Seven Years of Balanced Good: The Myth of Balance and Lessons Learned
They say time flies when you are having fun, and that feels particularly relevant when I think about the seven-year journey Balanced Good has been on. Now, to be clear, building Balanced Good, while raising a family with three young kids, hasn’t been all sunshine and roses, but the rewards and joyful moments far outweigh the challenges.
Reflecting on the growth of Balanced Good holds quite a bit of synergies with my parenting journey – both started with a lack of confidence, a sense of curiosity, and a major feel of “I have no clue what I’m doing here”. As the years progressed, my confidence grew. I met incredible professionals, moms, and peers along the way who have helped me see new perspectives both in parenting and in entrepreneurship. As I reflect on seven years of Balanced Good, here’s what I can tell you:
Balance is a Myth: I was about a month into owning Balanced Good when I realized I may have misnamed my business. In life there is never perfect balance – there is organized chaos. Whether you are a parent, caregiver, or dog parent, there is always something that comes up when you least expect it. And the same is true in the social impact sector – there is always a “surprise” around the next corner. Being realistic with your time, your commitments, and showing up authentically is really the only way I have figured out to attempt to balance all of this. I live by a calendar that has all my commitments in it – personal and professional – so I can be kind to myself each day and set realistic expectations. And all this works well, until I get a call from the school that one of the kids is sick…
People want a change: In seven years I’ve met some incredible humans and bad-ass women pushing for change working to change things for women’s rights and the realities of working motherhood, and people who want to support companies and non-profits to do better. The frustrating part is even if change is wanted, the current structures and systems in place can sometimes make change feel unlikely, or even impossible.
Values are everything: In parenting and entrepreneurship there are many points where you have to make hard decisions. Sometimes these decisions even feel impossible. The only way I’ve been able to navigate these decisions is by sticking to my values. I have a set of family values and a set of values at Balanced Good. And, it should come as no surprise that there is overlap in these values. When hard decisions arise, they feel a little easier when your decisions align with your values.
Mistakes are inevitable. It’s how you own them that makes the difference: I’ve made many mistakes in my parenting and entrepreneurship journey, but I feel like I’ve built a family life and team culture that allows everyone to call me in when things go awry. I’m happy to apologize, create a new path forward, or change plans mid-way if it means my family or co-workers are happy. I have yet to shy away from hard conversations – with my kids, with our clients, and with the Balanced Good team. Am I nervous before these conversations? Sure. But I always leave the conversations with a new perspective – even when it’s my 5-year-old telling me I didn’t sing Golden by Huntrix correctly during karaoke.
- You can’t go far alone, but as a team (and family!) a whole lot is possible: In seven years, I’ve learned that if I try to do it all on my own balls drop, things get messy, and I get overwhelmed. When you bring the team along for the journey? Sure, you might have to give up control – but things grow in ways you never would have imagined. Having peers make suggestions, challenge my ways of thinking, and help re-shape my vision regularly, has helped me navigate this space a bit more gracefully. I do know for certain it’s made the journey a lot more fun!
To everyone who has put trust in Balanced Good over the past seven years, who has provided us with support, encouragement, connection, and collaboration, and to those who say our name in rooms we aren’t in – thank you! We are looking forward to what the next seven years holds.