You have an impressive career and a big job. You are also a mom of two, and a volunteer who gives back to support organizations near and dear to your heart (like Big Brothers Big Sisters Toronto, CARAS and MusiCounts, and more). How do you decide where to spend your time and energy? What does work-life balance mean to you?

I’ll start by saying balance doesn’t mean 50/50 to me. Balance is whatever works for YOU, it is a personal choice, and it changes over time. 
For me: My kids are my #1 priority – when they need me, I’m there – and when they don’t, they are just fine. When something is important to them, I find a way to be there. They know I will drop everything for them, and they also know I have a career that’s important to me. They love that.  I believe my boys would say I have always been there for them. They also see the value and payoff of working hard at something you love. Actions speak louder than words.

Some practical thought-starters I’ve found helpful in navigating my work-life balance:

There are 24 hours in a day…how do you want to spend them? Life is just math – and it is up to each of us to figure out how we want to carve up our time.  Carve out your days: I have had success over the years chunking my days into parts, based on my current life and work state.

When the kids were little, I thought about my days like this:
1. I get up early for “me time” (workout, read, think)
2. Breakfast with the kids 
3. The workday – in the office 
4. Home for dinner and family time 
5. Events or work online in the evening 

Before I had kids, I carved up my #2 and #4 "chunks” in a different way, and now that my boys are older, those sections have changed once again. Outside of work, the one constant that has never changed is my morning workout – unless I'm sick, you’ll find me exercising five mornings a week to keep my mental and physical health in check. I have strong opinions on this topic if you ever want to chat about it!
Tell people what you’re doing: Before I had kids, I’d be in the office (radio station) late (I liked it there!). After I had kids, working with my boss, I established that I would leave at 4:30 p.m. every day to get home for dinner and finish up my work online or head out to a show/event after they went to bed. He gave me this advice: “Tell people so they know what you’re doing.” It was one of the best pieces of counsel I’ve ever received. It got to the point that if I was in a meeting at 4:35, they’d shut the meeting down so I could get home. It can be hard to take that leap – for lots of reasons, not least of which, as individuals, we have so many insecurities – but if you tell people what you’re doing, they will help you, which leads to my last point...

Ask for help: No one gets anywhere in life or business without having people they trust help them. Find your people – your network - and let them help you. Then pay it forward! 

How have you (and how do you) think about career growth, especially when it means adding responsibilities and priorities at work and at home – professionally and personally? Is it sustainable – especially for women - to simultaneously advance a career in music while caring for family and pursuing personal passions and priorities?

Yes! 100%! And, not only in music, in whatever you choose. It comes down to defining what you want, being realistic and honest with yourself about what that means and prioritizing accordingly.
Not all jobs come with standard office hours. Some careers require more time above and beyond a traditional 35-hour workweek.  

If you choose a job that is going to need more of your time or requires you after hours or on the weekend, you need to decide if that’s what you want – if you don’t, you should find something that better suits what you’re looking for. And if you do, you need to think about how you will prioritize family time, along with anything else that’s important to you.

How have your work-life priorities changed over the course of your career? Did your work-life priorities change after having a family?

I have learned that I can do two things well – and not much more. Early on I could balance long hours at work and an awesome social life.  When I had kids, I shifted to prioritizing family and career. Everything else, including my social life, took a backseat. If I wasn’t with my kids or my husband or my parents, I was working. And I LOVE what I do, so I use the word “work” loosely. 

I was also able to brainwash my boys into being baseball fans (my huge passion), so we could combine trips to ball games and various ballparks as family time. As they got older, we did lots of interesting vacations, which fuelled my travel passion.
Sometimes people change their priorities after they have kids. I’ve seen parents who said they’d be back after two months never go back to work, and others who have come back early. How you prioritize your life is up to you!

If you could leave us with one piece of advice about work-life balance and prioritization – what would it be?
 
I love to live by the expression “time and a place”… meaning - there’s a time and a place for everything. 
You can change your priorities and focus whenever you want, and you will. Life changes drastically over time – from spending most of my time in clubs (lol) to parenting a two-month-old to a two-year-old to a 20-year-old. Trust me, things need to be fluid!
 I also guarantee that some days, you’ll feel like you are nailing it and other days you’ll feel like a disaster. And that’s okay. There is no perfect solution, so be kind to yourself and cut yourself a break. Shut that nasty inner voice down that tells you, you aren’t (strong, smart, young, experienced, etc. etc.) enough – because you are! I know you are and I am here to tell you so!!