenging. So we’ll go with the two roles are blurred currently, but working on defining a line somewhere.
Mobrium — Crista: At one point, we attempted to create boundaries like, “No talking about business-related things after 10 p.m.” We soon realized that it made more sense to take it case by case. Sometimes we have an epiphany and need to talk about it in that moment. Sometimes, one of us is too exhausted to talk business. We give and take, and are considerate of each other’s urgency and fatigue.
When you’re at a stalemate on a business decision, how do you break the tie?
Blue Unicorn — Meradith: One bonus of marrying your polar opposite is that we have very separate strengths and stewardships in our company, much like we do in our personal lives. So honestly, there isn’t much we butt heads about in the company. … We probably hit stalemate more at home because parenthood is a shared stewardship — and no joke.
Adventure and Vow — Traci: This has developed over the years. I started the business, so at the beginning, it was 100% me leading the way. With Bill stepping into more roles as we’ve grown, it’s become a creative process of putting our ideas out there and having them critiqued when and where needed in order to find the way forward.
Mobrium — Matt: Some decisions are significant enough to justify a deeper conversation. Other smaller decisions are not. We trust each other for decisions within our respective lanes of responsibility. On big issues, we care enough to disagree and seek to fully understand the other’s perspective. … This system works well for us.
What’s one thing your partner is amazing at that makes the business better?
Blue Unicorn — Meradith: Jason takes follow-through more literally than anyone on planet earth and blows zero smoke. So, if he says he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it, come hell or high water. This is just who he is at the core. … I think people can immediately sense his dependability and steadiness, which is an attribute that can’t be overstated.
Adventure and Vow — Bill: Traci is amazing at photography and reading people. Few people have her list of photography awards. Traci: Bill is strong with strategic thinking and seeing the bigger picture. His analytics and my artistic eye blend together for a really productive combination.
Mobrium — Crista: Matt always errs to the side of generosity … for our employees, clients and is quick to donate to our charitable efforts, even when we weren’t profitable yet. Matt: Crista is very rational and grounded. When I’m riding the rollercoaster of startup emotions, she stays focused on the long game and sees the bigger picture. Her presence keeps me balanced.
What is the best part of being business partners?
Blue Unicorn — Jason: The responsibility for everything and everybody within a growing company has often felt lonely and burdensome in the past. It is comforting to have someone to share that burden with. The best part is sharing in the process of creation — starting with a shared vision and working together to manifest it into something real and tangible that positively affects other lives.
Adventure and Vow — Traci: We get to travel to amazing places and spend all of our time together. For some people, that would be a lot, but we’ve lived in tiny vans … and still spend most of our year in a 20-foot trailer. Our job has brought us onto glaciers in Alaska, the Swiss Alps and this summer, the Dolomites of Italy. … We really love each other, so we’re grateful to spend so much meaningful time together.
Mobrium — Crista: Winning and losing as a team. His wins are mine, and mine are his. We support each other, lift each other when we’re struggling and talk openly about how we’re feeling without there being a disconnect. … It is so fulfilling to have shared goals and vision in everything we do.