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.

Desiree Grobstein | Yoga Instructor & Massage Therapist

When I was in my early twenties, I was working as a Child Life Specialist here in the Valley. I would regularly have procedures/tests/surgeries scheduled for patients past my work hours. While I was ready to stay late and work more, my boss would coach me on the importance of saying no. She would discuss having a healthy work life balance. That this balance allows us to reduce our risk for burnout and fatigue. She would encourage us to prioritize our health and happiness. Read more>>

Heidi Nielson | Artist Entrepreneur & Lawyer

My idea of work life balance has certainly evolved over time. As a lawyer by day/artist entrepreneur the rest of the time, work life balance has been a constant struggle for me. What I’ve come to accept is that each day the balance may look different. What is important is that each day has a little art, a little of my law life, and a little of the things that keep me sane like my relationships and health. Some days the amount of art is very small and some days I get to spend the whole day painting. Read more>>

Jared Boyette | Entrepreneur & Consultant

The saying “do what you love and you’ll never work a day of your life” comes to mind when I think of work life balance. The funny thing is that my perspective on work life balance has changed overtime. If you were to ask me a couple of years ago (when I was working for a couple different corporations) I would tell you that 40-hour weeks should be a thing of the past. Now, after owning and operating my own business I would say that 40 hours of work a week is a minimum. Read more>>

Isabel Benson | Running mama

Balance for me as a working parent, mom and wife is the ability to handle each in a way where everyone gets their needs met. Being a mom is such a wonderful blessing yet it requires a flexibility of knowing how to handle my 7 and 11 year olds emotional development differently. I’ve had to learn to make time for each one in different ways. As a runner I’ve bonded with my oldest supporting her in cross country, which has meant very early mornings! And enjoying nails and fashion with my youngest who’s a total social butterfly. It’s always a good time with my girls. Read more>>

Richard Lee | Professional golfer/ instructor

Being a professional golfer playing at the highest level takes a lot of sacrifice. When I was playing full time everything else took a back seat. My family is very important to me and I don’t want to sound selfish, but it took what it took. My wife played a huge role in my life taking care of the kids when I was on the road. Doing a lot of behind the scenes work. Looking back from where I am now and If I am being honest I don’t think my life was balanced during my playing days. I tried my best to not bring home the negative emotions or energy when I miss a cut or have a bad day. But I couldn’t hide it 100%. Read more>>

Cory Wiebers | Architect

After college, in my 20’s, I was able to immerse myself completely in my career and fostering lifelong friendships. Without those early years to commit wholeheartedly to my career, I would not have learned the grind and demands of the job. After I married and had children, the energy and focus of my life shifted to my family. Having a small firm has allowed the flexibility to participate in all aspects of my children’s life. Read more>>

Urshula Henry | Natural Hair Care Specialist & Educator

My work life balance changed when my oldest brother was diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. At the time I was working part time as an hairstylist and full as Fraud Recovery Agent for Chase. I worked 7 days a week. As my clientele was picking up not only was I becoming exhausted from working two jobs and I sacrificed a lot of my family time. That point on I had a gut feeling that it was time for me leave Chase. So I took a leap in faith put my two weeks notice in so I could follow my dream. Loosing my brother to cancer made me realize how important it’s to create memories because not every day is promised. When I think of balance I think of evaluating how my mind and body feels. Creating a schedule that helps me execute thing that need to be done but also making time for things I value outside of work. Read more>>

Britta Healey | Personal Chef

Working in the restaurant industry, it is so difficult having any sort of work life balance because you are either all in or all out. When I began my culinary journey years ago I devoted almost all of my time to working and I have the insane kitchen stories to prove it! I had no life balance. It wasn’t until my first pregnancy until I realized how much I wanted to enjoy the family and life I was creating. I had to quit my high demand Casino restaurant job and decided to create my own small pastry business so i could choose how busy I wanted to be and I could enjoy time with my family. I ran that business for 5 years watching my children grow and enjoying every moment. Now that my children are both in school, I decided it was time to open a new and more involved personal chef business. Read more>>