Lisa Hannah
I used to work insane hours and even have the sad history of cancelling my honeymoon to Italy due to a "very important sales meeting". I was in high tech marketing for several years post-MBA (1997-2000). In 4 years, I had 4 jobs, including one w/ Enron's Broadband unit. Everything came to a halt when the board shut down the early stage start-up I had joined.
After staying home with my first child for a few years, I was extremely eager to get back into the fray again and eventually found a great job at a start-up that had just received its first infusion on VC money. I was immediately back into the routine of working long days, but this time it was exhausting with 2 kids in full-time care and a husband who traveled a lot.
The turning point though was seeing changes in the company at the management level that made the balancing act no longer worth it. I was willing to knock myself out for a cause I believed in, and people I could trust. When that started to change, I made the difficult decison to resign.
Since that decision 3 years ago next month, it has taken me a while to realize that it is OK not to work all the time, and that my career does not define who I am. I have several friends who work extremely hard and have built successful careers and I have friends who have been home full-time working very hard to raise their kids. I seem to be in the middle.
While not a workaholic anymore, I have found enough marketing consulting work to keep me in the game, but still give me time to develop new interests, be a more relaxed Mom for my kids and volunteer. I look back at the way I used to be and I have a hard time recognizing myself! I have finally learned that there will always be an "important sales" meeting.
Lisa Hannah