In 2010, I was working in the corporate world and finding myself torn between loyalty to my family and loyalty to my company. I began working for this company as a single, 22 year old guy, but I quickly found that marriage life wasn’t exactly compatible with the workaholic culture of the company I worked for. After my wife and I had our daughter, the strain became unbearable. My boss would chastise me for leaving the office at 5pm when others stayed to 6:30. The long commute was taking a toll on my energy and ability to focus on my family while at home. I began to dream that one day I would be able to use my talents for marketing and growing a business in way that allowed me to put my family first.

Fast forward to 2012 when my company, HomeLife Media, launched as a single Facebook page called “I LOVE DOGS”. Inspired by my rescue dog Splash, our community quickly grew to hundreds and thousands of fans. Before long, we had a thriving business, and our team began to grow by leaps and bounds. Along the way, we strived to create a work culture that revolves around the commitments we have to our families. We don’t have office hours, or exact work schedules. In some ways, that makes working together more challenging. The goal however, is to allow maximum flexibility and freedom in our personal lives.

Even as I type this, my two year old son is pulling at my leg, begging for me to come play with him (I obliged, of course). Is this the most productive work environment? Of course not. But it’s the most important one.

The ultimate employee benefits are things we all crave, our family and our freedom. It’s not the quantity of the work we do that matters, it’s the quality. It’s not how long we work, it’s what impact we bring. My goal is for HomeLife Media to enable our employees to put first things first in their lives. Because when all is said and done, its not work life that matters… it’s HomeLife.

“No amount of success at work can make up for failure in the home.”