Mellody Hobson has accomplished a lot. As president of Ariel Investments, Hobson has made a major name for herself in business. When she sat down with Arianna Huffington on the Thrive Global Podcast, in partnership with iHeartRadio and Sleep Number, Hobson shared details about her exciting work life, her childhood, and the sustaining support she gets from her marriage and family.
Hobson married filmmaker George Lucas in 2013, and the couple welcomed their daughter, Everest, two months later. Hobson emphasizes that the two were ready to start a family — and deeply joyful once she arrived. “We had a surrogate,” she tells Huffington. “Everest is a miracle.”
The couple started planning their family together from the beginning, and Hobson says the strong foundation of their relationship stems from a profound mutual respect for one another. “I think there was a gift that was given to us that we found each other. We really do appreciate each other’s unique gifts, and I think [we appreciate] that idea of just being happy for each other, and more importantly, being happy to have found each other,” she says.
Beyond their powerful connection, Hobson says the key to their happy marriage is the respect they have for each other’s individual successes outside of their marriage. “He’s an iconic person, I accept that, I know that, I’m proud of it, I celebrate it,” she says. “I think at the same time he’s just proud of me, so together we are in awe of each other in a very, very healthy way.”
With a five-year-old daughter and an extensive business portfolio, there’s no doubt that Hobson’s plate is full, but she says the key to keeping her marriage something that brings her joy and fulfillment is the ability to thrive together while respecting each other’s individual projects. “What makes it work so well is that we don’t compete with each other in any way,” she says. “It’s perfect.”
To find out more, listen to the full conversation on iHeartRadio, here. You can also listen to the Thrive Global podcast internationally for free on iTunes.
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