Work-Life Balance – The First Article of Many On This Topic

Originally Posted May 1, 2012 on the Engraving Amore Blog

This past weekend, Andrea and I took our first business trip.  Since we’re planning on including a lot of photography work into our products, we went to one of the most beautiful places we know, Jim Thorpe, PA, to take pictures of the scenery and various landmarks in this historic Victorian town.  In addition to providing us with an endless landscape of material for our camera, this town also holds a special place for us as a couple.  We often take the opportunity to “escape” for a day or two, staying at a bed and breakfast in town and learn about the local history.  In fact, Yahoo Travel has listed Jim Thorpe as one of the top 10 places to enjoy the fall.  Rightfully so, if you ask me.

The best part of this past weekend was that we could incorporate working on our new business with some always-needed relaxation time.  We stayed at a new bed and breakfast (new for us, anyway), The Gilded Cupid, where owners Sheila and Bob willingly shared their extensive knowledge of town history as well as provided a wealth of knowledge and advice in starting a new business.  Their home has as much historic value as anything else in Jim Thorpe, and it also provided many great photo opportunities for us.  And Sheila’s Sunday breakfast was one of the best I’ve ever had on vacation.  Saturday night’s dinner at the eclectic Wheel Restaurant also provided us with the quality and originality we’ve come to expect as regulars.

Jim Thorpe offered us countless locations around town to take pictures, from waterfalls to 19^th-century architecture to the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway.  The town also offers a lot of adventurous activities, including white water rafting, bike trails, Skirmish Paintball and everything else you would associate with the Pocono Mountains.  A hike along the Switchback Trail gave us the opportunity to take pictures and talk about business plans while also letting us just relax as a couple.  A late Sunday afternoon visit to the Libations Lounge at the Harry Packer Mansion also gave us the chance to squeeze in a few extra minutes of relaxation before returning to the real world. What is most important about this trip is that we could divide our time between working on our business and spending time together as a couple.  Andrea and I may have an advantage because we are starting our business together, but it is always important to involve family in your business.  Talking about your plans, bouncing ideas off of each other, and letting them know what you’re up to is all part of the normal communication families need.  And if you have the chance, bring your spouse or significant other on a business trip.  Instead of letting business pull you away from each other, find ways to have it bring you together.  Our trip left us with over a thousand pictures to get us started, a lot of new ideas for our fledgling business, and most importantly, a few more great memories that keep our relationship growing.