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.

Jimmy Alonso | Musician & Actor

It’s been very difficult to get work done while staying stuck at home with family. I enjoy spending time with my nephew and hanging out with my mother and sister but when I need to get something done such as practicing our songs or working on new material, it gets complicated because of my overthinking mind. Focusing on the task at hand becomes a struggle and my head gets filled with negative thoughts. Luckily, I am aware of these thoughts and I try my best to not believe them. My family knows how much I love them. During the pandemic, we have been working on an album and going to practice has been a challenge because something pops up and practice gets cancelled. My car got broken down and I have been relying on my sister’s vehicle for transportation to go to practice or to run some small errands. I’ve felt the unbalance of work and life and it’s just not a very pleasant place to be in. It can feel like your going off the rails a bit. Read more>>

Jackie Naparlo | Concert Promoter | Custom Promotional Merchandise

This is actually a really interesting question for me as balance was the catalyst unbeknownst to me at the time that grew my business. I’ve always worked for companies in the music industry. From William Morris to Live Nation and most recently ASM Global. I booked concerts for each company across the US and most recently for 3 venues in Richmond, VA: the Richmond Coliseum, Altria Theater and Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center. I got pregnant with my second child in 2018 and was struggling to balance home life and professional. I was working 60-70 hours a week and many nights at shows. My work was my life and a huge part of myself so I wasn’t ready to give it up but I also felt huge pressure to be home with my kids and my husband. I wanted to be there for them and all their small little milestones. I had a VERY supportive boss at the time who I worked with to create a new structure. I would no longer be an employee but a consultant for the venues. Read more>>

Jordana Guimaraes | Co-Founder at Fashinnovation & Author of It Can Be You

The word balance changes overtime – it’s a word that you need in your life, however, the balance between work and life can tip the scale at different times of your life. What I mean by that is sometimes, the balance can weigh more on the WORK part of your life as that’s what it needs to be at the specific time to ensure success and at other times, the business can be driving itself in the way it should go, and so you can weigh more on the LIFE balance. However, I do believe now at 40 years old that it can never be an equal balance between the two and that’s okay. Read more>>

Ryan Arnaiz | Nutrition Store Owner

I used to work 7 days a week, 10 hours a day, by myself for 10 years. I thought I had to do it all myself to reach my goals. I realized I was just burning myself out, and doing damage to my physical, and mental health. You can’t sacrifice other values, and your time in an unbalanced way. You can’t get your health, and time back when it’s gone. Money can’t buy that back. I’m much happier now finding: time to read, write motivational quotes to post, meditating, spending time with people I value, and doing other things I like. I also made sure I found a way to do these things, while implementing a good system where my clients still received the same value for their visit to my store. Read more>>

Dynasty Casanova | Fashion Designer and Creative Director of Dynasty George

When I first started my brand, it was really just a way to sell my school projects from FIT. I was working full time in the industry and it wasn’t fulfilling for me. So i started making youtube videos and selling my school projects on the side. I saw the immense amount of interest in my brand and my aesthetic. It was so gratifying for me because in fashion school, the cool NYC style was the black and white, Alexander Wang vibe. In my job, we had to be commercial and design for costumers that didn’t even care about fashion or style. I was constantly told “no” or had my designs and aesthetic rejected. My brand became a way for me to design and express myself freely. My brand became my part time job while I worked full time. During these fundamental years I was single and living at home. During Covid, I was freelancing full time and not only was I let go but I was now married and pregnant. My life totally changed. Read more>>