Sisterhood has always been an uplifting relationship to observe.
There is an unspoken language there, a bond like no other. In a sister, you find your best friend, your confidant, and the source of some of life's biggest frustrations all in one. And despite that, you wouldn't trade them for anyone else in the world.
Your sister shares something that is truly unique to your bond.
And even if you aren't born into the bond like so many other sisters, sisterhood can be a kinship that knows no bounds. In some cases, water is thicker than blood and you establish your roots in close friendship circles, adopting women who know you and helped grow you into a sisterhood all your own.
From content creators and influencers, to entrepreneurs and musicians, we spoke with sisters that find strength, empowerment, and success in sticking together, while embracing their differences. Here's what these sisters had to say about their crafts, and more importantly, their love for each other.
Coco & Breezy
Breezy & CocoCourtesy of cocoandbreezy via Leighton Pope
Entrepreneur twin sisters Coco and Breezy had to learn how to embrace their uniqueness along their journey as business partners. They own an eponymously named retail eyewear company and are an innovative DJ and producer duo. As twins, they know a thing about being two peas of a pod, while embracing their differences, and how it's transformed their productivity.
"Our sisterhood is unique because not only are we sisters, but we are twins. We are twins that shared a cell phone until we were 19 years old. When we first started our business, we didn't really embrace our differences. Once we figured out our own strengths, it helped us become a lot more productive. We also have a rule and say that there are no feelings in business. We don't allow our personal emotions with each other to affect our business decisions. Being an entrepreneur can also be an emotional rollercoaster," the twins shared with us in a statement. "There have been a lot of up and down times during our journey. Whenever we have any feelings of doubt, our sisterly love always takes over to spread the positive energy."
"Whenever we have any feelings of doubt, our sisterly love always takes over to spread the positive energy."
What They Love Most About Each Other
Coco and BreezyCourtesy of @cocoandbreezy
"I absolutely love and admire Breezy for owning her sexuality and outspokenness. When we were kids — Breezy was the tomboy. I remember the day she wanted to come out to our family and friends that she preferred to date women. I told Breezy, 'if no one accepts you, we can live our lives with each other.' Once she told everyone, she had the best support from our family and friends." - Coco
"Coco is such a very strong woman. She doesn't let anything stop her show, no matter what she is going through. It's been so amazing to see her growth and to be a part of it! I admire her sense for bullshit! Coco does not play, and she is an amazing observer. Whenever we are in meetings or just around new people, she is most likely more quiet than I am because she observes body language. She has saved us from a lot of BS people with that skill!" - Breezy
Thaina & Patrice
Patrice Madere & Thaina Madere BlotCourtesy of Secrets Des Souers
Social media bloggers and content creators Thaina and Patrice have a sisterly bond that has helped them grow as women and professionally as lifestyle influencers. Though Thaina is older than Patrice, their differences teach them about one another and has contributed to their growing success.
"The older sister is often the one that knows more because she's experienced more time on this earth by default. That isn't our experience. I learn from her as much as she learns from me, so we're friends as much as we're sisters. We share the same interests and share that with the world, together. I believe when people see us they can also see the respect and adoration we have for another, even through photos on the internet."
Patrice adds that their individuality enriches their experience as a team, and that their differences in opinions are distinguished in their style and helps keep their visuals consistent with their shared content. "[We've] learned to develop an understanding and respect for each other's individuality, while also recognizing that our combined attributes are what helps us stand out in a completely transparent way. This has helped us both personally and professionally."
What They Love Most About Each Other
Patrice Madere & Thaina Madere BlotCourtesy of Secrets Des Souers
"I think people see her pretty face, love for makeup, and zest for life and underrate her, but those that really know her also Know that she has so many rich and beautiful layers to her. If she lets you in, one thing you'll learn is that Patrice has resilience like no other! She has overcome the type of things that could make someone bitter, yet she always looks for the bright side, keeps it pushing, and actively searches for ways to turn her pain into ways to give. If I had to pick one thing about her that I love most, I think it would be that." - Thaina
"I admire my sister's ability to connect with others. Thaina has always been a woman of impact. Her genuine spirit allows others to feel comfortable and rely on her for personal advice. She advocates for others without the expectancy of anything in return. Since Thaina was a child she always looked for ways to give and it is most admirable that she was able to carry such beautiful trait throughout her adulthood. I love her for it." - Patrice
OSHUN
copper bras & jewelry by Uniquely Wired M (@uniquelywiredm) Makeup by Jessica Murdock (@jessica_masai)
A blood sister bond is a beautifully unique relationship, but having a best friend who might as well have come out of the same womb as you is inspiring too. Case in point, the divine feminine musical duo and soul "sistars" Thandi and Niambi. For OSHUN, sistarhood means to be connected by something that transcends a blood bond. It means that you are linked by the soul.
As a neo-soul hip hop group named after the Yoruba goddess, OSHUN douses the world in black girl magic, preaching a message of spirituality, love, and peace while doing so. Together OSHUN have birthed tracks such as 2014's "Stuck" and 2017's "Not My President." Most recently, they've released Bittersweet, Vol. 1. "Our sistarhood supports us as women and artists. It allows us to nurture ourselves, nourish ourselves, and nourish the world. It allows us to grow, to evolve, and to be supported in that evolution because we have each other's backs. We constantly affirm and reflect each other, which reminds us to respect ourselves and the divine feminine in every form. We're super blessed to have this bond."
When it comes to making professional decisions, OSHUN uses their differences and respect for one another to strengthen their bond in sisterhood and professionally. "Every decision we make, we make together. We move as a unit and it requires us to really master our communication as sistars. Because we're so close, we have to handle our professional choices with care because they impact both of us, not just one or the other. That's on a business tip, financial tip, and even sometimes emotionally. We make our decisions with a lot of respect for each other and we're constantly thinking about one another when making choices."
"We move as a unit and it requires us to really master our communication as sistars."
What They Love Most About Each Other
Photo by Alberto Vargas (@avargasphoto)
copper bras & jewelry by Uniquely Wired M (@uniquelywiredm) Makeup by Jessica Murdock (@jessica_masai)
"I love and admire how Niambi is able to visualize so far ahead in her path. She can see the future so well, and that allows her to plan in advance like a true boss. She knows what obstacles to avoid before they even present themselves. Her vision is so clear." - Thandi
"I love and admire Thandi's drive. Once she makes up her mind about something, she's motivated to make it happen. She wakes up each day with purpose, and she carries that energy into every space she enters. It's refreshing and reaffirming." - Niambi
*Featured Image by Leighton Pope
Who's the Solange to your Beyonce in life, and what do you love about her? Let us know in the comments down below.
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Skylar sees things differently. At the time, she was shooting content on her iPhone. Temi came into the picture with a new perspective, an understanding of tech, and, eventually, a camera. “He doesn't give himself enough credit,” Skylar says. “He wasn't just my tripod. He wasn't just standing behind the camera and going ‘click.’ He was giving advice. He was giving me insight to how I could look at things from a different perspective. And I was like, 'Oh, he’s an artist.' I think it was maybe a heartbeat of that kind of energy of like, ‘Baby, can you take this picture?’ And it turned so quickly into, we're partners. We can work together in a way where we're advancing each other's creative thinking.”
The pair often says they’re two sides of the same coin. Skylar is an Aquarius. She attended art school, paints, and loves poetry. She’s more than happy to let the couple’s management firm and agency, Kensington Grey, handle their admin work. And, she loves to sleep in. Temi, on the other hand, wakes up early. He’s a Virgo. He loves a to-do list and regularly checks in on the couple’s brand partnerships spreadsheet to make sure everything is on track.
Because his storytelling was steeped in his love of technology, he didn’t always think of himself as a creative person. “Where I [am] the dreamer who wants to pluck things out of the sky and spend all day with my head in the clouds, Temi [is] so good at grounding me and helping me figure out how to make things make sense on paper. We just work together in such a complimentary way,” Skylar says.
It’s been more than six years since Brooklyn-based couple Temi and Skylar started dating, and nearly four since they cemented their working relationship. On TikTok and Instagram, the couple’s travel, fashion, and home content regularly rack up hundreds of thousands of views. They’ve worked with brands such as Coach, Aesop, Away, and Liquid IV, bringing their vibrant perspectives to every campaign they execute. Still, nearly two years since both Temi and Skylar committed to full-time content creation and creative directing, the couple says their romantic connection remains their priority.
“We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting,” Skylar says.
Working from home can make it hard to separate work from personal life for any entrepreneur. It can be even more challenging when your business partner is also your lover. Temi and Skylar had already used couples therapy as a tool to help them effectively communicate with one another. When they ran into challenges while working together, their therapist helped them set physical boundaries to help combat the issues.
"We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting."
“It actually took us doing very specific physical things to create boundaries between work and play in our relationship,” Skylar says. “So, for instance, we will only have conversations about work when we're out of bed or we're at the table or in the office. Initially, when we started, we had to light a candle to say that, 'Okay, this is a space where we're connecting, we’re not talking about work.' We needed really hard boundaries at the top. And then it became a little bit more organic.”
The boundaries have been crucial to implement, especially because the couple began working together so naturally. When the pair first met, Skylar was NY-based a social strategist for BuzzFeed and was using content creation to drive business to her lingerie company. She was shooting her own content. Temi was working for Microsoft in D.C. He’d recently traded in his DJing equipment for a camera. “I've always loved taking pictures,” he says. “Even when I was a kid, my African mother would wake me up at 3:00 a.m. [during a] party, and be like, 'Come take the family picture.'”
Growing up, Temi says he watched his parents support each other and be the true definition of partners. He knew he wanted the same for his own relationship. But, the couple also wanted to make sure they were being financially responsible. The pair didn’t quit their traditional jobs until they’d saved up two years' worth of their cost of living. And, Temi received his Master of Business Administration from New York University with the knowledge that it could either help him advance in his corporate career or be applicable to his business with Skylar.
Temi and SkylarCj Hart @hartbreakToday, they say their working relationship is more of a “quiet dance.” They still implement some of the boundaries they learned in therapy, but they also lean into their natural strengths and deep love for one another. When we speak, Temi has planned a date for the couple to see Princess Mononoke in 4K IMAX and added it to their Notion so they can factor it into their busy schedules. “I fully plan to date for the rest of my life,” he says.
Skylar says the couple doesn’t just wait for date nights to check in with one another, though. This often happens in the mornings, after Temi has made her peppermint tea and poured himself a cup of coffee. When they ask each other how they slept, she says, it’s not just a “nicety.” It’s a genuine question meant to foster connection.
“A lot of it happens during the day in the midst of work. We'll stop and we'll hug. Or we’ll slow dance in the kitchen,” she says. “Sometimes it's hard to set a whole date night when you have 7,000 things going on. So, we must grasp these moments and check in when we can. And I think it's become so organic to us that I actually didn't even realize how often we do it. But all day long, we're like, 'Are you good? I felt like your energy shifted,' because we're best friends, we just know. We just feel it happen.”
What’s better than being in love? Building wealth while doing it. Watch Making Cents here for real stories of couples who make money moves together.
Featured image by Cj Hart @hartbreak