Musings from a Co-CEO ///
In truth, I had never asked myself that question. But this past summer, when I heard about a teen’s Samsung melting in her bed while she slept, I got to thinking: When is 24/7 accessibility one (or eight) hours too many?
If you’re the company’s sole ops client contact (or, really, any service provider), you do often sleep with your phone in one hand and your laptop in the other. You could forgo it for counting sheep and a solid bit of R.E.M.—but you can bet your business bottom dollar that your competition still has one eye wide open.
Of course I’m not immune to the quest for work-life balance. I know that the moments with my wife, son and baby daughter are undoubtedly the richest and most rewarding of my day. But I’d be lying if I said that I don’t also relish being a hero for a panicked client, put through the wringer by a lesser agency and in need of saving, no matter the time of night.
I’m not the only one who thrives on the process. I know plenty of you who sometimes wake up simultaneously spent and satisfied. Yearning for a few more hours of shut-eye, but elated by a late-night win that went exactly as planned because you were available. The way I see it, I won’t be in this hot-seat forever. This time in my life is transient and I’m out to enjoy the ride while it burns.
And so, I’ll keep doing what I love, settling down on a flame-resistant pillowcase for another night in paradise.
Note: That melting phone is a true story, folks. Read it here.
