What’s the right balance between work and non-work time? The traditional 9-5 has slowly disappeared with the emails and zoom and texting going far beyond traditional business hours. We asked members of our community to share with us how they think about work-life balance.

Febe Valdez

In the beginning of my business endeavor, I was fully submerged in all of the background work that goes into running a cafe. Over the last few months I have learned to outsource as much as possible and give a little more trust to those around you to take care of the tasks you assume only you can do well. It has been a slow transition into relinquishing some of that control. As I look back at even just 8 months ago, I am grateful I took the steps necessary to be able to do that and regain some of my time and freedom to use that time to do things I enjoy. Read More>>

Johnny Draco

Balance has always been an important part of my life. Since I take on many forms of art, it’s crucial for me to manage my creative energy so I don’t burn out. In the past, I would lock in on one thing, whether it was toy design, graphic design, or painting, but that kind of tunnel vision often left me drained and almost paralyzed creatively. Over time, I learned that giving myself the freedom to move between different disciplines not only kept me curious but also helped me regain momentum whenever I felt stuck. That shift in balance has allowed me to sustain my creativity instead of exhausting it. Read More>>

Trajan Pei

To be honest, I think since starting this business there hasn’t really been much of a balance. The majority of my time has been consumed by work. I have rarely had any time off, and I work way more than full time hours. I’d say more of the attempts in balance have been in prioritizing different tasks for the business; which has been difficult to accomplish as a sole business owner and with so much that needs to get done. Time and time again, I feel as though I must put my mental and physical health on the backburner. Read More>>

Adri Norris

I’m honestly not sure I have found the balance. I know what it’s like to overwork and get totally burned out. These days I’m in a pendulum swing in the opposite direction where I don’t work quite as much, but need to work more. Part of the challenge is having moved to a new state. It takes time to build up the connections I had before in order to find work opportunities. Read More>>