Balancing work and passion projects as an executive woman

If "having it all" means feeling like you're constantly falling short in every direction, then we need to talk. As a psychologist, I've sat with countless women who are absolutely crushing it on paper—CEO, founder, incredible mother, loving partner—yet are crumbling inside. They describe a relentless tug-of-war, a deep internal conflict between the roles they play. It's not just about time management. It's about identity fragmentation. Here’s the truth I often share: The Myth of the "Balanced" Woman Most women are not struggling to balance their roles; they are struggling to balance their 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 amidst their roles. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥" 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩: For many, the drive to excel in every role comes from an old, unconscious belief: "I must be everything to everyone to be worthy." This isn't ambition. This is a subtle form of self-abandonment. 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤-𝐚-𝐌𝐨𝐥𝐞: You try to be the strategic leader at work, the patient parent at home, the supportive friend, the passionate lover. But each role demands a different emotional posture, a different energy. And when one aspect of you rises, another feels neglected. This isn't a failure of effort; it's a failure of integration. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝: You carry an internal scorecard, meticulously tracking perceived failures and successes in each domain. A late email, a missed school event, a forgotten anniversary—each is a strike against your self-worth, deepening the internal schism. The Path to Integration, Not Just Balance Instead of chasing an elusive "balance," consider focusing on 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬: What truly matters to 𝘺𝘰𝘶? Not what society, family, or your industry dictates. When your actions align with your core values, the internal conflict lessens. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Your "work self" needs to be able to feel frustration. Your "mom self" needs to acknowledge exhaustion. Suppressing emotions in one domain only leads to them erupting elsewhere. Emotional literacy means allowing 𝘢𝘭𝘭 of you to be present, appropriately. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: Stop compartmentalizing so rigidly. Can you bring a part of your strategic brilliance to parenting? Can your compassionate self show up in leadership? The goal isn't to perfectly divide your hours, but to bring your whole, authentic self to whatever you are doing. You are not a collection of separate personas. You are one complex, magnificent woman with diverse capacities. The struggle is real, but the solution isn't to try harder to "balance" an impossible ideal. It's to stop the internal fight and lead with ruthless self-respect. What if your wholeness was the most powerful asset you possess? #WomenInLeadership #MentalHealth #Boundaries #SelfWorth #EmotionalIntelligence

"I need to make money" vs "I want to pursue my passion" Yesterday's coaching call flipped my entire approach. A woman came to me with the "problem" every entrepreneur wishes they had: • Retiring from a job she loves • Multiple skills she's mastered • No immediate revenue pressure • Too many ideas competing for attention She was stuck between: → Web design (12 years experience) → Helping others write books → Writing her own books → Traveling with her retired husband Most coaches would say "pick one and focus." But here's what we did instead: We combined everything into one elegant solution. The strategy? Learn in public. She'll document her own book-writing journey on social media. Not as an expert teaching from above. But as a human sharing the messy middle. Every struggle with writer's block. Every breakthrough at 2 AM. Every doubt about "is this good enough?" While she writes, she builds an audience of aspiring authors who see themselves in her journey. By the time she's ready to help others (targeting July next year), she won't need to convince anyone she knows what she's doing. They'll have watched her do it. The timeline we mapped: • Sept-Dec: Start documenting the writing process • Jan-May: Continue writing while traveling Southeast Asia • June: Soft launch mentoring for aspiring authors • July: First paying client • End of 2026: Sustainable business funding humanitarian projects The breakthrough moment? When she realized she didn't have to choose between passion and profit. She could start with passion and let profit follow naturally. Here's what I learned from this call: Not everyone needs to monetize on day one. Sometimes the luxury of time is your biggest strategic advantage. Build in public. Share the journey. Let your audience find you. The best businesses aren't built on immediate revenue needs. They're built on genuine passion documented consistently. What passion project are you putting off because you think you need to monetize it immediately? --- ♻️ Share this with someone navigating a career transition ➕ Follow me (Julia Taylor) for more insights on building businesses that actually matter

‘Work-life balance is your problem, not the employer’s responsibility’. I winced when Skims CEO Emma Grede said this a recent interview. It’s rough to hear this sentiment expressed so bluntly in 2025. It feels like a slap in the face to those working hard to balance professional ambition with meaningful family presence. But honestly? I’m glad she said it out loud. Loads of employers feel exactly this way. They're just not bold enough to admit it in print. The reality is that most employers prioritize business results over your personal wellbeing. That doesn’t mean work-life alignment is dead. But waiting for your employer to hand it to you is a mistake. The sustainable path forward isn't hoping your company culture changes. It's taking ownership of your own professional stamina. — I exclusively coach women balancing big jobs and small kids. These are 5 things that I’ve seen work to align work and life: 1/ Set your boundaries ↳ Your time and attention are your most precious resources. ↳ Define your non-negotiables and communicate them with calm confidence. This isn't selfish—it's essential for sustainable success. 2/ Build your support system ↳ Cultivate relationships with mentors, peers, coaches and allies who understand your dual commitments. ↳This community is both a sounding board and board of advisors. 3/ Manage energy, not just time ↳ Protect your peak productivity hours at work like they're gold. ↳ Create a transition ritual that helps you be truly present when you're with your family—your children deserve your engaged attention, not just your physical presence. (P.S. I've got a great template for this, see the Resources section.) 4/ Leverage your wins ↳ Document your accomplishments and the value you create. ↳ Outstanding performance earns you the capital to negotiate for the flexibility you need during critical family moments. 5/ Practice strategic deflection ↳ Saying yes to everything dilutes your impact. ↳ Learn to decline low-value commitments with grace so you can focus on high-impact priorities—both at work and at home. The conversation about work-life balance certainly benefits from nuance. But let this CEO's blunt statement be a reminder: Employers see your professional stamina as your responsibility. Plan your next move accordingly. —— Hi, 👋 I'm Shawna, founder of The Mental Offload. I talk about women’s leadership, sustainable productivity, and achieving success on an unequal playing field. ♻️ Found this helpful? Repost to help others. 🔔 Follow Shawna Samuel for more.

My biggest leadership struggle so far in 2024 is balancing my focus on business strategy, people management, and home life. I'm a family woman, a C-suite executive, a business owner, and a doctoral program student. I have a natural desire to set big goals and quickly achieve them without the headache. This is the primary focus of my executive leadership, career, and business coaching firm, Evolve Career (ECCC Network). As we approach the mid-year mark, I am trying to scale my profitable business, grow my team’s capabilities, be more present for my family, and complete my doctorate degree without feeling overwhelmed. I’ve been experimenting with these ideas in 2024: 1. Weekly Win & Reflection Time: Every Friday, I shut down my brain over oysters and champagne to celebrate my 3 biggest wins, reflect on challenges that need to be solved, and set 3 big priorities for the next week. 2. Spend more time in nature: I dedicate 4 days a week to go on nature walks and get some sun for at least 15 minutes a day. 3. Read More & Practice Gratitude: I read motivating literature that helps ground me in a higher power and I state positive affirmations that help me find the good in any situation. 4. Delegate & Outsource: I ask for or hire help with household cleaning, grocery shopping, and work tasks that don’t allow me to work in my genius zone. 5. Say No Faster: I give myself permission to say no to anything that doesn’t support my goals or align to my values. 6. TimeBlocking: I look at my calendar before the new month begins to carve out dedicated time for date nights, 1:1 daughter time, self-care, extended family zoom calls, and volunteer time. Of course, this is spoken as a student not a master. Any C-suite leaders or senior executives navigating similar challenges? What strategies, tactics, and tools are you using to help you find balance between home and work life and practice regular self-care? #worklife #entrepreneurship #executivecoaching #leadershipdevelopment #careeradvice #workplacewellness ____________________________ Hi, I'm Jessica, an Executive Career & LeadershipCoach, Fractional CHRO, Inclusion Expert, Speaker, and Facilitator. I help top talent land executive promotions and companies build inclusive leadership teams with high-caliber, overlooked talent to increase engagement, productivity, revenue, & retention in their workplace. DM me if YOU want help growing stellar leaders to reach business goals, manage rapid change, and avoid employee burnout.

Your hustle has a speed limit. Balance and ambition? That's the sweet spot. Most people try to “balance” work and life by cramming them together. I did that for years. Constantly rearranging. Constantly overwhelmed. It never worked. The shift came when I stopped forcing work into one box. Now I treat my time, skills, and passions like an investment portfolio. It's built to grow joy, protect health, and deliver results. Here’s what that looks like: - Stability from diverse projects and income streams. - Growth from experimenting with new ways of working. - Fulfillment from decisions grounded in self-awareness. My portfolio includes: 1. Workshops, writing, collaboration (impact at scale). 2. Exploratory sprints (new programs, projects, and products). 3. One-on-one client work (deep transformation, pure purpose). Each lane connects to my core goal: Dismantling burnout culture. Swipe my re-balance process: ✅ Define what you want most. ✅ Ask yourself why 5-7 times to anchor motivation. ✅ Audit your time with radical honesty. ✅ Spend 80% of your time on your mission. Make it sustainable: ✅ Set and hold your boundaries. ✅ Map your natural energy drivers. ✅ Build, test, and refine your unique plan. ✅ Adjust when life throws you inevitable curves. This isn’t a lack of focus. It’s the long game. Build a career and life that fuels you. Balance ambition without burning out. If you want work to fit your life: - Pick a mission that gives you purpose. - Experiment with different lanes that work for you. - Focus the majority of your time on those projects. 💬 What’s one thing that would put you closer to the speed of balance? Follow Emily Parcell for more like this and ♻️ share to help others make the shift.