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.

Amanda Kay White | Artist/ Mover/ Choreographer

Balance is a tricky to navigate professionally and creatively. Constantly mining your personal life for inspiration can take some of the fun out of living in the moment. Balance isn’t even or equal and that’s ok. With time I have developed the ability to ride the give and take as well as learn the art of saying “No thank you”.  Read more>>

BRIDNEY WINFREY | FORBES ft. Blazer Brand Owner | Digital Marketer | Ministry Leader of “Transitioned For Christ”

Over the years, my take on work-life balance has gone through quite the transformation. Initially, I was all about hustling non-stop, chasing after professional milestones with little regard for downtime. But as time went on, I realized that burning the candle at both ends wasn’t sustainable or healthy. Read more>>

Waseem Abbas | Actor, Screenwriter & Producer

This industry is unusual in many ways, as you never know when your next opportunity to act might be. It’s typical for actors to be out of work for long periods of time and that can be frustrating and I do wonder if there’s a magic formula for it.  Read more>>

Diego Ratto | Music Composer

Balancing work and life is an ongoing challenge for me, particularly in the demanding field of film scoring here in LA, where project hours can be extensive. Over the past few years, I’ve found myself consistently immersed in work, often sacrificing weekends for project deadlines.  Read more>>

Hero Magnus | Musician

A lot of my friends in creative fields find it difficult to maintain a work-life balance. Since creative work is often self-directed, you can do it outside of regular work hours — which means it’s easy to work a lot but sometimes hard to make sure you’re getting the really focused time required for good art.  Read more>>

Yiyuan Tang | Product Designer

For the first two years of college, I constantly pushed myself to fit into the default timeline of my school which comes with very high intensity and standards, and it really drained me out. It wasn’t until my third year that I decided to take a step back, reducing my course load from six or five to just four per term.  Read more>>

Adrian Olivera | Photographer

I think my work life balance has changed a lot in recent years. From working for someone 40+ hours a week to now working for myself, I had to really learn how to not work all day because I felt like I was missing out if I wasn’t. Something I do now is set a schedule.  Read more>>

Rebekah Richin | Jewelry Designer & Psychology Grad Student

Work life balance is hard for everyone, but maintaining one when you are your own boss can be particularly challenging. There is no higher-up to tell you to be at your desk at 9AM, or that you can go home at 5PM.  Read more>>

Amy Stoody | Attorney at Law and Founding Partner of The Law Offices of Stoody and Mills

I came from a family of overachievers. We were never idle; we were always busy finding ways to learn, achieve, and excel. This skill set served me well in college, marketing for IBM, owning a nightclub, law school, becoming an attorney and opening my own law practice. Read more>>

Isaiah Bradshaw | Music Producer, Songwriter and Rapper

I often find myself having to recalibrate each week or even sometimes each day. My friends and I frequently have conversations about how what might’ve worked one day, will not work the next and you’re left to adjust. Read more>>

Jessica Liem | Baker

I think this is the one thing most people struggle and I still very much struggle with. Starting your own thing is definitely not easy and the biggest challenge apart from managing a work life balance is being my biggest cheerleader. Read more>>

Lora Pavilack | Pilates and Gyrotonic Instructor and Business Owner

As I approach my 50s, my work life balance has definitely changed! In the beginning of my career as a dancer, and then owning Pilates, Studio City, work was everything and I loved it, so there were really no boundaries. I worked all hours and thrived on creating my business, and enjoyed the community. Read more>>

Christina Kim | Founder & CEO

Over time, my approach to balancing work and life has undergone significant changes. Initially, I was entirely focused on work, often neglecting my personal life in the process. However, as I’ve matured, I’ve come to realize the importance of achieving harmony between the two. Read more>>

Jeanne Gerrity | Curator, Editor, & Writer

I am a person who constantly fills their time with work and creative projects. I am not good at relaxing in general. However, once I had kids, I was forced to slow down a bit, and it’s been surprisingly positive for me.  Read more>>

Camila Perry | Boss Lady | Bar Owner

When I first started my business, it was literally like I had a newborn baby. The bar took all of my time and energy, woke me up at all hours of the night. It needed all my attention, but I loved it and wanted to nurture it so that it could succeed.  Read more>>

Mathew Browne | Actor/Artrist/Human

I don’t know if I really believe in a work life balance. I believe if you truly love the work you do then it is your life. I love the idea of being so immersed in what I am doing that it consumes all of my time until it is done. I’m sure that may sound unhealthy to some but It’s what I believe. Yes, some other aspects of your life will suffer from this type of commitment. But nothing great was ever achieved without sacrifice. Read more>>