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.

Sarah Sheppard | Health & Mental Health Writer

My life looks very different now than it did a few years ago. For a while, I was working remotely (even before the pandemic), traveling often, and spending most of my free time reading and writing. Since becoming a mom in late 2023, I’ve found it’s nearly impossible to stay balanced. Often my child’s needs come before my own, which can be challenging and exhausting, but it’s the season of life that I’m in and I love being a mother, so I’m doing my best to stay present and only spend time on things I really truly enjoy. Read more>>

Maria Baab | HTMA Expert and Holistic Wellness Coach

Its funny, growing up in NYC, my mindset was always attuned to “hustle culture” — if you’re not working, you’re falling behind. Becoming a mom definitely put a lot into perspective about balance, but it wasn’t until more recently that Ive relaxed into a mindset of rest being just as important as getting after it. In my experience as an HTMA Expert and Wellness Coach, Ive seen first hand the detriment of pushing the body to the brink and dealing with chronic stress. Balance is important in all things, movement, rest, nutrition, social time, work, play.. the list goes on.. Read more>>

The Band Kris

Ah, this might be our biggest challenge… When you work with your bandmate, who’s also your best friend, who’s also your sister…it’s hard to know where to draw the line between work and play. We can be writing a song together after a long recording day and some might say that we never stop working…..but do we? Is it work or play? The lines are really blurred, and that’s what makes it a bigger challenge for us. So, if we are being fully transparent, we have a lot of work to do in this area of our lives. It’s been a lot of trial and error…a LOT of error, but we have found that little things like pausing to go sit down at the table for dinner help us shift from work mode to being present. Read more>>

Rachael Burns | Divorce Financial Planner

My work-life balance has been practically non-existent since having kids and launching my own firm. Juggling the demands of running a business with the responsibilities of parenting has meant that one often takes precedence over the other, depending on the situation. I’ve come to realize that work-life balance isn’t sustainable for me in this season of my life. Instead of striving for perfect balance, I focus on prioritizing what needs my attention the most at any given time. There are periods when work demands more of my time and energy, and other times when my family requires more of me. It’s a constant juggling act, and I’ve learned not to be too hard on myself when one area temporarily outweighs the other. Read more>>

Dave Forman | Professional Bartending Service

When I started my bartending service in 1992, the work-life balance was a concept that wasn’t really talked about. The business demanded long hours, constant attention, and a relentless drive to establish a strong company. Being the first bartending business in Arizona, we had to set the standards high and we were very conscious of that. I often found myself working late into the night, juggling various roles, and rarely taking time off despite the fact that I just got married and was starting a family. Read more>>

Kim Tuttle | Artist & Stay at Home Mom

Work life balance is always a tricky thing no matter what your situation is, I’m a stay at home mom to a 4 year-old daughter and I’m very much looking forward to her getting into school. We raise Coturnix Quail and have some backyard chickens to provide for our family, plus taking care of all our other pets: two cats, three snakes, two lizards, one betta fish, and a sulcata tortoise. Finding balance in all that along with my business is definitely a lot but I do enjoy staying busy! Along with my art business, I also offer website design and in-house sticker production to fellow small businesses. Read more>>