By far the most common conversation we have with the folks we interview is about work-life balance. Starting a business or pursuing a creative career makes finding work life balance really tough because there is no clear start and end to one’s work day. We’ve shared some of our conversations on the topic below.

Gabriela Cervantes | Travel Enthusiast & Bucket List Concierge

I don’t believe in work life balance. There is an assumption that work and life are equal, and I actually strive for work life imbalance; I want my life to be my priority. I always tell people that at the end of the day, nobody is going to care about how much you worked and whether you got your to-do lists crossed out. Nobody will put the number of overtime hours on your headstone. Long after we’re gone, we’ll be remembered by our relationships with others, as friends, as good humans, as people who supported others and left the world a little bit better than how they found it. Work will never be my #1 priority, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t try my best or that I won’t provide the best service I can. Read more>>

Sabrina Martinez | Illustrator and Business Owner

I started my art business, Mr-Quacker’s Artistry, back when I was in college. My products initially consisted of illustrated art prints. I would focus my time on college and spend the summers working on the business. My parents were helping with expenses, so I was not reliant on the business to pay for food or housing. When I graduated college I got a day job working on websites and social media while I continued with the business after work. I slowly expanded my products adding in smaller prints, pinback buttons, and bookmarks, all things that I could make at home. My work life balance was good here as I only went to 1-2 trade shows a year. It was actually when I changed jobs to a fulltime marketing one that I went harder into the business. I started to make patterns that I put onto fabric products like pouches, lanyards, notebooks, and skirts. I outsourced production as I was designing the products. I diversified my income by running an online store, having my products in a consignment shop, as well as selling at 10 or so trade shows a year. My time was taken up by working my day job to have a stable income and working on the business as something I loved. So I was essentially working two jobs. My work life balance did suffer here as I was busy all the time. I would put off hanging out with friends because I was working. I’ve been working on my business for 10 years now as a side project and it is starting to be more solid. I have a better handle on my day job as well as my business so I am able to take time to spend it with family and friends. I made a conscious effort to put work aside and instead focus on enriching the social aspect of my life. And I think that I am in a good place. The business is doing well and I am personally doing well because I have time for myself that it not just working. Read more>>

Kayley Quick | Owner of Monster Universe | Artist and Creative Event Coordinator

Over the past 9 months, my work/life balance has undergone a dramatic transformation. After more than a decade as a high school graphic design teacher, I took a significant leap in June, leaving my teaching position to dive full-time into the creative arts. This shift has blurred the lines between my professional and personal life in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Previously, my art and performance work, while professional, was relegated to the sidelines, secondary to my teaching responsibilities. Some of it even fell into the hobby category. Now, as I’m fully immersed in my creative endeavors, everything has melded together, making it challenging to separate work hours from personal and family time. Read more>>