David Hauser is an American entrepreneur, speaker, and angel investor, best known for co-founding the Grasshopper Group, a virtual telephone service that was acquired by Citrix Systems for $170 million in 2015. He is also a founding member of the National Entrepreneurs’ Day and has co-founded several tech companies, including Grasshopper, Chargify, Spreadable, PopSurvey, and Deck Foundry.

In this episode, David Hauser and Larry Hagner discuss the concept of work-life balance and challenge its validity. They argue that balance is elusive and can prevent us from fully engaging in both work and personal life. Instead, they advocate for integration, finding ways to include family and personal responsibilities into our professional pursuits. They also explore the history of the term “work-life balance” and its connection to the increase of women in the workforce.

David Hauser then argues that constantly striving for balance can be detrimental, as it consumes valuable time and energy. Instead of constantly thinking about how to allocate time between different areas of life, he suggests integrating family and personal commitments into daily activities.

The origins of the term “work-life balance” are also briefly discussed, with David Hauser suggesting that it emerged in the 70s or 80s when more women entered the workforce. The term was created to address the challenge of balancing work responsibilities with the role of being a mother. 

However, the concept of balance itself is questioned, as it implies a trade-off between work and personal life, which may not be the most effective approach. By integrating work and family life, parents can demonstrate the importance of dedication, perseverance, and delayed gratification to their children.

Larry’s Takeaways

1. Integrate work and family life.
2. Embrace failure and create experiences.
3. Prioritize experiences over material possessions. 

What You’ll Learn

00:00:15 Integration over work-life balance.

00:14:29 Allow failure, prioritize experiences.

00:20:40 Different households, unique experiences.

00:29:19 Start early, embrace challenges.

00:34:44 Entrepreneurship cannot be trained.

00:40:51 Importance of healthy relationships

00:43:23 Core values drive successful relationships.

00:49:37 Creating independent kids is important.

00:56:49 Parenting: Celebrate failure, motivate individually.

00:58:32 Importance of failure and reflection.

01:03:15 Talk about real important things.

Links

www.davidhauser.com

www.linkedin.com/in/davidhauser

www.instagram.com/dhauser

www.twitter.com/dh

www.facebook.com/dh.dhauser

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