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.

Jennifer Clymer | Producer, Director Film, TV & Theater

Work life balance is very hard to achieve and most impossible to maintain. But that is the secret. It should always be off kilter. In this industry there is no routine. So embrace the RollerCoaster ride. If one of your passions is your work, it is critical that you make other passions a priority in the moments that are available to you. While in the creative process though, building something from nothing but your imagination, your other passions must take a bow.. I have the greatest gift that my future husband is also a creative. We respect when the other person is “in the zone”. We foster it for each other. The other passions need to get oxygen and support. Read more>>

Tara Platt | Actor, Producer & Writer

The whole work/life balance idea is such a tricky concept, and I think it takes your whole life to master it. For much of my life, my life was my work and my work was my life. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an actor and I was fervent in my pursuit of my passion, snagging a BFA in theatre arts and working abroad on stage to try to hone my craft. When I moved to NYC after college I was laser focused on my goal of being a working actor, and even meeting and marrying my husband, fellow actor Yuri Lowenthal, (we will celebrate our 19th anniversary this New Years Eve) didn’t deter me from my goal. Together we moved out to Los Angeles and worked to bolster each other through our individual and interwoven journeys. Read more>>

Zachary Morris | YouTube Creator

When I started doing CZsWorld full time in Spring 2017, it had been about 6 months since I had graduated from college. At the time, I was very excited to see how productive I could be without schoolwork weighing me down. So there was really no work-life balance at that time. There was just work, and if I was lucky that day, sleep. Fast forward to 2020. Most people would probably look at my life and say there’s still no work life balance. But for me there’s a big difference. Because I put in the work early, I was able to save up, so I am now able to outsource a lot of work by hiring video editors (the most time-consuming part of my business). I still spend almost all of my time working, but I’m also able to find time to take care of my health and occasionally relax. Read more>>

Bethany Reed | Photographer

Having an even work-life balance is something that only recently became important to me. In school and when I landed my first full time photography job, setting up shoots was all I could think about. I was working 5 days a week and shooting personal projects every weekend. Working like this quickly burnt me out, and that is when I started taking more time for myself. When you’re just starting out that ‘hustle’ mentality is sooo strong, and as you progress and start defining your style and your goals, I think what ‘the hustle’ looks like changes for every person. Now for me, I’m still working full time, and I’ll do personal projects maybe once or twice a month. I put more care and substance into planning shoots, and only start personal projects that really mean something to me! I used to jump at any test shoot that came my way, and now I’m way more comfortable saying no. Read more>>

Cindy Kennedy-Gomez | Entertainment & News Correspondent

Balancing work, kids, school and life in general is quite the challenge. Now more than ever due to this Covid-19 pandemic. Before Covid-19 we had the privilege of sending kids to school while going to work physically. We were able to possibly take a lunch break outside or inside and have some quite time to ourselves. Better yet, have the company of someone to talk to while dining in. For those that worked at home, they probably had a routine that made sense and felt that they had some control of their lives. Now, most of us are at home trying to balance a healthy state of mind, body and soul. Unfortunately, many have lost their jobs, are now working from home or are put on hold until everything starts to normalize itself. I think the term work life means something different to everyone based on their current life style. Read more>>

Rebecca Borough | Founder

Having a kid changes everything. It completely rocks your world. But it can also force you to realign, get organized, and just do better at life.  Over four years ago, I started my company, Knit Marketing, and over three years ago, I left my full-time job to dedicate all my time to Knit. I’ve gone through ups and downs in regards to organization, handling stress and balancing life in general. But not having a boss expecting you to clock in at a certain time and having the freedom to create your own roadmap can be both exhilarating and exhausting. Read more>>