How we successfully run business together and avoid scandals — Darey Alade

Business partnerships are known to be tricky so it’s even more amazing when a couple also manages to run a successful company together.
The latter is what Nigerian musician, Darey Art Alade and his wife, Deola, have achieved running Livespot, a Lagos-based intergrated Communications firm with offices in Abuja.
The couple who have been married since 2007 have also managed to keep their private lives away from the prying eyes of the public.
In this interview with Premium Times, the pair open up on what it is like running a business together.
PT: What is like running a business together for more than a decade and as a couple?
Darey: The thing is when we are working we are not husband and wife.
She is my CEO, so when we are working because we have strong human resources policies in place, if I do anyhow I will see anyhow.
But seriously speaking, it’s actually fun, working together. We make it fun not just between ourselves but together. The tongue and teeth don’t get along sometimes so it’s only natural that we disagree sometimes but we make sure that we keep our eyes on the ball.
Deola: I think we value our friendship and respect as well. You know because we are best friends first and foremost we respect each other in and outside the office.
PT: What roles do you both play in the company?
Deola: Livespot is a 360-degree creative collective company. So while Darey drives the company’s creative vision, I am the design expert who oversees Livespot’s activities and makes strategic decisions that have helped us grow the outfit.
Darey: Even when my wife was running interior design business, I really learnt a lot from her about her business just by being around her.
She has also learnt a lot about my music business just by being around me. We really do complement each other because no one person knows it all.
PT: How involved is Deola in your music career?
Darey: Deola has always been involved in my music and career as far back as when I was producing my old music, planning campaigns, even up to the writing of the music.
Once I sound it off her first and she likes it I am fine. When I return from the studio, the first person I play my music to is my wife. She is my first consumer at home.
Sometimes when she is not around and our son walks into me creating music and doesn’t react, I don’t even bother myself. There is just no need because at that point I just know that I have not tried.
I have to go back to making the song better. So, we have always unconsciously cultivated that level of involvement in each other’s business.
Deola: I am my husband’s biggest critic. So, across everything, whatever decision we make, we run it by each other. We work well together, creatively even if there are any differences we know how to resolve it together. It’s always about the end result which is the greater good.
PT: Don’t you think channeling so much energy into Livespot would affect your music career in the long run?
Darey: To answer the question of music, what I do or who I am is reflected in the works that we all do here at Livespot. So, from campaigns to events, to creating jingles or campaign music for different brands, to sometimes performing at certain events or hosting events, all are related to what I do as a musician.
PT: During the tour of your office, I observed that Deola has a bigger office. Does that mean her work load is more than yours?
Darey: My office is just okay for me and I don’t need a lot of space, moreover I also have my studio as an extension of my office so if I combine both offices, mine is a lot bigger.
But as the CEO, she has more guests and gets to see more people. Most people who come to Livespot are her guests not mine. There is really nothing to the size of the office, it’s an architectural ‘mistake’.
Deola: Darey you didn’t tell her that it was your idea to have it that way.
Darey: I didn’t add that ther