Have you and your partner ever struggled with negotiating financial success? Do you make time to find yourself beyond the work that you do? Why should you make the time to take a pause?

In this episode, I reconnect with my friend, Whitney Owens, a licensed professional counselor and group practice owner. We discuss the challenges of balancing work and family life during COVID-19 and the impact it had on our relationships. Whitney shares her experience of finding balance and realizing the importance of self-care. We also explore the lessons learned from entrepreneurship and the need to overcome work addiction. Whitney emphasizes the importance of teaching children to follow their dreams and pursue their passions. Overall, the conversation highlights the journey of personal and professional growth and the significance of finding joy and fulfillment in life.

Meet Whitney Owens

Whitney Owens is a licensed professional counselor, group practice owner, and faith-based private practice consultant. She is located in Savannah, Georgia, where she manages a private pay group practice with 10 plus clinicians. Along with running her practice, she consults practice owners around the country on how to start and grow a successful faith-based practice. She hosts summits, a weekly podcast, and a membership community for faith-based practice owners called Wise Practice. She has spoken at numerous events such as both the Georgia and Maryland annual professional counselors conferences as well as trainings for Florida’s Counseling Association. In 2023 she spoke at Meet You in Kentucky, which is for group practice owners, as well as hosted her own summit for faith-based practice owners in Savannah. In her free time, Whitney enjoys spending time with her husband and two girls, running, reading, and relaxing in the backyard.

Connect with Whitney on her website. Follow her on LinkedIn and listen to her podcast.

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Summary

• Balancing success in marriages
• Finding yourself beyond just work
• The power of pause

Balancing success in marriages

Something that is common for high-achieving women in marriages is navigating the success that they create alongside that of their husband’s, especially in a society that values the husband being the breadwinner.

If both partners don’t address this issue and discuss it to find their own solution, many arguments can occur and distance could be created.

It’s necessary for both people to have an honest and open discussion about how to support one another as individuals while working together to run their home and family.

For Whitney, there came a point in her marriage around COVID where her husband lost his job but she was bringing in the income, and it became a pain point for them.

Well my husband always told me how proud he was of me. And never, ever said, “This is not okay.” I think for me, I had to learn that his sadness and his situation was not a reflection of me, I had to get to a point where I could celebrate myself but also see that he was his own person, and that I can empathize, support, and love him, but also celebrate me. (Whitney Owens)

Finding yourself beyond just work

High-achieving women can do it all – but that doesn’t mean that they always have to, and that they get used to putting themselves last.

Every year, Whitney explains how she makes a commitment to work less, because as the year develops she picks up pace. However, she knows that slowing down intentionally can bring her valuable insight, and peace too.

I’ve got to get rebalanced. I’m Whitney Owens, I’m not just a group practice owner, I’m not just a consultant, I’m not just a mom, I’m who I am, and it’s okay to just be happy with who I am, doing nothing for a minute. (Whitney Owens)

You are an individual beneath all the activities, deadlines, meetings, commitments, and everything else.

Even though these aspects make up a part of who you are, they are not who you are at your core. You are still valuable without having to always create something of value.

The power of pause

It’s a tough pill to swallow, but being a high-achiever is addictive. It feels good to be the one in control, to handle everything, to constantly create something, and to be of service to others and to your ambition.

Sure, allow yourself to enjoy it and pursue your goals and dreams, of course! But if you stay too long in that way of living, you burn yourself out without ever really experiencing the life around you.

I can, when I get home from work, not work, you know? When it’s the weekend, not work! I’ve stopped that during Lent and I’m going to spend extra time in prayer, reading reflective books, going on a run, whatever it is that I need to do for me. Even though it’s only been a couple of days of doing this now I can already feel a difference in myself. (Whitney Owens)

Useful Links:

• Join EMPOWER X – Click here to apply
• Take the Marriage Predictor quiz!
• Follow me on Instagram
• Whitney’s Website: https://www.wisepracticeconsulting.com/
• Whitney’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-owens-85376a27/
• Whitney’s Podcast: https://www.wisepracticeconsulting.com/wise-practice-podcast
• Whitney’s Email: whitney@whitneyowens.com

Meet Veronica Cisneros

Hello, my name is Veronica Cisneros, I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Marriage Coach, Course Creator, Retreat Host, Mother of 3, married for 23 years, host of the Empowered and Unapologetic podcast, and owner of a group private practice called Outside The Norm Counseling.

A lot of couples struggle with setting aside intentional time to connect and communicate. They yearn for meaningful conversations that don’t lead to arguments.

1 month away from divorce, I realized I had to do something different. For years I had compromised myself to meet the needs of my husband and my child, I lost myself and was about to lose my marriage. After years of personal growth and self-reflection, I not only reclaimed my identity, and celebrated 23 years of marriage but also helped hundreds of couples transform their marriage from feeling like roommates to experiencing a deeper love.

I am on a mission to help couples reignite the fire by providing them with the skills to have the relationship they deserve.

Whether you listen to the podcast, join the free Facebook community, or do the Workshop,  you’re in the right place. Let’s do this together!

Thanks for listening!

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