The Coronavirus has given many us an opportunity to pause and think about life, our purpose, and even the right work life balance. What’s your perspective and has it changed over time?

Paul Kiger | Therapist and Business Owner

This is a great question and something that so many of us, especially today with technology making us so available all of the time, have to address in our own lives. I spend a lot of time with clients working on this specific question. Each person has to find the right balance for them depending on their own needs, season of life, and responsibilities. When I first entered the field of social work I made it a priority to keep my home life and work life separate. I tried my best not to do work emails/calls from home and definitely tried to avoid them on vacation. When I was new in the field I needed this separation. I was working a high stress job and having that time to unplug and be away from work was vital. Read more>>

Katy McAvoy | Food and Drink Photographer and Author

Working for myself at home – as opposed to in a traditional office setting – has completely shifted my work-life balance. Being able to work any hours I want, when I want, has afforded me the opportunity to be more engaged with my daughter, volunteer at her school, prioritize my health, and pause whenever I need to during the day. Sometimes it’s for a few minutes to catch up on household work. Sometimes it’s for a two hour lunch with friends. Read more>>

Jarrod Napierkowski | Woodworker

One of the greatest privileges of being able to work from home is well, working from home. I’m a dad to two young boys, ages 3.5 and 8 mos. and being present for them during this stage of their life is a huge priority. While I try to work in the workshop every day, I also make sure that I am spending the mornings and evenings with my family. After all, one of the reasons we chose to go all in on the woodworking business was for the schedule flexibility and we take advantage of it as much as possible. That said, being your own boss and working from home can be demanding and difficult seeing that everything you need to make money is literally steps away. I have to remind myself to take breaks and that it’s ok to have days off. Read more>>

Bianca Jenkins | Photographer | Producer | Social Media Strategist

In the last 5 years the way I look at work life balance has changed drastically. I can recall a time in my early twenties when I pushed myself relentlessly. I rarely took breaks, brought work with me on vacations, sacrificed sleep, and toiled so excessively that it severely impacted my mental health. I can still recall the guilt that would sneak in as soon as I attempted to go on vacation or take a day off. It seemed as though there was always more I could be accomplishing, and I perpetually carried a sense of not putting in enough effort. At times, I even managed to convince myself that I was being lazy. The hustle lifestyle quickly became very unhealthy, and unsustainable. I was lashing out on close friends and family when they attempted confront me about the problem, claiming they just didn’t understand. I began to isolate focusing on work, and found myself in a very tough place. Read more>>

Brian Lane | Pet Grooming Shop Owner

When I first took over Bingo Pet Salon back in 2012, it was my life. I worked for 90+ straight days to get the shop off the ground. I was in the shop every day, even I wasn’t working that day. I was also the only one doing scheduling for years, so I was the person answering the phones from 7am-7pm or later every day to schedule clients. My mindset was that every missed call was a potential client lost. I also took every review so personal as if we didn’t make EVERY person happy, it was my fault. It took many years to realize that I could not be tied to the business 24-7 and take every persons opinion as a failure of myself as a person. These days we have a remote scheduler who works 5 days a week from 8am-4pm. Read more>>

Alora Rachelle | Photographer Business Strategist

My balance has shifted many times since my business started. The first time was because I had my daughter after my business really took off. I realized things were out of control and that my business was essentially running me. Not the other way around. So I started to seek systems & outsourcing and was able to create an ideal working schedule that allowed me to be a SAHM working mom. Now, six years later, I have to say that I mastered the ability to systemize my business, and get back time, while also having a life. You can really have it all, you just have to know how to manage your time. Read more>>

Yvonne Rakestraw | Mixologist

Balancing work life, mom life, family life, gym life and social life is another career it’s self! Whew! I honestly have no balance and if I did, I’m winging it! Sometimes I can’t remember what the day of the week is. Lol! Read more>>

David Jones | Guitar Tech and Pickup Builder

Greetings, Running your own business takes discipline and dedication. You need to be willing to work long hours and forgoe many other things in life to be successful. This can be very stressful at times, but also very rewarding. When you first start your business it may require more of your time and attention, like planting a seed .As it begins to grow things it will become stronger and run more smoothly on its own. Of course things will come up that you didn’t expect, good and bad and you will have to adjust and adapt as needed to continue to give your customers the attention and quality sales and service they deserve. Read more>>

Molly Gnodtke | Self-taught home baker

As my business was taking off, I booked up quickly and realized as a one-woman shop I could only take on so many orders while ensuring every cake received the time and attention it deserves. I also struggled with accepting orders last minute and as a result, it was hard to juggle family commitments with the demands of my business. It felt like I was working around the clock for fear of having to say “no” to a prospective customer. Last summer, I came up with a business concept that helps delegate my time and prioritize that work/life balance. I started asking clients if they wanted to join my Cake Calendar. I then add them to my annual birthday calendar and a month before I reach out to confirm whether they are still interested. Read more>>

Christina Spivak | artist and jewelry designer

I think it’s really hard to maintain a work/life balance if you’re running a small handmade business. Especially around holidays, because that can be the time when you have the most opportunity to make sales, or be in handmade shows, but it’s also the same time that holiday get-togethers are happening.
I used to just try to fit in both- I’d spend the day with family, and then stay up all night making jewelry or preparing for a show, but then I’d be really burnt out. As time has gone by I’m prioritizing family time a little more. Read more>>

Stephanie Casola | Founder of Prologue, a PR, event and content marketing firm

Work-Life balance wasn’t the sort of thing that was modeled to me growing up. It wasn’t part of my experience in my professional career. It was a buzz word that agencies seemed to throw around during interviews as I rose through the ranks in public relations. It sounded fantastic. But was it possible? I wasn’t sure. I was raised by two tremendously hard-working parents. They taught me to take my education seriously, study hard and work for what I wanted to achieve in life. I am grateful for it. But it also meant I had to adjust a lot of my thinking and approach to my profession years down the line. It wasn’t until years into owning my own business – Prologue – that I could begin to understand how to achieve a balance. And 7 years after founding my PR firm, I can say I still struggle to put my own needs ahead of my professional abilities. But I know how to walk the link in a much healthier way. Read more>>

Brittny Hardrick | Cosmetologist (Hair stylist)

I used to NOT have a work life balance. Prior to having my son I would work two jobs. I would work retail on the side. Once I had my son I still worked two jobs (I was doing hair, plus working retail). I remember one time around the Christmas holiday , I think my son was about 4 years old. He wanted to go see Santa at the mall I was working at. I remember I was supposed to be off from that job at about noon, and I had to be at the salon by 4, but because I was an assistant manager I had to stay over until 2 and to see Santa was over around 3. We made it to see him but it was that day I quit my retail business and started really pouring into my business. I didn’t want to miss out on things like taking my son to see Santa because of a job. Read more>>

Darren Paltrowitz | Author, Host & Licensed Investigator

These are questions which I will answer much differently in 2023 than I would have in 2019. I used to think there had to be a huge divide between one’s work and one’s personal or non-work life. As in you were failing by not keeping the two very separate, because you “worked too much.” But when you work in the creative capacity and/or do work related to the entertainment field, for better and worse, work is everywhere. Inspiration is not just a 9-to-5 thing. Your eyes and ears should be open for creativity, networking, and industry news. Sure, you may want to entirely tune out news and social media at times, but sometimes inspiration comes when you are least expecting it to. Read more>>

Kristin Marquet | Creative Director and Founder

As a business owner and PR professional, my approach to work-life balance involves some unique considerations and challenges. Here’s how I think about and manage my work-life balance in this context: Delegation: I recognize the importance of delegating tasks within my business. Delegating responsibilities to my team can free up my time and allow me to focus on high-priority tasks while providing opportunities for my employees to grow and develop their skills. Client Expectations: In the PR field, client demands can vary and sometimes require immediate attention. I establish clear communication channels and expectations with clients to manage their needs while setting boundaries to protect my time. Read more>>

Kimberly Powers | Licensed Professional Counselor, Author, and Entrepreneur

Opening a private counseling practice has allowed me to enjoy a healthy balance in my life. I have a high view of addressing all the pieces of the pie: mental health, emotional, spiritual, physical, financial, and environmental. While working a part-time schedule, which is considered “full-time” in private practice, this has opened the doors for me to spend time on other areas of life in addition to my vocation. Where previously I worked a 40-hour work week, got up at 5am for work, and had less energy to devote to other aspects, I now have more time in my day to accomplish other tasks. I am now fully able to rest, worship, reach out to friends and family, write a book, go to the gym, enjoy reading and do paperwork at a local coffee shop, participate in Bible study, and manage household responsibilities. Read more>>

Queashar L. Halliburton | Insurance Agent, Publisher, Author & Success Coach

Establishing clear boundaries between your work and personal life is essential. Work/life balance was not an issue at the beginning of my career because I wanted to work hard, learn the insurance business, network, and lay the foundation for a long-lasting, profitable career. As I gained more work experience midway through my career, I learned the importance of setting boundaries because I started feeling burned out. I had to learn that I was not working in an on-call position. I had to take time to remove myself from this bad habit of overworking myself. Creating boundaries looked like not accepting work calls or responding to emails outside my schedule, setting specific work hours, and sticking to them. I also had to create time to rest, enjoy life, build relationships, and discover hobbies and self-care activities, including exercise. I had to learn to work smarter and not harder. Read more>>

Nicole Doud | Retail Owner + Mother

This is a tough thing for many business owners, especially working mothers. The guilt game plays a big part in the work life balance. When you are with your kids/family, you feel like you should be at work, and when you are at work, you feel like you should be with your kids. Over the years, the amount of time I am in the store has changed as our family is growing. I remember the early days where I was in the store for 14-16 hours a day. I only had part-timers starting out and did all the book keeping myself, ordering, social media, cleaning, the list goes on. I could only get to merchandising and pricing products usually once the store closed at 10pm. Once we had kids this changed, but I was still working a lot, just with some breaks in between. Read more>>

Chris DuPont | Singer/songwriter and producer

Being a full time musician is insane. Some day, it’s logistically impossible and flat out silly. Other days I completely resent everyone adult in my life who ever told me it was a bad plan, because on the best days, so much thriving is possible. I have two sons, and they need a lot of attention and presence right now, so it’s tricky releasing music, running rehearsals, pushing shows, and constantly trying to re-invent the wheel in an ever changing industry. But the past year or so, the balance has gotten better. One big thing that helped my work/life balance, was stepping away from a lot of gigs and musician side-jobs that weren’t in line with my overall vision. I dropped a big slew of church gigs, partly because I had no time to be creative or be a dad, and partly because I was profoundly stressed out by the “culture war” aspect of many of those places. Read more>>

Monjoa Likine | Storyteller, Photographer, Business Woman

When I first started off, I was set on keeping everything separate. The person I was at home was different than who I was at work. After a while, I felt burnt out and dissociated from myself, which was counterproductive. The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. If I’m unorganized at home, it seeps into how I organize at work. If I don’t build genuine connections with my peers, it’s harder to foster relationships with people who could become my friends outside of work. I’m not saying to force anything but to be true to yourself in all areas of life. I found a lot of benefit in using improvement in one area to elevate myself in another. The only places I set strict boundaries are with rest and time. Read more>>

Shelby Monnette | Wedding, Branding, and Boudoir Photographer

My work life balance has changed drastically over the years! I used to say yes to everything and everyone. If it was a photography opportunity, I would take it. It was great at the beginning of my career, it helped me gain experience. However, as I grew I just kept saying yes and it turned into the majority of my life being work. I hardly noticed because I truly love what I do and love the people I work with. The word of mouth referrals that I receive lead me to more amazing people that I adore. I was working 20+ weddings a year and was working a full time job. In 2019 I left my full time job to give my all to photography. Then in 2020 things shifted. I was stressed for a slow season and then would do anything I could to book clients, filling my schedule yet again. Read more>>

Rachelle Marie Willnus | Headwear Designer and Creator

I’ve been creating hats and fascinators for almost 15 years. It’s obviously something I love; however setting boundaries and creating balance with my family life has been a struggle for me; especially January through August. These months find me sewing, on average, 14 hours a day. I often do that without breaks. I’m a Type A chronic overachiever. If I’m designing and creating, I’m doing it 150%. The last few years I experienced some burnout. I was simply working too much and not taking care of myself. At one point I nearly quit my career because I was so overwhelmed. I had to do some soul searching to assess what I truly wanted. I loved my craft, but I was running myself into the ground. Read more>>

Johannah Mahnke | Owner at Painted Sugar, Writer

My work/life balance has changed now because Painted Sugar is not my only business. I’ve added writing and working a 9 to 5 plus going to grad school. Before this, I was only taking care of my household and running Painted Sugar. Read more>>

Laurenda Bennett | Wedding & Family Photographer

As a Mom of two school aged boys, I’ve had to modify my availability to be around for key moments of their childhood – such as soccer games and school productions. My business began when my kids were newborn and toddler age, leaving me with more night and weekend availability but less structured day time. The opposite feels to be true at the moment. As seasons change and my kids age, so will my business and what I am capable of offering. It’s all about modification to ensure both family and clients are well taken care of. When one isn’t getting the full attention it needs, both may end up faltering. Read more>>

Jannie Teitelbaum | Managing Partner Food Company

I’ve always been a workaholic. In each business I’ve had I’ve spent endless hours in my work and let some activities and relationships fall by the wayside. Now that I’m a bit older I realize that I’ve been missing out. I’m still working a lot and find fulfillment in the daily grind but I’m taking more time for myself and what makes me happy. I try to meet a friend for coffee or dinner at least once per week. I’m exercising more. I’m spending more quality time with my husband and children. Putting effort into “your life” is important for ones overhaul well being. My work-life balance isn’t only important to me, it has an effect on the people around me. Read more>>

Rebecca Thomas | More Than A Life Coach, Entrepreneur, Empower of Strong Babes

You know what? Balance is just not a word I use. I know – a lot of spaces talk about it, and it’s definitely become a buzzword for how to live your life. But the word balance just isn’t it for me. When discussions about balance come up (especially work/life balance), it’s like the conversation itself is already laced with pressure and anxiety. Why? When we talk about how our lives evolve – whether a day, or a chapter, or a year, even multiple years – balance doesn’t really seem fitting. I don’t know about you, but when I think about work/life balance, I get this image or idea in my head that resembles equally stacked lanes. Or even a teeter totter with equal weights on either side so that the outcome stays in exactly one place without moving. Read more>>

Erika Stewart | Owner and Lead Photographer

In the wayy beginning- 2013, Work/life balance was mainly work, and life fit into the cracks that were available. But that is what happens when you have a full time 40+hr/week job plus jump starting your business. It wasn’t until last year that I realized burnout is not a glamorous thing, and the balance needed to be more even. Now, we are a little more selective on the shoots we take, the parameters around editing, and when to have our phones switched out of work mode at night. After having my daughter this past August, I again changed the balance to have Sundays and Mondays completely off-limits so I can have family time, and a day to reset. The balance is so important to make sure you can fill your own cup, which will help you fill others more efficiently and being able to give your best self to your mission, vision, and clients. Read more>>

Niikah Hatfield | Ceramic Artist & Authentic Living Coach

Cultivating a work/life balance is something that has slowly developed and changed for me over the years. When I started Niik Creative Co., and even prior to that while still in school, I would dedicate every inch of my time to the next thing on my never-ending to-do list. As I sank into business ownership for a longer period of time, I realized that my idea of success was shifting from just completing the next thing to feeling GOOD as I showed up to complete my tasks each day. I think cultivating balance is a continual practice, and one that I am still working on, but it has completely changed the way I show up to my business and the rest of my life. Balance and success currently means that I’m able to succeed in my business ventures through dedication, continued learning and hard work, but that I am also feeling fulfilled and a sense of thriving in the process. Read more>>

Jasmine Bucholtz | Small Business Owner

Balance is thought of to be a mixture of pleasure and business, but I personally think of it as Discipline and Inept. Life is what you make it. Life is can be one of two types of hard…either hard and unmanageable or up to par and on schedule. Read more>>

Tesia Tillman | Cosmetologist

For me it use to be all work. I hardly had any time for myself. I never went on vacation and never took any days off. I was even working extra days and hours. My schedule was all over the place. After suffering through some health issues I knew I had to do better and put myself first. Now I take all the time I need for me. At the end of the day I have to be happy and well. I can not depend on anyone else to do it for me. Balance is everything. It is mandatory! Read more>>