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.
Callie Richards | Plus Size Style + Travel Blogger
When I first became self-employed I really struggled with finding balance between ‘work’ time and ‘personal’ time. It felt impossible to define that when I was working from home and was the only person holding myself accountable. I came to the realization that I wasn’t going to be able to enjoy the lifestyle I wanted to create for myself if I didn’t start setting boundaries when it came to work. Read more>>
Heather Schulte | Artist and community builder
My work/life balance has changed a lot over time, largely due to having children. Our family life was able to be supported financially by my partner’s job, and I wanted to be at home to care for our kids when they were little. We also moved a lot, which made keeping any kind of steady employment (even self-employment) very difficult at the time (the dawning of things like Etsy). As our kids grew, and we settled in one place, I have been able to focus more on launching my art career. Read more>>
Dr. Carly Hudson, D.C. | Chiropractor, Podcaster, Speaker and Author
I think that “balance” is a word that doesn’t really work for finding your way through the burnout and stress that comes with too many work commitments and not enough time to do what you enjoy. Work and life aren’t separate parts of our existence. Trying to keep a balance of “work over here” and “life over there” is too much. I have been lucky to create a job that I love, with patients that make me look forward to my day, and podcast guests that offer amazing conversations that fill my cup. Read more>>
Danielle Brewer | Actor & Voiceover Artist
Around the time my daughter turned two I reached out to one of my girlfriends who I hadn’t seen in a longtime. She is a film producer who has two kids about five years older than my baby girl. I was trying to balance returning to work as an actor with auditions, training and selfcare while being the primary carer for my toddler. I kept feeling like I was tired and failing. Read more>>
Ashley Bass | Photographer & Videographer
When I first started my business, I didn’t set boundaries. I had a scarcity mindset to where I thought I had to be available to people 24/7 in order for my business to survive. This led to severe burnout, and a hard look at my work life balance. I think sometimes people forget that small business owners, especially those with a service based business, are people too, just like them. It’s okay for us to take vacations, set days off to spend with our families, and just have time to step away and unplug from our work. Read more>>
Kelly Bidstrup Graham | Maker of Art and Oppourtunity
I’ve always been super career driven. I’ve always been known to be a busy person. Before the pandemic I was working from 6am to 11pm some days doing a variety of things, like teaching music and theater full time, running an after school theater program, getting a teaching license, and music directing and performing in the community. When the world shut down I was forced to re-evaluate my priorities and how I spent my time. I dove into creative projects trying to fill the void left behind, but eventually the fatigue set in and I did have to really slow down. Read more>>