A Must-Read Business Book for Entrepreneurs, Co-Founders, and Business Partners

The Partnership Playbook Launches Oct 1, 2025

After years of running a successful company together, Steve Schneider and Todd Leonardis kept hearing the same question from other entrepreneurs and small business owners: How do you two make it work?

The question often came with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. Business partnerships have a notorious reputation for being volatile. Many start with energy and optimism but eventually collapse due to poor communication, mistrust, or conflicting visions. Schneider and Leonardis not only avoided those pitfalls, they also built a thriving, long-lasting partnership.

“It just wasn’t something we thought about,” Schneider recalls. “It was our life. But over time, we realized we had something unique, and other business partners wanted to know how to do it too.”

Why This Business Book Now?

The idea for The Partnership Playbook: Build Trust, Ditch Drama, and Get Aligned for Growth sparked after reconnecting with members of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. In conversation after conversation, the duo found themselves explaining how they’d stayed aligned for so many years.

“We’d talked about writing a book before,” says Schneider. “We even started a couple, but they didn’t feel right. This time was different. We saw a gap. There are plenty of books on leadership, entrepreneurship, and business strategy, but very few that teach you how to create and maintain a successful business partnership.”

Launching October 1, 2025 on Amazon, this business book bridges that gap with practical, real-world advice.

A Practical Guide for Co-Founders and Partners

This is not a theory-heavy business book. It’s a hands-on playbook designed to help business partners build companies that are more profitable and more enjoyable to run. Every strategy comes directly from Schneider and Leonardis’s own experience leading a successful business together.

“It’s about alignment,” says Schneider. “Sure, you can make money as a solo entrepreneur or even in a bad partnership. But if you’re aligned, and you trust your partner to handle things you can’t or don’t want to handle, and they do the same, you can multiply your success.”

Why Partnerships Fail—and How to Avoid It

Most business partnerships don’t fail because of market challenges or bad products. They fail because the partners stop working on the partnership itself.

“Lack of communication, poor communication, and lack of trust are the big killers,” Schneider says. “When you start hiding things from your partner, trust erodes. And once that happens, staying aligned is almost impossible.”

The Partnership Playbook gives readers tools to spot trouble early and real-world steps to repair trust before it’s too late.

The Power of Vulnerability in Business

One of the authors’ biggest breakthroughs came when they embraced vulnerability.

“In the early years, we didn’t talk much about life outside of work,” Schneider admits. “But if you don’t know what’s going on with your partner personally, you can misinterpret their reactions. Once we opened up, it changed everything. Now, those conversations make us stronger business partners.”

Who Is This Book For?

Whether you’re an established entrepreneur looking to strengthen your partnership or two co-founders about to launch your first startup together, The Partnership Playbook offers clear, actionable advice.

“Most partnerships are built by default instead of by design,” Schneider explains. “If you intentionally design how the partnership will work and how you’ll work on the partnership, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress and conflict.”

His best advice: “Approach every interaction with curiosity and assume your partner has the business’s best interests at heart. That mindset changes everything.”

Beyond the Book: Workshops and Consulting

Through The Partnership Guys, Schneider and Leonardis offer one- and two-day workshops, consulting for business partners and teams, and facilitation for amicable separations.

“You don’t have to let a lawyer turn it into a fight,” Schneider says. “We have a process that makes the transition smoother, less stressful, and less damaging to the business.”

Book Launch Details

The Partnership Playbook will be available October 1 on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats, with an Audible edition coming soon. Launch day buyers will receive a special discount.

For more information or to learn how to work directly with Steve Schneider and Todd Leonardis, contact us today.