Business Soulmates, Cake, and the Art of (Actually Enjoyable) Collaboration
Most people build business partnerships like IKEA furniture:
Too many screws, unclear instructions, and someone ends up crying on the floor.
But not this crew.
Mags, Tony, and Louisa came together like ingredients in a truly weird (but delicious) cake recipe—each bringing their own flavor, texture, and unexpected brilliance.
Here’s how they described it:
Louisa is the base layer—solid, structured, holds it all together
Tony is the inner architecture—quiet strength, emotional glue, maybe a little ganache
Mags is the frosting, sprinkles, and spontaneous firework that makes you think, “Is this edible? I don’t care. It’s fabulous.”
But this isn’t just a story about cake metaphors (though, frankly, we could’ve kept going).
It’s about how three very different humans found shared rhythm by:
Leading from trust, not urgency
Being ridiculously honest about their needs and capacity
Letting the relationship evolve before monetizing anything
Refusing to do the “forced collab” thing just to check a box
They show us what happens when you build with people you actually like, who make space for your humanity, and who don’t flinch when the frosting gets messy.
This episode is for anyone who’s wondered:
“Is it really possible to find partners who get me and respect my weird work schedule and emotional spirals?”
Answer: Yes.
But you’ve gotta bring your own fork.
More about Setting Up Shop:
Setting Up Shop is a collaborative initiative by Blue Ninja, Changing Your Mind Ltd. and House of Hives. As co-founders, Louisa Stewart, Tony Gordon, and Mags Thomson are dedicated to empowering new business owners with the knowledge and confidence to build strong, value-driven foundations. Our goal is to help entrepreneurs make informed decisions that align with their core values and personality—so they can create a business that’s not just successful, but truly theirs.