The Coronavirus has given many us an opportunity to pause and think about life, our purpose, and even the right work life balance. What’s your perspective and has it changed over time?

Melissa Maschek | Owner/Photographer of Melissa Miley Photography

My balance in work and life has definitely changed over time. When I first started my own business I had left another company and was in a habit of working a structured 9-5 schedule with frequent over-time. There were so many things that needed to be done to start my business that it seemed like I was always in work-mode. Energetically I was on an excitement-high and really pumped to hit the ground running so I didn’t mind working long hours to accomplish my goals. Over time I learned to give myself permission to switch things up. If I had admin/editing work all morning, and a photo shoot late at night I would rest/play during the afternoon. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about my Human Design, my energy levels, and my cyclical nature. Read more>>

Rhonda Samuel | Body Contouring Specialist/ Yoni Steam Practitioner

My work balance has changed drastically over the year. I currently work full time at DHEC from 8:30-5:00. Once I get off I go straight to my shop for my first appointment at 5:30. There are some days I don’t get out the sho until 10:00 pm. Then once I go home and get settle I have online work I have to finish up. I’m currently taking online medical classes also. On top of that I have a 4 year old also so I have to make sure all his stuff is done and his homework is finished before goin lg to bed. Read more>>

Tasha Robinson | Vegan Chef

In the past few months, my work-life balance has undergone a significant transformation due to the tragic losses of my son, sister, and father-in-law. I decided to take a break to grieve and address the aftermath of their passing. This time away from my business has allowed me to reevaluate and gain a newfound appreciation for life and the opportunities my business has provided. Previously, I was constantly caught up in a whirlwind of events and commitments. However, this hiatus has granted me the space to place things in their proper perspective. I’ve come to realize that I chose this line of work not solely for financial gain, though money is undoubtedly important in this day and age. Rather, my true motivation is the reward of using my talents to help and heal people. Read more>>

Tierra Ravenell | Licensed Esthetician

Work life balance is maintaining a healthy relationship between work and your personal life. Over time this has changed for me because I simply stop putting work before my personal life. It was starting to cost me my mental health because at first all I did was WORK, WORK, WORK. When starting a business it is like birthing a baby, so I wanted to literally give it my all. I remember nights I couldn’t even sleep because I was up doing work or I had so much on my mind about it I couldn’t sleep. That is very unhealthy and I had to put a stop to it immediately. I eventually found a way to have a healthy balance between my work and personal life. Read more>>

Tiffany Manges | Owner, Photographer of Tiffany Marie Studios & Owner of Unravel

You know just a few years ago I would have said “What’s that?” But now being a woman whom owns 2 businesses and homeschools her children, while also making sure I have time everyday to go on walks, do yoga, make home cooked meals (because I enjoy cooking and baking) among actually living my life…I can say there can be a balance. It’s important to remember to give yourself a little grace however, because sometimes not everything in life is going to go perfectly. I now know that even as “super human” as my life sounds on paper, it’s important to have a support system and it’s important to remind myself that I’m not always going to excel at being a mom or wife or business woman every single day and thats ok. Read more>>

Amanda Mitseff | Content Creator & Real Estate Investor

Since Bill and I had our children, balancing life has definitely become more difficult. These days we are focusing on raising our boys and spending quality time with them over actively working daily. Because of our investments, we are able to not actively work which is a huge blessing. I still try to post on social media and continue affiliate marketing, but I’m not as consistent as I once was. Bill has slowed down on his real estate investments and cold calling for now to help with the kids. I am so grateful that we made some smart decisions early on so we can soak up this time with the boys while they are little, I know it goes by fast! Read more>>

Chris Dodd | Entrepreneur / Creator

In terms of work-life balance, this one has always been an on-the-job type of lesson for me to learn. And to be honest the answer to this problem for many people is right in the question. The key word is just that, “balance” & how you find that balance is different for everyone and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. If you find yourself struggling with balance I think the first step is to sit back and really be completely honest with yourself & what your goals are & what exactly it is that you are trying to accomplish. This is without a doubt the most mentally clearing & important step to finding your balance. If you are trying to accomplish more than the average person than you are going to have to come to terms with sacrifices that the average person may not have to make. Read more>>

Renee Fleuranges-Valdes | Representational Fiber Artist, Author, Speaker & Teacher

While in my 38 year professional career in the software industry, I worked hard to maintain some resemblance of work life harmony. I went to all my children’s games, was the Girl Scout Leader, was the parent who was always there to chaperone class trips, etc… But al that came at a price. It meant I worked many late nights and early mornings. I got it done on both fronts to the determent of my health. I was the age of the SuperWomen and Sandwich Generation. I did it all professionally in the name of my career and for the sake of my family and lost myself. Both my physical and mental health suffered as a result. I am so happy woman of today no longer feel the pressure to do it all, and are not afraid to drop a few balls as they take care of themselves. Read more>>

Monica Tapia-Mularski | Co-Founder & CEO

As a mother of 2, a wife, a daughter, friend, founder, CEO and overall servant leader, I do not stutter when I say there is no such thing as perfect balance. At one point, I think it was a trendy thing to talk about “balancing it all” but we’re at a point where being real, raw and honest is significantly more valuable than a false sense of perfection. There is no such thing as perfect balance when you’re a working parent of any kind – entrepreneur or not. There will always be one area of your life that is receiving a little less attention at any given time. You absolutely can DO IT ALL but you are human and you can’t DO IT ALL perfectly all the time. Accepting this is key. Read more>>

Enan + Jennifer Parezo | Private Chefs of Charleston & Involved Parents

We are go-getters. We are hard workers. We like to hustle. No matter what stage of our lives that we are in, we continue to find ways to challenge ourselves and bring out our best. With that being our mindsets, we knew early on that we had to set boundaries if we were going to be successful in marrying our business ventures with our personal lives. Over time, we learned that achieving a healthy work/life balance is a delicate task which requires constant attention and maintenance. Prior to starting our business, we had each been working two jobs, not for the pay per se (although that was a nice perk at such a youthful age) but for the knowledge of our craft. Read more>>

Domanique Keegan | Hair and Makeup Artist

As a freelance hair and makeup artist, I think before I felt like I needed to work daily or I felt unproductive or that I wasn’t doing enough. Now, 8 years later I’m happy to say I welcome my days off and use them wisely. Instead of feeling like I’m not doing enough I’m thankful to spend time with family or catch up on chores. Overworking leads to burn out so I’m happy I’ve finally found a nice balance in the wedding industry. Read more>>

Tracie Hess | Boutique Owner,Travel Aficionado

I struggle in the work life balance department for several reasons…#1 is I LOVE what I do and get great joy and sense of accomplishment in bringing our amazing products and services to our community #2 I admit to being a tad bit of a control freak #3 I have trouble sitting back and admiring how far we have come and focus too much on where we are capable of being I have given this subject a lot of thought and am trying to do better…you can’t pour from an empty cup. Read more>>

Ken Schneider | entrepreneur

This is a tough one for me. As I have gotten older, my hobbies of my youth have seemed to have disappeared and my passion for work has increased. I do own several businesses that work out to be open 7 days a week so free time is subjective. If it were strictly up to me, I would work and work and occasionally take about 2 hours a day just for myself. An hour to exercise and an hour of off the gird time. But since it isn’t just up to me, at my families request I have been trying to spend more time at home with my family or by going away more with my family on the weekends. So over the last 3 months I have tried my best to keep most of the weekends for the family. To be there physically and most importantly mentally. Read more>>

Robin Howard | Assemblage Artist

I had a light bulb moment about balance a couple of years ago. I’d just finished a large body of work three months prior, and a collector asked when I was going to “make something new.” I appreciate what the internet and social media have done for artists in general, but I realized it’s also created a “what’s next” kind of culture that is way too much pressure for most creatives. The pressure even trickles down through galleries that want their artists to create a new body of work a couple of times a year (or more), even if they haven’t sold or properly promoted the last body of work. I know many artists who are in burnout from the demand cycle and the pressure to create content constantly. Read more>>

Elena Fleming | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Addiction Counselor, Certified Hypnotherapist

I heard this saying somewhere “Why does society find pride in exhaustion?” That is true especially in the United States. I used to be proud of the fact that I only slept 5 hours a night and ran around all throughout the day accomplishing things. Now, I see how unwise it was. To give an example of what burning the candle at both ends leads to, I’ll share a story. One day, I didn’t have time to eat much, I also hadn’t slept enough, and I had a challenging day with my clients. Later that evening, I fainted on a tile floor in the bathroom and ended up with a concussion and fractured a bone in my nose. After all the tests, one of the doctors told me it was from exhaustion. What did I do? I fired him. I certainly did not think that I could not handle days like this. Read more>>

h’Elena Pleasant | Sleepover Party Specialist

Having children has undoubtedly reshaped my work-life balance over time. Prior to becoming a mother, I could allocate a substantial portion of my day to work, personal pursuits, and leisure activities, However, since welcoming my children into my life, the delicate juggling act between my career, business, and family has become more intricate. This shift has taught me the value of efficient time management, setting priorities, and the importance of quality over quantity in both my work and family life. A healthy work life balance essential for preventing burnouts. Overworking without a proper work life balance can lead to burnout, which can have serious consequences for both mental and physical health. Read more>>

Tanisha Owens Barrett | Real Estate Agent & Author

When it comes to work life balance, I feel that it can be a bit tricky in entrepreneurship. One of the main reasons for wanting to become an entrepreneur for me and many others (especially those with kids at home) is to be able to have a balanced work life relationship. When I decided to go full-time in real estate and quit my 9-5, I was elated at the thought that I would be able to work when I wanted, be home with my little one whenever he was sick, and be able to relax and go on vacation whenever I wanted to. However, it didn’t quite work like that. Yes, I did have a lot more flexibility and didn’t have to answer to anyone. Yet, over time, as I gained more discipline and got into the groove of the entrepreneur life, I realised that a perfect work-life balance wasn’t feasible. Read more>>

Tinesha Croom | Associate Director, Psychology Professor, & Business Owner

Creating a work-life balance can be a challenge but, it is not impossible! The delicate equilibrium between your professional commitments and your personal life. Imagine work as one side of the scale and everything else—family, hobbies, self-care—as the other. The goal is to find that sweet spot where neither side outweighs the other. It’s about making sure your work doesn’t consume all your time and energy, leaving room for the good stuff that makes life, well, not all about work. Read more>>

Michael Huh | Founder/CEO at Mobyle

I struggled with my work life balance a lot over the years especially because I’m such a workaholic. When I started my first company, I was working a full time job and building my business when I got off work, so it was literally working from 8 to 5, get home and then work on my startup from 7 unitl midnight or later. I did this for 2 years straight and although it was draining, it had to be done. I knew I had to sacrafice to get to where I wanted to get to. When I launched my current company Mobyle, I struggled with this as well. In the beginning it was just me doing everything, I was handling everything from sales, to fullfilment, to client management and more. I had no work/life balance at all. Read more>>

Meghan Smith | Holistic health advocate/ certified Yoni steaming/yogini

Balancing the work it takes in building my brand (Healing Hands llc) and my life has been (honestly) a difficult process that I am still navigating. At the beginning it was more extreme than what it is now because I literally was going off what I saw modeled for others, and wasn’t modeled to fit me. So, as I grew personally so has the business. I have come into the knowledge that entrepreneurship and personal development go hand and hand for growth and achieving balance. I think about balance as being a determinate factor for success in anything that I seek to achieve. Because everything in life requires a certain standard of balance. Read more>>