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.

Matt Gerovac | Husband/Father/Teacher/Musician/Boxing trainer

In California especially, time is money. My work life balance has changed because I’ve tried to make work my passion and be passionate about my work. I have three jobs. I teach junior high language arts, I’m a musician, and I’m a boxing trainer. The work life balance is a bit more achievable when you love the way you make money. I definitely work to live, not live to work, but it doesn’t have to be so dichotomous when you love what you do. The only other variable is making sure I make time for date nights with my wife and for my kids. Read more>>

Genel Ronquillo | Creative Storyteller & The Queen of Power Moves

When I was younger, I thought balance was focused solely on time management and fitting as many things as possible into one whole day. I used to always stick to everything that I listed down in my planner and if one plan fell through or if my day didn’t go as planned, I would get upset. In the present moment, as an adult, I recognize that balance in my life is not about managing my time, but being intentional in where I choose to invest my time. In my life, I practice balance in the way I give and receive energy as well as making sure that it aligns with my core values. Read more>>

Phuong Tran | Paralegal & Travel/Lifestyle Content Creator

As a the eldest daughter of Vietnamese refugees, I was taught to focus in school and my education so I can get a high-paying job to support my family. Up until college, that’s exactly what I did. According to my parents, I had to be at the top of class, get straight A’s and get into a prestigious university. I graduated in the top 15 of my high school graduating class and got accepted to UC Berkeley where I graduated in 2016 with Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Legal Studies. However, I dropped out of college twice and highly regret choosing UC Berkeley over SFSU and SDSU where I was offered a full ride scholarship. I only chose UC Berkeley because it was known as the #1 public university in the world at the time and that’s the college that my parents wanted me to attend. Read more>>