What’s the right balance between work and non-work time? The traditional 9-5 has slowly disappeared with the emails and zoom and texting going far beyond traditional business hours. We asked members of our community to share with us how they think about work-life balance.

Justine Nguyen | Entrepreneur & Founder of Two Businesses

When I started my first business at the age of 29, I had to learn EVERYTHING from scratch, literally ground ZERO. It was like getting a 4 year MBA in less than 6 months. This was not an easy task, especially as an indignant & proud college drop out with very little formal education. There were several reasons I chose to drop out of college: one, I was struggling financially after leaving home at a young age after I moved to LA from SF & didn’t have any financial assistance. Two, It felt pointless and useless at that time in my life & I preferred to learn real life skills from experience, trial & error, rather than absorbing secondhand information from a professor in a lecture class. Read more>>

ARO – | Music Artist

For me the most important factor of success is making sure that everything I’m doing to build my career is either fun and bringing me joy, or expanding me in a direction I want to move towards. I used to have a really convoluted relationship with success. In my early 20’s I quit my job and started working for myself as a personal trainer. I built a very successful business, I had more clients than I knew what to do with, a successful online presence that generated sales of my online products, and I was calling all the shots. Read more>>

Jessica Sanmarti | Dancer, Choreographer, Educator, & Make Up Artist

A teacher once told me in High School, “Dance every step as if it were your last.” I didn’t know at the time how impactful those few words were going to impact my life at age 14. These words influenced more than just dance for me. Many of the choices I have made in both my life and career have been made with the intent to not live with regret and to live life to the fullest. It has been a blessing to have lived my life the way that I have and continue to. Yes, there have been some defeats but those defeats have led me to where I needed to be or who I needed to meet. Read more>>

Brooke Anthony | Social Media Manager & Content Creator

I think the most important factor behind my success is that I have never turned down an opportunity to learn. Consistently learning new skills and learning from new experiences has been the #1 driving force behind my ability to succeed. I believe that experience is one of the best forms of education. To me, there is no better way to learn about something and have a greater understanding of how things work than to experience them first hand. I also believe this is one of the main reasons as to why I may be perceived as a “Yes Man”. I never want to turn down an opportunity to learn and grow. Read more>>

Chris Ho | Photographer & Videographer

As a photographer, the most important factor behind my success and the success of my brand is my portfolio. My portfolio showcases my skills, style, and creativity. It’s a visual representation of my work and can significantly influence potential clients’ decisions. Continuously improving and diversifying my portfolio , along with effective marketing and networking within the photography industry, are key to building a strong brand and reputation. Read more>>

Estevan Reynoso | Cinematographer | Creative Director

I’d say the most important factor would be simply listening to my clients! I’m brought on for a project to bring their vision to life, I have to understand their story to present a cinematic experience for their audience. Read more>>

Kathryn Hillier | Ceramic Artist

Practice and refining design. Realizing that it is a long journey between envisioning a design, refining that design, thinking about the usability and ergonomics of the ceramic object, mastering actually making that repeated shape on the pottery wheel (each one handmade), and making that object sing with glaze, surface design, and marbling. Read more>>

Jess Flanagan | Empowerment coach and nurse practitioner

I think I owe a few things to my success. The biggest one is authenticity. It’s been a journey for me to learn how to truly be myself. It’s scary to be vulnerable and realize that I don’t want to be just like someone else in the coaching world. I want to be uniquely me. This means that I won’t be for everyone and I’m now ok with that, because the people who do really make connections with me do so on a much deeper level. We can make real change and transformations that way. Read more>>

Noah Love | CLUB, Founder

Our studio is very personable with our clients which ultimately breeds success. Everyone is unique, everyone has an interesting story to tell—we’re there to take the time and find it. We have several clients that could attest to our commitment to getting into the weeds and unearthing the unique. Whether it’s digging through some dusty forgotten books in a basement, or discovering a new craft, we find a unique way to create brands in a world drowning in normalism. Read more>>