The document discusses different perspectives from female leaders on achieving work-life balance. Barri Rafferty emphasizes taking care of yourself, surrounding yourself with support systems, and focusing on quality time each week for family, friends, work and yourself. Susan Butenhoff focuses on passion and happiness in both work and home rather than viewing them as opposing priorities. Nancy Blair finds balance through activities like walking her dogs or spending time with family that allow her to recharge and be a better leader.

1. Leading WomenHow to Make it to the Top While Still Maintaining a Work-Life Balance
Leading WomenHow to Make it to the Top While Still Maintaining a Work-Life Balance

2. INTRODUCTION
Work-Life Balance. Is that a real thing? What defines it? Who defines it? All valid
questions, and we’re here to tell you there is no right answer. We went ahead
and asked some of our leading ladies here at Access Communications how they
define “work-life balance,” and how they manage to climb the ladder while juggling
everything that is thrown their way, both at home and at the office. Read on to see
what they have to say.

3. “I have two musts: take care of yourself and surround
yourself with good support at home and at work. If
I counted balance each day I would fail so instead I
look at each week. I try to make sure I have quality
time set aside for family, friends, work colleagues
and myself. If I don’t stretch, walk or find ways
to relieve my stress I won’t have the energy and
resilience to give to others.” BARRI RAFFERTY
SENIOR PARTNER & CEO OF
NORTH AMERICA KETCHUM

4. “I think seeking work-life balance is a flawed concept
because it is based on the premise that one is good
and the other is bad and each must come at the
expense of the other. Instead I focus on passion
and happiness in both my work and home lives.
Of course there are times when my work world is
exhausting or negative, and at these times I reset
my “balance” by spending time with the people I
love and doing things I love. This allows me to better
address whatever is draining my happiness and
better balance me and my world.”
SUSAN BUTENHOFF
CEO

5. “Nike COO Eric Sprunk recently talked about how
coaching his kids’ sports teams helped him “put
fuel back into the tank” to be a better leader. I love
that. For me it’s walking my dogs at Crissy Field or
bashing around a tennis ball as part of a team or
going with friends for a Friday night foot massage in
the neighborhood. It’s also making sure I plug in with
my immediate family back East. I call my mother
twice a day, believe it or not. Making sure you are a
whole person outside of work makes you a better
person at work.”
NANCY BLAIR
VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT

6. “Balance for me is all about prioritization. As I think
about my schedule for the week or each day, I
prioritize the biggest things I need to accomplish
– from a client meeting, to volunteering at my
children’s school, to a new business presentation or
working out for mental sanity. I build my schedule
around my priorities and where I am most needed.
No two days are ever the same. I know I can’t do
everything at once… so I do my best to focus on
what’s most important.”
LINDSAY SCALISI
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

7. “I think the reality is that if you work in PR and
you’re a parent, you can’t expect that you’re going
to achieve work-life balance on a daily basis. There
are some days where it’s just not going to happen,
but you have to be ok with that, and do your best to
keep the crazy days to a minimum. It also helps to
have partner balance. My husband and I talk about
(read: negotiate) our schedules in advance to ensure
that over the week our kids are getting what they
need from us and from life. So my recommendation?
Take a longer term view – if you can look back and
feel good about what you’re achieving at work and
at home overall – then you’re golden.”
JODI MARONEY
VICE PRESIDENT

8. “First off, I hate the phrase work-life balance. I think
it conjures up all sorts of negative stuff. There are
two things I do to make myself survive and be sane,
however, the first being exercise. I try to work it in at
least once during the day – either before work, right
after work, or even in the middle of the day if that is
the only way that it works for my schedule. That is a
priority for me. I try to map it out for the week using
something like ClassPass to make sure it merges
with my work calendar and remains a priority. As a
working mom, I also subscribe to the idea of a strict
shut off when it’s family time. I’ll go back if needed in
the evenings, but I don’t expect that of my teams, it’s
just my time to get caught up with my kids.”
CORI BARRETT
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

9. “I see work-life balance as not necessarily something
that you do. If you enjoy the people that you are
surrounded by and work with, and you like what
you’re doing, then it doesn’t always feel like work.
So finding that “balance” doesn’t have to be difficult.
It helps to have teams, managers, and an executive
team that supports and encourages people taking
time for themselves and ensuring that you’re
completely unplugged when you’re able to.”
LYDA VALEZ
VICE PRESIDENT

10. ABOUT ACCESS
We are a communications agency obsessed with our clients’ success. Good enough
simply isn’t good enough for us. We create connections that count, turning brands’
audiences into activists and stakeholders into strategic partners. We are clever
storytellers who help companies find their voice and make it heard. We knock the
norm with every aspect of communications, creating custom-designed campaigns
that impact and inspire. For more than 20 years we’ve built trusted partnerships with
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companies and start-ups.
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