24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week. Junior investment bankers regularly work 80-90 hours a week.  Many other high profile professions require the same level of commitment.  Often those on the outside claim that working 80-90 hours a week is bad/wrong/terrible/silly/etc but we’ve spoken with so many folks who say working that much has been the best decision of their life – it allowed them to develop a deep and strong skill set far faster than would have been possible otherwise.  In other words, by working 2x the hours, they were able to generate 5x or more the rewards.  And depending on where you are in your career, investing heavily in your skills and competence can pay dividends for a long time.

Tara Twal | Filmmaker

Balance is key as a full time freelancer artist. Before joining the film industry, I had a strict schedule of class, work at a part time job, sleep, and repeat. The second I got hired onto my first production, I quit my grocery store job on the spot and knew I was taking a risk doing so. My career since then has been strictly focused on staying within the film industry. Before I fully dive into my answer, I do want to emphasize that I am privileged as I still live at my parents house so I am not paying rent. I still have bills for my car, student loans, etcetera, but my parents support allows me to be able to devote more time into getting work. During the start of my career in 2021, I was accepting any job I could be a part of. I was paid on these sets and even though it was very low pay, I was still succeeding as I was making important connections. In 2022 after having a good amount of experience on my CV, I started to take pay more seriously and ask for an appropriate day rate pay. Even though it felt scary to do so, in the end it only helped as producers took me more seriously. Work was picking up, but sadly so was school. I was having a difficult time saying no to jobs to prioritize school during my junior year at College for Creative Studies, a school that rightfully demands your time. I was at a point where I was seriously considering dropping out. Now looking back, I am so glad I continued my education as college is an investment for the future. The jobs I said no to were never life or death, even though my anxiety felt that way. Understanding work life balance is understanding what you need to prioritize, and that can change as you get older! During my final year at CCS, I was taking jobs during class time with support from my professors as they saw my ability to create well made art while still working. They understood that classroom experience and real life experience both offer valuable lessons. I was able to bring my film production connections into the classroom for myself and classmates during school productions. Now, being a recent graduate, work is my priority. So is family though, and my health, my relationship, and balancing all of that is hard, but so worth it. Read more>>

James S @simplemangoodfood | Therapist & Foodie

My work-life balance has changed significantly since starting my TikTok. Initially starting out my TikTok in 2022, I was in graduate school, pursuing my Master’s in Social Work. With that, I was juggling a full-time course load, a full-time job, and a social life. So, I was devoting a lot of energy to many areas of my life. Read more>>

Ryan Barber | Entrepreneur, Licensed esthetician. Owner/operator of Bikini Bar, LLC

One of the main reasons I became heavily interested in pursuing a self employed career is because honestly I am selfish with my time. Working for a living by any means is consuming on many facets, particularly if your desire is growth and prosperity. However, working on someone else’s timeline never sat well in my soul nor did having to ask for personal time off based upon hours I had available to use per policy! Well, my self employ’d dreams came to fruition unexpectedly in 2020 when I was laid off due to covid from my full time job at the time. Three years in I can proudly say entrepreneurship is everything that I thought it would be and much much much more. By more I mean it’s all encompassing with a capital E. There are no hard starts but NO Hard stops and what’s an off day when you perform the service(s) that make the money that pays the bills. I am assuming “burn out ” isn’t on any highlight reel for promoting entrepreneurship! Or had I been aloof like most and only saw the glamorous side of being my own boss. Hi, it’s me being honest, again. Work life balance didn’t become a thing until I truly knew it was a thing that I badly struggle to accomplish. Thankfully I am passionate about my work, life has taught me you must know how to pivot, and most notably I totally can not see myself going back to adhering to someone else’s vacation policy! So I plan to make the best out of my career with a bigger picture in mind.. Health is wealth. I now seek tools and resources to create this healthier work life balance so that my dream stays a dream and not a nightmare on” maple” street. Lastly, along with “balancing” my life I’ve found that find a ” community” is very important too for our mental health and professional growth. Read more>>

Andy Gutman | Businessman, father, author, songwriter, dreamer

Our company has championed the concept of work-life balance long before it gained widespread popularity. Approximately 15 years ago, we embarked on a journey towards fostering trust-based relationships with our employees. Instead of monitoring the clock, we shifted our focus to productivity. We encouraged our team members not to miss significant life events and assured them that unforeseen delays, like traffic, were not a cause for concern. Read more>>

Chrissy Marsman | Wedding & Portrait Photographer

Work-life balance as a wedding photographer has definitely gone through some changes over time. In the early days, I was all about seizing every opportunity, and it felt like I was constantly behind the lens. I didn’t mind working those long hours, even on weekends, to build my reputation and make a name for myself. Read more>>

Ellie McLain | Photographer

In the last year I have made a lot of changes to my work life balance. I used to schedule myself to death, and squeeze sessions and editing in anytime that I possibly could. However, After having children I realized that the most important place for me to be is home and PRESENT with them as often as I can be. Don’t get me wrong, I adore what I do and getting to spend time with the families and couples I get to photograph. But at the end of the day I prioritize my time at home with my family above all things. Read more>>