Having a Baby & Working from Home (When Your Wife is the President)

Many people talk about work-life balance, and how it is a difficult teeter-totter balancing act – but what happens when you throw working from home, working with family, and a newborn into the mix? Well, you learn how to handle that work-life-family-house-baby balance really quickly.

I am pleased (and a little nervous to be honest) to announce that I am at the very cusp of fatherhood!

My lovely wife (and the president of JSL Marketing, the company we started together) is about to have our first child, a little, lovely girl.

Now, of course, being a first-time parent is stressful. Being a business owner is stressful. And getting a new house (in preparation for the baby), growing a booming business, and working from home while all the chaos of the above surrounds us can make ‘work-life balance’ a bit of a joke.

But we didn’t want that. We didn’t want to miss out on the fun because we were buried in the stress, so we worked hard to make sure we were still healthy, balanced, and happy, even in the midst of all the upheaval of the last few months.

Keeping Your Calm

There are two parts of work-life balance – the work and the life, right? But because we have so much happening at once, the ‘life’ portion of our battle with work-life balance is really about finding calm, quiet times to unwind, to breathe, and simply be together.

We do this two ways – by turning chores into dates, and by carving out time for ourselves, even if it isn’t a lot.

First, there are so many appointments, errands, and necessities of life pulling us in multiple directions when you’re expecting a baby, closing on a house, and selling another house. We could have looked at these doctor appointments and bank meetings as chores…or we could see them as little dates.

Grabbing a coffee (decaf, of course) together before a signing, or going for a stroll after we park and before a doctor’s appointment can make a ‘chore’ feel more life quality time. Plus, you still get to accomplish your errand!

The second way we find our calm is by trying to consciously slow down and make time for each other. It might only be a 60-minute show, or 30-minute devotional together, but it is something we plan for, look forward to, and fiercely protect.

Keeping Your Drive

The ‘work’ portion of the work-life balance can be overwhelming too – as burnout isn’t uncommon, especially for startup presidents and CEOs. Luckily, we find our motivation each and every day not only for our clients and each other, but for our desire to be the best and to turn JSL Marketing into a household name.

Focusing on your future goals, without losing sight of the present, is a huge part of keeping your drive strong.

Both my wife and I are hard workers, which makes our teeter-totter often lean more towards work than ‘life’, and maybe you’re the same way. Whichever direction you tend to lean, make sure you have people around you who can pull you back to the center with a kind word or a logical argument.

My wife and I motivate each other to keep our drive (and having a little one fast on the way helps too). Think about why you do what you do, and then hitch that thought to your drive for the future when you need the boost.

Understanding Balance

All of the above is really just about finding balance, your own personal balance. And whether you have a new house, baby, job, city, and business, or just one of those things, your balance won’t look like everyone else’s.

That’s why it’s important to remember that balance isn’t something you ‘get’ one time and then never have to work at again, and it isn’t like riding a bike. It is something you constantly have to tweak, relearn, and monitor.

So, don’t get upset if you fall off that teeter-totter sometimes, just dust yourself off, hop back on, and try it again.

Check back next week for my first article as a new father!

JamesLeff.com Coming Soon

Why We Encourage Our Team to Work from Home (And Why You Should, Too)

Man working from home on a desktop computer

My startup has found huge success, but not just because it filled a gap in the Dallas market, or because we provided digital services better than the competition.

My business went from a two-person job to a million-dollar company in part because we decided to work smarter rather than harder – though there was a lot of hard work involved too.

And one of the ways we worked smarter was by encouraging our employees to work from home.

Sounds fake but ok graphic

Sound counterintuitive? Sound fake? It’s actually not – and there are a lot of reasons why it has worked for us.

And though working from home isn’t feasible in every industry, let’s see if I can show you that it does have a place in many modern-day businesses and is a great benefit for both you and your employees.

Satisfaction & Retention

Of course, this is a great starting point, as many younger generations like Millennials (which are currently the largest part of the workforce) prefer to work from home, have flexible schedules, and no commute.

Essentially, the happier your workers, the easier it will be to keep them. And the longer you keep your employees, the more value they give you and the less you have to spend on training and finding replacements.

Access to a Larger Hiring Pool

This is a great second point, as (hopefully) your company will be growing, and you will be hiring to match that growth. So, while you want to keep your current workforce, you also want to be adding new, quality individuals to your team.

If you offer flexible work schedules, work from home opportunities, or remote work positions, then you actually have a much larger potential hiring pool than if you only offer 9 to 5, in-office positions within your city.

Take my company for instance. JSL Marketing & Web Design has three team members in Michigan, even though we are a Texas-based company. And when two of those three team members joined us – they were living in Spain.

Why did we choose them instead of only searching in our local pool? Because they were good, hungry, and ready to grow with the company – even from overseas (or on the other side of America).

Lower Overhead = Better Profits

Time and time again, studies have shown that allowing your team to work from home is cheaper for your business.

But why?

The answer is actually two-fold.

First, you are able to forgo a larger office, or maybe any office at all if your team is fully remote. And second, often you end up paying less for your team, physical resources for the office, and a thousand other little expenses that pile up.

On a familiar scale, think of it like taking your team out for dinner vs them eating in their own home. Which is cheaper for you? Except (luckily) in this scenario – everyone wants to be eating at home instead of going out.

Flexible Schedules > Higher Salaries

This fits in with the above perfectly, as you can actually pay your team less (lowering your overhead) by letting them to work at home – and they’ll still be happy!

This is because your team won’t have to waste time commuting to work and will gain flexibility, which, for many, is worth taking a lower wage.

The draw of working from home is so strong, that almost all Millennials say they would prefer to work from home or gain another perk like flexible scheduling instead of getting a pay raise – over 89% actually!

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I love helping companies succeed. From business consulting to sales coaching, digital services to speaking engagements – I want to make your company a success and give you the tools you need to beat your competition.

Stay tuned, as JamesLeff.com is coming soon to tell you more about my brand, experience, and services.