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.

Anke Bodack | Small Design Hotel Owner

Thats a great question! It’s definitely become a challenging subject, as when the hotel/ retreat is open I usually work. And as I love my work and hosting so much and we all have bills, it’s a challenge to decide to close it. But over the last few years I realized, if I I take some books of time for self care and the things that will fill my cup, it’s manageable. I have recently proudly surpassed my goal of 3 times yoga a week to almost 5-6 times per week. And when I go I spend a good amount of time also in the steam room. its also turned out to be a good idea fort me to close the hotel for a week or so at a time, when I travel for example to Europe to see family. That’s a good way to completely relax and not worry about answering the phone or reply to e-mails. It’s all about boundaries and to make time in the schedule, to get some balance. But always room for improvement and and adjustment. Trusting my body and my energy level and how I feel, is my guiding system, to then go to bed super early, make sure there is enough sleep and enough time for self care and fun. Read more>>

Matt Jix” Pritchett | Screen Printer

Haha. This is so important to me in this moment. If you would have asked me this 10 years ago, while I was starting my business, my answer was “Team No Sleep!!”, or, “I will Sleep When Im Dead.” That has change tremendously over the last few years. A few reasons probably lead me here, to where peace is the most important thing I strive for. Its no longer money, or impressing certain people, or even really impressing myself. It seemed like the more money I made, the harder I had to work. And the more money I made, the less I was enjoying life. I was almost happier, being a broke creative person. Things were so simple in that space. Read more>>

Jorge Flores | Artist, Producer, Engineer, Videographer, Photographer

I see a balance between work and life am important aspect in living a happy life. A balance between the two is like the perfect soil for a seed to grow at the most optimal and steady rate. Some people do not really have a choice in having a balance because they have to work multiple jobs to provide for their families. Others prefer to spend as much time as they can at work in order to climb up the ladder of success. The balance between the two has changed a lot as I have been growing and learning. Intentions about what one wants in the future is a factor that plays into this balance as well and can greatly affect how much time you put into each side. I used to put more time into work and music because I saw money as the primary objective of life. I now see memories and love as the primary objectives of life and that is what helped me balance the two out. Seeing and reading about people who lost their family, or missed many years of their kids growing up because of work, also helped me put into perspective how important a balance is. One can also get too caught up with family and not put much time into work and then monetary problems arise as well. It is difficult to always stay balanced, and so the objective is to try to stay in the middle even when things shift around. Read more>>

Alma Sanchez | Adu Specialist & Construction Project Manager

Work life- harmony One of the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs face is that we are still heavily expected to play a large part in handling a household. And because owning businesses means long hours, that work life balance can become a problem if not managed strategically. I like to say balancing work and life is something I’ve learned to do well, but of course my family might not agree (Ha Ha). Balancing time is very valuable, specially when you don’t have a lot of it. Yes, being in business has changed the way I assess time. Knowing your priorities and eliminating distractions will help keep you stayed focused and productive. Read more>>

Melissa LeEllen Biondi | CEO & Founder of Creative Global Branding, Founder of the ALL OK Movement

First, when I think about work-life balance, I remove the stigma behind it. I don’t think of work and life as separate actions. Work is my life and so is my personal life, so instead I refer to it as “life balance”. This mindset shift happened as I began to connect deeply with work that not only drives me but also enriches my existence. This isn’t merely a job for me—it’s an extension of my life’s passions and joys. Read more>>