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.

Hitomi Oba | Saxophonist, Composer, Improviser, and Educator

It’s tricky compartmentalizing “work” and “life” because music sits in both categories. I’ve had to make a conscious effort to regard exploring and creating music as an essential portion of my “work hours” as opposed to my “personal non-work hours.” This frame of mind allows me to prioritize those things alongside or even over the more straightforward parts of working as a musician and educator. It has also allowed me to more clearly identify and regularly focus on non-work aspects of my life. Read more>>

Sarah Omer | Artist, Crafter, Creator

Maintaining a work/life balance is something I’m always working on and has evolved over time. Juggling being a creator, a preschool teacher, and a person with chronic illness, it feels like my time is always divided into different areas of my life. When I first started my brand, it was the late fall of 2020, and I was preparing to return to work as a teacher. I ended up cutting my hours and teaching part time to devote more time to my business while also taking care of my health. Read more>>

Glenn Dion | Animation artist

Work life balance is a very difficult thing to maintain in my industry and in Los Angeles in general due to the demands of the job combined with the sheer amount of time you sit in traffic trying to get to said job. All that being said, everything changed about four and a half years ago when covid hit and my industry went remote. For all of the obvious and considerable downsides to the pandemic one significant upside for me has been that I’ve been able to reclaim about twelve hours a week where I’m not having to sit behind the wheel of my car. Read more>>

Assel Omirserik | Film Director, Head of Film Directing Department

Recently, I was appointed as the Head of the Filmmaking Department at the Kazakh National University of Arts, marking a significant turning point in my life. At just 25 years old, I became the youngest head of this department in the university’s history. I now manage a team of about 30 instructors, which requires a considerable amount of time, energy, and mental focus. Read more>>

Alicia Sadler | Creative, Junior Level Guru, Recreational Demigod

Freelancing since I was 18 meant that I was always navigating change. Change in working hours, change of travel, bike, underground, bus, foot, all four at times! Change in projects, change in people, and change in environment. Read more>>

Cat Elrod | Makeup Artist & Costume Designer

Pre-Covid I worked very regularly and I might say successfully as a makeup artist and Costume Designer. I was personal makeup artist to Margaret Cho for a while then for Uncle Charlie Wilson, the musician, for many many years. I was on my TV show Outrageous Acts of Science on Discovery for a very long time and then I was also doing movies and theatre. Read more>>

Samantha Mancino | Tattoo Artist

I never considered work life balance when I started. 16 years later, I have learned physical and mental resilience are key. Cultivating those qualities forces a balance, a separation of life and work. I think about the balance as always being in flux , it is a practice of gratitude and self awareness. Read more>>