A host of factors, developments, and dynamics have made most industries more competitive than ever. As a result so many of us wonder whether there is still such a thing as work-life balance. We reached out to the community to hear perspectives on finding the right balance.

Ashley Hill | Educator & Tutor

My work/life balance has changed drastically since 2018, when Hilltop Tutors became a business. Initially, it was a hobby that I pursued outside of my corporate job. I was able to follow my purpose of helping children a few hours every other day or once a week during Bible Study at church. However, during the pandemic, I was working remotely full-time and started tutoring virtually, while my son had just entered 1st grade. Word spread fast about Hilltop Tutors, and I began tutoring just as many hours as my corporate full-time job. It seemed like 24 hours was not enough time in the day. The tutoring started to surpass my corporate hours, so by February 2021, I had stopped working my corporate job, and began Hilltop Tutors as a full-time business. Read more>>

Teresa Brown | Small Business Owner, LEISURE & JOIE

Work-life balance isn’t something I even thought about until around 2017 or so. Looking back, my life was really unbalanced. During time. I had been working 10-15 hour days on a daily basis for years in hospitality and my quality of life at that time definitely suffered. I didn’t get to spend time with my family or the friends I had outside of my work environment because I was always working. Though that experience was fun at times and also a period of growth, I definitely wasn’t taking care of myself properly or prioritizing things that mattered to me. One day, it sort of dawned on me that I felt stuck, I didn’t actually like my life in its current state and something had to change. I had to change… so I did. Read more>>

Queue | Singer/Songwriter/Actor/Future Attorney

My idea about work-life balance changed considerably after living in New Zealand for five years. Before then, I didn’t even know what work-life balance was. I was sold out to the “grind and hustle” lifestyle. Always working. Always DOING something. And depressed when I wasn’t “busy.” It’s quite the vicious cycle. But island life showed me that working yourself round the clock isn’t necessary to achieve your goals. Rest and relaxation are just as important as discipline and dedication to work. You can’t produce your best output if you’re a walking zombie from malnourishment and lack of sleep. I have really struggled to achieve the same work-life balance in the U.S. that I developed in New Zealand. However, I am determined in 2024 to make it happen! Read more>>

Shelley Costello | Manager of Theatrical Film Sales

Over the course of my career, my approach to work-life balance has undergone an evolution. In the earlier stages, I was more immersed in work, dedicating extensive hours to professional growth. However, as I progressed and started a family, I became increasingly cognizant of the importance of a balanced lifestyle. I learned to set boundaries, prioritize family and self-care, and allocate time for personal pursuits. Today, my perspective on balance is centered around my family first motto, requiring mindfulness, and ensuring that both my professional and personal spheres complement each other. I value quality over quantity in my work, and I recognize that a well-maintained work-life balance not only enhances my overall well-being but also positively impacts my professional performance Read more>>

Leonel Velasquez | Director & Producer

When I first started on my creative journey, I was all in, putting in all my time into work without much of a balance. But, as I kept at it, I realized I needed to incorporate more of it. When it comes to balance, it’s just about making time for stuff outside of work, like hanging out with family, friends, or just going on random adventures. Those moments and experiences are like a breath of fresh air for me, especially when I’m going through any sort of creative block. Read more>>

Heather Ayers | Actor

Work/Life balance can be especially challenging as a performer due to how last minute the work part can be. As much as we would love to plan the life part, other people are setting our timeline. Our jobs are temporary, so we constantly have to be searching for that next gig. There are countless things that are out of our control., so finding things we CAN control can help us keep some sanity within the uncertainty. Making work for ourselves such as creating characters, prepping songs, writing memoirs, or designing cabarets keep our creative juices flowing. Reading scripts with friends, creative hobbies, continued learning… make us well rounded artists with experiences to use in our work. Read more>>

Lilli Tollefson | Background & Prop Designer

During my animation studies through SCAD, I didn’t just face the typical challenges of coursework, I also juggled a full-time service management position often tackling 40+ hours a week to my existing workload. I do believe It was a period that molded my resilience, but looking back, I realized the significant toll it also took on my well-being. These days, I’ve consciously shifted gears, choosing a more intentional and uplifting approach to work-life balance. I push myself to cultivate healthy habits, scheduling out dedicated workdays to meet deadlines while also making time for well-deserved breaks. Read more>>

Connor Morgan | Designer & Student

This is a great question. I feel like, for me, finding that balance has always been a challenge. I was living on my own from age 17, so my concept/idea of balance looked much different than most people, I would say. For years, I would have to dedicate what little time I had towards being creative in some way – whether it was painting small projects, exploring galleries/museums, or researching different artists – I tried to stay current with the arts and have always made it a priority to nurture that side of me. Much of my early career was focused around surviving and climbing whatever social ladder was in front of me: working long hours, taking on more than I could handle, trying to please everyone and do everything. It was exhausting. Read more>>

Theo Elwell | Film Composer

I’ve always wanted to work for myself, and I when I was finally making the leap into the freelance world, a colleague of mine said ‘you’ll give up the 9-5 to work 24/7’. This turned out to be true… But looking back, I don’t see it as a negative. Without pushing the cliché of ‘never working a day in your life if you love your job’ (work is work, right?), I definitely view the work I do now for myself as completely different from when I used to work for other people. When you’re running your own business, your work becomes your identity, for better or for worse. The successes are all down to you, the failures too. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Read more>>

Vince Baur | Record Producer, Songwriter and Engineer

Work-life balance is a little difficult right now. My friends are what balance everything out right now. We all share common interests and there’s a lot of understanding in regards to working long hours. Working all week and going out for a beer with a couple of pals who were by your side even in the earliest hours of the morning feels really good. I strive to get a lot better at balancing my life because currently it is very work heavy. Still, not a complaint, I love what I do so the best days feel like a day off. Read more>>

Robert Malcolm Cumming | Actor, Writer, Musician

That. Is… Difficult. The work/life balance changes with the seasons. Sometimes you need to push yourself to the limits and sometimes you need to step back and recharge. You’re not a machine. Take some time to wander. Be lazy when there’s nothing to do. Create when you get bored of being bored. Create some momentum and grind with a purpose. In the nascence of a career you’re young, hungry and just want an opportunity. So you leap at absolutely everything because you have an endless reserve of puppy energy which allows you to bounce back from any long day, night, week, month, or even year… But then 28 hits. You realize the well doesn’t go on forever. Read more>>

Hazel Imogen | Founder | Creative Director | Brand Consultant | Mentor

This is a big one for me and something I feel like is a huge part of my story. I used to be a big-time workaholic. I hung my hat on how hard I worked, my job title, and my salary. It felt like an addiction- once I reached a new level, I didn’t stay to enjoy it and was already planning how to level-up once again. While this did accelerate my growth in my career as I continued to climb, I lost my weekends, wasn’t showing up in my relationships, and was told by multiple doctors I needed to be better at managing my stress. To be honest, while I was in it, I didn’t see a problem and I was proud of my success and where I was in my career. What the doctor called “stress” I believed was better deemed my “blessed” internal motivation. Read more>>

Christian Jackson | CEO & Creative Technologist

I used to believe firmly in managing a work-life balance. I’ve felt the sting of burnout, how it can set you back after relentless effort. But my perspective shifted. Nowadays, I’m more inclined to tilt the scales towards work. It’s a strategic choice, however. I’m a particularly family-oriented person, so I’m doing this with a clear vision in mind: future freedom and time with my family. I picture the next 7-10 years, envisioning a life where I can be deeply present for them. That’s a powerful motivator. It gets me out of bed early to get to it, working with a purpose. Read more>>

Mariya Pallais | ⚡️Tech & Entertainment Publicist | 🤿 Scuba Diver | 🌍 World Traveler | 👑 Personal Branding | 🗣️ Local Business PR & SEO | 🐭 Chinchilla Mom | 🌈 Founder

The pursuit of a work-life balance seems more like a lifelong endeavor for me. When I first created my company, I worked all of the time. I was always on call for whatever my clients needed, treating everything with a sense of urgency. Unfortunately, though, burnout is real, and working at that caliber nonstop is unsustainable. I decided to go rogue. I packed up all of my belongings and put them in a storage unit, and then I left to travel the world. In the beginning I was all work, but then I did a 180 and was all play. Balance eluded me. A few months in, I realized that was also unsustainable, so I had to reassess. I selected the locations I traveled to more critically, ensuring I would have excellent access to WIFI in the hopes of mitigating previous connectivity issues I encountered. Read more>>