Welcome to THE BALANCE PROJECT: a series of relevant and refreshingly candid interviews featuring inspiring and accomplished women talking about work-life balance. I’ve always been curious about how women I admire manage the tragically glorified “doing it all” craze. So I asked them. As I suspected, no one really does “it all.” Everyone’s making sacrifices somewhere. And that should make us all feel a little better. I hope the conversation will be steered toward that reality rather than toward the flawed and dangerous assumption that we should try—or even want to try—to perfectly do “it all.”
By the way, looking for THE BALANCE PROJECT novel that was inspired by these interviews? It’s here.
No. 163: Julie Moran, TV Host
Age: 54
Where I live: Atlanta, GA
Job: Host of Lifetime Network’s morning show The Balancing Act
Kids: Two daughters: Makayla, 12, and Maiya, 16
Have you changed jobs or adjusted anything in your career to have more balance?
At a very pivotal time in my life I decided to leave Entertainment Tonight after 10 years. I had suffered two miscarriages in a row, and at the pace that I was going, I felt like Maiya might be my only child. Nine months after leaving, I was pregnant with Makayla and had her at 41. My miracle.
Do you think having “it all” is realistic or impossible and why?
Maria Shriver gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever received…You CAN have it all, just not all at the same time. When I am with my family I try to shut my work mode off completely. When I am on a date with my husband, I really disconnect with my work and my kids, unless of course there is any emergency with the girls. When I am at work I am 100% all in.
What part of “balance” can you just not seem to figure out?
I tend to work hard and play hard. On my down time I want to relax more and plan less!!!
What part of “balance” are you getting better at?
Trying to be more easy-going, relaxed, and chill. Trying to enjoy the moment and not think about the next moment!
Do you have a favorite time management tool, hack, or other strategy you use that helps you achieve balance that you would recommend to others?
Dinner time is sacred! We sit down together at night, we rehash the day, we just enjoy each other as a family. Many nights we do a family devotional. I am loving the book we are reading now called Fuel.
What’s the best advice you ever heard on balance?
From a mentor-co-worker? “You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life.”
From your mother? “Nothing matters after you are gone except the people you loved, the people that loved you, and the times you spent together.”
From your spouse/partner? “The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.”
From your kids? “Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.”
If you had one extra hour in each day and you couldn’t work or be with your family, how would you spend that hour?
Reading.
What do you wish you’d known when you were 20?
Don’t rush… it all comes together in due time.
What do you hope to know by the time you’re 60?
There is no one I need to try to impress.
What one part of your home life do you wish you could outsource?
Helping my girls with math and science homework!
Whose job do you wish you had?
Diane Sawyer’s.
Whose job are you glad you don’t have?
Diane Sawyer’s.
Favorite books?
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.
What are you reading right now?
Fuel: Devotions to Ignite the Faith of Parents and Teens by Joe White and Sea Glass by Anita Shreve.
Biggest vices?
Activity? Agave tequila.
Food? Great bread.
Website? Amazon Prime.
How many hours do you generally sleep at night during the week?
8.
What do you read every morning?
A Bible devotional.
Do you have a personal motto or favorite saying?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
About Julie:
From the Red Carpet at the Academy Awards to the Grammy’s to the world of sports, Julie is no stranger to the entertainment world. Born in Thomasville, GA, some of her career highlights include:
- Graduated with a Journalism degree from the University of Georgia
- Won the title of America’s Junior Miss
- First female anchor to join ABC’s “Wide World of Sports”
- “Entertainment Tonight’s” primary substitute anchor, weekend anchor, and senior correspondent Host for 7 years
- Creator, Producer and Host of “The Insiders List with Julie Moran” on fine Living Network
Julie, her husband actor Rob Moran, and their two daughters live in Atlanta.
Find out more about Julie:
Twitter: @realjuliemoran
Facebook: OfficialJulieMoran
Instagram: itsmejuliemoran
WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT WORK-LIFE BALANCE? CHECK OUT MY NOVEL THE BALANCE PROJECT!
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