I prioritized my career over my personal life, and I have (almost) no regrets

Michele Heyward

Founder & CEO, Positive Hire, Founder & CEO

In 2013, Michele Heyward was a construction engineer simultaneously managing several project locations. Her six-day work week consisted of 14-16 hours per day (with four to six hours of drive time), and were filled with conference calls and writing reports. Self-care was not at the top of her to-do list.

Ultimately the project was completed on time, making for a very happy client. Michele even received a praise recognition from her vice president, as well as a cash bonus. "More importantly, I learned how to manage multiple projects and contractors, mitigate risks, and discuss contracts with lawyers as well as negotiate timelines and resources to meet the needs of clients (internal and external)," she recalls.

Given her career trajectory, the decision to devote her life to these projects made sense. "Assess your personal and career goals to determine if this sacrifice works towards them," she recommends. "From there, decide if you need to make an exit strategy or make the sacrifice."

Marquina Iliev-Piselli

Founder, AuthorpreneurLaunch LLC

Early in 2019, Marquina Iliev-Piselli made a plan to self-publish her first book, "TOUGH: Women Who Survived Cancer," which will be out this fall. As a book launch consultant herself, she knew what needed to be done to ensure success. But not only would she complete the rigorous requirements she typically assigned to her clients, she would also need to maintain the current work she was doing for other companies and authors.

However, as a wife and mother, Marquina wasn't on her journey alone, and she admits that she hasn't been as available for her husband and son as she'd like. "You absolutely must have a rock solid plan for what you are going to accomplish. Discuss that plan with your partner and make sure they are on board with your decision and your projects," she advises.

Despite the toll her workload has taken on her personal life, she wouldn't do anything differently. "I feel the tradeoff was worth it because I have created a body of work that I can use as an example for others and as proof for what I've been preaching that authors do to have a successful book launch," Marquina reflects.

Meha Agrawal

Founder & CEO, Silk + Sonder

For the past six months, Meha Agrawal, founder of Silk + Sonder, has said "no" to every invitation for a vacation, including a trip to Europe with her close-knit family. "I was in the middle of fundraising and while I knew that investors were also out on summer vacation, I knew that I would not be fully present nor enjoy the trip abroad because of everything I had to prepare for," she explains.

Ultimately, these decisions were worth the sacrifice: Meha was able to close her first investors during this time. "In the beginning, I felt immense guilt and FOMO but slowly that dissipated because I knew deep down that I was playing the long game," she reflects.

The tough balance between life and business will always be present. "When you're feeling stretched between business and life, the best thing to ask yourself is which one is going to be a value add for you, in this moment," she recommends. "In other words, ask yourself 'If I missed this opportunity in life to focus on my business, would I be truly disappointed?' If the answer is not a strong 'yes,' it's okay to focus on your business."

Kari Clark

Founder & CEO, Uplift

Ex-Googler and mother Kari Clark was managing a product that developed issues just before its launch, leading to numerous trips to Asia and California to fix the problems. In her words, she didn't even question whether or not dropping everything else was an option — it's just what she needed to do.

Though the extensive travel was tough on her family (including two small children), Kari shifted her mindset from a short to a long game. "The experience grew my confidence and grit, which is huge for my current role as a founder of a growing startup," she remembers. "Being able to point to my leadership through this time helped me make a major role shift, which has opened up so many doors long-term."

Her ultimate verdict? "In a heartbeat, I would do it again." She reflects further, "My kids feel loved, and those months are long forgotten."

Tara Bradford

Founder & CEO, Rae Media Group

In order to replace her corporate salary, Tara Bradford knew she needed to invest all of her resources into growing her business. A lot of her life was placed on hold, for better or for worse.

The benefit of this approach? Focus. "By sort of pulling the rug out from under myself and going all in on my business I was forced to focus on one thing and to stick with it," Tara remembers. She also acknowledges the challenges of this time: "One of the drawbacks of being all in on my business was that my personal life became nonexistent and the things I started doing for fun were all work related."

Tara would prioritize her career again in a heartbeat, but she cautions others who are thinking of taking the same approach. "So often I see people get tunnel vision when they go all in on their careers and they don't realize when they've 'made it' and pretty soon 10+ years have passed and they come up for air and realize some of the best years of their lives have passed them by."