Meet Beth Bales | State Farm Agent

We had the good fortune of connecting with Beth Bales and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Beth, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Work-Life Balance: Evolution and Reflections

In college, I had mentally checked out of entrepreneurial classes, convinced that owning a business wasn’t for me. My goal was to climb the corporate ladder in Human Resources, which led to a role as an HR manager at Target. Initially, the long hours (50-60 hours a week, including holidays and weekends) were manageable in my 20s. I was determined to climb the “corporate ladder”.

However, the demanding schedule eventually became exhausting. Supporting my ex-husband’s entrepreneurial dreams, I noticed the flexibility his schedule offered. He didn’t have the busy holiday schedule that retail brings. This inspired me to explore different HR careers, but repeated rejections led me to consider starting my own insurance agency. To my surprise, I succeeded in this new venture.

Shortly after opening my insurance agency, I became pregnant. This brought an immediate and humbling realization: balancing motherhood and running a business would be challenging. The “push and pull” between wanting to excel in my career and being present for my child was emotionally taxing. I struggled with both mom guilt and business owner guilt. The guilt was so heavy no matter where I was, I knew I needed to do something differently. I learned the importance of “being where my feet are.” This meant being fully present with my daughter when at home and fully focused on my team and business when at the office. This mindset required retraining my brain, but it was essential to avoid spiraling into guilt and shame.

Nine years into running my agency, I’ve become much better at maintaining this balance. I use my calendar to block out time for work and family, ensuring dedicated periods for both.
There are times when my focus needs to shift more towards family or business. For example, two years ago, I started over with a brand-new team, necessitating a significant investment of time and attention in training them. However, I also never want to miss important family moments like soccer practices or play recitals. I made sure to still be at those important events, but also knew I may have to stay up late after the kids went to bed to get some extra work done. Balancing these priorities is especially crucial during different seasons of life, particularly when my children are young. Now that my team is fully trained, I can take off extra time to go on school field trips or classroom parties.

Key Realizations from the past several years:
1) Presence Over Perfection: I’ve learned that being present in each moment is more valuable than striving for perfection in all areas simultaneously.

2)Living in the Now: Happiness and fulfillment can’t be perpetually chased in the future. Life won’t be better when …. You get that promotion or raise. Life must be savored in the present.

3)Acceptance of Disappointment: There will always be some form of disappointment, frustration, or challenge in life. We can’t wish a difficult season or issue away, but I can adjust my actions or mindset on how I view the difficult issue.

4)Seasonal Balance: Understanding that work-life balance is not static and must adapt to the different seasons of life, particularly when children are involved, is crucial for maintaining harmony. Your children will only be little once, so as a mom I don’t want to miss those important moments in their life.

5)Self-Care: Taking care of myself is essential. Ensuring I get enough sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition allows me to show up healthy and ready for my team, presenting the best version of myself.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’m a local insurance agent in the Denver Tech Center. What sets us apart is our relationship building with our customers. We are not a call center. When customers call in we want to know how their day is going and we hope to provide some “sunshine” in their day.

That’s part of what I love about being an insurance agent, I get to see a family evolve and grow throughout the years. It’s neat seeing a customer come in with young kiddos, and eventually educating the same kids on insurance. It truly feels like I’m part of the family seeing them grow up!

It was hard starting out as a business owner in my 20s. I think the hardest part was I had an idea of what I wanted my culture to be, but I was also wanting to try out other ideas my peers in the industry were implementing. Eventually I evolved to implementing the culture I truly believed was best for my team and aligned with my values (vs what everyone was telling me I should do/try).

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite places to visit: Red Rocks, to see a concert or just watch the people beautiful people work out on a Saturday morning.

Seeing – Garden of the Gods, or heading down to Manitou springs to do a soak at Sunwater Spa

I also love working out so I’ll make my friends try out a Crossfit class. My favorite places would be Modig Fitness or Crossfit Tackle Bunny.

Places to eat : Quiero Arepas, Sushi Den, or YaYa’s Bistro.
Followed by some Ice cream at Sweet Cow

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
State Farm Agent Ladies! They have been huge in helping me navigate the ins and outs of being a small business owner. My spiritual mom and mentor, Melanie, for keeping me grounded and always reminding me God comes first. Then my realtor friend Tammi Hoerner for recommending me!

Website: https://www.insurancefrombeth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insurancefrombeth/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-bales-2aab3b10

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamBalesStateFarm/