Work-life balance is a concept that doesn’t help us achieve what we really want. What it’s supposed to do is help us find a way to make a living as well as pursue other interests outside of work. But I don’t think it does that because it is so nebulous. How will I ever know…More
Author Archives: jlexpa
How New Yorkers react to our five pound baby
New York can be a hard place. People are rushing around you, treating you as if you weren’t human, only something in their way. The bustle can be overwhelming. You can get lost in the shuffle and feel like a number. But living here with a family has been very different, especially with a newborn.More
How can you be more entrepreneurial in your career?
Starting a company requires seeing the world differently. It’s like a lens that helps you see the world sharper, better, giving you a fresh view no matter which direction you look. With that perspective, a garbage can full of trash might even look like something amazing. It makes the ordinary and mundane somehow new and…More
I had no idea midlife could feel like this
Another birthday came and went, and I’m solidly over the hill. But I don’t feel that way. In my thirties, I used to fear being forty. I dreaded it like one dreads a root canal. And it hovered over me like a black cloud. Probably the unknown was the cause for so much fear in…More
What is it like starting a blog?
Starting a blog is stupid-hard. It’s kind of like cooking an elaborate meal every week, hoping someone will show up to join you, but then no one does. It’s always just you eating that food you worked so hard to make—alone. Slaving over a piece of writing doesn’t mean anyone will ever read it. And…More
The Saturday afternoon we lost our son
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and we were in Washington Square Park, the iconic park in downtown Manhattan. The large marshmallow clouds marched in rows over the skyline; there was a slight breeze that brought comfort from the warmth of the sun shining down on the sea of humanity. The fountain was spraying water…More
Want to sleep better? Eight things we do to get better sleep
Over the years, my family and I have honed our sleep habits, and we love it, even though it is odd. More
Have you ever considered a prenup?
On an episode of the Tim Ferriss Show, one of his guests, Ramit Sethi, talked about prenuptial agreements, or prenups, which are contracts signed before people get married that dictate rights to property and what happens after there is a divorce. They were both in favor of them. It was interesting. I don’t mean that…More
How I conquer my fear of writing
When I started my first business eleven years ago, I wish I would have done this, too. Write. More
In NYC, spring is in the air
The smells of New York City are usually the butt of a joke (which is often associated with the smell of a butt). But in the spring, there is something sweet in the air. It’s surprising.More