A host of factors, developments, and dynamics have made most industries more competitive than ever. As a result so many of us wonder whether there is still such a thing as work-life balance. We reached out to the community to hear perspectives on finding the right balance.

Isdel Perez

My idea of work-life balance really started to shift when I changed careers. I used to work at AT&T as a wire technician—solid job, but I didn’t have the flexibility or space to pursue anything outside of it. Eventually I made the jump into wind turbine blade technician, which is more physically demanding and involves travel, but it also opened up something I didn’t have before: time. Time to focus on my own creative work—especially filmmaking, which I’d always wanted to take more seriously. Read More>>

Jonathan (C.Bear) Adams

It’s tough balancing both of my careers in a 24 hr time. See, by day I am a Biomedical Engineer, by night and weekends, I am a professional comedian/actor. I have to balance that plus family, mental health, and training to become even better in my craft. Since my calender has been filling, it’s getting difficult to balance everything, even family. I feel good that I’m doing a great job balancing tho because communication and understanding helps when you are the bread winner. Read More>>

Ron’Netta

Over time, my work-life balance has had to be adjusted in ways that have not always been lucrative, but have definitely been fulfilling. An example is cutting back on hours/days working in my career as a Registered Nurse so that I can dedicate more time to my acting career. There have been days that I declined, or called out, of a nursing assignment to take a lesser paying, or even unpaid, acting gig. It’s all for the love of the art. You have to have that balance in the beginning because minor acting roles won’t pay all the bills unless you get a ton of them. Thank goodness I do it for love, not pay. Read More>>

Derrick Jackson

Wow, as I cogitate on this incredible 40-year career journey, it has been! Reflecting on my work-life balance over the years is like looking back on a thrilling adventure that has evolved in the most fascinating ways, covering my 22-year honorable service in the military, exciting 10-year tenure in corporate America, and a dynamic nine years as an elected official! Read More>>