50. Balance Work and Life: A Journey to Successful Fatherhood and Business with Jeff Lopes
Your career may often interfere with your personal life, and this is especially true for entrepreneurs. Learning how to balance work and life while building a successful business is a load of responsibility. Sometimes, work would eat up what could’ve been your quality time with your family.
So how can we juggle and stretch the time we have without having to put the things that matter at stake? Is it even possible to balance work and life?
In today’s episode, we’ll find out how this can be done. Jeff Lopes, a well-known entrepreneur, will share with us his success story and how he manages to allocate time for his family while still pursuing ventures successfully. We learn valuable insights on building memories, pursuing success, and going through life with purpose.
Learn how to balance work and life with this entrepreneur dad. Tune in to the episode to learn more!
Three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:
Discover what it takes to balance work and life, and understand the importance of time management.
Find out the characteristics and mindsets you need to pursue success.
Get a peek at how entrepreneurship works.
Resources
● Connect with Jeff: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
● Jeff Knows Inc Podcast
● Entrepreneur Dad by Jeff Lopes
● Adventures of Grandpa Joe by Jeff Lopes
Episode Highlights
[03:12] Who Jeff Is
Jeff has been married for 18 years and has 2 kids.
Aside from his part-time jobs when he was a teenager, Jeff never really worked for anybody.
In the last 3 years, Jeff has been coaching around 64 entrepreneurs for no charge.
Aside from that, Jeff wrote a book and started a podcast.
Jeff finds joy in talking to individuals. He believes that good things happen to good people.
[06:41] Where Jeff’s Wisdom Comes From
Jeff considers his dad as his inspiration in becoming who he is.
His dad made sure to make time for his family despite also working as a blue-collar factory worker.
Aside from his work ethic, Jeff also learned to value family time and independence from his father.
Jeff has certain non-negotiables in his life. You should build your schedule around your non-negotiables and be consistent with them.
[09:52] How to Balance Work and Life
Write a living eulogy. Write down how you want to be remembered.
Then, study what you wrote. Are you living like that? What should you change to live like that?
Next, understand what’s important in life, so you can manage your time properly. Identify your non-negotiables and what sacrifices you have to make to achieve your goals.
Learn to separate your personal and professional lives to give them equal amounts of love and time.
The purpose of being an entrepreneur is found in living your life to the fullest.
[12:26] The Importance of Delegation
Demanding perfection is the biggest struggle for entrepreneurs.
Most tasks in a business don’t need to be perfect. They just have to get done.
Time is valuable. Learn to delegate tasks to balance work and life.
Jeff: “The faster you could fire yourself from positions, the bigger your company will grow, the more time you have with your family, the more time you have for yourself to fill your cup as well.”
[14:07] Why Men Struggle with How to Balance Work and Life
Because men are generally viewed as the family’s sole provider, the pressure to sustain and meet the family’s needs hinders them from seeing the value of time.
The constant fear of not being able to provide intensifies the urge to succeed in work.
However, this responsibility should not blind us from the fact that time is important for our loved ones as well.
Building memories is more valuable than buying physical objects in the long run.
[16:49] The Secret to Business Success
There is no such thing as a secret formula to succeeding. All it takes is a winning mindset. You need to want to be number one.
Be passionate about what you’re doing, so you can keep going.
Look for opportunities, don’t be scared to take them, and be ready to pivot.
Jeff: “And having that mindset, not being scared—I think that's the right way: not being fearful or scared to take risks, not being fearful or scared to pivot, not being fearful or scared to take chances when other people are holding back.”
[21:44] Pivoting in Entrepreneurship
Forecast what’s going to happen, then move in that direction.
Take time to assess the possibilities. Know that everything in the world of business constantly develops.
Be a part of the development. Better yet, learn to lead the pivot.
Adapt to changes, and grow from the learning curve. Though it may mean you’ll have to take some risks, this is a part of growing.
Jeff: “The minute you become comfortable, there's somebody going to surpass you and jump right over that hurdle right over you in two seconds.”
[25:00] Succeeding as an Entrepreneur
A lot of our upbringing dictates our future. Jeff learned from a young age that he did not want to be working for somebody else.
Struggles may come along your way, but you have to move forward.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You can study what the leaders in the industry are doing and take what you think will propel your business.
Surround yourself with the right people. Don’t be scared to ask for help.
Jeff tells a story from his part-time job when he was a teenager that still fires him up today. Tune in to the full episode to know more!
[30:01] Overcoming Adversity
Jeff used to be not put focus on how to balance work and life. This all changed when he almost lost his newborn son.
Spending so much time in the hospital made Jeff reanalyze his purposes. He reprioritized his life and studied parenthood and fatherhood.
Struggles may come along your way, but you have to push hard and move forward.
Take the moments you go through as lessons. This is the biggest gift.
Tune in to the full episode to hear the inspiring story of Jeff’s son defying all the odds to run his first marathon.
[36:54] On Fatherhood and Life
We need to learn, be curious, and enjoy the outdoors.
Life is short. Enjoy it, and be spontaneous sometimes.
Appreciate the time you have with your kids and build as many memories as you can.
Don’t live with grudges and regret.
Be forgiving and make amends with the people around you.
[42:26] The Glue that Holds Everything Together
For success to happen, you need to exert effort. You have to hustle your way to the top and want to be the best.
Redefine your purpose, and keep a positive mindset.
Have the mindset of a winner. It won’t hurt to have some competitiveness in you.
Hold yourself accountable. Do what you said you will. Jeff wanted to write a six-book series on lessons from his father, so he did.
Honesty and authenticity are the most important characteristics.
About Jeff
Jeff Lopes is a veteran entrepreneur who established several companies. Alongside that, he is also a loving husband and a father of two. He hosts an entrepreneurial podcast, Jeff Knows Inc, and authored the best-selling book Entrepreneur Dad.
Despite juggling a lot on his plate, Jeff manages to balance work and life. With his dad as his main inspiration, Jeff was able to achieve his goal of becoming a successful name in the industry and a dependable father to his family, as he balances the two. He also coaches other entrepreneurs and helps them achieve a winning mindset.
If you want to hear more from Jeff Lopes you may visit his website. You can also check his social media handles on Instagram and LinkedIn.
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