从Esprit创始人到Tory Burch 创业夫妻为何多以离婚收场
日期:2015-01-25 14:54

(单词翻译:单击)

Managing a company with your mate is not easy. If the business is struggling, that can damage your relationship. If the relationship is struggling, that can damage the business. And even if the company is thriving, the marriage can fall apart – in an ugly way.
和你的“另一半”共同打理一家公司,并不是一件容易的事。如果企业陷入了麻烦,甚至有可能影响你的夫妻关系。同理,夫妻感情出现了问题,反过来也有可能影响企业经营。即便公司繁荣发展,婚姻也有劳燕分飞的可能——而且是以一种尴尬的方式。
That was underscored with the latest chapter in the sad saga of Tory and Chris Burch. In 2004, the then-married couple founded Tory Burch. And while it grew into a global fashion brand, its two founders divorced – and at one point, became competitors.
托里o伯奇和克里斯的悲剧故事便印证了这一点。2004年,这对夫妻创立了Tory Burch公司。等到这家公司终于发展成全球知名的时尚品牌,两位创始人却离婚了,而且成了竞争对手。

After the fact, it may be easy to spot the signs of trouble in the relationship or business (or both). But usually, couples who run companies together are figuring it out as they go along. The key to success: Setting clear boundaries between work and home, and communicating openly when there’s a problem. “Be really explicit [about] what’s allowed to spill over and what’s not,” says Nancy Rothbard, Professor of Management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
从“马后炮”的角度看,或许很容易找到他们的婚姻生活以及企业本身出现问题的迹象。通常,一起运营公司的夫妻会在前进中解决这些问题。“夫妻店”成功的关键,是要在工作和生活中划定明确的界限,当发生问题时,要勇于拿到台面上讨论。宾西法尼亚大学沃顿商学院管理学教授南茜o罗斯巴德指出:“要非常明确哪些能说,哪些不能说。”
Here are seven famous examples of brands created by couples – and what happened after.
本文汇总了7个由夫妻共同创立品牌的知名例证,以及他们的最终结局。
Kate and Andy Spade
凯特与安迪o丝蓓
Kate wasn’t even officially a Spade when she and then-fiancé Andy nationally launched their iconic handbag line, Kate Spade, in 1993. In 1996, Andy left his full-time job and the next year, the couple sold their first men’s bag in their new line, Jack Spade. In 1999, the couple sold a 56% stake to Neiman Marcus for $33.6 million.
1993年,凯特与她的未婚夫安迪o斯派德共同推出了手提包品牌Kate Spade,当时二人还未正式结婚。1996年,安迪辞去了他的全职工作,次年二人正式开卖他们的首款男包品牌Jack Spade。1999年,二人以3360万美元的价格,将公司56%的股权卖给了内曼马库斯公司。
Telling quote:"I think what we made the mistake of doing early on was taking every opportunity alone to talk about the business, at dinner, driving the car, you know at home brushing your teeth, as you're getting into bed, as you're waking up, and I think we made a conscious effort to not do that because I think it was just, you know, it would burn us out," Kate told CNN in 2002.
当事人说:“我认为我们早期犯的一个错误,就是在一切我俩独处的时间都要谈生意,不管是吃饭、开车、刷牙、睡觉还是起床的时候。后来我们有意地不再那样做,因为那样会耗尽我们的感情。”2002年接受CNN采访时,凯特这样说道。
The upshot:In 2006, when the company was pulling in $84 million in sales, they sold to Liz Claiborne, now renamed Kate Spade & Company KATE . They worked at the brand until 2007. After leaving, Andy went on to open Partners & Spade, a New York City-based branding firm, while Kate became an at-home mom.
结局:2006年,该公司获得8400万美元的销售额,同年他们将公司卖给了丽诗加邦,现更名为Kate Spade & Company。他们在该品牌工作至2007年。离开公司后,安迪又在纽约开了一家名叫Partners & Spade的品牌营销公司,而凯特则成了一名全职妈妈。
Doug Tompkins and Susie Tompkins Buell
道格o汤普金斯与苏西o汤普金斯o布埃尔
Though founded by Susie Tompkins Buell and a friend in San Francisco in 1968 under a different name, Esprit 330 was soon also led by her husband Doug, after he sold his own clothing company, North Face. The once-successful line and the marriage both began having serious troubles in the mid-1980s, chronicled by SF Weekly. While the couple divorced in 1989, the business’ drama took years to unfold. One minute Doug was leading the company, the next Susie.
1968年,苏西o汤普金斯o布埃尔与她的一个朋友在旧金山创立了Esprit公司的前身,当时这家公司还不叫这个名字。不久后,随着苏西的丈夫道格卖掉了自己的服装公司North Face,他也加入了Esprit的领导层。从80年代中期开始,他们的婚姻以及这家一度非常红火的公司都陷入了严重的麻烦。二人于1989年离婚后,公司的“宫斗”戏还上演了好几年。前一分钟是道格领导公司,下一分钟就换成了苏西。
Telling quote:"Both Doug and Susie had very strong visions, but some of the synergy had fallen away, so it did make it more difficult," a former employee told SF Weekly. "It was more difficult because people knew there was internal conflict."
当事人说:一名曾在该公司工作过的员工对《旧金山周刊》表示:“道格和苏西都有很强的愿景,但他们之间的协同效应消失了,所以使公司变得更加困难,因为人们都知道公司有内部冲突。”
The upshot:Lawsuits and takeovers moved faster than the products. These days, the publicly traded Esprit Holdings is based in Hong Kong and Germany, and in 2011, the company said in a filing, "The brand has gradually lost its soul over the past few years."
结局:官司和收购来得比产品还快。如今,已经公开上市的Esprit控股公司将总部设在香港和德国。2011年,该公司在一份文件中称:“过去几年,这个品牌已经逐渐失去了灵魂。”
Burt Shavitz and Roxanne Quimby
伯特o夏维茨与罗珊o昆比
Originally a photographer, Burt Shavitz started beekeeping and selling his honey after leaving New York City for upstate in 1970. But it wasn’t until he picked up then-hitchhiker Roxanne Quimby in 1984 that the business really took off. By 1993, the company had $3 million in sales, but the couple's relationship – business and personal – dissolved when Roxanne caught him in an affair.
伯特o夏维茨最早是一名摄影家,1970年离开纽约,去农村养蜂卖蜜。但他的公司真正做大做强,还是罗珊o昆比于1984年加入公司以后的事。到1994年,该公司的销售额已经达到300万美元,但由于伯特出轨被罗珊抓获,这对夫妇(包括私人关系与商业关系)也随之一拍两散。
Telling quote:Burt told The Daily Beast in 2013 that when Quimby discovered his affair, she played hardball. “She consulted a lawyer and put the paper on a desk and said, ‘There! Take it or leave it!” I had no one to turn to for guidance, so I signed it. I went one way and she went another."
当事人说:2013年,伯特对《野兽日报》表示,当年罗珊发现他出轨后,态度甚是强硬。“她咨询了一名律师,然后把协议放在桌子上,说道:‘看吧!要么接受要么滚!’没人能给我提供指导,所以我就签了。于是我俩就分道扬镳了。”
The upshot:He ended up selling his one-third share of the company for 50 acres of land and a home, worth only $130,000, according to The New York Times. In 2000, AEA Investors bought 80 percent of the company, paying Quimby $141.6 million, making Shavitz’s share, had he still owned it, worth about $59 million, according to theTimes. Shavitz, the report said, was able to get $4 million more from Quimby and still gets paid an undisclosed sum each year for the use of his image. In 2007, Burt's Bees was bought by the Clorox Company CLX .
结局:据《纽约时报》报道,伯特最终卖掉了三分之一的公司股权,换来了50英亩土地和一幢房子,价值仅有13万美元。2000年,安盈投资公司支付昆比1.416亿美元,购买了公司80%的股权。也就是说伯特如果依然拥有股份的话,他所持股权的价值将达到5900万美元。该报纸还称,伯特还可以从昆比那里获得400多万美元,每年还可以获得一笔数额不明的款项,让公司得以继续使用他的肖像权。2007年,Burt’s Bees公司被高乐氏公司收购。
Andrew and Peggy Cherng
程正昌与蒋佩琪
If any restaurant chain embodies the American dream, it’s Chinese chain Panda Express. Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng immigrated to the U.S. (he from China and she from Burma), met in college, got married, and became billionaires. Their empire started in 1973, when Andrew opened the Panda Inn with $60,000 of savings, a small business loan, and free labor from family members.
最能代表“美国梦”的餐馆,非中餐连锁店“熊猫快餐”莫属。两名CEO程正昌与蒋佩琪都是亚裔移民(程正昌来自中国,蒋佩琪来自缅甸),二人在大学相识,然后喜结连理,又携手成为亿万富翁。二人的商业帝国奠基于1973年,当时程正昌靠着一笔6万美元的积蓄、一笔小额商业贷款以及家人的免费劳动力开了一家“熊猫旅馆”。
In 1975, the two wed, and when Andrew opened his second restaurant in 1982, Peggy left her engineering job and joined the business.
1975年,程正昌与蒋佩琪结婚。程正昌于1982年开设了第二家餐厅,蒋佩琪也辞去了工程师的工作,加盟公司。
Telling quote:In 2013, Peggy told Fortune, "We had to learn how to resolve business disagreements. It’s not 'Your way is best' or 'My way is best,' but the alternative way — which incorporates everybody’s ideas — is best."
当事人说:2013年,蒋佩琪对《财富》表示:“我们必须学会怎样解决商业分歧。并不是说‘你的方法是最好的’或者‘我的方法是最好的’,那种能够接纳每个人想法的方法才是最好的。”
The upshot:The privately-held company had $2.2 billion in revenue last year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
结局:据《洛杉矶时报》报道,去年这家私人公司的营收达到22亿美元。

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重点单词
  • unfoldv. 展开,开放,显露
  • undisclosedadj. 未泄露的;身分不明的;保持秘密的
  • alternativeadj. 两者择一的; 供选择的; 非主流的 n. 替换
  • consciousadj. 神志清醒的,意识到的,自觉的,有意的 n. 意
  • globaladj. 全球性的,全世界的,球状的,全局的
  • settingn. 安装,放置,周围,环境,(为诗等谱写的)乐曲 动词
  • photographern. 摄影师
  • quoten. 引用 v. 引述,举证,报价
  • staken. 桩,赌注,利害关系 v. 下注,用桩支撑
  • filingn. 锉(文件的整理汇集)