Working together on a small creative business has always been both a joy and a stressor. It’s a joy, because, well, we like really love each other. Getting to make so many decisions together and spend so much time together is fantastic. Our work environment is relaxed, and always collaborative. Sometimes if we wake up super early on accident, we’ll just work right from bed with coffee. You’re probably not supposed to do that, but, whatever.

On the flip side, working together can be a stressor because everything we do is one part personal and one part professional, and anyone who has ever worked with another human literally ever can imagine how much more complicated it can be when the person you work with is also your partner. There’s no getting off work and leaving your coworkers behind for the day—it’s 24/7 tackling our lives, and work, together.

One of the keys to making it all work out just dandy is to practice attentive listening. It’s something we discussed at a recent Capital One Listen In event, when special guest Jana Kramer asked the crowd about their favorite techniques for being a good listener. Matt gave kind of a brutally honest answer, which is to be upfront about when you can’t be a good listener and to set a time for when you can be.

Here’s how that plays out at home: I’ll be working at the desk on a design project, and Matt will be across the house putting together a contract for a home he’s selling. I’ll come across, say, a chandelier I want to use in one of our designs and shout out something like, “HEY BABY HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT BRASS FOR THE CHANDELIER IN THE SECOND PARLOR I THINK IT’S GONNA BE GREAT BUT THIS IS GIVING ME MAJOR ANXIETY!”...and he’ll shout back “I’m really busy right now, give me five minutes, and I’ll come talk to you about it.” Now imagine something similar to that happening every twenty minutes, but spanning even more stressful topics like big financial decisions, travel plans, or if it’s OK to order pizza, again.

His method of letting me know when he can and cannot give me his attention means less time is wasted for each of us. It also means that when we talk, I feel like I’m being appropriately listened to and my ideas are actually being considered. He could just as easily say, “sounds great!” to shut me up, but he doesn’t! Matt’s a great listener, and cares about what I have to say. Aww.

So, Capital One is basically like Matt. Hear me out on this one.

Capital One recently launched their Listen In program, to show how they are putting major attention on listening to the needs of every customer, and building a unique and ideal banking experience around each individual person. They’re making a commitment to have their banking process be more personal, so that customers feel truly cared for, and their specific needs actually get heard.

We all know that money can be stressful, a few of the ways Capital One is trying to help is with innovative and simple products like no minimums or fees, their 360 accounts and you can literally open an account from anywhere in 5 minutes or less. The company is working to push the limits of technology to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives and to protect personal and financial information. They start with insights (from listening) to what people want in their financial products and the technologies they’re using daily. Then incorporate human-centered design techniques to develop products that meet customers where they are with tools that make sense to them.

They are currently transforming their branches with new design elements, technology and free services like Money Coaching and Money Workshops with are open to customers and non-customers which are designed to help you discover how your values and money are connected. During sessions, they “listen” to you and help you plan a path for achieving goals and find the confidence to use money to create a life you love. We highly recommend going to a local Capital One and having a chat with an Ambassador.

We think it sounds really, really awesome, and I’m pretty sure we can all agree it’s a much needed breath of fresh air for the banking industry.

So, there, Capital One and Matt are the same. Great listeners.

We talked about all of this at the Capital One Listen In Event we attended, where we had the chance to openly and honestly discuss what makes a good and bad listener. We had a video booth moment where we were asked who was the best listener in our lives (I said my mom, and Matt said our bffl Hayli). We also got to meet a bunch of the folks from Capital One, who like, knew who we were and talked to us about work and it was all very amazing and, to be honest, surprising. We didn’t expect to have conversations about our blog with the head honchos from Capital One corporate, but they were interested!

You can get an even better idea of why banking with Capital One is pretty much awesome on the Capital One website , and go ahead and check out the video and some shots from the recent Capital One Listen In event below! You might even see some familiar faces ;)

above images & video courtesy of Capital One

Thank you Capital One for sponsoring this post! This is a paid endorsement. All opinions are our own and were not directed by Capital One. To learn more about Capital One, visit www.capitalone.com.

xoxo Beau & Matt

Working Together & Listening In With Capital One