Key Takeaways
- Nicole Bernard Dawes encourages employees to unplug from work while admitting she struggles to disconnect herself
- The two-time founder believes employees “didn’t sign up to be entrepreneurs” and deserve work-life balance
- Her companies include Late July (sold for $100M) and Nixie, which raised $27M in early 2025
Amid ongoing debates about work hours, including Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy’s 72-hour workweek comments, successful entrepreneur Nicole Bernard Dawes champions a different approach: encouraging employees to maintain work-life balance.
In a Fortune interview, Dawes explained that while she personally struggles to disconnect from work, she actively promotes balance for her team. “They didn’t sign up to be entrepreneurs,” she stated, drawing a clear distinction between founder and employee expectations.
Entrepreneur’s Self-Inflicted Workload
Dawes openly acknowledges her own challenges with unplugging. “I think I probably am a little bit of a hypocrite because I don’t unplug. I never do,” she told Fortune.
She describes her constant work engagement as a conscious choice: “Never unplugging is my life. I signed up for this. I am the entrepreneur; I did this to myself—a self-inflicted situation. (My employees) didn’t sign up to be entrepreneurs.”
Family Business Experience Shapes Philosophy
Dawes’ perspective on work-life balance stems from her family business background. She recalls her father missing important events due to work and was determined to create a different environment for both her family and employees.
“I wanted to be present at things for my kids, and I wanted it to be okay for our team to be that way, too,” she explained.
Her childhood experience working at her mother’s health-food store provided early insights into entrepreneurship. She emphasizes that passion is crucial for founders facing the inevitable sacrifices.
Practical Work-Life Integration
Dawes practices strategic prioritization rather than complete work separation. “You have to choose what’s the most important thing in that moment,” she advises.
Despite acknowledging she’s never truly able to shut off completely, she maintains family dinners almost every night and prioritizes daily walks or exercise.
Her enthusiasm for entrepreneurship remains undimmed: “Sometimes when I wake up in the morning like, ‘I can’t even believe I’m this lucky that I get to do this job.’ And because I feel that way, it doesn’t feel like working.”
