Can Work, Love And Play Coexist Happily?

Work, love and play can coexist happily – these married-and-in-business couples are living proof.

- Kayce Teo

Manon Allano, 29, and Sebastien Allano, 32, are a French expatriate couple who came to Singapore last year to expand Manon’s family business, Estheclinic. The aesthetic clinic was set up 15 years ago and has eight branches in their home country.

While this is Sebastien’s first time living in Asia, Manon worked in Shanghai for six months previously. She wanted to come back to Asia because she liked the culture. And when the chance to expand her family business came up, she grabbed it. Allano left his job at Microsoft to set up the branch with Manon. “It’s not only a new work experience for me, but also a new life experience, moving to a new country,” he says.

More Couple Time The couple say going into business has allowed them more time with each other, which Sebastien’s previous job didn’t allow. “It was also difficult to and common topics to talk about because Manon didn’t really understand my work,” Sebastien adds.

“It was too technical,” says Manon. “For me, the best part of working together is being able to share this feeling of success.”

At Work, The Company Comes First 

The couple do disagree about work, but Sebastien says they always come to a compromise, although it isn’t always easy. “We have different strengths so we split the work according to that and focus on what we want to achieve for the company,” he adds.

Manon says that they strive to communicate clearly. “We listen to what each other has to say to ensure that there is common ground.”

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