Let’s go ahead and say the quiet part out loud.
“Having it all” is one of the most beautifully packaged lies we’ve ever been sold.
Women are told that if we just wake up earlier, color-code the calendar, optimize the meal prep, and drink enough green juice, we can seamlessly balance building a business, raising humans, maintaining friendships, staying fit, and somehow also “resting.”
Adorable.
If there’s one universal truth the women of SheBoss want you to hear this International Women’s Month, it’s this:
Perfect balance is a myth.
Power comes from boundaries.
And sometimes the boldest move is the pause.
The Myth of Balance
When asked how she balances running a business development firm and raising four children, former military pilot PeggyLee Wright answered plainly:
“There is no balance.”
No productivity hack.
No magic system.
Just honesty.
Some days, her kids get 100%. Other days, the business does.
And that reality – when accepted – removes the guilt that quietly erodes so many high-performing women. You are not failing because you cannot be everything at all times. You are human.
Jenny Ross, CEO of Birch and Bell, felt this tension deeply during her time as a teacher. She poured 100% into her students, came home with 50% for her daughter, and had exactly zero left for herself.
That math wasn’t sustainable.
So she made a shift. Entrepreneurship wasn’t just about income – it was about energy allocation. About deciding where her 100% went.
Because “having it all” isn’t about doing everything.
It’s about choosing what matters in the season you’re in.
Boundaries: Not Harsh. Necessary.
The women of SheBoss don’t survive chaos by multitasking harder.
They build guardrails.
Erica DeSpain, founder of All Things Madison, learned quickly that working from home does not equal unlimited flexibility. To protect both her creativity and her family, she instituted firm work hours: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
And between 8:00 and 10:00? That’s sacred.
That’s when her brain fires on all cylinders. So she guards it like a hawk.
Ana Lewis, founder of Native or Not, learned the art of compartmentalization. When she’s making lunches for her daughters, she is not half-texting about inventory. She is present.
Not perfectly. Intentionally.
Business coach Dana Stone pushes women to get serious about delegation – because white-knuckling everything is not a badge of honor.
And Toni Eberhart? She calls it like it is: outsource the chores. Hire the help. Buy back your time. The dishes will not write your legacy.
Let’s normalize this:
You are not weak for needing support.
You are wise for building it in.
The Power of the Pause
Now here’s the part no one glamorizes.
The step back.
Sonia Robinson was navigating a severe breast cancer diagnosis while serving as a corporate executive. Dealing with chemobrain, she made a decision most leaders would avoid at all costs – she accepted a title demotion and a salary reduction.
Then she did something even braver.
She paused.
She traded in her luxury Lexus for a 1977 Ford F100. She stabilized her finances. She worked with an executive coach. She redefined her non-negotiables.
Her mantra?
“Stillness is sometimes the strategy.”
Let that land. (She’s so passionate about this concept that she actually wrote a book on it)
In a culture that worships acceleration, she chose intention.
And here’s the insight: stepping back wasn’t selfish. It was responsible. Leaders who never pause eventually break. Leaders who pause recalibrate.
Jque Ellis practices this kind of self-leadership daily. She wakes early to pray and examine her own character – making sure she isn’t becoming a drain on the people she leads.
Rachel Sullivan, founder of Solid Ground Counseling, reminds us that mental health is not a crisis tool – it’s preventative maintenance. Waiting until burnout forces a pause is far more expensive than building margin on purpose.
So What Does “Having It All” Actually Mean?
Maybe it doesn’t mean balance.
Maybe it means clarity.
Clarity about:
- What season you’re in
- What deserves your energy
- What can wait
- What must go
- And when your body, your mind, or your family needs you to slow down
The women of SheBoss aren’t chasing equilibrium.
They’re choosing alignment.
They are ruthless about what matters.
Unapologetic about boundaries.
And increasingly comfortable with the pause.
Here’s the Reframe
You don’t need to master balance.
You need to master discernment.
Some days the business wins.
Some days the kids win.
Some seasons you win by simply staying upright.
And sometimes, the strongest move you can make is to step back, breathe, and adjust the plan.
Because power isn’t found in doing more.
It’s found in knowing when to stop.
SheBoss exists to spotlight women who are building boldly – not perfectly.
If you’ve been quietly carrying the pressure to “have it all,” consider this your permission slip.
You don’t need more hours.
You need better boundaries.
And maybe – just maybe – a well-timed pause.
And if that feels radical?
Good.
That’s usually where real leadership begins.
