Stiletto Network

The Pacer

Carole Hyatt and June Esserman’s partnership was a model for other women. Networking and helping each other was exactly what they did—until they didn’t. For the first five years of their eighteen-year collaboration, the two women worked seamlessly. Hyatt brought in clients and created new methodologies to study responses, while Esserman served as the in-house analytical engine. But after half a decade working side-by-side, they’d learned each other’s areas of expertise and their competition began.

Hyatt wrote a book, so Esserman wrote a book. Hyatt wrote another. Hyatt brought in a client, so Esserman brought in two. Esserman added a staff member, so Hyatt added two. They questioned each other’s judgment in front of underlings. “I would ...