The pandemic wreaked havoc on our personal and professional lives. However, one good thing that came out of it is that employees and employers are today seeking a healthy work-life balance. We asked some leading unicorn founders about what they do to maintain the balance and this is what they had to say.
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Ashwin Damera, co-founder and CEO, Emeritus
“An entrepreneur’s life never gets easier. From coming up with an idea that sets you apart from the crowd, to refining it and convincing people to believe in you, the challenges get tougher as the journey throttles. As an entrepreneur, you work on things which you love and are passionate about. These are the things which can impact the society at large and bring about a change in the entire ecosystem. Still managing a healthy work life balance is essential to keep yourself rejuvenated.
A typical day in my life includes having meetings with my colleagues and partners, stakeholders and investors on the future plans. I hit the gym after a long day at work to refresh and charge up. My evenings are usually spent with my family where we discuss everything from developments in the country, politics to movies and events. Every quarter, we also plan a vacation to keep ourselves charged.”
Ankur Sharma, co-founder, Rebel Foods
“Over the years, my focus has been to allow myself to indulge in both my work and life equally, instead of chasing the ‘balance’. Home and personal life play an equally critical role in the professional journey, growth of work and productivity. Some of the memorable moments I have had in my life are with the people of Rebel. For me, it’s more about life-work balance, good relationships and a peaceful home will eventually lead to happy and successful work, making it a cycle.
Even at Rebel, we push our employees to have healthy home and work habits. Our workplace culture focus on people and their priorities at work and in life. Our frequent sessions such as townhalls, AMA sessions with employees help them focus on their work and push them to innovate. As employers, our responsibility does not end with backing employees at their work but also making sure they are getting enough support in their personal life in every possible way.”
Rajaraman Santhanam, co-founder, Chargebee
“I believe a healthy body is a way to a healthy mind and to maintain a healthy work-life balance, I make sure that my mealtimes are not compromised in any way. For weekends, especially, I keep some spare time for my pursuing hobbies and interests which keeps me active. Also, whenever I can, I actively spend time mentoring other startups.”
Amit Kumar Agarwal, co-founder and CEO, NoBroker
“Work-life balance is an extremely tricky thing for a founder. It’s simply because even during weekends or holidays, I end up checking my emails or thinking of an idea that can be implemented for the growth of NoBroker. Instead, I aim for work-life assimilation where I merge fun with work. For balancing my life, I have divided it into three portions – reading good books, creating moments with my family, and giving importance to my health.”
I believe healthy people can work towards achieving their goals more successfully. I take my health very seriously. I go for long walks and listen to podcasts. It is an efficient utilization of my time as I learn while on the move.
On days that I am not going for a walk, I play badminton and take classes for it. Another important aspect of living a healthy life is creating memories with family. It’s more about spending time with my kids and going on a vacation. I love going on a walk with my son, who is now in the tenth standard. I love having meaningful conversations with him at this stage in his life where he is growing into an individual and has dreams and aspirations of his own.
Nishant Pitti, co-founder and CEO, EaseMyTrip
Of course, there are times when things get really stressful, however, the obsession of changing India’s travel landscape keeps on egging me to do more. Having said that, I do take out time to travel and explore new places. I also maintain a good fitness routine to keep myself healthy and alert. I love spending time with my family and surrounding myself with loved ones which helps me stay grounded and humble and help maintain my work-life balance.
