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.

Barb Morrison | music producer and author

when i entered the music industry i was a work horse. “sleep is for the weak” was my motto. i would do studio sessions back to back from 2pm til 7am. some days i wouldnt get home til noon. once the pandemic hit, i decided to re frame my work flow. i made a goal to put sleep as my number one priority and it completely changed my life. i started to realize that grind culture was only feeding into the sickness of capitalism. i made sure to balance my days, weeks and months with plenty of downtime. Read more>>

Jillian Speer | Singer/Songwriter/Recording Artist

my balance between my music, my music career, and then all the other aspects of life have changed so much over the last 5 years especially……getting recognition, getting noticed, doing gigs, getting out there and making my presence known is no longer at the forefront. Its so interesting how growing up makes you less comfortable with self promotion. The older and wiser i get, the more i don’t feel the need to be noticed and the more i feel uncomfortable with asking everyone to take notice and show up for me……my balance came in when i got burnt out with all of that. The music used to be my saving grace but the BUSINESS and busy-ness aspect of this career really took a toll……Read more>>

Caleb Phillips | Film Direct

I was raised by two very success oriented parents, so unlearning workaholic tendencies has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. Deep down I’d rather hermit away and work myself to death, and I know that if that actually got results I’d still be doing it. But it doesn’t. My 20’s were riddled with mental breakdowns, and the work still suffered. Now in my 30’s I feel like I’ve gotten a slight grip on balance. For me that looks like, taking the weekends off, having accepting when I fall short of a goal, investing in relationships, and above all else: routine. Read more>>

Michaelene Sandberg | Graphic Designer – Wedding Stationery Specialist

Achieving work-life balance is a topic I often hear discussed, particularly as a wife, a mother to three young boys, and a business owner. Early in my career, I was fully dedicated, pouring all my energy into building my dream. However, as my life evolved and my roles shifted, I began the quest for what we commonly call “balance.” I realized I was chasing an elusive idea of equally distributing my time and focus between all aspects of my life. Yet, the truth is, there’s no such equilibrium. Some days, I must arrange for a sitter to dedicate uninterrupted hours to work, while on others, I don’t even open my computer. Read more>>

Chase White | Sustainability Director & Founder

In the beginning, it was just me. The business was merely an experiment, who purpose and roles weren’t defined or even known yet. As I began collecting inventory, and finding new clients, the workload increased dramatically. Adding workers meant new levels of CA compliance, more responsibilities and risk, as well as more oversight and dare I say more Micro-management. By year 3 I was working 60-70 hours a week, and by year 5 up to 80 to 90 hours per week. But thats what it took to grow., I remember a few years in row I sacrificed the entire month of March, with no social activities, just to get through taxes and receipts after long work days. Read more>>