Forget Work-Life Balance. Let’s Talk About Work-Life Boundaries.
We looooooooove to talk about balance. Like it’s a milestone you reach once your kids can tie their shoes and microwave their own chicken nuggets.
But if you listened to the Dad Mode episode of This is NOW: Parenting Teens Today, you already know: Balance isn’t the goal. Boundaries are.
We heard it loud and clear from three community leaders who also happen to be very hands-on dads—Michael Wild, Nick Sproul, and Erik Chafin.
These are men who know how to plan, pitch, close, and lead. But what makes them great dads? It’s how they manage their time when no one’s watching.
Michael doesn’t take meetings on Mondays or Tuesday evenings. Not because he’s off the clock, but because those are his days with his kids. That time is locked in. Not negotiable, and not “tentative.”
Nick schedules one-on-one “date time” with each child—just like he does with his agents and clients. Because the relationship work at home deserves the same calendar real estate as the business deals.
And Erik? He still drives his daughters to school every morning. Not because he has to, but because that 20 minutes is when the real conversations happen. The ones that don’t fit into a meeting invite or a perfect parenting plan.
This isn’t about doing “more”. It’s about getting clear on what actually matters and protecting it.
These dads are still showing up in their businesses, in their boardrooms, and in their communities. But they’re also showing up in the 6 a.m. school car line, on the bleachers, and next to their kid’s bed with one eye open and a toddler on their chest.
That’s not balance. That’s clarity.
This episode was a reminder that our kids don’t measure us by our productivity. They measure us by our availability. And sometimes, the most meaningful thing you’ll do this week isn’t the thing you worked so hard to schedule. It’s the thing you almost skipped—but didn’t. So if you’re a parent wondering how to “juggle it all,” here’s your permission to drop the juggle. Pick up the boundary instead. And let it protect the moments that matter most.
Full episode: Dad Mode – Balancing Leadership, Life & Fatherhood
Free guide: 10 Conversations That Matter—And How to Actually Start Them
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