Work/Love Balance

Meet four Las Vegas duos who are #couplegoals

By Jason R. Latham / Photos by Louiie Victa

How do you define a power couple? Is it the celebrity duo that turns heads every time they hit the red carpet? Two high earners with a taste for the finer things and the means to show them off? Those pumped-up gym partners who can’t stop admiring each other’s abs? Perhaps the answer lies with these four Las Vegas couples, who have learned that real “power” is when two people are fully committed to each other’s happiness and success, giving the hopeful romantics something to aspire to.

Christy & Christian Mancera

A classic “love at first sight” story, the couple met in 2021 and fell for each other immediately. “We ended up talking for four hours,” Christy recalls. “We had the same passion and interests and I knew right there it was so special.” After Christian relocated to Vegas, the couple married and merged their expertise into CERA Construction. Specializing in residential restoration projects, both large and small, complex and straightforward, Christian handles the build and Christy envisions the design.

How do you define a power couple?

Christy: It’s about bringing the best out of each other, supporting each other’s goals and passions, while also having individuality. He’s amazing at construction; I bring in the business development and [design].

Christian: I’m her biggest advocate and she is mine. The goal is beyond us: it’s creating a legacy and being advocates for our community. We believe in the family dynamic that we’ve built so we bring that family love to our company.

What opportunities has the city offered you both?

Christy: I’ve been out here for 25 years. This town is built on relationships and following through with your word. This town has grown and developed so rapidly and the relationships I’ve made over the years have given me opportunities with remodels and new developments. I’ve always had my hands in flipping and remodeling and building relationships with agents, architects, developers—they trust us, they see us as a resource within the time frame. Those core relationships are key.

Christian: We want to be a resource for people to have someone they can trust who is compassionate. We bring that family love to each job.

How do you balance your professional life and personal relationship?

Christy: You don’t bring work home. There are cases when you have to, when it’s an emergency, but it’s important to have that separation. We focus on the things that are truly important to us—our family, our son—and we understand each other’s priorities.

Christian: If things go untouched, things get neglected. It’s important to check in every week and talk about what’s important on the personal side. It’s over-communicating, making sure we see each other, hear each other and validate each other.

What advice would you give couples that aspire to “power couple” status?

Christy: You must clearly communicate what you want to achieve as a couple, as two people working together. Make sure your goals are aligned and you are on the same page. Give them courage and support and don’t cross lanes.

Christian: Support each other, especially when you’re struggling. Talk about it: “This is what I want, this is what you want, we’re going to create a path forward.”

Kristin & Scott Whittemore

Kristin, vice president of Carma Connected and co-founder of the Women’s Hospitality Initiative, and Scott, a senior vice president at consulting firm Energy Project Solutions, met at the University of San Diego. They connected during Kristin’s junior and Scott’s senior years and immediately bonded over their family and friend ties to Reno. The couple lived in Northern Nevada briefly after getting married but chose to raise their kids in Las Vegas while expanding their business empires.

How do you define a power couple?

Kristin: While it’s not a term we would normally use to define our lives, I feel it starts and ends with making Las Vegas a better place to live with every small act we can manage. In our internal world, that means raising two young boys who are quickly becoming young men to work hard, be kind, act with respect and look after those who can’t always help themselves.

Scott: In our external world, it means being active in some of our favorite charitable causes, such as Grant a Gift, The Just One Project, Communities in Schools and the Women’s Hospitality Initiative, which Kristin co-founded with Elizabeth Blau, Jolene Mannina and Mary Choi Kelly.

What’s the biggest challenge you face as a couple?

Kristin: Our biggest challenge is maintaining that work-life balance. With two meaningful careers and two busy boys (12 and 15) who have very demanding athletic and music schedules, staying in sync can be very difficult.

Scott: Thank God for Kristin’s schedule management in making sure we know who has client dinners, who is traveling for work, who can drive to soccer and make dinner. All of this changes on a daily basis!

What advice would you give couples aspiring to achieve professional success and a strong personal connection?

Kristin: Understanding for us is always dependent on perspective and empathy. Communication breakdowns often happen when one side loses the perspective of the other, so despite the cliché, we highly recommend taking the time to stop, slow down and try to put yourself in each other’s shoes. It’s easier said than done, but we often set aside time to walk and talk together once a week.

Scott: One of the greatest gifts we have given ourselves is a commitment to finding time to work out. It’s part of our daily routine, and it’s non-negotiable for both of us to allow the other to find the time. Taking time to reset at the gym or on a bike is much more than physical. It’s about maintaining mental health – professional success and strong personal connections depend on mental wellbeing and confidence. Stress affects us all and can be an absolute business and relationship killer. We’ve tried to build that outlet into our life and it’s definitely at the top of our list of successful strategies.

Michelle Engstrom & Alexandre Viriot

While Alexandre Viriot swears the couple met at Marquee Nightclub in 2010, Michelle Engstrom insists their first encounter was over Zoom in 2022, when she was overseeing the marketing at La Société Bar & Café in San Francisco, where he served as executive chef and partner. A year and a half later, they welcomed their daughter, Juliette, and settled in Las Vegas permanently in late 2024. Michelle is vice president of marketing for Rio Hotel & Casino and Alexandre is executive chef at The Venetian Las Vegas.

How do you define a power couple?

Michelle: To me, a power couple isn’t just about successful careers—it’s about two people who know who they are and bring that confidence into the relationship. They both own their strengths and the power comes from being fully aligned on purpose and mutual support for one another. When a couple is grounded in who they are as individuals and together, they are unstoppable.

Alexandre: It’s amazing to me how much each person can shine when they are able to pursue what they’re passionate about, while also operating confidently as a team. And most importantly, doing it with love and respect.

What’s the biggest challenge you face as a couple?

Michelle: There is so much on our plates that it always feels like we are running around and there’s not much time or energy left in the day for just us. Nights out used to be so effortless but these days it’s a whole different ball game. I wouldn’t change a thing but it requires a lot more advanced planning than ever.

Alexandre: Coordinating schedules is one of the hardest things we face. With demanding careers, it takes a lot of communication and coordination to make sure one of us is always present for our daughter if the other has to be away from home. We both put our family first but that doesn’t mean keeping everything organized has been easy.

What advice would you give couples that aspire to “power couple” status?

Michelle: Listen first, talk second. Make time to slow down and connect—and do it often. Align on a game plan to support each other’s goals and hold each other accountable in a way that feels encouraging, not critical. Be each other’s teammate. Above all, communicate. Your relationship should be a safe space for open dialogue, honest check-ins and healthy feedback.

Alexandre: Put your relationship and family first. Find time to put in the work but don’t lose focus on what truly matters at the end of the day.

Michelle: Connect as a couple and as a family. From mealtimes to bath time to neighborhood walks, we are always present when we are home. Life is so beautifully hectic with our daughter being so young, so we are very mindful and willing to help each other with anything.

Paul Ryu & Mindi Rogers

Paul and Mindi met in 2008, though Mindi insists Paul didn’t even raise his head to look her in the eye when they were introduced, when she moved west for a sales position at Paul’s company. They started dating the next year and have been together ever since. Both are foodies and influencers—you’ve probably enjoyed some of their recommendations—and after many shared meals, they’ve built a life and career as two of the city’s best-known dining experts.

How do you define a power couple?

Paul: In my mind, it’s two inseparable, battle-tested people who run the world by day and cuddle in sweatpants at night, all while making life’s chaos look like a strategy. Mindi and I have always been a true Vegas couple. Our journey started when she became my hand model and from there, everything took off. We were one of the first in the Vegas social media food scene back around 2012, before TikTok and Instagram videos were even a thing, and we’ve been eating for a living ever since.

Mindi: About seven years ago, we launched our agency, JMPforce, working with only local creators. Now we are the agency of record for TAO, Station Casinos, Michael Mina Group, Momofuku, MGM and clients in California, Arizona and Washington. We’re each other’s hype squad, business partner, therapist and emergency wet-nap or snack carrier. We wake up every day counting our blessings for all the opportunities and relationships this journey has brought us over the years.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve tackled as a couple?

Mindi: Paul and I have survived a few unforeseen circumstances that tried to split us apart and I think our true strength as a couple comes from going through the “lows” together.

Paul: We’ve been unemployed and broke together. We’ve overcome my nearly impossible deportation case together, addiction and more—all caused by me. I’m really lucky to have a ride-or-die like her.

How do you balance your professional life and personal relationship?

Mindi: This is probably the toughest part for us and we’re still trying to figure it out! Having a second child, we thought we’d be able to adjust smoothly, but our one-year-old Onyx makes us feel like new parents all over again.

Paul: One thing is for sure, we have the utmost respect for the single parents out there who are crushing life with multiple kids. Cheers to you.

What advice would you give couples that aspire to “power couple” status?

Paul: Schedule your dates! For real. Put them in your calendar. Send an invite with a funny note. Hit accept. Make it official.

Mindi: We try to spend as much time together as possible. We might be crazy, but we’re hardly ever apart and love it that way. We work, shop, eat and take our 5-year-old daughter Willow to school together.