What’s the right balance between work and non-work time? The traditional 9-5 has slowly disappeared with the emails and zoom and texting going far beyond traditional business hours. We asked members of our community to share with us how they think about work-life balance.

Jenny Bunny Davis

I’ve been in the tattoo industry for 20 years now. As I reflect back, my work life balance had definitely been a juggling act, and it’s evolved a lot since the beginning! When I first started out as an apprentice, I wasn’t being paid, so I decided to work odd jobs to pay my bills while keeping a flexible schedule to cater around my apprenticeship. I did freelance illustrations, painted murals, taught piano lessons, and had a part time adminstration job at an attorney’s office. I was in my twenties at the time, so I worked hard, but also played hard. But as my apprenticeship progressed, my work life balance changed as well. Read More>>

Jeanette Jones

Before becoming an empty nester, much of my time and energy was devoted to raising my daughter, managing household responsibilities, and balancing work. Parenting often felt like a second job, and as a result, my self-care, hobbies, and even certain career goals were sometimes put on hold. After my daughter left home, my work-life balance shifted. On one hand, I gained more freedom in my schedule and more opportunities to focus on personal goals, career advancement, health, or simply slowing down to enjoy life.  Read More>>

Jabari Marshall

One way my work-life balance has changed is by no longer overestimating how much work I can handle. I’ve had to find out the hard way what burnout looks like and how it affects those around me. There are working relationships and friendships that have been built by my ambition to make films and learn more about the business. As well as, some relationships that have been cracked and damaged because I was doing too much simultaneously, and I dropped the ball and let some people down by not fulfilling my promises I made. Those moments deeply affected me and I wish I could take them back, but I’m grateful for the lesson I’ve learned about slowing down, doing one thing at a time with intention and letting myself relax. Read More>>

Jen Herndon

In 2020, I worked in a hospital as a physical therapist assistant in our rehabilitation department. My life turned upside down with Covid illness. Becoming so sick I thought I would die. After 14 months of trying to return to my job of 33 years, I ultimately had to resign. My brain and body could not function well enough to do my physically demanding work. In my efforts to rerun, I broke my back. Read More>>

Lolita Yagnik

During 2007 I was going through grad school and I was assisting my cousin at her ice cream shop. One day I was overseeing the store from afar and just watched customers come to the shop and see their smiles. It brought me back to my childhood and reminded how fun it was to get on a bike and ride to the farm and get a cone. I said to myself from there I want to open a place that kids can come and get an ice cream and do their homework and play games. In 2016 is when we opened up. Read More>>

Ro Jett

That’s a question that takes me back through different stages of my life, because what inspires me has grown and changed as I’ve grown and changed.

In the beginning, my inspiration came from home. My mother and father were always in my corner, reminding me to stay focused, to choose the right path, and to live in a way that honored myself and others. They didn’t just tell me to go to school and get an education—they showed me by their actions that hard work, integrity, and faith can carry you further than talent alone ever could. Read More>>

Jazzy Yang

I am inspired by my dad. My dad was in WWE, WCW, TNA, All Japan, etc. and being able to see him on tv, going backstage at Smackdown and meeting all the divas, hearing stories and my dad bringing back gifts from all around the world made me see all the amazing things that can come from professional wrestling. And not only that but how beautiful the world is and to want to pursue something that can take me to as many places as possible. Every time I see a new place, a new state, a new culture because of wrestling, I get inspired all over again. Read More>>

Marisa Ginger Tontaveetong

I believe that life is about a lot about the actions you take and decisions you make while the legacy is the byproduct. While there’s a lot of learning throughout my journey, I hope that my legacy is to leave the work with a bigger net positive impact and encourage those I met to care more about being a part of a community and the world we live in. I would like the organizations I work with to be able to sustain itself without my presence and stay true to its mission. It’s okay if no one remembers who I am or what I do in the future but if the actions I take serves as a stepping stone to a more empathetic world where kindness and accountability is championed. Read More>>

Mike Klinefelter

1. What was your thought process behind starting your own business? Didn’t have a choice, wasn’t working, had an idea for a new business concept, performance training facility, had to make it work.

2. What’s one thing about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of? 2nd highest rate of business failure next to the restaurant industry. Read More>>

Michelle Francis

Over the years, I’ve learned that the habits we build truly shape not only our careers but also who we are as people. One of the most important habits I’ve cultivated is consistency. I came to the realization early on that I have a passion for writing and for impacting people’s lives through music. That passion alone wasn’t enough—I had to show up for it every single day, even when I was tired, even when doors seemed closed, even when I felt overlooked. Staying consistent has kept me moving forward when quitting would have been easier. Read More>>

Tiarra Shaw

Believing in myself has never been the simplest endeavor, yet I was blessed with an extraordinary mother whose influence continues to envelop me, even in her absence. Long before I could fully comprehend it, she instilled within me an enduring conviction in my own potential. She granted me the freedom to immerse myself in myriad pursuits—band, chorus, drama, basketball, cheerleading, volleyball, track, and beyond. Read More>>

Chains Over Razors

Our success stems from our perseverance and attention to detail in our musical writing and promotion. As a unit, we are the most critical of our work as we are fans of our own music and we love what we create. We stay true to ourselves and have a relentless work ethic. We know fans and critics will love to kick back and listen to our messages in the songs when we release our music upon the world. We also spend countless hours rehearsing, practicing, and songwriting and if you have seen us live, you can hear it in our performances as we are razor tight. When we perform live, we make sure that every person who sees us live has an incredible time listening and rocking out. Read More>>

Chris Buff

I find happiness in every stage of the image creation process—from the initial concept to the final edit. Each step is an opportunity to blend creativity with technical skill. What truly brings me joy is seeing the final image not only meet but exceed the original vision. That sense of accomplishment and artistic fulfillment is deeply satisfying. I also truly enjoy being around airplanes and the community that flies and supports them. Read More>>

Paul

One of my guiding principles in my writing is telling a good story through intriguing interactions with the characters and their environment. Every portion of a scene can be part of the storytelling between two characters. In journalism, this is usually done by speaking with two or more people about something happening in a town or city, with most of the time spent making sure it is accurate. Read More>>

LaConya Richardson

Trust is an invaluable aspect of my craft as a Master Cosmetologist.

The retention and growth of clientele firmly rests on the consistent provision of quality hair care, client/stylist rapport and a safe, inviting atmosphere.
In many cases, these “beauties”, as I like to call them, have experienced various traumatic, unpleasant salon experiences that have made them leery of hair stylists. Read More>>

Evan Summers

I grew up in an entrepreneurial household. I watched my parents create their own businesses from the ground up. As a child, I witnessed my father build out a tropical fish business from scratch. He rented an empty warehouse and filled it with fish tanks, a filtration system, and even developed an innovative solar heating system long before these things were considered common in the industry. All of this was done with zero knowledge or prior experience. Read More>>

Melissa Bien-Aime

Since childhood, I’ve been captivated by beauty. I used to mix oils, lotions, and balms in my bedroom, testing them on my little sister with the kind of excitement only a young dreamer can understand. But it wasn’t until I began experiencing severe skin reactions as a teen that my curiosity turned into a calling. I started researching what was inside the products I used daily — and what I found was troubling. Read More>>

Shani Tené

One piece of conventional advice I completely disagree with is the idea that you have to ‘play it safe’ with your money or wait until you have it all figured out to start building wealth. So many people are taught to avoid risk at all costs or to only invest when they feel ‘ready.’ But the truth is, God calls us to be good stewards of what we have, and that often means taking bold, faith-filled steps, even small ones, toward financial freedom. You don’t have to wait until everything is perfect, and you don’t have to choose between giving, saving, investing, paying off debt, and living within your means.  Read More>>

Selima Harleston Lust

The most important lesson Iwilla Remedy has taught me is that healing is not passive—it’s an active, daily choice. Building this business has mirrored the healing journey itself. It requires consistency, courage, vulnerability, and a willingness to grow through discomfort. I’ve learned that real transformation, whether it’s in our health, our mindset, or our purpose, asks us to show up for ourselves with compassion and commitment, especially when it’s hard. Read More>>

Josh Friedensohn

I come from a family of New Yorkers that fit a lot of the northeastern stereotypes of being tough, loving, big family, and lots of noise. I have 4 brothers and there are now 13 grandkids in the family. My parents are second generation immigrants from eastern Europe and my grand parents were young parents so I was able to spend a lot of amazing years with them. Growing up in a crazy household, my dad always had the FRIEDENSOHN FIVE: Hustle, Always be closing, Keep your head down, Stay humble, and keep on the yellow line. Read More>>

Nicholas Mohan

I was born in Trinidad and Tobago in the late 1970s and grew up in the southern part of the island. My mother, of East Indian descent, and my father, of African descent, shaped my identity in a family and community where cultural and racial dynamics were often complex. Raised primarily by my mother alongside my siblings, I learned early how to take care of myself in the midst of both challenges and love. Read More>>