Building a business is one of the most rewarding things you can do, but it certainly isn't for the faint-hearted. If you're reading this, you're probably feeling that right now.

It demands everything you've got. Mainly, your evenings, your weekends, your headspace, and your peace of mind. You give it your all, and somehow it always wants more.

If you're nodding along, unfortunately, you're in good company. Research shows that 72% of entrepreneurs have struggled with their mental health (compared to 48% of the general public), and a significant part of that struggle stems from balancing business demands with personal life.

Maybe you started your business with dreams of freedom and flexibility, only to discover you're working more hours now than you ever did for someone else. Your inbox is always full. Your phone lights up with "urgent" messages while you're trying to have dinner with your family. Client calls interrupt date nights. Strategy sessions take over your weekends. You're busier than ever, more stressed than you imagined, and starting to wonder if this is really what you signed up for.

But here's some good news: it doesn't have to be this way. Some of the biggest names in business have figured this out. They've found ways to build incredible companies while staying connected to what matters most: their families, their health, and their happiness.

Ready to see how they did it? Let's dive in.

1. Give yourself permission — Bill Gates

As a founder, there are countless reasons why creating balance between work and home feels impossible, and here’s one we don’t talk about enough: founders are terrible at giving themselves a break.

You’ve got big dreams, big responsibilities, and a never-ending to-do list that seems to grow while you sleep. And so, the idea of stopping (even for a minute) can feel almost...wrong. Lazy. Like you’re slacking off when you should be squeezing just a little more productivity out of the day.

Even Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates used to think so, too.

In his 2023 commencement speech at Northern Arizona University, Gates shared his most important piece of advice: "You are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack."

Gates went on to explain: "When I was your age, I didn't believe in vacations. I didn't believe in weekends… But as I got older—and especially once I became a father—I realized there is more to life than work. Don't wait as long as I did to learn this lesson."

Think about that for a moment. One of the most successful founders in history is telling you that his biggest regret was working too much, not too little. His relentless drive got him pretty far, no question. But what he eventually learned is that if you keep pushing without pause, something’s got to give.

The science backs this up, too. Research from Stanford University shows that productivity per hour drops sharply when you work more than 50 hours per week. After 55 hours, productivity falls so much that working additional hours becomes pointless.

So, giving yourself permission to rest isn't about lowering your standards. It's actually about raising them for what sustainable, long-term success really looks like. Because what’s the point of building a thriving business if you’re too burned out to enjoy it? Or if you’re too busy to watch your kids grow up? Or if you’re just too stressed to even feel successful?

2. Make your office anywhere — Richard Branson

Some of the world’s biggest names (like Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and ex-US president Barack Obama) openly share the same regret: wishing they'd spent more time with their families.

And then there’s Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, who took a different approach from the start. He's never been a fan of traditional offices and avoids them entirely. As he puts it: "It's archaic to assume that people do their best work at a desk. I have never worked from an office, preferring to combine working hard with spending time with my family."

For years, Branson's houseboat served as both Virgin's headquarters and his family home. “The kids grew up on the houseboat, playing in the corner as we held meetings with anyone from Mick Jagger to serious solicitors," he shared in his blog. “Some of my happiest family moments, and our greatest business deals were signed (there).”

With reliable internet and smart support, your office can be anywhere. The added beauty of remote work is that you can design your day around how, when, and where you do your best thinking. Maybe you're most creative during your morning coffee at your kitchen table. Perhaps your best ideas come while walking the dog. You might solve problems more effectively when you're relaxed and not wracked with guilt over missing family mealtimes.

Too many founders get trapped thinking productivity has to look a certain way: pre-dawn starts, long commutes, back-to-back meetings, and packed-out calendars. Branson shows us there's a better way: build your business to support your life, not swallow it.

3. Know your limits — Sara Blakely

If you’re a founder, chances are you’ve worn every hat in the closet—CEO, marketer, customer service rep, bookkeeper, social media manager… barista (because someone’s got to keep the coffee flowing).

In the early days, that kind of all-hands-on-deck energy can really help get things off the ground. But as your business grows, it can quickly turn into your biggest bottleneck.

Trying to do it all is probably the biggest thing standing between you and the balance you’re craving. Because at the end of the day, you’re just one person, and there are only 24 hours in a day (no matter how many coffees you drink).

Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, learned this firsthand while growing a billion-dollar business and raising four kids. She’s talked openly about the pressure she used to feel to control everything, and how she had to unlearn the idea that being in charge meant doing it all. “I had to learn that my way wasn’t the only way,” she says. “When I started delegating, I was shocked to discover that sometimes my team members had better ideas or more efficient methods than I did.”

Her turning point came when she started leaning on a support system and strategically sharing responsibilities. Instead of spreading herself thin across every task at work and at home, she focused her energy on what only she could do.

And for everything else? She found people who could do it better than she could.

This shift freed her up to be the founder and mother she actually wanted to be, rather than the exhausted version of herself she'd become by trying to do everything.

4. Protect your personal rituals — Jeff Bezos

When your calendar looks like a game of Tetris, it's easy to let the small things slide. Breakfast with your kids becomes a protein bar in the car, date nights turn into "let's talk business over dinner," and quality time with your partner gets squeezed into the few minutes before you both collapse into bed.

But here’s the thing: those seemingly small rituals are often what keep you grounded to the people at home you're working so hard for in the first place.

Jeff Bezos understood this principle long before Amazon became the global giant it is today. He has a strict "no meetings before 10 a.m." rule. Not because he's lazy or because he doesn't take his business seriously, but because he wants time in the morning to eat breakfast with his kids.

Think about that for a moment. Bezos could easily pack those morning hours with meetings, calls, and urgent emails. Running one of the world's largest companies certainly gives you no shortage of "important" things to do. But he recognized something crucial: those breakfast conversations with his children couldn't be rescheduled or delegated.

And that’s the key. Your personal rituals aren’t “extras” you squeeze in if the day allows. They’re your foundation. The time you spend connecting with loved ones, caring for yourself, or simply being present in your own life fuels everything else you do as a leader.

5. Don’t skimp on self-care — Arianna Huffington

Let’s face it: as a founder, self-care can feel like a luxury you might get around to...someday, maybe. There’s always another email to send, another fire to put out, another late night you justify by saying, “I’ll catch up on sleep later.”

But the truth is, if you’re running on empty, you’re not running your business. You’re just running yourself into the ground.

Arianna Huffington learned this lesson in the most dramatic way possible. In 2007, while building The Huffington Post into a media powerhouse, she collapsed from exhaustion in her home office. She woke up in a pool of blood with a broken cheekbone and five stitches over her right eye.

That wake-up call completely changed how she approached her health and well-being. "I had bought into the collective delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success," Huffington reflects.

From that point on, Huffington completely overhauled her approach to self-care. She now protects her sleep like a valuable business asset, maintaining a strict bedtime routine and keeping all devices out of her bedroom. She practices meditation, exercises regularly, and has built well-being practices into her daily routine.

Since taking better care of herself, Huffington found she also made better decisions, had more energy for creative thinking, and was more present for both her family and her team. When she sold The Huffington Post to AOL in 2011, the deal was worth $315 million. Today, her wellness company Thrive Global is valued at over $3.7 billion.

The question isn't whether you can afford to prioritize rest and recovery, it's whether you can afford not to.

See: Bridging The Self-Care Gap: A Founder's Guide To Prioritizing Well-Being

What's the bottom line?

Running a business will always come with challenges like long days, tough decisions, and more to-do lists than hours in the day. But sacrificing your family, health, or peace of mind isn’t the price of success. It’s really a warning sign that something needs to change.

The world’s most successful founders (Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Sara Blakely, Jeff Bezos, Arianna Huffington) didn’t build their empires by doing it all alone or burning out in the process. They made intentional choices to protect their time, their energy, and the relationships that matter most to them.

You don’t have to choose between building a thriving business and being present at home. With the right mindset and support, you can do both. You’ll be better for it, on every front.

Want your evenings and weekends back?

We’ve got you.

At Time etc, we’ve helped over 22,000 founders by pairing them with brilliant virtual assistants who handle the admin that gets in the way of real work (and real life).

We take care of everything—from finding top talent to sorting out the admin and HR stuff—so you get the support you need, without the stress or sky-high costs that usually come with hiring.

Getting started is easy:

• Speak with our expert team. Just let us know what you need, and we’ll take care of the rest!
• Or, answer a few quick questions to receive personalized recommendations tailored to your unique needs, and enjoy $150 off your first month of virtual assistant support as a welcome discount!