24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week. Junior investment bankers regularly work 80-90 hours a week.  Many other high profile professions require the same level of commitment.  Often those on the outside claim that working 80-90 hours a week is bad/wrong/terrible/silly/etc but we’ve spoken with so many folks who say working that much has been the best decision of their life – it allowed them to develop a deep and strong skill set far faster than would have been possible otherwise.  In other words, by working 2x the hours, they were able to generate 5x or more the rewards.  And depending on where you are in your career, investing heavily in your skills and competence can pay dividends for a long time.

Aleisha Dubose | Author & Poet

I would say in the beginning I had very little balance. Work took up the majority of my time. There were days when I tried to insert some fun or relaxation, but for the most part I only worked. When I became a teacher I was able to balance things a little more due to only working weekdays, which gave me the weekends to decompress. Having kids also shifted things a bit. When my first son was born, I started do-nothing Mondays. On these days I don’t wash clothes or clean anything up. It’s just a day for me to relax and reflect. Over the past few years I have been more intentional with making time and creating space for me to just be. Read more>>

Jen Baggett | Executive Coach & Leadership Consultant

I think my balance has shifted as things in my life have shifted. When I became a parent, my balanced shifted, when I became an entrepreneur my balance shifted. What I have come to realize is that balance doesn’t mean 50/50 for me and it truly looks different for everyone. To me balance is being able to integrate all the different parts of my life in a way that honors and respects all of them. That means having boundaries around things both professionally and personally so that I can find time for the things that are most important to me. It also means that I have to make room for ample rest and recovery time for myself so that I can show up in the best way possible for my family, my clients, my friends and my community. Read more>>

Katie Thompson | Entrepreneur & Audiobook Narrator

Balancing work and life has been quite the evolution for me. When I launched Modern Darling Media in 2016, I was working full-time in the corporate world while building my business on the side. My days were packed: a 9-to-5 job, then diving into my business from 6 p.m. until midnight, sometimes later. Weekends were devoted to developing my portfolio and tackling client projects. It was an intense two-year grind, but by 2018, I managed to transition full-time into entrepreneurship. That shift was a mix of excitement and challenge. Suddenly, my schedule was my own to control, and I had to establish boundaries that hadn’t been necessary when my business was a side hustle. Working late nights and weekends had been the norm, but transitioning to a full-time entrepreneur meant I needed to establish a more structured 9-to-5 routine for myself and my clients.  Read more>>

Megan Andrews | Health Policy Lobbyist/Attorney & Mom

As a working mom of 3 little ones (6 year old, 2 year old, and 3 month old), balancing work and life is a perpetual juggling act. Life always goes through seasons where your priorities and abilities shift. Starting out in my career without kids, I was able to take risks, dedicate long hours, and put my all into my career. I’m sure as my children get older and more self sufficient, the balance will shift again. Right now life looks a little more chaotic, but it helps to recognize what the needs are in both my professional and personal life, and where I can find the flexibility to get it done. I can’t say enough about the importance of finding an equal partner in raising children who you can lean on when you don’t have the flexibility in your career.  Read more>>