The following is part 4 of my 8 part series on entrepreneurs and their attempts at work-life balance.

Rory and Sandra have a hard time advancing their publishing business. It may have something to do with the fact that they’re headquartered on their sailboat, the Pacific Voyager. It’s not rare to find the two anchored miles away from cell phone or e-mail range. They’re obviously enjoying a great lifestyle but at the same time they’re limiting their company’s growth.

The Burkes introduce an interesting variable into the work-life equation: they’re Kiwis. It’s not uncommon for New Zealand business owners to achieve “work-life balance.” What is rare, though, is an attempt by those same business owners to grow and expand their businesses. The Burke’s have acknowledged this fact and would much rather maintain the status quo: “We try to strike the balance between income, possessions, the time we work, and where we work.” For them that means keeping their business small, employee-less and the same it’s always been.

The Burke’s aren’t alone. Those New Zealand families that maintain an income equivalent to $70,000 in the U.S. are considered to have reached “the pinnacle of economic achievement” (McGinn, 2005, 21). In other words, the entrepreneurs in New Zealand achieve low-stress and low-income lifestyles. This means that those factors that contribute to a fast-paced (American) lifestyle are the same that create fast-growing, highly successful companies.

New Zealand used to enjoy a nationalized economy meaning employees had little motivation to work harder. It’s not easy trying to get everyone to understand that working harder is, put simply, more practical. Then again, the Kiwis may not believe in capitalism’s notion that “he who works the most tends to win” (McGinn, 2005, 22).

We despise the growth mania that we hear Americans talk about, the compulsion… Here it’s “More customers? That’s a bother.” –Howard Frederick

So, which lifestyle is better? Unfortunately this paper can’t even begin to explore this philosophical question. The simplest answer is: the best lifestyle is the one you want to live. Rory and Sandra have achieved theirs by establishing a stable business and a comfortable lifestyle. This provides them the opportunities to travel and enjoy their lives in any way they please.

Series: Background, Steve Pavlina, Jeremy Wright, Rory and Sandra Burke, Angie Chang, Shivani Sopory, Conclusions, Final Thoughts
[tags]entrepreneurship, new zealand, sailboat, lifestyle, publishing[/tags]

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