Working in a creative agency, many of our lives here become super busy. From commuting to and from work, to taking care of families and to working second jobs all while trying to enjoy our lives. Sometimes it gets a little hard trying to find a way to balance all these day-to-day task. Today I’m sitting down with Intrigue’s Executive Account Director, Michelle Huergo to ask for some advice. Michelle added a beautiful new addition to her family last year, who just happens to be the cutest little boy! We’re here to find out how she finds a ‘balance’ between work and family.

Holding an Executive position can be a work-load in itself. Now adding a baby to the picture how do you achieve the work-life balance that allows you to be both an Executive Account Director and also a kick-ass mom?
I try to give 100% of myself to both my career and my family. If I’m at work my focus is on getting my job done and to the best of my ability. Sure I check in to see how my son is doing for the day. That actually keeps me going while I’m at work. Then once I get home, I give 100% to my family. I try to focus on what I’m doing at the moment as much as possible to be fair to all aspects of my life. It’s a juggling act.

So having a new-born and working full-time not only makes you super-mom but can be pretty time-consuming. Where do you make time for yourself?
I probably should make more time for myself than I do. There is not a lot of “me” time in the day. The best I can say is that the time of day I get the most time to myself are the car rides to and from work. It’s the only time my brain functions clearly to think about everything. I’ll send myself voice notes and I’ll voice text people all the time because that’s when I get my “to-do” lists together for my life, even if it’s just a half an hour. That time is still spent on stuff for the house and the baby and work but it’s just the only time I get to think by myself with no distraction, aside from traffic. But to be honest, right now,  I would rather spend any free time I get with my son and that’s my own choice and my own personal sacrifice and I’m totally OK with that. I’m sure most moms probably feel that way.

How easy/hard is it to turn that switch off once you leave work?
Well, I have a little trick. On my way home I have to turn off “work Michelle” and put on “mom Michelle”, so I call my husband on the drive home. I don’t need to talk to him about anything in particular but I just listen to his voice and I ask how the baby is doing and how everything is going and all of a sudden I go right into mommy mode. I can hear Carlo in the background usually and my dog Vita and it just makes me feel like I’m there. So that once I walk in the door and the dog is looking for me, and Carlo is looking for me, I can settle right in and get into family mode.

I’ve read that it’s really important to establish a set of limits and boundaries for balancing work and family, what are some important boundaries that you set for yourself that you can share with us ?
Here is a recent story. I had a vacation day this week and I took the day to work on a project for my house and be with my husband and son. I basically just wanted a family day. To ensure this happened I had to keep my cell phone far away and forced myself to not look since I have access to work emails on it. I didn’t think it was fair to my family to have my mind on work and be distracted in any way. So when I am able to , I limit my access to work within reason.

Same for when I’m here at work, I obviously touch base to make sure everything is OK at home but I try to not obsess over it so I can give 100% of myself here and take care of clients and everyone in the office. It’s definitely hard. I’ve heard stories about when people take their work home too much and it starts to get between you and your family and I just refuse to let that happen. So many people juggle both and so can I.

Do you ever check your work emails at home?
Within reason. If I know it’s busy and there is chaos and deadlines, I have to do my job and check but I do it after dinner time. Everyday we do dinner together. I prepare and cook dinner and then we all sit together and have dinner as a family. On the nights I have work to do we make it an easy dinner like pizza, where I can toggle it a little. It’s not often but it’s when I feel I need too. I still have to do my job, I’m still an executive, so I have to be reachable in that respect.

Does that ever make you feel guilty?
I feel guilty in both directions. But when I’m here I feel guilty that I’m not with him. It’s a little guilt that constantly occurs. Everyone has it I’m sure and every parent feels that way. To help, during the day my mom sends me pictures of Carlo and calls me during lunch and I feel a little bit better. Knowing that I’m doing all this to provide him with the best life I can, helps.

Being so busy all the time how do you stay healthy?
Since we eat the same stuff and at the same time I try to cook healthy for my family and have good foods in the house. Now I get up a little earlier than in the past because I have to get ready before he wakes up so my sleep patterns are a little different but I still get a full nights sleep. Knock on wood, he’s still sleeping through the nights. I still eat healthy, I’m just more aware because he’s eating what we’re eating so if I’m making something “bad” he’s eating  something “bad”. And actually carrying around a 1-year-old is a workout in itself. Since I don’t have time to go to a gym or anything like that, I use our playtime to incorporate exercise. I’ll take him for walks or run around the yard with him.  Lifting him all the time has actually helped a lot with building up my arm muscles.  I call them ‘mommy muscles’.  Indirectly he’s actually keeping me in shape just by taking care of him. It’s funny how that works.

Before we wrap this up do you have any advice to all the other hardworking people out there who are hesitant on starting a family because of their busy work schedules?
I was always career hungry, always advanced myself and always worked hard and pushed forward. But things change organically. You get into a relationship and that doesn’t always mean you stop focusing on your career but you find that there are more things in life you want to focus on as well. Your prioritizes change when you get older. At least mine did. But you realize that you have time to do it all. You can have a career, and a relationship, and if you want, a family too. Just find the person who respects what you want and things will just fall into place. You need the support and help and once you find that person it all just happens. All of a sudden I am an Executive, a Wife, and now a Mom. Who knew this was all going to happen the way it did? Not me. But I wouldn’t change any of it. I’m lucky I guess in that respect. Somehow it all works. But I definitely cant do it all alone.