People often ask me, “How do you manage it all?” While my husband and I certainly don’t have it all figured out, we’ve picked up some helpful strategies along the way. Juggling the life of an entrepreneur and being a parent can be incredibly demanding and stressful. There are days when it seems like you’re being pulled in every direction. However, we genuinely believe that both family life and work can not only coexist but actually help each other to thrive.
When we first started our business, I promoted an online summit and earned a ticket to a mastermind event in California—a kind of support group for entrepreneurs. At the time, the thought of going on a business trip and meeting other professionals was appealing. However, I had a seven-month-old who needed me frequently for feedings. Naturally, I decided to bring my baby along.
The plan was simple: both my husband and I would attend. I aimed to keep my baby with me during the event while she was calm or asleep. If she became fussy, I’d step out. Unfortunately, on the first day, the facilitator—not the host—asked us to leave because having a baby there was deemed distracting, even though she wasn’t making noise.
Initially, I was upset, realizing that in many business settings, even informal ones, babies aren’t welcomed—even when they’re quiet. It was their private event, and they had the right to ask us to leave, but it was still disappointing.
Looking back, being asked to leave turned out to be a blessing for us and our business, and here’s why. First, it helped us clarify our priorities. We understood that no matter what, family would always come first, but since our business was how we supported the family, it was essential too. We recognized the need for intentionality in balancing these aspects, which allowed us to focus on what truly matters.
To manage the balance between family life and work without sacrificing what’s important, we started by identifying the most effective parts of each. Whether in business or parenting, many of us go through the motions without much thought, doing things just because that’s how they’ve always been done. Evaluating what’s really meaningful and reducing distractions lead to improvement.
Tim Ferriss’s book, The Four-Hour Workweek, popularized the idea that 20% of your efforts produce 80% of your results. This principle can apply to various areas of life, from business to personal tasks. It’s about focusing on what’s truly impactful.
While it’s straightforward to apply this in business because profit and performance can be measured, it’s more challenging in parenting because the effects on children may not be apparent for years. Our approach to this was to clearly define goals and create measurable targets for both business and family.
Setting specific, measurable goals was key to tracking our progress. Many people set vague goals and find it hard to track success. In parenting, this might mean raising “good kids,” but how do you define or measure “good”? Or in aiming for “successful” adults, how do you determine what success looks like?
With the rapid changes in today’s world, where adaptability and learning new skills are crucial, raising great kids requires intentionality. We set clear goals to guide our efforts.
Reflecting on our actions led to some eye-opening insights. Many people are intentional in one area, like business, but overlook this in others, such as parenting or household chores. Adopting intentionality in all facets of life can significantly reduce stress and boost productivity.
For us, structure and routine work perfectly, although this might not suit everyone, especially if you prefer a more spontaneous approach. By organizing systems for different life aspects, we’ve managed to lower stress significantly. For instance, we prioritize family meals—they provide an opportunity for conversation, and since everyone needs to eat, it’s easy to incorporate them into our daily routine. Breakfast and dinner, whenever possible, are family times.
Finding a balance between family and work is no easy feat, especially when both are expanding. It’s an ongoing effort that requires planning, foresight, and intentional action. What we’ve implemented works for our family; the quest is finding what works for yours.
