E42 | Boil the Chicken!:Finding Simplicity in Business with Liza & Jay Graves

You can also view us on Spotify or listen to it on Apple Podcasts. )

We knew we were in for something special when we discovered Liza and Jay Graves were not just business partners but a married couple thriving in the entrepreneurial trenches together!

As fellow married business owners, we couldn't wait to dive into their story – and they didn't disappoint! Our conversation with the duo behind Style Blueprint left us energized and inspired...

Their journey from saving local businesses during the 2009 recession to building a remote-first company that values simplicity and authentic connection resonated deeply with us. We're thrilled to share the wisdom, practical insights, and refreshing honesty they brought to this episode of Trailblazers.

Here are three big themes we loved (and you will too), complete with leadership tips and ways to make it fun.

1. When Your Spouse Becomes Your COO

In November 2019, Liza pulled Jay aside during a car ride and delivered three truths: he was miserable, miserable to be around, and still living on airplanes while their youngest was about to graduate high school. Her solution? Come work with her at Style Blueprint. Five minutes later, he said yes...and then COVID hit. (Well, SH*T!)

Their partnership demonstrates how complementary skills (her vision and motivation, his systems and processes) can create business magic when personal relationships are already strong.

Leadership Tip: Create clear boundaries between work and home life. The Graves use a simple permission question: "Can I talk about work right now?" This small courtesy prevents burnout and respects each other's energy levels and downtime.

Make It Fun: Try "Work-Free Zones" with your spouse or business partner. Designate specific times, places, or activities where business talk is off-limits. Maybe it's during hikes, after 9pm, or every Sunday. Wherever you need space to recharge together. BTW - we are taking this tip to HEART!

2. Building Culture in a Remote World

When COVID forced Style Blueprint to go fully remote, Liza discovered an unexpected benefit - a level playing field for all team members. Their approach to remote culture includes daily 8:21am huddles, quarterly in-person retreats, and transparent feedback systems. Rather than annual reviews, they conduct quarterly "reflections" focused on growth and improvement. The result? A tight-knit team spread across the South that feels connected and valued. (Hint, nudge push, leaders - take this advice!)

Leadership Tip: Create multiple feedback loops. The Style Blueprint team anonymously shares what's working and what isn't each quarter, with responses read aloud during retreats. This transparency builds trust and ensures everyone's voice is heard.

Make It Fun: Implement "Blueprint Buddies" - a monthly virtual game that brings the team together for non-work connection. Simple activities like improv exercises ("Yes, and...") build relationships while developing skills that translate to better collaboration.

3. Boil the Chicken: The Power of Simplicity

When Liza was pregnant with their first child and managing her earlier restaurant business, she discovered her staff had abandoned the complicated rotisserie chicken process in favor of simply boiling the chicken, and no one (including her) could tell the difference in the chicken salad. This lesson in simplification not only saved time, it doubled their revenue by freeing up space and resources. The "boil the chicken" mentality now guides their business decisions at Style Blueprint.

Leadership Tip: Regularly audit your processes. Ask "What's our rotisserie chicken?" and identify where complexity might be masquerading as quality when simpler solutions would work better.

Make It Fun: Host a "Simplification Summit" where team members pitch one thing they'd eliminate or simplify in your business. Award a golden chicken trophy (or whatever swsag you have) to the idea that saves the most time while maintaining quality!

Liza and Jay Graves prove that married couples can successfully work together, remote teams can build strong cultures, and sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. Their approach to business combines heart, strategy, and straight-up common sense...showing that when you "boil the chicken," you create space for what really matters. LOVE. THIS

Tune in to hear more from this incredible trailblazing couple!

_________________________

About Liza and Jay Graves

Liza Graves is the Founder and CEO of Style Blueprint, a leading digital publication she launched in 2009 with a mission to support local businesses across the South. With a keen eye for connecting readers with the best their communities have to offer, Liza has grown Style Blueprint from a Nashville blog into a trusted lifestyle resource reaching over 200,000 subscribers daily.

Jay Graves joined Style Blueprint as COO in 2020 after a successful career in tech and data analytics. With expertise in systems, processes, and business growth, Jay complements Liza's creative vision with practical implementation. Beyond Style Blueprint, Jay serves as the President of EO Nashville (Entrepreneurs' Organization), connecting with and supporting fellow business owners.

Together, this husband-wife team has created a remote-first company culture that values employees as much as customers and readers. Their complementary skills and shared commitment to simplicity have made Style Blueprint a go-to resource for Southern lifestyle content and a powerful platform for local businesses and travel destinations across the region.

Learn more about Style Blueprint: StyleBlueprint.com

Follow Style Blueprint on social media:

• Instagram: @styleblueprint

• Facebook: StyleBlueprint

_________________________

ExperienceYes is not just in the business of learning and development – we're in the business of team transformation. Imagine a world where we don't just fix teams; we supercharge them.

Through our cutting-edge Team Workshops and Business Relationship IQ program, we turbocharge soft skills into hard results. Picture skyrocketing sales figures, clients delighting customers like never before, and teams achieving feats of innovation and peak performance.

How do we do it? By training teams to nurture an Improv Mindset for agile thinking, boost Emotional Intelligence for unparalleled client relationships, and refine Empathy and Influence to turn every interaction into a game-changer.

Join us in rewriting the playbook on team success. Let's elevate your team to new heights where excellence isn't just a goal – it's the new normal. Together, we'll build a future where every team thrives, every client succeeds, and every innovation sets the world on fire. Contact us if you want to know more!