[Women only] How have you managed to balance parenthood and career growth as a woman in business, and what is one tip you can give to others in a similar situation?

Get specific about your goals - attach an input/output equation and timeframe to them. When I started experiencing challenges, I reached out to other moms and the advice they gave me was that I could do it all, but not all at once, which is what I was used to. So I went back to the drawing board and decided on a few goals to accomplish first. Next I worked backwards to create an equation based on input I needed to do in order to get the output I wanted then I attach the timeframe to those goals. For example, I wanted 3 new clients for my business, my equation included hours for prospecting, research, client discovery meeting and paperwork. I decided I only had 10 hours a week to dedicate to this, so I would time myself accordingly. Once I did that, I knew I gave all I could to my goals and I chose to spend the rest of the time with my family. Having this balance let me be the career woman I wanted to be without feeling like I wasn't doing enough.

alancing parenthood and a career, especially as a woman in business, is a complex yet achievable endeavor. I am a mother of four, and my approach has been to prioritize being a mom while maintaining my professional growth. Here's how I've managed to strike that balance and a crucial tip for others in a similar situation: Begin with the End in Mind: One of my guiding principles in achieving work-life balance is inspired by Stephen R. Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." It all starts with having a clear vision of what truly matters to you in the long run. In my case, it's being the best mother I can be. I've taken the approach of imagining my life's legacy, and when I envision my tombstone, it reads "mother" first. This perspective provides clarity and helps me make decisions aligned with my ultimate goal. As a mom first and foremost, my children are my top priority. This means being there for their important moments. I also chose family friendly employers.

Balancing motherhood with a thriving business is no small feat. I've been there – homeschooling my daughter before it was a widespread necessity. While challenges were aplenty, it opened doors, like her sharing her unique journey on a TED stage. Managing both domains requires purposeful strategies. My foundation? A strong support network. This includes family, mentors, and peers who understand the intricacies of this dual role. They've been my anchor, offering guidance, solace, and sometimes, a much-needed reality check. For others in a similar position, here's my advice: Rely on your support system - Cultivate these relationships with intent. The journey is less daunting when shared with those who lift you up. Give yourself grace - In the midst of juggling roles, remember to pause. It’s okay to have moments of vulnerability. You're doing more than most, and it's crucial to acknowledge that. In juggling both career and parenthood, there will be highs and lows.

Rather than aiming for a perfect balance, I seek work life harmony. I acknowledge that some days may require more focus on work, while other days demand extra attention to my family's needs. By embracing flexibility and being present in the moment I can navigate my responsibilities (which include community work) with greater ease. Do recognize you don't need to do it all alone and proactively seek support when needed because asking for help is not a sign of weakness it's a testament to our strength and commitment to our family. Actively pursuing our processional journey can help inspire our children to live their best lives and demonstrate the limitless possibilities available to them in the future.

Rather than aiming for the classic “work/ life balance” I take a Life-First approach to my business. Everything, from my offers, marketing, sales systems and ops, are by design crafted to fit around my life (and family) first. Which means no calls, deadlines or processes that aren’t able to fit and flexibly adapt when life inevitably happens.

It burns me up with guilt to recall this image from a late night working in my home office. I kept telling my toddler daughter I'd be done soon. I'd read her a book and tuck her into bed. But before that could happen she fell asleep sitting up, against the desk leg. She's 18 now, and the business is 26. Here's what I realized early on. There really is no such thing as balance. No matter how great your support network you will always have at least a little Mom guilt. Women disproportionately carry the burden of parenting, and when they own a business that business is also their baby. The way I survived was to fold my kids into my work. I didn't really seperate the two. When they were little I kept them close by, and when they were older I put them to work in videos, photo shoots, or handing out fliers at a trade show. When guilt strikes, as a Mother you must remind yourself that one of the very best things you can do for your kids is to have them witness your self drive.

Personally, I always needed to hang on to the small wins in my career to get me through early motherhood. I would set myself daily, achievable goals like sending an email between sleeps or keeping my brain switched on by reading a journal or blog article at night to keep up with industry trends. This constant low-level connection with my career gave me the small dopamine hits of achievement that got me through the sleep deprivation and kept me on track with my career aspirations!

Invest in good help. While there is plenty to juggle between building a family and work life, I’ve found that it’s worthwhile to spend a little more if it means giving myself a little more time back to dedicate to at home. I’ve paid for weekly cleaning and meal preparation services and even invested in a home gym so I can use that saved commute time more valuably. It’s hard to put a price on more time with your family, and the conveniences are often worth it - as long as you can afford to budget for the extra costs!

While homeschooling two toddlers, I co-founded and ran a web design business which now offers marketing services in six different languages. In the early days, work-life balance wasn't even on the agenda. We went to bed at 2am, woke up several times in the night to change nappies or comfort an upset baby, and got up early, taking it in turns working and playing with the lads. Despite the exhaustion at the time, both homeschooling and setting up a business are decisions I'm proud of. One thing that kept us going was our health and I would encourage any business woman who is raising kids not to neglect looking after you! If you've had a tough client meeting, take five minutes for yourself before you walk through the door. Eat a plant-centric diet and avoid the sugar, as this will keep your energy up. As they say at the start of a flight, “Secure your own mask, before helping others.” Give yourself some self-nurture and you will be more present for both your children and your work life.

Initially, while building my own business, work pulled at me when home and being away from my children pulled on me while working. Then, it dawned on me: the key to balancing work and family life was to be FULLY present with each. I could excel at both IF I was present so I started a mindfulness practice. Prior to leaving work, I faithfully do a mind dump of everything left undone marking off time in my schedule. This way, I know nothing will fall through the cracks. Then when I am in my mothering role, I give wholeheartedly without mental distractions or unnecessary stress. (I also let my clients and colleagues know that my family time is sacred and that I am unavailable on weekends and evenings past 5:30 p.m.) Putting healthy and consistent boundaries in place is crucial! When our values are honored in both, we give with a peaceful heart to our families and careers.

As a mother of two boys, wife to a busy banker, and a dedicated career girl, the word 'balance' has never happened in my life. The truth is, juggling job, parenting and partnering is hard. Trying to separate work from home, make room for date night, be present for our kids, get some me time and still have a successful career is an impossible goal. The idea that we can somehow magically juggle it all is simply rubbish. My top tip - stop believing the wonderwoman myth. She isn't real, and even if she was, she only had the 'save humanity' career to focus on. No husband or kids to juggle as well. Pffft. Easy. So here's what I suggest instead 1; DO Multi-task - the more you can do at the same time, the better 2; DON'T feel guilty about not doing it all - it's a myth anyway 3: DO Exercise - it manages stress 4: DO Teach your kids to be self-sufficient early - you're not their servant. 5: DON'T believe your mates - they're not Wonderwoman either.

After burning out three times on my way up the corporate ladder, I got serious about figuring out how to thrive in work, life and parenthood. Here's what I learned: 1) Work life balance is a joke. When we let go of trying to attain an unrealistic 50/50 split, then we can take ownership and get creative to craft balance on our own terms. This ah-ha was the wake up I needed to let go of other people's expectations and to develop and live into my own. 2) Work life design is the serious solution. A designer's mindset can help us craft an intentional strategy to manage work, parenthood and life with agility. My husband and I started using the same human-centered design principles that I used at work to design our work/lives. We got serious about what was most important for us, built systems based on our family and work needs and piloted tools to see what worked best for us. And the result has been transformational. We have calmed the chaos and found more joy than we thought possible.

As a first-time mom, having a company culture that truly embraces parents was critical for me. For me, this means having colleagues who respect the blocks on your calendar during daycare pick-ups/drop-offs, leaders who fully support flexibility when it comes to working from home, and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) dedicated to other working parents. Find out what YOU need when it comes to being 100% at your best personally and professionally, and don't settle for less.

A few weeks after I turned 38, I quit my full-time corporate America job. I was earning over six figures and promoted several times at my agency. But deep down, I felt unfulfilled and exhausted as a full-time working mom. I was constantly juggling my responsibilities as an agency director by day and switching to mom to three boys by night. There was no balance in my life. So, I went part-time freelancing and was able to be more present for my family. My advice is being a working mom and advancing in your career doesn't have to fit into one specific mold. Whether it's working part-time, learning a new skill, or taking a break from the corporate world altogether, holding the power to create a life and career that brings true fulfillment is key. It may require some adjustments and sacrifices, but ultimately, it's worth it to find happiness and peace in both your personal and professional life.

As a woman thriving in the business world, I've effectively balanced motherhood and career advancement by implementing clear boundaries, maximizing efficiency, and building a robust support system. A valuable piece of advice for those facing a similar challenge is to maintain open communication with your employer and colleagues, ensuring realistic expectations for both your professional and personal life. For example, I've set strict working hours from 8 AM to 4 PM. Instead of just time management, I've honed my workflow, optimizing tasks for maximum productivity. This means prioritizing crucial assignments and delegating when necessary, allowing me to make the most of my workday. My family and close friends have played an invaluable role in offering assistance, whether it's sharing childcare responsibilities or providing emotional support.

I launched a small business back in 2010 and have grown and managed it for the last 13 years. There was a point where I was incredibly successful.. I'd built a solid 6-figure income and had plenty of clients ... but I was overworked and stressed-out trying to operate my company and raise 3 children. Work-life balance become a top priority of mine and to this day it is something I am very passionate about and love helping women find. I started wit something simple and schedule time each day for exercise/outdoor activity, and 10-mins of meditation or yoga. From a business standpoint, some of the most powerful things I implemented were: only replying to emails 2x a day, morning and evening; hiring an assistant to offload administrative tasks; increasing my hourly rate so that I was being fairly compensated. Thankfully, I put these changes into place and found balance so that when I went through a divorce in 2020, I was able to continue to grow my business while being a single parent.

Being a mom and building a career have not been easy to balance, but I am thankful to say that – from the early days of my journey in business all the way until today – I have managed to find success in both. As a woman who has over 20 years of experience in the travel industry and two successful businesses under her belt, I can confidently share one tip which has served me well on my path: always remain flexible. The key for me has been staying open-minded when opportunities come up - or problems arise - that require adjusting plans, reprioritizing tasks, collaborating with others or shifting focus between family and work. This doesn’t mean being easily swayed; rather it means being adaptive and having an agile approach as you traverse your life's trajectory. It is this flexibility which helped me create a self-sustaining career while still finding time for family activities such as my kids’ soccer games or helping them with their homework despite working long hours myself.

Balancing parenthood, especially as a young mom, and launching and advancing my career in the Trust and Safety industry has been a challenging yet rewarding ride. Juggling work while awaiting daycare spots, ad-hoc homeschooling during the pandemic, and aligning meeting schedules with school runs was navigated through creating flexible routines and leveraging support from loved ones. The dance between managing unexpected sick days and ensuring work continuity required a robust backup plan and a supportive team. My key advice? Cultivate your support network, both professionally and personally. The ability to reach out and reciprocate support is invaluable in navigating the complexities of career and parenthood! You don’t have to take it all on yourself, it’ll only lead to burnout!

Navigating the maze of parenthood while scaling the corporate ladder was a complex dance. Every day, I had to make deliberate choices, often relying on a blend of intuition and strategy. The linchpin to my equilibrium was **embracing flexibility**. My golden advice? Adapt and adjust. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. Some days, your career might take precedence, and on others, family will be at the forefront. Tune into your needs, be willing to pivot when necessary, and remember that it's a marathon, not a sprint.

My name is Nadia, and I'm a travel expert and founder of Why This Place. I specialize in helping people find the perfect place to live or work, whether it's across the globe or closer to home. Balancing parenthood and career growth, particularly as a woman in business, has been an exciting yet challenging journey. I believe the key lies in establishing a flexible routine that accommodates the dynamic nature of both roles. For me, integrating my work and personal life rather than trying to separate them has been beneficial. I manage my time by prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals, and delegating when necessary. One tip I would share is to establish a strong support network. This could be family, friends, or professional networks. They can provide assistance, advice, and a listening ear during challenging times. Remember, asking for help and taking time for yourself is okay. In the end, it's about finding a balance that works for you and your unique situation.