The Next 5 Years

Where were you 5 year ago?  It seems like another lifetime to me.  It was when I made a choice that impacted and enriched my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined at the time.   It was 5 years ago this month that I left the comfort and security of my fulltime corporate communication job to start a consulting company focused on work-life balance. 

Many people thought I was nuts, (some still do) some wanted to quit with me and others watched with curiosity to see what would happen.   Turns out companies care more about their employees that what many employees might think or feel.  Turns out, people at all levels have a lot to say on this topic and the conversations show no signs of slowing down.  

Over the last 5 years I’ve noticed many things that I’ve made an attempt to capture in a think paper: From China to Chile:  The Challenges, Triggers, and Choices aboutWork-Life Balance.   Spoiler alert – work-life balance has nothing to do with the number of hours you work, your family structure or your gender.   

I’m grateful beyond words to have had the fortune to facilitate conversations on the topic in 20 countries and reach another 10 virtually.  These conversations and countless other in cafes, bars and airport lounges around the world have shaped this paper and deepened my awareness on the real issues humans face when it comes to seeking balance. 

Thank you to every person in my workshops, (and strangers on planes who sat next to me) for having the courage to be honest with themselves and me about what balance mean to them and what life would be like if they had it.

Here is to 2018 and thousands more conversations on the real issues surrounding the topic.