An Interview with Damon Gersh on Mastering Work-Life Integration

Originally posted November 15, 2021

Damon Gersh co-founded Maxons Restoration, Inc. with his dad. He won the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and successfully ran Maxons as Manhattan's premier restoration firm, for decades. In 2021, he sold the company to First Onsite. I've had the privilege of Damon's friendship and being his coach for the past two decades.

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Rich: Damon Gersh, Of all the CEOs I've worked with, you have a better handle on and understanding of work-life balance than anyone else. Why do you think work-life balance is the wrong label?

Damon: Sure, Rich. It's more about life integration. When you say work-life balance, one takes away from the other. I try to have it all and make it fit together as a part of my life.

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It's all rooted in an outlook on life, an existential outlook about your life. You're an entrepreneur, but that's not the total sum that defines you. You're a human being who chooses to pursue entrepreneurship professionally.?

So entrepreneurship and business are just one piece of what it means to be a human being. Putting it together and having a well-rounded or complete life fulfills all the areas. Whether it's a business, family, friends, personal passions and interests, or physical activity, all those things together make a complete life, and entrepreneurship is just a part of that.

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Rich: How do you determine where to put your time and energy?

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Damon: It all starts with taking a step back and clarifying what's important. I've done an exercise where you create a pie chart of where you spend your time right now and then another chart of where you would ideally like to spend your time.?

I've done this with many entrepreneurs, and many of those two circles don't align. I organize my schedule, which puts me in a position to do things that align with my priorities and do what I want.

I proactively created my schedule to put myself in a position to do what I want.

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Rich: Anna Chow has been your superb executive assistant for about 15 years. How does she help you manage your time and priorities??

Damon: First and foremost, Anna is committed to my success, and obviously, I'm committed to hers, so it's a mutual partnership. The other thing is being very clear on my priorities and ensuring she understands them.?

It's not just about being my assistant in my professional life; I want my schedule to reflect my total priorities. She supports me in all areas and is empowered to say no to things and people that don't align with my priorities, which is very important because she controls my schedule.

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Rich: You have so much energy, and there's so much you can take on. What do you consider to be the source of your energy??

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Damon: The choices I make regarding how I spend my time. I do things aligned with my purpose, priorities, and passion to feed that energy, not draw from it.?

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The main thing is to be clear about my purpose and my unique ability. Working with other people in close relationships to create extraordinary experiences is a unifying theme for me.?

My actions align with that purpose, whether in my business, community organization, Y.P.O. forum groups, industry association, softball team, or band.?

Anna and I create my schedule so I know what my next two weeks look like, and I know that I have time reserved to spend time with my family and get unplugged from email, phone calls, and busyness.?

It allows me to be fully present at work and not feel like I'm detracting from some other area. I know that I've allocated the time coming up, and that allows me to be with my band without worrying about what's happening at work.

When I'm with my family, I'm fully present. It allows me to live in the moment, gives me energy, and makes me feel on purpose.

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Next week's Friday's Best of Food For Thought continues my interview with Damon with a focus on Leadership.

Have a great weekend, and make the best of every precious moment.

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