The Coronavirus has given many us an opportunity to pause and think about life, our purpose, and even the right work life balance.  What’s your perspective and has it changed over time?

Lauren Brewer | Owner

When we were first getting Union Worx going, there was almost no balance—dedicating nearly all of our mental and physical energy to launching our business. We eventually opened our doors, and as we ironed out the wrinkles and kept working on improving our brand message, offering, and processes, things started to fall into place. After many long days, short nights, and full weekends. Time, slowly, became more available. We eventually were able to take one entire Friday afternoon off and were promptly punished for it by getting a flat tire on our way of town. But that’s another story. Not to say all of the work isn’t worth it. Read more>>

Amy Kadrmas | Fine Artist

Fresh out of college, I was eager to take over the world. I had high aspirations to be an important player in the advertising industry with hopes of being a Creative Director at some big name company. I put everything into my first job as a graphic designer, working weekends and long nights in order to prove myself. My life was my work. When eventually I owned my own creative business, my work life balance didn’t improve. As I’m sure many self-employed business owners can attest to, it takes more than one can imagine to keep the ship afloat. While my vision of my dream job had transitioned a bit, I still had that same lust for bigger things that drove me to make my work a priority over everything else. Read more>>

Brianna Cannon | Jewelry Designer & Business Owner

As a mom of two pre-school age boys (especially during a pandemic) my work-life balance is everything. By nature, I love to work. I feel good when I work and unfortunately I get a major sense of pride and accomplishment from my work, but I also recognize that being a mom is THE MOST important job I have. I’m also a wife and if I don’t put my marriage first, then everything else suffers…there’s lots of balancing going on! When I first started my own business, I felt the need to work around the clock. I wanted to make money and show my husband that investing in my business was a smart move and I didn’t want to let him down (even though I don’t think that’s possible — he would be proud of me regardless). I felt an insane amount of pressure to succeed that was legitimately only coming from my own expectations of myself. Read more>>

Janeisha Mays | Makeup Artist & Lash Extension Specialist

Work life balance has been huge especially being a dual career woman. I am a FT RN and a makeup artist. Starting out as a new nurse, I had no work life balance, all work and no play. That attributed to my burnout and my strong feelings about having a balance. Over time, I have learned and value a balance. There has to be a separation from work, social life, friends and family. Work life balance is the most important aspect in my career now. If there is no balance, it doesn’t make sense. Read more>>