from girl boss to chill boss
10/29/25
recent work
from girl boss to chill boss
why Fridays are canceled at Brighten Made.
I’ve always been a big advocate for work/life “balance.” I say “balance” in quotes because, honestly, I’m not sure there’s such a thing as perfect balance — it’s more of a give-and-take depending on the season of life (and business) I’m in.
The early hustle years
Back when I was working in the corporate world, I had my full-time gig, a side hustle doing wedding stationery (which no longer exists), and was trying to build Brighten Made. To say I was working nearly every night, weekend, and over my lunch hour is an understatement.
I was addicted to the hustle — maybe even one of those “girl bosses” that 2025 holistic girlies roll their eyes at. But at the time, it was necessary. It’s what got me to the point where I could ever walk away from that steady paycheck. Thankfully, my corporate job had a great sense of work/life balance, something I always admired and took with me.
Wearing all the hats
When I finally left my job, I entered the early years of Brighten Made. Just me, no team, no backup. When I stopped, the business stopped. I was wearing every hat imaginable, figuring out my systems, refining my process, and honestly just trying to figure out what the heck I was doing.
The amount of hours I put in directly equaled the output and income, so naturally I fell into that work-all-the-time rhythm. I was newly married and had more free time than I realized back then, but those years built the foundation of what Brighten Made is today.
Building a better way
Once I started outsourcing and hiring, I knew I wanted to create a different kind of workplace — one where work/life balance wasn’t just a cute insta quote. I remembered the things I loved as an employee, and the things I definitely didn’t want to carry forward.
One of my favorite perks from my old job was summer Fridays — every Friday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, you could take the afternoon off (or stack two and take a full Friday off). It stuck with me because Fridays have always been my least productive day. By the time that afternoon rolls around, I’m running on fumes. I actually found myself preferring to work on Sunday evenings instead of Friday afternoons, and that’s when it clicked: I don’t have to follow corporate rules anymore.
Enter: Half-Day Fridays
When I hired my first full-time employees, I brought Summer Fridays to Brighten Made. We tried it for a summer and loved it. So we did it again the next year. After that, I thought… why not just do half-day Fridays year-round?
Evolving with life
After having my daughter, Navy, my desire to work Fridays at all pretty much vanished. My priorities shifted, and I wanted my team to have that same freedom.
Starting in 2026, we’re officially implementing a 4-day work week. As I bring a new baby into the mix, I want to give my employees the same flexibility I crave myself.
Have a sick kid? I get it. Need a day off just because? Totally fine. As long as the work gets done, that’s what matters.
The work we do is important, but at the end of the day — no one’s website is lying on an operating table.
