Working with family members is complicated. No one knows that better than Know Your Value founder Mika Brzezinski, who co-hosts “Morning Joe” with husband Joe Scarborough every weekday. She’s also writing a book, “Comeback Careers,” with sister-in-law Ginny Brzezinski.
“If you’re going to work with a family member, you should have no illusions that it’s going to go completely smooth, and smoother than any other professional relationship,” said Brzezinski, reflecting on the book project with her sister-in-law.
Scarborough noted his parents worked together in their mid-40s through retirement, and he was able to pick up lessons along the way.
“You have to be doing something you love, and that actually does strengthen the relationship,” he said. “You need to be able to close the office door or put down the phone and have a dividing line between your professional life and your personal life because it can consume both,” Scarborough added.
Brzezinski said the couple (who married in November of last year) sometimes struggles with putting work on the back burner, but they are getting better at it. And Scarborough noted that because the two go on live television every day, if they are having an argument, it’s important that it gets resolved right away.
“It’s actually very good for us, because you hear people saying ‘never go to bed angry with your spouse,’” said Scarborough.
“We can’t,” noted Brzezinski.
Scarborough continued: “It doesn’t matter how difficult the conversation we are having is…We know we have to make it right by the time we go to bed at night because in the morning, well, we’re on the show …That part has been a real blessing for us because it requires us, no matter what happens, to finish all disagreements by the end of the day.”
Know Your Value staff