On the cutting edge of success
Explore what it takes to excel in today’s fast-paced world with Dr. Joel Strehl, a surgeon, entrepreneur, educator and leader in innovation. Each episode explores strategies, compelling stories, and practical tools to help you refine your skills and strengthen your mindset.
Whether you’re striving for personal growth, professional excellence, better health, or simply seeking inspiration, this podcast will keep you on the cutting edge of success.
Join us as we talk to trailblazers, industry experts, and those redefining success. It’s time to cut through the noise and carve your path to greatness.
On the cutting edge of success
Balancing it All: A Candid Interview with my Wife
Balancing family, work, and personal well-being is no small feat, and Brittnee Keyes knows this all too well. Join us as Brittnee, a former nurse practitioner and now a dynamic business owner in the aesthetics industry, opens up about her incredible journey from the operating room to entrepreneurship. Together, we uncover the chaos and joy of managing a bustling household with four children, the necessity of self-care, and how to nurture relationships amidst life's hustle and bustle. Brittnee's passion for DIY projects and outdoor activities shines through, showcasing her commitment to a fulfilling lifestyle despite the whirlwind of daily demands. We dive into the heart of managing life's responsibilities and the delicate dance between stress, relationships, and personal growth. Brittnee and I share candid insights on how stress can creep into even the strongest relationships and the crucial role of setting boundaries and embracing imperfections. We reflect on the memorable moments and lessons learned, emphasizing the importance of disconnecting from work to foster genuine connections. Brittnee's story is a testament to resilience, with invaluable advice for those juggling entrepreneurship alongside family life, offering a relatable guide to nurturing meaningful relationships through intentional time and support. Discover the transformative power of the 75-day challenge and how setting achievable goals can revolutionize your mindset and health habits. Together, we explore strategies for carving out personal time, prioritizing what truly matters, and the art of delegation in handling myriad responsibilities. Brittnee shares her journey of triumphs and challenges, offering wisdom on balancing motherhood, business success, and the joy of involving children in work activities. From early morning productivity to relaxing with a favorite book, Brittnee and I invite you to explore the possibilities of a balanced, joyful life, where small, intentional steps lead to lasting fulfillment.
Welcome back to On the Cutting Edge of Success. In the last episode, we discussed health, wellness and aesthetics, and today I'm sitting down with a very special guest, my wife. We're diving into a topic that so many people can relate to the challenges of balancing all of life's demands, from kids to work and marriage, health and finding time for yourself and friends. I think this topic hits home for so many of us, myself included. In a world that seems to demand more and more from us each day, it's almost impossible not to feel like you're always behind. You check one thing off your to-do list, only to add three more. That sense of constant catching up but never quite getting ahead. It's exhausting. We're stretched so thin, pulled in so many directions, whether it's the kids needing attention, work deadlines piling up, trying to stay healthy and fit or finding time for people who matter most. In the process, we often let our own mental and physical health slip, relationships start to feel strained and moments that should be joyful feel overshadowed by stress. I want to talk about this because it's something nearly everyone struggles with. We all want to be the best parent, the best partner, the best at our jobs, but how do we do that without burning out? How do you find time for yourself without feeling guilty, and how do you prioritize what really matters most when everything feels urgent? These are some tough questions, but they're also incredibly important ones, because, at the end of the day, we're always running on empty. Our health, our relationships and even our sense of purpose all start to suffer. That's why I'm so excited to talk to my wife today. She's someone I see juggling all these roles every day, and I know her perspective will resonate with so many of you. Together, we'll dive into what it really means to balance all of life's demands and how we can all take steps towards a healthier, more grounded approach to our busy lives.
Speaker 1:Before we dive in, I want to take a moment to acknowledge my wife and everything she's done, not just for me but for us as a family. She's not only my partner but my steady anchor through all the twists and turns of life. And let me tell you, when you're married to someone like me, with constant streams of big ideas, endless to-do lists and dreams that just keep growing, that's no small feat. One of the things I admire most about her is her incredible grace and patience. She has this unique ability to take all my crazy ideas, the risks I want to take and the chances I feel compelled to pursue, and somehow she not only tolerates them, she supports them.
Speaker 1:There have been times when I've asked her to let me take leaps of faith that affect not just my time but our time, not just my finances but our finances, and each time she's willing to stand by me, to believe in me and to trust that together we'll figure it out. No matter how things turned out, it's not just about her saying yes to the risks. It's about her putting so much of herself on hold to give me the space and freedom to chase my dreams. She sacrificed time she could have spent on her own goals, on her own passions, to help me build something bigger, and she's done it all with quiet, strength and grace that amazes me every day. Let's be real Taking big risks comes with big stress, and I know it hasn't always been easy for her, but she's always been my biggest supporter, the person who pushes me when in doubt and the one who's there to pick up the pieces when things don't go as planned.
Speaker 1:She's shown me time and time again what it truly means to be a partner. That's why I'm so excited to have her here today. I know so many of you can relate to the sacrifices we make for our families and our dreams. I can't wait to hear her perspective, because her story isn't just about the challenges. It's about love, trust and what it means to support someone while still holding on to yourself. She's an incredible mom, an inspiring business owner and my partner in everything. I'm so excited to hear her perspective today, and so, without further ado, here she is Brittany Keys.
Speaker 2:Hi, thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course, excited to hear a little bit about your perspective on a few different things. So tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:I am a mom and a wife. I have two kids of my own and two stepkids. I am a nurse practitioner and extensively worked in surgery for several years until I most recently in July quit that to work full-time in the aesthetics business. So obviously working side along you in owning the business and operating that, and I have a million passions and hobbies.
Speaker 1:What are a few of those passions and hobbies?
Speaker 2:That is a great question, but I am probably a diehard workaholic. I love to do DIY projects and home renovations. I love to be outside doing hiking and paddle boarding. I love running. I just really love to be adventurous and kind of keep busy with my time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's great. How would you describe your day-to-day life right now?
Speaker 2:Mad chaos.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, it's true.
Speaker 2:I just feel, like you know, having way too many tasks and responsibilities, where a lot of times it just seems like I cannot keep my head on straight because it's managing a household of six of us total more or less the kids running them around, trying to manage the five employees at the office that we have and kind of making the operations run smoothly at the business, Meanwhile trying to also take care of the household and two dogs and kind of just do all of the things that life requires.
Speaker 1:Yeah, life is definitely busy, and I think that's kind of the point of this episode is trying to define some ways that we can set aside time for ourselves, set aside time for our spouses and just be able to really dive into this topic and hopefully find a little bit better balance. So again, thank you for taking part of this right now. We're in the middle of it, so that's why I wanted to touch on this topic. Next question what does balance mean to you?
Speaker 2:I feel like balance is kind of the over-encompassing word to just feel like everything is running smoothly and running in place and you feel like everything's a little bit calmer and maybe managed a little bit better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would agree with that. I think having some system, like maybe a little bit more of a tangible in my mind, is having systems in place, that kind of run without having you think about it. So things are kind of balanced without you even having to pay attention because you have your system set up in place. Follow up question is do you think that's truly achievable?
Speaker 2:I definitely think that balance is achievable, but I think that comes with finding systems that work for you and developing a plan that makes everything sustainable to achieve and be able to do, I guess if that makes sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it does. I think we're kind of touching on the same thing is having a process and systems in place ahead of time can really help you achieve that balance, specifically as a small business owner, because there's so much that can go into it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but also kind of in the day-to-day, like in your home life too, just taking care of your family and your kids and just making sure everything can run smoothly. But having a plan in order to make that happen, I think, is critical.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, and that's the goal right which we're working towards as well. Correct when life feels overwhelming, what emotions or thoughts tend to come up for you?
Speaker 2:I think for me, I just get so overwhelmingly stressed out that I kind of shut down a little bit and I get really quiet. I keep to myself. I feel like I often treat those around me and especially the people that I love, probably did it very disrespectfully at times, just because I am so stressed out. I oftentimes don't, you know, handle those emotions very well, but feeling like I'm trying to get in a better place in order to handle that stress a little bit better, so I don't take it out on those around me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think we've both come a long way in trying to handle some of these stressors and maybe, you know, leaning more on each other instead of isolating each other, which I think has been really helpful because you know we are doing a lot of the same things in life together, from running a business, running a family, obviously our relationship and it's easy to pull away, but trying to help the other person and rely on the other person I think is really helpful. So, yeah, it's easy to get really frustrated in the midst of all the chaos. All right, how do you approach juggling the responsibilities of being a mom and running a business?
Speaker 2:I feel that has been something that I've really had to learn over time, because I don't feel like that was something that I was really good at and oftentimes would get really just like down on myself for not feeling like I'm checking the box and hitting the right marks on being a good mom and being a good wife and being a good manager.
Speaker 2:But one thing I've really learned over time is that you can't really be too hard on yourself and also expect perfection, because when you do have so many things that you need to be good at, I think it's important to ask for help but also realize like it's okay not to have everything done and it's okay if you, you know, don't maybe get all of the responsibilities or maybe tasks is done. I think it's really important to like turn it off when it needs to be turned off and really be intentional when you are with your family or when you're at work, so really creating boundaries and separating you know your time to focus on really what's most important in that moment. So just learning that you know perfection isn't always the right answer and it's probably sometimes really detrimental, but really just to focus your time, focus your intention and realize that you know what there's tomorrow or there's next week, or there's next month.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you touched on a few really key things there, and you're definitely a perfectionist. I find that I think I'm a perfectionist, but I think you go even above and beyond what I, what I am, but allowing yourself some grace inside of that and saying, hey, you know not everything needs to be perfect and you know not every moment has to be, you know, managed in the exact right way. But additionally, you know you talked about having those boundaries and setting limits, knowing when to turn off the. You know take off the manager or owner hat and put on the mom hat or wife hat. And it can take a little while to learn, because sometimes you just want to keep plugging away at whatever task you're on. What's one memorable moment when you felt like you nailed it?
Speaker 2:I'm not really sure that I can say there's one pivotal moment that I can think of. That is like super defining. But you know, I think just starting to get things within our own business kind of more situated and structured has really been gratifying for me and also like wow, I'm starting to catch up and making progress and we're getting on the right trajectory of where we need to go. So obviously that comes with designing the space of eternal wellness and then we really kind of just continue to grow and expand and hone in on what our actual brand is and from there I just think everything is starting to fall in place a little bit more, because we feel a little bit less stressed out by some of those you know side points of getting the business in place and then continuing to work on other processes that are needing to be established. So I feel like I'm not sure there's one moment, I think it's a continuation and a work in progress, but I feel like we're getting there.
Speaker 1:How about describe for me a time where you really struck out or you kind of missed the mark?
Speaker 2:Again, I'm not sure there's really one specific point that I can think about. But you know, just with the stress of trying to manage all of these responsibilities over time, you know, with my you know stress level, I get so discouraged and I kind of beat myself up over it that I really think I miss the mark sometimes on how I express my emotions or my dissatisfactions, because I do treat people probably not the way that they should be treated. You know, I shut down with some employees sometimes or maybe don't give them as much grace when they could probably use it. So I definitely think that's something I need to work on. But a really defining, you know, negative where I definitely struck out.
Speaker 1:I think we're all a work in progress and we're getting there All right. So this next part kind of talks about, you know more of our relationship as a couple, and so this question is how do we as a couple make time for each other amidst everything else that we have going on?
Speaker 2:I think just making sure that we're turning it off and not spending time when we're home still working or being on our device. I think that's something that we've learned over time. That has really been pretty detrimental to our time together and kind of feeling like the other person doesn't care because we just continue to work. And that's just who we are as people. We are very much workaholics and it is very difficult to turn it off. But we've also learned that if we don't do that, our relationship does suffer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. I think one thing that has helped our relationship is trying to find just a couple of minutes every day. Oftentimes we'll take the dogs for a walk together, something like along those lines, where we can just have a few minutes to reflect on the day together and spend some time together, and I've always enjoyed those moments of just walking our property with the dogs in the evening and hearing a little bit about your day.
Speaker 2:And I think we always know when our relationship is starting to suffer. And you know, we both kind of feel like we're drifting apart a little bit. And we both kind of feel like we're drifting apart a little bit and I think we're always really good about saying, hey, we really need to spend some intentional time together. And then we make it happen. And it's crazy how we just come back together and kind of seems like we never skipped a beat, but just always recognizing when we need those times.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. And the other thing I think we do well is we travel together quite a bit. Usually, at least once a quarter, we try and find somewhere to go together as a couple or maybe with another couple, which I think is really helpful to just kind of take a break from the day to day and spend time together as a couple.
Speaker 2:And not only that, but I also think we have a lot of goals. You and I are very goal oriented, so whether that's working on something together, but we have very like interests, so being active, you know, working on our fitness or health, or whether that's like a business goal, you and I think are always on the same page and trying to succeed in some way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I completely agree. On the other side of that is, what do you think is the hardest part about balancing marriage with all the other roles that you play?
Speaker 2:I definitely think it just comes down to all of the responsibilities that I think I have, and I think it's sometimes easy to put you last because in my mind I'm like I can't be a failure at work. I have to be kind of the leader and direct these people. So you know, I come home and I'm always working. Well, then also, I have my kids and they have to go to school and they need to be fed, and they have all these extracurricular activities too. So I just feel like sometimes it's easier to put those priorities first, because I know we're married, I know you're still going to love me at the end of the day, which really isn't the right mindset. So I think that's something that I continue to need to improve.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and for me, it's what I need to really improve upon is, you know, saving a little bit of that energy at the end of the day, because it's easy to spend all that energy doing other things and then there's not much left in the tank. So, but I do think that, being intentional about these things, we've definitely come a long way.
Speaker 2:I think intentional is correct, but also just taking accountability and acknowledging when you're not necessarily putting forth all the effort, and just recognizing that there's areas in your life that need improvement, that you really need to start focusing more attention on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I completely agree. More attention on yeah, I completely agree. Shifting a little bit from talking about relationships, I want to talk a little bit about health and wellness and finding time. The most common excuse for not being able to exercise is I don't have time. So how do you find time for exercise and healthy eating and what are your biggest struggles there?
Speaker 2:eating, um, and what are your biggest struggles? There? Again, I think it just comes down to being busy and making excuses, which we've learned, you know, doing 75 hard a few times now is just that people make excuses and that's exactly what it is. If you want to prioritize your health and you know your nutrition and your exercise, fitness, whatever you know you really have to prioritize it in your life and make it a priority. I mean, I think that if it's going to be something you want to do and accomplish, you make it like a work, you know schedule that you cannot miss out on, like treat it like a job. So what's been helpful for us, I think, is usually just not making excuses, no matter what. Getting up in the morning, no matter how tired we are, because you never regret doing a workout, no matter what time it is and then also making time at the end of the day to walk the dogs and get some more exercise in, while also being able to connect as a couple.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think I like what you said. There is, you know, there's a quote and I don't know who said it, but it's. It's basically just comes down to I've never regretted getting some exercise or going to the gym, and so if you don't know what 75 hard is, can you explain a little bit? You mentioned that what is 75 hard? For some people who may have not have heard of that, yeah, so 75 hard is just a phenomenal kind of program.
Speaker 2:It's not really like a diet or anything, but there are specific rules that you need to follow for 75 days and if you miss out on any day whether that's one of the tasks you have to start over or technically you fail, rest. Picture every single day to drink a gallon of water, you're supposed to read 10 pages of a non-fictional or self-development book. You're supposed to get two exercises in a day, each for 45 minutes, and one of which needs to be outside, no matter what the weather is or no matter how cold it is outside. And I believe the last one is to follow a diet, so not necessarily being something really strict, but whatever that means to you counting macros or, you know, cutting out whatever you want, but regardless following a diet. And I guess, lastly, I forgot is no alcohol.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, exactly. And that's what we've kind of found is it's just, you can do it for 75 days. It's it's just. If you're going to decide to make excuses of why you can't, you're too tired, whatever else it is, you're too stressed out. But we've both done it a few times and found that it's really helpful for just that mindset and that focus of hey, I'm really prioritizing this right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not only do you feel incredible you know I think we've both had pretty amazing results just by following it but also just gaining really important and valuable health behaviors Health behaviors and just kind of making them more of a priority in your day to day. You're kind of learning those healthy habits. So it's a sustainable program and also one that is incredible.
Speaker 1:Most of the people who listen to our podcast are busy professionals. What's one tip you'd share for someone trying to get back on track with their health? Specifically if, let's say, they own their own business or they are a very busy professional, what's a tip that you might share to help them get back on track?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I actually really love this question and I feel like it's like things that I talk to my clients about when I'm in the office, because a lot of people are interested on where do you start right, and the biggest piece of advice that I tell people is to set achievable goals. So don't just you know, if you're really new to this go so hard, to the point where it is not sustainable. I'm like, if you don't work out, go for a walk, for whether that's 30 minutes a day or 40 minutes a day, just start there. You know drink what half of your body weight in ounces? I'll even say, like, start less than that, but make an attainable goal. Once you achieve that consistently, maybe add another one, whether that's increasing the amount of time that you exercise or, you know, changing one part of your diet but make one goal attainable before you do more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that and that's, I think, a lot of the problem that people have is they set such big, high, lofty goals and then it becomes so overwhelming that they really just kind of completely fall off. And if it's, you know, very achievable, very doable, then that is much more likely to be successful. So, yeah, I like that, thank you. How about friends? So you know, we, we tend to get so busy that we're either too exhausted to find time to spend time with friends or we just fill up our calendar with other things that it's easy to just every day, come home, do your chores, maybe some more work, go to bed and just repeat the process, and then on the weekends you're catching up with housework and laundry. How do you find time to build meaningful relationships?
Speaker 2:I think one thing that's worked really well for us is that we do prioritize our friendships, just like we do our relationship and the relationships that we have with our kids. So even if we're at home, we're going to have a family dinner inviting our friends to come over and share that with us, just because we also love spending time with them just as much, but including them in activities that we're regardless going to do together, because, while I know you and I have a really good time together, I think we also have just as much fun doing it together with our friends. So I think just being able to include them in what we're going to do anyway and when we need time just to be by yourself, we obviously do that, but more times than not, I think we'd rather include people that we also love.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I completely agree, and it's one nice thing I think for us is that we found some friends that are couple friends. So it's not that necessarily, you know, brittany, you're going out with your friends or I'm going out with my friends. Now we have our own individual friends, but a lot of times we are hanging out with couple friends and so we're together, but we're also with friends and we're very fortunate that. You know, our friends also love our kids and we love their kids. So it's not, you know, unusual, for just because we have our kids here, you know, we can still have friends over, have a game night or whatever that might mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm glad you said that, because I was just thinking that too, how basically they love our kids just as much as you know. We love them too, and so many times our kids are so excited to have them in whatever activities we're doing and even my seven-year-old is, I wish she was my mom. So you know, just because they're friends doesn't mean that you can't really even treat them like family.
Speaker 1:Right, and how about for yourself? Is there something you do to carve out personal time, even when life is chaotic, even when you have a to-do list that's a mile long and loads of laundry? Is there any tips or tricks or something that you can maybe share that you say, hey, this really helps to carve out that personal time?
Speaker 2:That is a good question. But I also feel like I'm somewhat not a normal human because I don't enjoy sitting down and doing nothing and watching movies. I feel like my personal time is really like getting to work on projects and getting to do things that I just really enjoy doing. So I oftentimes, you know, love doing things that I can be creative with. So whether that's DIY stuff, so I don't care. If I've worked a really long day, I would rather come home and go do things that I enjoy like that, even if I might be a little bit more labor intensive. But I kind of just make it a non-negotiable in my mind and I know sometimes you hate, I always make messes, but I always tell you this is a non-negotiable for me. It's just how I feel good about myself. So I think just making sure that you somehow carve out time to do what you enjoy and make sure that you're not neglecting that because I think it's really important in your overall self-worth, self-esteem, kind of happiness I think it just contributes to overall so much life satisfaction.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and with everything you have on your plate from kids to employees to a husband, it's hard to manage all those things when you're coming from an empty glass. And correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that you know you fill your glass by doing those DIY projects and you know being able to have that time to really invest in yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, and even if it's not DIY stuff. You know, making time, how many times do I come home and I'm kind of stressed out for work or it's been a long day and I'm like you know what? I'm going to go run on the treadmill because that is a great way for me to take care of myself, take care of my body, but also relieve some of that stress. So it kind of is a double whammy, I guess, so to speak.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. Next, I want to talk about some practical advice and maybe some lessons that you've learned, so we're going to shift the conversation to some practical tips and insights along that what strategies have worked for you to create a sense of balance?
Speaker 2:I think the biggest and the most important one would be recognizing when you need help, because sometimes you can feel like you're drowning and you are just failing at all of your jobs that you need to do, but at the end of the day, there's a million people out there whether that's family or friends or you know, maybe even people you don't know but ask for help and don't feel bad asking for help because you can easily have somebody help you or hire somebody to do that. And I think that once we have started to do that, the loads that we've been carrying and all of the responsibilities that we have to do I think has been kind of the burden's been lessened.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think we are really blessed that my parents live here close and my parents have been such a huge help for us, uh, helping manage the property that we have and and helping with kids and things like that, and so we're really fortunate to have them and I love that. That. It helps create balance by being able to offload some of those things. And, um, a lot of times, people around you are more than willing to help. You just have to ask.
Speaker 2:Yep, I believe in that too, and you know even people that you don't think would maybe help you. So you know I've been divorced how many years now, but I still ask my ex-husband's family his mother and his sister, and honestly even him to like help me out with kids, uh things at the house. His sister always watches the dogs, and we've even tried to. Well, we have hired other people within our house too to help with some things.
Speaker 1:Exactly. What do you wish you had known earlier about managing the 10,000 demands that you have on your plate? Any piece of advice that you would say if I could go back in time and tell myself four years ago, five years ago, when we started getting into all this entrepreneurial work, and what piece of advice would you have given yourself?
Speaker 2:I think the first piece of advice I would give myself is just to say you can do this, you're fully capable of doing all these things. You just have to believe in yourself. It is funny because there's a million times I've said if we could do this over, I would not run a business.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 2:But at the end of the day it's like so gratifying and to kind of look from. We started from absolutely nothing and now we are running a million dollar business, which is pretty crazy after just the second year. So what we've accomplished over time is just incredibly mind blowing and also so satisfying. I just never in a million years knew what it was going to take to start a business, operate a business, manage employees and then do all of the day-to-day tasks. So you could have a lot of self-doubt in what you're doing and feeling like you're going to be a failure. But give yourself some credit, because you are a lot more capable than what you think you are.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know for myself it was challenging to take on all these tasks and I didn't know how to run a business, I didn't know how to manage employees. I was learning the aesthetics business and it's a lot to take on. And so, you know, if you just have that mindset, that you know I'm not going to fail and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make this work, I think that's kind of the mindset I'd encourage any entrepreneur to have.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's kind of the mindset I'd encourage any entrepreneur to have. Yeah, I love that you said that, because I do think that a lot of people have in their mind that they are going to be a failure and you don't want to be an embarrassment of wow, I set myself to achieve all of these things and I didn't do it. What are people going to say? But you know, it doesn't really matter what they say. I think sometimes that goal comes from within you to challenge yourself and say I can do this, I will do this and I will not fail at this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely as a mom. What advice would you give to other moms, female entrepreneurs or women trying to find their own balance?
Speaker 2:Balance in terms of family.
Speaker 1:Family and work, work life, being a spouse, kind of all those things. Any advice you'd give to other moms, specifically entrepreneurs or maybe busy business women that are trying to find their balance. They're feeling like they're drowning or struggling. Is there any advice you might give them?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I think that one thing I have learned along the way is include your kids in what you are doing. I think you can find a lot of balance in kind of multitasking with some of those things by just including them. So there's a lot of times my kids will come to the office. I know specifically. You know my seven-year-old loves to help vacuum the office and make content and marketing stuff for the office and she really loves to be there and be with the other employees that are there. So I think some of that balance comes with inclusion, but then also coming home and at the end of your day, just really turning it off and remembering that there is tomorrow, or get up early in the morning and do stuff like that, like I always do. So I think the biggest thing too is just making sure you find that intentional time to spend time with your family so they feel loved and like they are not being forgotten or neglected.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really like that, and I think one thing I want to touch on is mornings. Mornings can be so great. Before everyone else wakes up, you have some quiet time where you can get some work done and then move on with your day, and whether that's getting some exercise earlier in the morning or getting some work done when it's still quiet, and then hopefully you have more time at the end of the day to be intentional with your family, yeah, I love that too.
Speaker 2:Hopefully you have more time at the end of the day to be intentional with your family. Yeah, I love that too. I think that's one thing that I've always been pretty good about is just getting up in the morning, like you say, and it's just so quiet and easy to get stuff done and it's peaceful. So it doesn't mean that you have to do it, but it's a phenomenal time to get some extra things in.
Speaker 1:Absolutely so a little bit lighter note we're going to kind of switch gears a little bit. These are a little bit more rapid fire questions so you don't have to elaborate quite so much. But what's your go-to way to relax when you have 30 minutes to yourself? And here in northern Michigan my guess is that might be different in the summer versus the winter, so let's break it into two. In the summer, what's your go-to way? You've got 30 minutes before anyone's going to be home. What are you going to do at that time?
Speaker 2:I would probably go outside and go for a run.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that would be. It would have been my guess Either go for a run or paddle boarding. We live near the water here. So, yeah, we live in a beautiful spot. We love to get outside. How about in the winter? 30 minutes to yourself.
Speaker 2:Probably for a walk. I don't like the cold and I'm always cold, so I would say snuggling on the couch with my heated blanket and a book, or you know I would go for a walk.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she gets pretty bundled up when she goes for a walk in the winter. Um, if you could outsource one task forever, what would it be? Something like I don't like to whatever. What are you going to outsource? So what are you going to pay someone to do?
Speaker 2:I would probably pay somebody to cook which pay someone to do.
Speaker 1:I would probably pay somebody to cook, which, ironically, that's what we're doing Exactly, and we were both not good at cooking. We don't really well, I guess I should say we don't really enjoy cooking and we like to eat healthy. It takes a lot of work and a lot of preparation, so that's one thing that we are deciding to try and splurge on is get a little help with some healthy meals.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nobody likes cleaning Tupperware either.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's true. What's your favorite quick win meal for the family?
Speaker 2:Quick win meal, probably tacos.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're easy and they're good yeah and everyone seems to like them, and they're pretty healthy if you do it the right way, all right. Last one what's the best piece of advice you've ever received about life balance?
Speaker 2:one. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received about life balance? Best piece of advice I got from my parents and it was don't sweat the small stuff. I find that to be one of the best things that is so relatable to my life today as a parent, wife and business owner.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's great. Thank you so much for sharing your perspective today. I've loved hearing it on how you balance different things, different life challenges. We've both struggled in this area and that's why I want to have it on the podcast. Your honesty and advice will resonate, I think, with so many listeners. Final thoughts Is there anything else you'd like to share with listeners who might be struggling to balance everything? You feel like you shared pretty much most of it.
Speaker 2:I shared most of it, but I think one thing that really sticks out in my mind is you know, I do share a lot of my either DIY stuff or personal life on my social media and I get constant, not questions, but just more comments on like how do you find so much time, how do you have so much energy? Like, how do you get all this done? And I think the thing that people need to remember is you don't have to get everything done and find all this energy. I really truly believe if it's important to you and it's things you want to do, and that could be relatable to anything, but I think if it's important enough, like you will find the time, but also not to be hard on yourself. If you do feel like you have a long day and you come home and you sit down and watch TV, there's nothing wrong with that. So biggest thing is to give yourself grace in everything that you're doing, um, but also make sure that you find time and things that you enjoy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm just going to touch on a couple of things there, cause people ask me all the time as well how are you, how do you find the time to be a surgeon, to be a dad, to run a business and maybe a couple of businesses? And you know, for me it comes down to delegating, and you oftentimes give me a hard time because you say I don't do anything, all I do is delegate.
Speaker 1:And boss people around and boss people around, like our seven-year-old says, our six-year-old, but it's true. I mean old says, or six year old, but it's true. I mean that is I've learned to delegate, I think well, and hire people and find people who are going to help. And you know I do a lot of delegating. So that's how I find the time, that's my key.
Speaker 2:So I think that's a good point. Actually that is a really good thing, and I think that's something I'm learning over time. But I definitely think delegation goes a long way.
Speaker 1:Last thing is what are two challenges? So those people who are listening, maybe they really are lost. If you could give them two challenges, say, hey, start here. What are the two things that you're going to say? Do these two things as the last pieces of takeaway advice.
Speaker 2:Well, I've kind of touched on this, but goal setting, I am a huge advocate for goals, goal setting. So, I think, just coming up with something that you want to accomplish first, probably being a small goal first, and I think the second would be, how are you going to find time or make sure you find time in your day to hit that goal? So time and goal.
Speaker 1:I like that Well. Thank you for joining me on the fifth episode of On the Cutting Edge of Success. Together, we're striving for personal growth, professional success and optimal health. In our next episode, we'll be diving into a topic that impacts every aspect of our lives sleep. If you're tired of feeling tired, this episode is for you. We're breaking down practical tips for improving your sleep hygiene, from creating a calming bedtime routine to optimizing your sleep environment. Whether you're battling restless nights or just looking to wake up more refreshed and energized, these simple, science-backed strategies can help you take control of your sleep and, ultimately, your health. You don't want to miss it. Until then, remember, your vision starts within. Only you can make it a reality.