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This Valentine's Day, if you're thinking about arguing with your spouse or co-founder, do it.

After all, healthy arguments have helped Melissa and Adi Ben-Ishay's business--and marriage--flourish.

The married co-founders of Baked by Melissa say they "fell in love icing cupcakes" for their New York City-based cupcake bakery and delivery service. It was a cute way to meet, but figuring out how to work and live together has been a different story-one that the couple shares on this special episode of Inc. Uncensored, along with Dr. Tracy-Tiwary, psychologist, behavioral science researcher and co-founder of Arcade Therapeutics, which develops digital mental health therapies.

The first challenge the couple faced together was expanding into a second retail location and deciding how to train new employees. They each had their own way of working and disagreed on which was better. "We realized we needed to have structure in the way that we work together," Melissa says, instead of two separate ways of doing things.

The solution was to do product development together, but assign chief responsibilities for each part of the process. Melissa conceptualizes and creates every flavor of cupcakes with the product team, then Adi makes them and reports to the CFO or COO.

That problem-solving mindset applies at home for the co-founders, too. The other understands when one is working late sympathetically and splits parental duties between morning and nighttime. One rule of thumb they keep is to never argue in front of their kids or employees, but when they do disagree, let each other speak openly, genuinely listen, and not let it ruin the day.

Dr. Dennis-Tiwary emphasizes that healthy couples argue in both business and romantic partnerships. "Arguing is not a bad thing--there's always something to discuss and work out. It doesn't mean you're losing control," Dennis says. She writes more extensively on the topic here.

To hear the rest of Melissa and Ben's story, listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, whether that's Apple, Spotify, or right here on Inc.com:

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Baked by Melissa Cupcakes Have a Secret Ingredient: Love

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16.02.2024

Hybrid Work Had a Growth Spurt in 2023. Your Company Could Reap the Benefits

Jeff Bezos Just Sold $4 Billion Worth of Amazon Stock. But He's Still Not the World's Richest Person

Here's What Y Combinator Wants From Startups This Year

Number of Workers on Strike More Than Doubled in 2023

Department of Energy Offers $100 Million for Carbon Removal Projects

Walmart and Target Are Championing a California Ballot Measure That Could Crack Down on Retail Crime

Lyft's Typo Snafu Proves Tiny Details Can Have Big Ramifications

This Valentine's Day, if you're thinking about arguing with your spouse or co-founder, do it.

After all, healthy........

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