The Work/Life Balance Illusion

Last week at NY Report’s “International Business Opportunities” event, I met Wendy Kaufman, president and founder of Balancing Life Issues, Inc. She said while she is an avid reader of the magazine, she took me to task for the lack of articles on balancing work/life issues for entrepreneurs.

True enough.

But what might be systemic of the illusion of achieving a work life balance, it is incredibly difficult to find an expert on the subject. The truth is, when ever I have the opportunity to interview a successful business owner, I ask how they manage to balance growing their companies with spending time with their families. The answer I get most often is, “I don’t.” Even entrepreneurs who are mindfully balancing the needs of business with the needs of family have caveats or buts about it. Take this month’s cover story for example [link]. The Knot co-founder David Lui said, “In our own personal experience, and from what I hear from a lot of couples, the concept of work/life balance is just a load of crap and people shouldn’t feel guilty about it.”

 When I interviewed Kelly Cutrone, fashion publicists, author, reality tv star, founder of People’s Republic, a boutique PR firm in New York and most importantly for the purposes of this discussion, a single mom, she acknowledged that in order to give the time and attention to her daughter and her business require, she neglects herself. Watch behind the scenes footage of Cutrone addressing the topic in this video. (Warning, this clip contains the f-bomb).

Do you have any insights into balancing running your business while fulfilling your personal need?