The Eternal Juggle—Balancing Family with Entrepreneurship
Can you have your cake and eat it, too, when it comes to balancing a thriving international business with a fulfilling family life? Or should we throw out the notion of work/life balance as a myth that sets us up for failure?
Speaking as someone whose life revolves around family and business, I can positively reassure you that it is possible to carve out quality time for both in each day of your existence. This isn’t to say that the swing between work and family is symmetrically balanced. The art of this delicate balance is a work in progress. I will admit to not always making the ideal choices when it comes to prioritising family over the business and even extracurricular leisure activities (don’t mention the cricket!).
Expectations need to be adjusted during different seasons in life and business. It’s much healthier to accept that there will be certain periods in life where work is all-consuming. When we were finding our feet as a new migrant family in Australia, Neelo and I were ships passing in the night as I worked my way up to senior duty manager at The Menzies Holiday Inn above Wynyard Station. I would often get home in the early hours of the morning while Neelo held a paralegal position a few streets away at Minter Ellison.
Then, during the ‘establishment phase’ of building a startup distribution and retail business that would become East Timor Trading Group, we worked tirelessly for years. For several months I lived out of a shipping container in Dili, returning to Darwin on odd weekends. We made sacrifices as a whole family and were 100% committed to the long game. Neelo was all-in when it came to managing the family back home and running the home-base of the business.
Working side by side in the business added another layer to our family dynamic and enriched our marriage with a renewed appreciation of our complimentary differences. Neelo brought methodical attention to detail and I, my bigger picture thinking. We knew that the pressures of running our own business were part and parcel of the path we had chosen, but even during the toughest of times, we could always make each other smile.
It has also helped that our family values and ethical entrepreneurship are one and the same. The entire family is driven by a shared responsibility to leave the world a better place through philanthropic endeavours such as building schools in Timor-Leste. Our East Timor Trading Group is at the heart of our family, and we consider those who work for us part of our 'work-family.' Witnessing the ripple effect in the wider community gets me up in the morning. I see us providing our employees' opportunities to broaden their horizons.
After a series of hard-hitting health scares, resulting in me stepping back from day-to-day business affairs (although I wouldn't quite call it retirement!), I have a renewed desire to seize the day. Partnered with the wisdom gained from my previous experiences, I'm embracing my love of travel, counting my blessings, and holding my family close.
To read more about balancing family with entrepreneurship, purchase A Strong Heart—An Autobiography in Progress here.