Our community is filled with hard-working, high achieving entrepreneurs and creatives and so work-life balance is a complicated, but highly relevant topic. We’ve shared some responses from the community about work life balance and how their views have evolved over time below.

Mark Rafail | President & Insurance Expert

I have been forced to change my balance due to my 2 lovely daughters & amazing wife Sylvia. Can’t miss dinner, have to be off on the weekends and need to spend more time with them without my phones distracting me (they notice). I believe in God first, Family second, Work third, Health fourth and whatever is left can be your personal time. Now does this order get jumbled more than I would like? Absolutely and that is what I am striving to get better at. Pre kids, 6 days a week & hungry not to fail for the first 5 years. 11 years in business – Still hungry but work a normal 40 hours a week 9-5 in the office generally (But randomly always thinking about to better the business). Read more>>

Kaydean Bott | Co-Owner

RV Specialists has grown from a part-time, home-based business to a full-time business with a shop and multiple service vans over a 12 year period. Our involvement has increased dramatically over time because the business has grown, but the biggest changes to work life balance for me occurred as we raised our children from elementary school through high school. We had to “divide and conquer” until the children left home and then we had to rearrange those systems and come back together. It has been important to be willing to look at what we must do versus what we’d like to do and realize that some things would have to wait. Now, we have set new goals that are exciting for both of us and we are committed to working toward them together. I try to remember that because both my husband and I are working in the business together, work life balance is a team sport or vision. Read more>>

Courtnie Ledet | Psychotherapist/Private Practice Owner

Work life balance has always been pivotal in my life even before becoming a therapist. Daily I preach the importance of self care and an important part of that is ensuring that you give yourself the time you need for a personal life outside of work. Now, I can admit at the beginning stages of opening my practice I was not always practicing what I preached. However, I was able to find my way back to a healthy work life balance. I make sure that I give myself a cut off time daily to stop working and what isn’t done gets transferred to the next days to-do list, I make time for family and friends because that always gives me a boost. Lastly, I dedicated my Sunday’s to what I call self care Sunday! I only do things that are fun and relaxing on Sundays. Read more>>

Amberley Adams-Thomas | Event Planner & Entrepreneur

I discovered I was pregnant two weeks into my 4-week notice I had with my full-time employer. After building a solid foundation to Blue Events & Co. I was faced with the decision to play it safe and withdraw my notice or continue to take that leap of faith. The stakes had been raised. Instead of only having fear of letting down my husband, I began to have fear about not being able to provide for my child and being the mother he needed me to be. The struggle of learning the right work life balance began the moment I saw those two pink lines. Many working mothers fight daily to find this balance. I find the most difficult thing as an entrepreneur is learning how to clock out. I failed terribly at this the first year of my son’s life. It could have been the odd sleeping hours and awful postpartum depression, or just the normal new business growing pains; but raising both my business and child at the same time was intense to say the least. Read more>>

April Fort | Yoga Teacher, Homeschooler, Always Learning

Balance is a funny thing. I’ve had years where I worked 7 days a week for 6 months straight and didn’t necessarily feel out of balance. At the same time I’ve had years where I only worked 15 hours a week and felt like I had no time for myself or my family. What I’ve realized over time is, number one, to schedule my family and myself first. I love a good paper calendar, and I block off time to meditate, practice yoga just for me, take the kids out for ice cream, have a date night with my husband- the little things. Number two is to continually create a life I don’t need or want a vacation from. As a society, to many of us get caught in the cycle of slaving away at jobs we don’t like, let alone enjoy. The average person spends 13 years at work (give or take) in their life time (accumulative). That’s a lot of time to dedicate to something that doesn’t make you excited to wake up in the morning. Read more>>

Rachel Gardner | Artist, Art Professor, Mother

Work life balance has changed a lot for me over the past few years. Going from having no kids and being an Adjunct Art Professor, to having two kids in 3 years and becoming a full-time Professor, I have a lot less time to make my own art. I don’t necessarily see this as a negative thing. I have to use my time more efficiently and creatively. My drives to work or my morning runs are used for brainstorming. I keep a sketchpad with me at all times just in case I get a second to jot things down. Recently, I have been getting my 10 month old son down for bed and my 3 year old daughter and I go work in my studio. It has become a really special time for us, We are collaborating on a new series where I am casting her hands and feet in new sculptural work. She is very proud to be a part of it, and often has very insightful critiques. Read more>>

Lauren Luna | “Your City Painter”

Until October 2019, I was working full time as a teacher, and still producing art and showing. My time was ridiculously constrained, and my day job wore me out so bad, that most days I didn’t even want to make art. During the summers and breaks, life would open up to huge artistic opportunities, and I new my days were coming to a close working the day job. Now that I no longer have the restraint (re. stress) of that job, I am able to focus one hundred percent of my attention to being a professional artist. Even with the pandemic, I have seen success in terms of attaining a studio at Sawyer Yards, commissions, getting my logo trademarked, essentially just the ability to finally submerge into something that has been my life’s goal. Read more>>

Traci Bourque Johannson | CEO & Co-Founder of 3SonsFoods

A risk to me is not fulfilling your path. So many people thought I was crazy starting my own business as a single Mom. Even after 3 plus years in business, and 530 stores throughout the US carrying our product, Diablo Verde, I still get these looks of confusion with a bit of sympathy sprinkled on top, as if to say “Poor thing, she doesn’t know how risky her choice of career is” However I know personally how risky and damaging it can be to not follow your path and live your calling…. Making decisions out of fear is the real risk and until I jumped off the cliff of entrepreneurship I was living a life dictated by fear and risking my mental well-being. Read more>>