WHEN MY GREAT-great-grandfather owned the Louis Koch Brewery in St. Louis in the 1870s, he and his employees went home for dinner every night. In those days, before refrigeration and interstate transportation, breweries were local businesses whose sales and delivery people didn't need to travel.
Times have changed. One of the reasons I left my career as a consultant in 1984 to start a beer company was to cut down on travel. Clients all over the U.S. made it nearly impossible for me to have any worklife balance. I soon learned, however, that balancing work and life as an entrepreneur can be even harder.
I started Boston Beer Company in 1984 thinking that someday, my small brewery might sell as far away as New Hampshire. When demand for Samuel Adams exploded, I found myself traveling every week again. I could have limited the distribution, but this was the opportunity of a lifetime. I went for it.
When your business is growing, it's very hard to prevent work from overtaking your life. If the business is succeeding, you're busting your ass to grow. If it isn't succeeding, you're busting your ass to save it. Life becomes a constant triage of work, family, friends, and health, and nobody gets it right. Brian Dyson, the former CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, likened work-life balance to juggling. The key, he said, is to understand that some balls are rubber and some are glass. Family and health are glass balls that can't be dropped without causing damage, while the work balls are rubber. They bounce back to you. There are demanding moments in a company's growth, but sometimes good enough is good enough. Your company will not be perfect.
In the first few years of Boston Beer, I prioritized my two young kids. I was recently divorced, so time with them was crucial. My relationships with friends suffered, however. While I stayed in touch with a couple of friends and one even served on my board for many years, I lost contact with many others. Fortunately, I have reconnected with some of them.
Staying healthy has always been important to me, but to save time I've replaced activities like hiking, cycling, and kayaking with running on an elliptical machine. To be even more efficient, I combine my physical exercise with learning by listening to audiobooks and the Great Courses. These things keep my mind expanding. I recommend this combination of brain stimulation and physical exercise, as your body doesn't care if your mind is having fun or learning new things.
The person who has helped me the most in managing work-life balance is my wife, Cynthia. When we got married, in 1994, she was also building a dynamic business that required her to travel a great deal. Still, she has ...
Times have changed. One of the reasons I left my career as a consultant in 1984 to start a beer company was to cut down on travel. Clients all over the U.S. made it nearly impossible for me to have any worklife balance. I soon learned, however, that balancing work and life as an entrepreneur can be even harder.
I started Boston Beer Company in 1984 thinking that someday, my small brewery might sell as far away as New Hampshire. When demand for Samuel Adams exploded, I found myself traveling every week again. I could have limited the distribution, but this was the opportunity of a lifetime. I went for it.
When your business is growing, it's very hard to prevent work from overtaking your life. If the business is succeeding, you're busting your ass to grow. If it isn't succeeding, you're busting your ass to save it. Life becomes a constant triage of work, family, friends, and health, and nobody gets it right. Brian Dyson, the former CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, likened work-life balance to juggling. The key, he said, is to understand that some balls are rubber and some are glass. Family and health are glass balls that can't be dropped without causing damage, while the work balls are rubber. They bounce back to you. There are demanding moments in a company's growth, but sometimes good enough is good enough. Your company will not be perfect.
In the first few years of Boston Beer, I prioritized my two young kids. I was recently divorced, so time with them was crucial. My relationships with friends suffered, however. While I stayed in touch with a couple of friends and one even served on my board for many years, I lost contact with many others. Fortunately, I have reconnected with some of them.
Staying healthy has always been important to me, but to save time I've replaced activities like hiking, cycling, and kayaking with running on an elliptical machine. To be even more efficient, I combine my physical exercise with learning by listening to audiobooks and the Great Courses. These things keep my mind expanding. I recommend this combination of brain stimulation and physical exercise, as your body doesn't care if your mind is having fun or learning new things.
The person who has helped me the most in managing work-life balance is my wife, Cynthia. When we got married, in 1994, she was also building a dynamic business that required her to travel a great deal. Still, she has ...
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Inc. (Digital) - 1 Issue, Winter 2023/2024