—
Finding the right balance between one’s work and personal life can be difficult, but this is especially true for business owners. Running your own business is a demanding job that’s foundation is dedication and hard work, but it can overtake a person’s life. Business owners should work diligently on their business but should also take time away from it for mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being. Mark Groussman, a serial entrepreneur and the Chairman of Stoner’s Pizza Joint franchise, knows this well.
Finding the time for family is a priority for Mark. “I try to make sure that I get everything done that I need to get done when my family is busy, such as when my children are at school,” says Mark. “When we are all at home together, though, I make sure I’m present in the moment.” He is aware of the importance of being there for family, so always makes sure he doesn’t complete work tasks at home.
There is one main way to healthily manage work and family life for Mark: prioritizing time. “Make sure you prioritize your time when you have to get things done and get them done,” Mark says. Paying close attention to the tasks you need to complete in a day and getting them done in a certain time frame is important. Then, when you go home to your family, relax and don’t bring your work with you. Being physically and mentally there for your family every day is key to a successful life-work balance.
Although spending time with family is important to Mark, he is very aware of his need for self-care. He prioritizes this time as well. During his personal time, he focuses on making healthy decisions, such as staying active, exercising, and eating healthy. “If you’re active and try to eat healthy, these good decisions will only make you make more good choices in other situations.”
Mark is thoughtful and careful of having a healthy balance between his business and personal life. This has a lot to do with the biggest male influence in his life: his father. His father owned small shopping centers but showed an inspiring amount of respect for every single one. “My father used to walk around his shopping centers and pick up any trash he found lying around,” explains Mark. “He showed respect for his business, and shop owners, leasers, and other workers picked up on what he was doing. They then treated it with the same respect he did.” This early example from his father taught him to respect his businesses and, when he does, staff members and other workers will undoubtedly follow and care about them, too.
On top of teaching his son respect, Mark’s father also taught him the importance of honesty in both the business and social world. “If you tell the truth, you can always make any wrongs right, but if you lie and continue to lie, that will only dig us into deeper holes.”
In his current personal life, there is one specific recent event that he is excited about– and as are millions of other people across the country. He is excited about the world reopening and taking a step towards “normalcy.”
As for his business, he’s excited about the incredible growth the company has seen during the pandemic and would like to continue that growth. After Mark became chairman of the franchise, the company focused heavily on their online delivery system, which resulted in a 100% growth year over year during the pandemic. Mark hopes that Stoner’s Pizza Joint will expand and open more locations. Ultimately, he’d like to see Stoner’s locations in every state.
—