Doug + Jane Paradis
It was Doug who inspired Jane to pursue her love of accessories—and together they drafted the business plan for Jane Win Jewelry, which launched in 2018. Since then, it’s gone from folding tables in the couple’s Wayne living room to a much-anticipated collaboration with Banana Republic on the hit TV series White Lotus. “It’s a business that reflects her and her values,” Doug says.
The couple’s blended family includes five children, all in college or living on their own. While Jane spends her days in her showroom in Wayne, Doug works as the chief technology officer for Veltek Associates. They start each day together before going their separate ways, then reunite for a joint workout session and dinner. “We’re both the sounding board for each other,” says Doug of their 10-year marriage.
“We’re so aligned,” Jane adds. “I talk through so much with Doug, and he has such sound advice and has been so instrumental in Jane Win’s growth.”
Chris + Angela Payson
To get the blessing he needed from Angela’s father, Chris had to prove he could provide. Both grew up in Delaware County, and Angela was a freshman at West Chester University when she met her 19-year-old future husband, who was serving in the Air Force at the time. From an early age, Chris had a passion for home remodeling, so he took a post-discharge job in the estimating department at Gardner/Fox Associates in Bryn Mawr, cleaning office space after hours to earn extra money.
Even then, Angela knew the prospect of starting a business with her husband would be on the table one day. “And I was up for that adventure,” she says.
In 2007, the couple opened West Chester Design Build. The initial plan was to flip houses, but that idea was snuffed out by the housing bubble of 2008, forcing them to focus solely on remodeling. Now they lead the 50-person team at COCOON. The 2020 name change touched off a highly successful rebranding effort.
Busy parents of four children, Chris and Angela spend a lot of time together—and that’s how they like it. “We purposely designed our offices to connect,” says Chris. “It’s representative of us always being connected. We’re a team.”
And after 22 years of marriage, there’s still mystery. “We don’t just assume we know everything there is to know about each other,” Angela says.
Adds Chris: “We feel like we’ve grown up together—and we’re still growing up together.”
Emily + Zach Berman
“She wasn’t interested in me at first,” Zach says.
“I thought he was marriage material … and a little boring,” notes Emily. “I wasn’t ready for that at the time.”
And though they bonded over a shared love of the Shore, their ideas of fun were quite different. “I liked to go out at night, and he liked to read on the porch,” Emily says. “I thought, ‘I don’t want to read on the porch.’ We got engaged on that very porch.”
Today, Zach covers the Philadelphia Eagles for PHLY Sports, and Emily is the owner of the home organization company NEAT Method Philadelphia. While Zach’s days are filled with reading, writing, phone calls and a 2 p.m. on-air slot, Emily is managing her business, their home in Bryn Mawr and the activities of their two young kids. “She’s in charge,” Zach says. “She handles everything.”
The success of their nine-year marriage can be attributed to their deep respect for one another. “During football season, I’m not around as much,” Zach says. “But during the offseason in June I’m around a lot more.”
“Notice he just said the offseason is the month of June,” Emily interjects. “That tells you there really is no offseason.”
But Emily would never tell her husband to cut back. “We allow each other to do the things we love to do, and we’re understanding of each other’s interests,” she says. “It allows us to come back to each other and do the things we enjoy together.”
Kurt Benkurt + Annalise Long
Annalise was working as an insurance underwriter when she and Kurt began mulling the opportunity to take over Daniel’s Restaurant + Bar in Conshohocken. Before diving in, the couple had multiple conversations about the challenges of maintaining a relationship while working together. “The success rate of that is slim to none,” says Annalise. “At the same time, I think your best business ventures are with people who understand you—and that’s your partner.”
Luckily, both have a work ethic at least partially forged in the hospitality industry—Kurt in hotels, Annalise in restaurants. “I don’t think either of us could be with anyone who didn’t have a really deep appreciation for working, which I learned from being on my own for a really long time and he learned from coming here from a different country at a relatively young age,” Annalise says. “That’s a common denominator we share.”
Kurt concurs. “The way we look at the world is a little different than a lot of people we know,” he says. “We have our challenges, but we have the common language and can meet in the middle.”
From the start, they set a rule that anything personal is put on the back burner once they walk through the door at Daniel’s. In fact, no one on their team even knew they were together until they got engaged last year. Working nights, weekends and holidays in the restaurant industry doesn’t leave time for much else. It’s the little things that keep them connected—like checking in throughout the day or being the one who makes the coffee. “You have to keep it front and center that this is your partner, in every sense of the word, and appreciate them all the time,” says Annalise.
Kurt’s best relationship advice? “Never tell a lady to relax,” he says with a laugh.
Josh + Bree Truby
Planning ahead is crucial in the Truby household. But it’s about more than making sure the two kids get to their activities on time. “It’s about making sure we’re on the same page and that we feel seen, heard and understood,” says Bree.
The two met as freshmen at Shippensburg University. Upon graduation, Josh followed his future wife back to the Bryn Mawr area. Bree is an event planner for Lincoln Financial Group, and Josh is a project manager for Teva Pharmaceuticals. Beyond that, Bree is the director for the Garrett Hill July 4th Parade, an active member of her school district’s parent-teacher organization, and coach of her daughter’s basketball and softball teams. You can learn more about their lives through the utterly hilarious @breeandabottleofjosh Instagram page.
Josh, meanwhile, is the team manager of their son’s travel soccer team and a volunteer board member of the Bryn Mawr Fire Company. He’s also working on his second master’s degree. “Very rarely does our week have any downtime,” Bree notes.
Despite hectic schedules, their unique connection keeps them grounded. “With the chaotic storm we navigate on a weekly basis, it’s all about open communication—and having a shared calendar is a godsend,” says Josh. “We’re really just trying to be a good example for the kids so they value hard work and determination.”
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