It was not the kind of interview I had expected. Lou Kennedy invited me to her spacious, modern Nephron Pharmaceutical campus on 12th Street Extension. It’s a trip she and husband Bill take from their Lexington home daily. We were to talk about how she and Bill manage what some people think is impossible — living and working together. As half of a husband-wife business partnership, I’m always interested in how others manage to do it. When I arrived, something critical had hit the fan, and Lou was tied up in a crisis meeting. What the crisis was I don’t know nor am I sure I would understand if it was explained to me. A local newspaper seems less complicated than a government-regulated pharmaceutical company that sells products everywhere. Lou gave me a hug and said she would be with me as soon as possible. Meantime she said I should feel free to ask her executive assistant Lindsey Miles and new marketing director Wesley Mitchell anything. What an invitation. Might the two of them let me in on the boss’s secrets? Probably not. But I could ask to see what happened. Lindsey grew up in Florence and was expecting her first child any minute. Wesley is a Lexington High and USC grad who recently joined Nephron.

First question

Running a company with 750 employees has to be complicated and demanding. How does Lou get it all done every day? “It’s often crazy but she does it,” Lindsey said. As chief executive, Lou oversees sales and the day-to-day operations. As chief development officer, Bill oversees development of new products. Lou lives in what’s done today. Bill lives in what may be done next year. With her marketing and sales background, it made sense for Lou to take on growing the business and Bill to handle the science. “She and Bill eat, live and sleep Nephron. This is their family. She’s here at 7 a.m. and usually until 6 p.m. “If you have a problem you can go to her.”

Second question

How do they make plans-daily, weekly, yearly? Do they have a 100-year plan? “Plans change daily,” Lindsey said. “I keep her calendar so she isn’t double booked. “At the end of each day, we go through her calendar. Their team meetings on Monday and Wednesday are to catch up with what’s been done and what needs to be done next. “She has an amazing memory. You tell her something and she remembers.” Lindsey said she tries to keep Lou’s weekends free so she and Bill can relax and have time together.

Third question

How does Lou deal with distractions, interruptions and emergencies like the one she was dealing with in a glass-walled conference room across the hall? Lou doesn’t consider this a problem. When she planned the design of the campus near I-77, she tried to anticipate everything – generators for when the power goes out, backup systems and procedures for everything,” Lindsey said. “If something goes wrong, we stop, find out what’s wrong, fix it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Fourth question

What does Lou tell young women who want to own their own businesses?

1. Hard work pays off. Lindsey and Wesley agree: “Lou works harder than any of us. She does what it takes. You have to dive in. “If you work as hard as Lou does, you’ll succeed.”

2. Surround yourself with talented people. As a woman business owner, Lou hires bright women. According to the Nephron web site, women make up 44% of the employees, a majority with advanced degrees. And women fill key department management roles throughout Nephron.

Fifth question

How do Lou and Bill manage to live and work together when so many people say that’s impossible? They don’t get in each other’s way. She handles the day to day stuff. Bill handles new product development. She’s the people person. He’s the science guy. When they met, Bill said he liked single mothers. “If she can keep up with kids and work, too, that’s the kind of person I want to be with,” he said. But after her first marriage, Lou had given up on men when a friend told her about Bill. “You’ve got to meet this guy,” she said. Lou wasn’t sold. “He’s not my type.” “Lou, your type doesn’t seem to be working,” her friend responded. They met at the Blue Marlin in Columbia. They’ve been together ever since.