Name: Trish Thomas
Location: Colorado
Company: Trish Thomas: Boldly Smart Solutions
Professional Industry: Consulting
Job Title: Business Owner
WIXII-ISM™ FROM TRISH THOMAS:
“That is always my primary goal in consulting and in life… helping people find what they love, grow into masters, and pursue perfection (and profits) with abandon.”
“My daughter, Lydia, has also said many times that watching me work hard for what I want and engage in a job I truly love has been healthier than having a miserable stay-at-home mom (which I would surely have been!).”
TRISH’S MINDSET AND WORK-LIFE MIX:
I am an eternal optimist but very pragmatic along the way. Negativity and worry are pointless. Even when bad things do happen you can seldom fix anything by fretting about it, and in fact often bring bad things on yourself through self-sabotage. But as much as I keep a sunny outlook, I’m also ruthless about productivity and results. In business, if something doesn’t make money it doesn’t make sense. And money comes from smart, productive people engaging 100% in work they love. That is always my primary goal in consulting and in life… helping people find what they love, grow into masters, and pursue perfection (and profits) with abandon.
I’m lucky to have a mellow, Hawaiian husband to balance out my long hours and sometimes frenetic energy. We have definitely worked together to cover parenting and household duties, so I believe that partnership and/or community is key to managing life’s inevitable craziness. Work-life balance is an elusive dream, and I truly think every turn we take in life does represent a choice… and we lose some things when we achieve others. I’ve worked a lot while Lydia was growing up, but when we are together we have fun, share deeply, and I am fully present. I know many friends who say they are with their families a lot, but because they never stop texts, emails, social media and calls they are distracted and no value is there. Lydia has also said many times that watching me work hard for what I want and engage in a job I truly love has been healthier than having a miserable stay-at-home mom (which I would surely have been!). Now she works with me in my business a few hours each week and comes with me on business trips, allowing her to see the world. Making time for myself is probably the biggest challenge, but I am so happy, loved and blessed that 20 extra pounds is a small cross to bear.
Describe a “day in your life” from waketime to bedtime:
I wake up around 6 am and have a few hours to relax with Will before hitting work. This is my time to water my garden, drink some tea, read, etc. I’m typically in meetings or working on projects 10 hours a day, but honestly meeting with many of my clients is more like play with old friends at this point – work may be a misnomer some days! My biggest personal challenge is not eating and drinking my way through each day from one meeting or happy hour to the next. I serve on 5 non-profit boards at this time and will be chairing the Denver/Boulder BBB Board and the Women’s Council at CU next year. So board meetings and committees do fill up a lot of time, but I love giving back to causes and the community. Weekends are usually quiet at home or spent with friends outdoors, at concerts, at ballgames, etc. I’m a simple person and have a very contented life.
How does your current mindset/attitude empower and/or frustrate your ability to thrive in your work-life mix? How has your mindset/attitude toward life changed over time?
I tend to get aggressive about making more money in spurts. So there is certainly negative impact on my rest and fun in waves, but I don’t immerse myself in work for months on end with no relief. I’ve learned over the years that I’m a project person and do best when I give 110% for a short time and then recharge. I’m sure I could make more money if I was willing to be a road-warrior or take on any project, but that’s not me. I work only with clients I like on projects that get my juices flowing. And I’ll always be an entrepreneur at heart, pursuing an occasional side project of my own (currently it’s partnership in a healthcare software company, ONE Healthcare Systems).
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