We don't talk about love very much in the business world. It's not the place for it, really. Or is it?

Louis Armstrong, in the song "What a Wonderful World," sings:

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.

Are we? When we stop to shake a hand, are we taking the time to convey love, to see past the business deal and into the person? How often do we see love in action on a typical work day? How often is it camouflaged as something else?

I saw love last week, thinly disguised as a business announcement.

Mitchell Gold, the company that designs the chic couches and arm chairs you see in Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn, is a client. We planned their 10th anniversary several years ago and Mitchell called us again for their Sweet Sixteen party this year.

At the event, Mitchell made a big announcement. After 16 years of business, he changed the name of the company to Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

He and Bob have been fifty-fifty partners for all these 16 years, with Bob doing the lion's share of design. Mitchell has been the business brains, the name, the image -- the marketing genius.

Because Mitchell's name is on the door, the press has always clamored to cover him. Him, or their bulldog mascot, Lulu. Rarely Bob. Bob was the behind-the-scenes guy who didn't get much recognition. At the event he told the story of being at a party with Bob, when some "fans" approached him, fawning all over him. Despite Mitchell's attempts to introduce Bob as the other creative genius behind the company, the party-goers all but ignored him.

It was in that moment that he decided to change the name. It probably wasn't easy. Mitchell Gold is catchy, hip, easy on the tongue. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, not quite so smooth.

Changing a brand is always a bit of a risk, but Mitchell was willing to take it. It demonstrated to me that at Mitchell Gold, there is plenty of room for love.

Recently, I sat on a panel with two very successful entrepreneurs that I count as friends -- Harvey Gantt, an architect and Charlotte's former Mayor, and real estate company owner Dan Cottingham. I thought it was notable that all three of us, in answers to different questions, conveyed the fact that the smartest thing we did in our careers was to take on the right business partner.

Harvey and Dan chose theirs - Jeff Huberman and John Chalk, respectively --at the beginning of their careers. I wasn't such a quick study.

It took me 15 years to figure out that I'm not good at operations. I considered selling, or worse -- shutting the business down -- in response to my frustration with operations, budgeting, technology, employee management. While we were successful from an outsider's view, I was miserable inside. Then, five years ago I had my most brilliant thought ever. Perhaps there was someone out there who actually liked to do the things I'm not good at.

Enter Linda Libby. She came on board as my Vice-President of Operations and bought a minority share of the company. And while she may have only taken a small percentage of Tribble Creative Group, she brought her whole self to me.

From Linda, I've learned that you can budget for the future, you can grow incrementally, you can attract talented people and you can bring order to a chaotic industry. She's taught me tolerance, compassion and incessant curiosity. I love coming to work in the morning and laugh most every day.

When we christened our new office space 5 years ago, Linda had been on board about six months.  We decided that as part of the ceremony, each employee would place a meaningful item in our meditation room -- it was to be something personal that would bring positive energy to the group.  No one knew what the others were bringing.  I started off by offering up a seashell, to remind us of the majesty and depth of our consciousness; a bird feather, to stay aware of our vast possibilities; and a rock, to always ground us in our work.  After my comments, we moved on to Linda, who looked a little unnerved for a moment.  And then, she pulled from her pouch a seashell, a feather and a rock.