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.

Barrett Lewis | Creative Director & Composer

Work/life balance has to be one of the most difficult things to achieve, especially in a society that doesn’t seem to clearly share a consensus on what that actually means. The current pandemic is blurring that line even more, and I can only imagine the challenge that working parents, especially single parents, are facing. I have definitely burned myself out in the past, and more than once. Being in the creative field I’ve learned that creativity doesn’t happen between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm, M-F. It’s random and often inconvenient. It’s also persistent when you care about the project you are working on, so not being able to sleep at night because your mind is occupied with work is all too common. It becomes a question of health after a while. Staying up late, or even all night, is not sustainable. Read more>>

Daniel Stein | CEO & Adaptive Fitness Trainer

I used to believe that work-life balance was possible. The problem is I haven’t experienced it, yet I thought I would at some point. I finally read a book called “One Thing” that debunks the myth of this “work life balance theory.” I do not believe that life is designed to live in a work/life balance in the way we think. I believe that there are seasons where we ebb and flow in different areas of the “work/life balance” line. When I think about balance now, I go back to my main priorities. For me, that is: 1.) God 2.) Family 3.) Business/Career 4.) Relationships 5.) Ministry 6.) Health & Wellness As I ebb and flow in my work/life balance, I strive to keep these priorities in line. I don’t distribute 16% of my energy to each priority, which would be “balance.” Right now, I’m in a season of starting a third company, so work is demanding a lot more from me. Read more>>

Lowell Malinis | Photographer & Videographer

Nowadays, I don’t work as much as much as I used to. It used to feel like 80% work, 20% free time but I recently have been doing more 40% work 60% free time. I learned over the years that living in the moment and enjoying life leads to a stronger desire to create and work harder. Don’t drown yourself in creating and let the moment pass you by, life only happens once! Read more>>

Jeremy & Kelley Irwin | Owners

Since Jeremy and I are not only spouses but also business partners, this is an especially relevant issue for us. The first four years of operating Irwin Construction, we ran ourselves ragged. We had very small children and would often sit up late into the night working after the kids went to bed, only to still feel constantly behind. We had very little time to be husband and wife because our business was growing so fast and needed so much care. Around the time our youngest was born, we hit a wall and realized we needed to bring on some help so we could reclaim some family and rest time. That was a game changer for us! To have members of our team that were committed to our company’s success and clients’ satisfaction step in and take tasks off our plate so we could breathe a bit made all the difference in the world. Since then, we’ve slowly built safeguards to separate work time from family time. Read more>>