You are very much like us, GLAD WORKS friends. You have a business to run. You have a life outside of your business to run. You may even have a couple of kids or Chihuahuas to take care of. Maybe, if you’re like Gina, you throw in some sports training here and there just to keep things interesting and…nuts. Lots of people ask us how Gina manages to run her successful business while at the same time training hardcore for athletic competitions. Well?  She applies what keeps her in good condition at the gym to her professional life. Wanna hear about it?  Here’s how it goes…

The busy life of Gina

As you all know, Gina is our Founder, Principal and Creative Director at GLAD WORKS. She started this business when she was but a wee girl in college doing freelance work on the side so she could buy herself such luxuries as a working computer and heat. Fast forward to today and she’s still a total bada** in charge of all us kids who make up her creative team. In addition to the rigors of having a professional schedule so packed that she has to specifically set aside time to eat or she’ll forget, she manages to be an excellent mama to two Chihuahuas named Bella and Dolce and a doting wife to one Mr. Adam Harvey. She participates as a board member for many different non-profits, and she attends lots of networking functions.

Oh yeah, and she’s a triathlete.

How does she manage all of this without tapping out her energy? 

Turns out, some of the same things that make her a great triathlete, also make her a successful entrepreneur.  

Cross-training

When an athlete cross-trains, it means that they switch activities to avoid burning out or getting hurt doing the same old exercises over and over again. This is why Gina chooses to do a triathlon instead of a marathon, a bike race or a long swim competition thingy (what are those called, anyway?). By switching it up and spreading her training across three types of exercise, she keeps herself fresh, strong and fit in many different ways. This is exactly how she handles her professional life as well. While it may seem a bit chaotic to switch from meeting with a client about creating a marketing plan, immediately leaving to go design a logo for someone else, and then taking a conference call about scripting a video, she’s constantly changing her activity. It keeps her mind nimble so she never has a chance to get bored doing anything.

Interval training

Athletes who do interval training alternate between high-intensity exercise with periods of rest. Clearly, if Gina were to work as hard as she does ALL the time whether she were at work or at the gym, she would definitely burn out. This is what her athletic training does for her. She works with her mind during the day while her body rests. After work, she hits the gym and works her body while her mind gets to take a breather (quite literally, actually). Her life has built in intervals that help the different parts of her get the rest they need.

By switching activities frequently and giving herself time to rest, Gina manages to avoid professional burnout and keep rockin’ it hardcore!