Meet My Better Half: The Man Behind the Magic (And the Pretty Google Forms)

Hey beautiful people!

You know how they say behind every successful woman is a great support system? Well, let me introduce you to mine - my better half, Brandon, who somehow manages to be an elementary school assistant principal by day and my personal superhero by night (and weekends, and pretty much whenever I need him).

The Quiet Hero You Don't See

If you've been following along with these blog posts, you've heard all about the beautiful chaos of running Coterie and Bounce Salon. What you haven't heard about is the man who makes so much of it possible - even though he's rarely in the spotlight.

Brandon works full-time as an assistant principal at an elementary school, which means he's already spending his days managing schedules, solving problems, and keeping everything running smoothly for hundreds of kids and their families. You'd think that would be enough for anyone, right?

Wrong. This man comes home and somehow finds the energy to be my biggest cheerleader, my problem-solver, and honestly, my sanity-saver on the days when running two businesses feels like too much.

The Weekend Warrior

Here's a perfect example of who Brandon is: I had a client who so graciously bought me a new shampoo bowl and chair for the salon (still getting emotional thinking about that generosity). Most people would probably schedule installation over several days, maybe hire professionals, definitely stress about the logistics.

Not Brandon. This man looked at those supplies, looked at me, and said, "We've got this." Then he proceeded to remodel my ENTIRE salon in one weekend. I'm talking complete transformation - plumbing, electrical, layout, everything. While I was probably having a mild panic attack about the disruption to my schedule, he was calmly making it all work.

By Monday morning, I had a brand new salon space that looked like professionals had spent weeks on it. That's just who he is - he sees what needs to be done and makes it happen.

The Design Genius I Never Knew I Needed

But wait, there's more! (I feel like an infomercial, but I can't help myself.) This man has somehow become my unofficial graphic designer. You know those business documents and spreadsheets I need for daily operations - cash counts, schedules, tracking sheets? Those aren't just functional chicken scratch anymore - they're actually pretty and professional, thanks to Brandon's magic touch with Canva.

He takes my "I need to track this" or "I need a better way to organize that" and turns it into something that actually looks polished and reflects the Coterie brand. I'll mention needing a better system for something, and somehow it appears, beautifully designed and ready to use.

I never asked him to become a graphic designer for my business documents, but here we are, and I honestly don't know how I managed with my messy spreadsheets before he started making everything look so professional.

My Biggest Fan and Strongest Foundation

Here's what really gets me - Brandon believes in Coterie and Bounce Salon even on the days when I don't believe in myself. When I'm overwhelmed, when the numbers don't add up the way I want them to, when I'm questioning every decision I've made, he's there reminding me of how far we've come and why this work matters.

He celebrates every small win like it's a major victory. He problem-solves with me when challenges come up. He listens to me process ideas, vent about difficult days, and dream about the future. And somehow, he does all of this while maintaining his own demanding career and never making me feel like I'm asking for too much.

The Balance I Didn't Know I Needed

Working with kids all day has given Brandon this incredible patience and perspective that balances out my sometimes-chaotic energy perfectly. When I'm spinning about ten different ideas at once, he helps me focus on what matters most. When I'm stressed about something that feels huge, he helps me see it in perspective.

And the best part? He genuinely loves seeing me do what I'm passionate about. There's never any jealousy about the time and energy Coterie requires, never any resentment about weekend projects or late-night planning sessions. He's all in, supporting this dream that started as mine but has somehow become ours.

A Love Letter Disguised as a Blog Post

Look, I could keep going about all the ways Brandon makes my life and this business better, but I think you get the picture. Behind all the coffee-making, hair-styling, event-hosting magic you see at Coterie, there's this incredible man making sure I have everything I need to keep doing what I love.

So the next time you're at Coterie and something runs smoothly, or you see a beautifully organized tracking sheet, or you notice how put-together the salon looks, know that Brandon's fingerprints are probably all over it.

To my better half - thank you for being my biggest fan, my problem-solver, my weekend warrior, and my constant reminder that I can do hard things. I couldn't do this without you, and I wouldn't want to.

And to everyone else - aren't we all lucky to have people in our lives who believe in our dreams as much as we do? Brandon reminds me every day that the best partnerships are the ones where everyone wins, where supporting each other's passions makes both people stronger.

Here's to the behind-the-scenes heroes who make the magic possible. ✨

With so much love and gratitude,

Ghiovanna

P.S. - Brandon, if you're reading this, yes, I'm getting emotional writing it, and yes, I still need you to make that new cash count sheet pretty. You're the best! 💕