By far the most common conversation we have with the folks we interview is about work-life balance. Starting a business or pursuing a creative career makes finding work life balance really tough because there is no clear start and end to one’s work day. We’ve shared some of our conversations on the topic below.

Tiffany Terry | Cookie Creator and Owner of Blue Horizon Bakes

I was raised to work hard and over the last couple of years life really showed me that sometimes working hard would take priority over more important things. I worked in the development field, specifically community engagement. It meant I was constantly engaging individuals, groups, volunteers, corporations, etc in order to help make our common community better together. I always felt like I had to prove myself (imposter syndrome is real) and then I was deeply passionate about what I was doing, so I worked during the day, at night and on weekends doing projects or doing public speaking events. Read more>>

Vanelis Rivera | English Instructor & Culture and Lifestyle Freelance Writer

I used to be a people pleaser because I thought that it would progress my standing with colleagues. But, I have come to realize that my productivity is closely tied to my mental and spiritual wellness. For that reason, I try to stay sensitive to the areas of my life that require attention, be it exercise, meditation, stretching, or balancing my diet. I don’t follow any particular schedule. I’ve found that, at times, it hinders my enjoyment of the things I need to balance. Instead, I aim to intuit when the balance is needed, accordingly shifting and taking action. Read more>>

Dr. Peyton Vickers and Dr. Kelsy DeMelo | Owners and CEOs of Advanced Programming Systems

Honestly, for the longest time I thought the harder and the more I worked the more successful I would be. A lot of people get caught up in those lies. I was exhausted, burnt-out, irritable and not that successful. It wasn’t until I started taking care of myself that the success came. I got blood work done, I focused on quality sleep, mindset, nutrition, health, fitness, etc. The whole, “sleep is for the weak” and the, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is so counterintuitive to me. I like to think, “Earn your sleep but sleep well.” Your success is completely dependent on your ABILITY and CAPACITY to work. A lot of people think health is just to prevent disease but it’s also VITAL in your ability to perform optimally physically and mentally. Read more>>

Kimberly Nichols | Social Media Content Creator, Foodie Content Creator

I honestly found this very hard in the beginning. Raising three very active boys while trying to simultaneously cook, clean, record, edit, plate pretty enough for a good picture and so much more that goes into content creating, can be tiring. After about 2 years of doing it, it started to become a bit easier. My sons try to help now, they know when I am recording and when I need space to do so! But then I also have to throw in being active duty military of over 13 years. The balance has definitely changed over time but it seems the more success my brand gets, the more the balance becomes shaky. Recently I have started to reach out for assistance, hiring people to help me, to make my plate a bit lighter. Read more>>

Sierra Jolivette | Owner & Chandler

Maintaining work life balance was definitely a challenge in the beginning. I was so driven and focused that I started to lack self care. I would work my regular 9-5 then come home and dive straight into Tranquil and Chill. I would look up and it’s 1am. I had to tell myself, “ you can’t talk about self care and not practice it.” I developed a routine and gave myself off days. It’s important as business owners that we take time to rest. We can’t give a 100% if we’re on E. Read more>>