We had the good fortune of connecting with Akil McLeod and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Akil, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
It took me several years until I was able to grasp the concept of a work-life balance. I started my entrepreneurship journey back in 2017, and at the time all I did was work. I started my days early because I felt guilty for sleeping in, and I routinely stayed up late because I felt most creative between the hours of 12 AM and 3 AM. In fact, when I initially quit my job in higher education my plan was to eventually get another job in that same field. Therefore, I spent the first half of my day filling out job applications and researching prospective institutions. Then, I would spend the second half of my day working on random side hustles, watching motivational and instructional videos, and stressing out about how I would be able to afford the next month’s bills. That may have also been the reason for my insomnia. I continued this cycle for almost a year until I was able to earn enough money from my businesses on a consistent basis.

As a result of those late nights and early mornings, my physical fitness suffered mainly because I wasn’t taking proper care of myself. My diet primarily consisted of frozen pizzas, sugar-filled cereal, and anything else that I could prepare and eat quickly in order to get back to work. I also did not prioritize any form of exercise and I eventually gained 25 pounds. At the time, I was living with my girlfriend now wife, and it wasn’t until she brought the extra weight to my attention that I realized I needed to make a change. During those times I pedestalized my finances and I put my health and social life to the side.

Fast forward to the present day and I can confidently say that I have lost all of that weight but more importantly, I consistently workout at least 4 times a week. Also, I recently became a father so my days are no longer jam-packed with just performing market research and working late nights on my laptop. Instead, this new chapter of life has encouraged me to become more balanced so that I could be more present and actively participate in my daughter’s life. Also, in regards to my newfound work-life balance, I currently incorporate massages once a month, I go golfing once a week, and my wife and I have date nights at least once a week as well.

I believe the concept of work-life balance is commonly overlooked and often misunderstood, especially in today’s “hustle culture”. However, I have learned that everything in life requires balance and in order to truly live a fulfilling life, you need to establish some sort of balance in order to acquire long-term success.

What should our readers know about your business?
Flipped Narrative is an online winery that specializes in elegant wines with an unmistakable delicious taste and silky smooth finish. My wife originally had the vision of owning and operating a wine business once we retired from our careers. At that time, I was working in higher education and she was working in law enforcement. However, we decided to take a chance and start the business while we were still young. One of the biggest challenges that we faced was finding a way to break into the industry. There is a major lack of education and resources available for those that are interested in starting wine businesses. Secondly, the cost of entry is also something that deters most people that have similar aspirations. Fortunately, every time an obstacle presented itself we always found a way to overcome it, even if we had to empty out our retirement and savings accounts to make it all possible. The lesson that we learned along the way is the power of community. There was a time when we believed in doing everything on our own, but with this business, we shared our plans and visions with friends and family and if it were not for their love and support we would not be where we are today. We would like the world to know that Flipped Narrative is more than just a wine company. Flipped narrative represents those that want to do more and do better for themselves. It represents a sign of taking action and not settling for the status quo. That’s why we always say, if you don’t love your story, flip it!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my extraordinary wife, Dominque McLeod. She has been there with me from the very beginning and was one of the few people that encouraged me to quit my job and start a business. If it were not for her, I would have stayed in higher education and I would have been miserable because of it. Not only did she display tremendous patience and understanding during those tough times, but she also believed in me when I had doubts and didn’t believe in myself.

Website: www.flippednarrative.com

Instagram: @flippednarrative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Flippednarrative/

Image Credits
@directortezz @_socially_acceptable @femforceshoots_

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