Running Your Life: Maintaining work life balance while

maintaining a career in Tech

Christi J OlsonSr. Marketing Manager, Expedia

Ultra Marathon Runner

Who are you? … Why are you up on stage?

Paid & Organic SearchComparison ShoppingAnalytics

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Balancing passions & career…

In today’s connected world can you have it all? Work. Life. Balancing somewhere in

between? @christijolson

The Balancing Act

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How much does it weigh?@christijolson

Chart your course. Define your path.

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“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single

step.” ― Lao Tzu

Set 2-3 Personal & Professional Goals

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Personal Goals• Become a Mother• Run 50 miles• 50 Races by 50

Professional Goals• Work at Microsoft• Find something I’m

passionate about and do it!• Director by 40• Give back thru volunteering

Take small steps and break them apart…

This collection of small goals, all completed in the direction of one great big goal, helps you to create an incredibly powerful snowball effect.

Taking action is better than taking no action.

Focus on what’s important. If you don’t know, ASK!

Go from tactical to finding ways improve/enhance/create processes.Ask for opportunities. Ask for help.

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Individual Contributors aka Employees

Have regular 1:1’s and you set the agenda

Status UpdateRoad Blocks (if any)

Performance & Career Focus

Listen.What is important to your employees?

Are you giving them opportunities to succeed (and fail?)

Remove roadblocks that stand in the way of your employees being successful.

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Managers

Proactively.How to deal with someone you’ve made angry: http://bit.ly/hbr-anger

Listen.

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RescueTime.comTrackTime.com

How are you spending your time?

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SelfControl: http://bit.ly/self-ctrl

StayFocusd, AntiSocial, Freedom

Technology to keep you focused:

Own your calendar. Be disciplined.

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Block time for getting projects done.15-30 minute meetings

Know when to say “Yes” vs “No”Create time for what’s important to you.

Or just get a Windows Phone and sync all your email & calendars directly on your phone…

Prioritize what’s important to you, put it on your calendar.

• Set-up Rules & Folders• It’s okay to archive and delete• Declutter your inbox: Sanebox, Boomerang,

GmailMeter

Auto Responders?

@christijolsonhttp://moz.com/rand/making-email-more-scalable/

Technology can help guide you, but only you can run your life. @christijolson

Going back to the original question…

“You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty

yesterdays.” — The Music Man

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