ATHABASCA - It can be one of the most difficult things to achieve when starting and maintaining your own business, but it’s essential for the long-term success of your venture, and your personal life — it’s balance.
More specifically, it’s work/life balance. And a healthy balance in this regard is achievable, as a few dozen participants in a webinar last week learned from Dwayne Holland, a brand builder and third generation entrepreneur who shared some of the tips and strategies he’s learned in his years in business to create not only a healthy business, but a healthy entrepreneur as well.
The hour-long presentation, “The Healthy Entrepreneur: It’s all about Balance,” came about Sept. 30 as a partnership with Alberta Treasury Branches, Athabasca County, Town of Athabasca, Village of Boyle, Athabasca Tourism and Economic Development Committee, the Boyle and Athabasca chambers of commerce, Community Futures-Tawatinaw, and the local ATB.
Holland was introduced by ATB’s senior manager of community partnerships Kim Smith.
“Dwayne has been building brands for 25 years, working with both small businesses and large organizations to help position them in an overcrowded marketplace. Three generations of entrepreneurial heritage has given Dwayne valuable insight into what it takes to win in the marketplace,” said Smith. “From agriculture to retail, his roots have influenced his own story and he has learned that your brand starts, really, at the heart of who you are. Using a strategic, yet down to Earth approach Dwayne helps entrepreneurs find the clarity and confidence they need to succeed.”
“I hope this presentation today will give you some encouragement and some best practices, so that you can be healthy along your journey,” Holland began. “We know that entrepreneurship is a journey, with all of its ups and downs, and over the last 25 years, I’ve had my share of ups and downs, and my lumps and bumps, like many of you have.”
Holland made the apt comparison of being an entrepreneur to spinning plates — also known as priorities. Every one of them needs attention at some point for a successful outcome. For Holland those priorities are faith, fitness, family, field, finance, friends and fun.
“You will never achieve a perfect balance in all areas at the same time, but the key is to work on the ones that need the most attention at critical times while keeping your eye on the others,” he said.
Learning to value your time is also essential and time management skills will pay off. Being aware of how you’re using the hours in the day can help reduce the stress you might be feeling. Holland advised the use of calendars and planners, focussing on what is within your circle of influence, delegating when possible and being aware of your distractions.
Making some time for yourself to decompress in your schedule is also important for self-care. Exercising regularly, eating healthy and getting enough sleep is also essential, he said, along with enjoying a hobby, learning to say no, being in the moment and surrounding yourself with a support network will also help drastically.
Entrepreneurs need to visualize what a healthy week looks like in their minds, and put it into practice. Holland says to think about your priorities and goals and about what needs to change for you to implement a healthier schedule.
Understanding the value of rest and having a healthy lifestyle will help keep you going and thrive, not just survive.
“The most important thing is we need to take care of ourselves, so that we can take care of our businesses. If we’re not healthy, eventually our businesses won’t be healthy either. I learned that the hard way.”
