Is Working Weekends Worth It? Self-Made Millionaires Weigh In

We asked six self-made millionaires and Advisors in The Oracles whether they think working on weekends is the secret to success:

“As a leader, you must have a clear sense of priorities and an ability to say no to things. My key priorities are family and work. For work, at any given time, I have a list of three things that I am working on that add real value for our customers, team members, and shareholders.

I have three kids ages 16, 14 and 12. Since I travel during the week, I don’t go out when I am home in Washington, D.C. I dedicate the weekends to my family, and we have a family dinner together every Friday night.

I believe our choices become our actions, our actions become our habits, and our habits become our character. I also believe that how you spend your time says everything about what’s important to you.”

—Marla Beck, cofounder and CEO of Bluemercury, which was acquired by Macy’s for $210 million; creator of M-61 Skincare and Lune+Aster cosmetics

“Work-life balance is a myth. I don’t switch on and off between work and life; it all happens simultaneously. I don’t actively pursue working more or less. I work whatever amount of time is needed and take off whatever amount of time is needed.

I get to see my wife all the time because she’s part of the company. I do take vacations, but I rarely unplug completely. This requires bringing joy to everything, whether it’s work or play, and being highly effective — not busy for the sake of being busy.

For example, I’ve created a life where I don’t have to commute so I don’t waste time in the car. And I’m always accessible for those who rely on me, whether my wife wants us to take a day off together or my team needs me while I’m on vacation.”

—Patch Baker, founder and CEO of Mobius Media Solutions; former U.S. Marine, with a mission to help people leave the military today and not feel abandoned tomorrow

“When you own a business, you have to make your customers’ needs a priority. There is no such thing as a day off, especially in real estate. Not working on the weekend is simply not an option, because that’s when most people are looking for a new home. Being successful in real estate requires operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

To be successful in any business, you must be accessible, approachable, and customer-service oriented. Before the end of each day, I make a point to respond to emails and social media messages. Whether I’m answering questions or sharing a kind word, it’s all about building and maintaining relationships.

Real estate in particular is predicated on connections, whether they’re personal or business, digital or in-person. So even if I’m not working with a client or taking care of a business need, I’m always creating and building relationships through networking.”

—Dottie Herman, CEO of Douglas Elliman, a real estate brokerage empire with more than $27 billion in annual sales; connect with Dottie on Facebook and Instagram

“Differentiating between the week and the weekend is part of the problem with this conversation.

While we can certainly delineate between when it’s time to work and when it isn’t, the actual concept of work has changed a lot since those parameters became commonplace. Finding work-life balance isn’t just about separating the week from the weekend; rather it’s about finding a balance that speaks to the way you work.

For me, that means the weekend isn’t off limits. But to counterbalance that, I know that I don’t have to work all 40 hours of a traditional workweek. My life is very fluid, with a combination of getting it done when it needs to get done and powering off when I’m off.

So while Sunday morning is a prime time for me to catch up on emails, on Friday afternoons you’ll find me hiking in Colorado this summer.”

—Dennis Najjar, cofounder of AccountingDepartment.com, a virtual accounting service for small businesses; connect with Dennis on LinkedIn

“Entrepreneurs can build businesses that either serve or enslave them. When I was getting started, I let my companies run me ragged. It’s easy to become a ‘human doing’; but setting boundaries, whether it be around weekends, mornings, or evenings, gives you the space to be a human being. For me, that was the key.

Now I delegate urgent tasks like customer service and sales so I can focus on big-picture business development. Set expectations about how quickly you will reply to emails, and don’t have your work email on your phone. Establish a hard stop time when you leave the office every day. It helps to coordinate your schedule with your spouse, if you have one.

Finally, turn off your phone a few hours before bed for quiet time where your only focus is family, personal development, and white space. If you find yourself running out of time in the day, audit your tasks to identify busy work that shouldn’t be on your plate.”

—Ryan Dossey, real estate broker and investor who owns more than 125 rental units across the Midwest; founder of Call Porter and Ballpoint Marketing, and partner at Stewardship Properties

“As a committed husband and father of three young children who values personal time, I generally reserve evenings and weekends for my family.

I focus and work diligently on weekdays so I can be fully present and enjoy activities with them. At the same time, work is an integrated part of my life. It’s my mission and playground. I love what I do, and would still do it if I won the lottery tomorrow. So I’ve involved my family in our purpose and what we’re working toward.

That way, if I do need to check emails, take calls, travel or work in the evenings or on weekends, it’s not a big deal. I just have to be intentional, plan ahead and openly communicate in advance to set expectations.

So many people think about their family while they’re at work and think about work while they’re with their family. Wherever you are, be there fully.”

—Tom Shieh, CEO of Crimcheck; advisory board member to Defy Ventures; advisor to Tiny Devotions; connect with Tom on Facebook