Why 'work-life balance' is a myth, and other insights from Shellye Archambeau's new book, Unapologetically Ambitious.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Building a company is stressful, scary, and risky, and the odds of succeeding are not in your favor. But after 30 years in the tech industry--14 of those as one of its first female African-American CEOs--I can tell you that it's worth it. I've always been ambitious, and it's always paid off--including when I became CEO of Zaplet, a software startup that was on the brink of failure, and guided it to become MetricStream, a market leader in compliance and risk management. In my new book, Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms, I share my story and what I've learned about succeeding in business and in life. The book contains actionable tips to identify what you want, make a plan, and work strategically to realize your professional and personal goals. Here are some of its key lessons.
Make choices, not sacrifices.
I detest the phrase "work-life balance." It implies something that's a) even on both sides and b) static. Life doesn't work that way. I much prefer to treat life as a series of choices, which I make using my priorities, professional and personal, as the filter. For example, when my family was living in Dallas and I got a new job in Silicon Valley, I moved there alone. My daughter was in high school, and I opted to live separately, flying back to Dallas almost every weekend for three years, instead of uprooting her life. I don't think of these decisions as sacrifices that I'm forced to make, but rather as choices--no matter how difficult or painful--that I own.
Read Full Interview
Shellye is committed to helping people from diverse backgrounds to achieve their aspirations in careers and life. The content published above was made in collaboration with our members.
Shellye Archambeau is determined to help you with all possible strategies to climb the ladder of success. She values your feedback. Do mention them in the comment section below.