By Kendall Fisher, executive producer at Grow Wire


Samantha Ettus is a Harvard MBA graduate, an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a mother of three.

Needless to say, she’s got the balancing act down.

But for those of us struggling to strike any kind of work-life balance, the question arises: How? How does anyone balance the many slices of the pie we call life?

On this episode of the "Grow Wire Show,” Ettus breaks down her recipe for success, which she began stirring up as a young girl.

Ettus played competitive tennis through the majority of her younger years, never skipping a day until she was 20 years old. She says that experience instilled in her a lifelong skillset of compartmentalizing all the areas and passions of her life—tennis, school, relationships, family and more.


Even when she stopped playing tennis and went on to obtain her bachelor’s degree and then her MBA from Harvard, the tools she learned came into play once more. She was one of the few women in her graduating business class, which fueled her determination to succeed and to focus on the many different areas to do so—like in relationships, one of the most important slices of her pie.

At the time, Ettus realized there was an absence in understanding the power of people and personal brands (she was ahead of her time!), and despite her classmates’ doubt over her decision to follow that belief, she started a talent agency with that focus. She worked with all kinds of people across corporate America, witnessing first-hand how storytelling drives brands.

And she ran with it.

Ettus’ first best-selling book, "The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do," is a compilation of storytelling from people in all areas of expertise.

However, while these experts certainly shined in their various niches, Ettus found that they each struggled with one, very important component to a fruitful life: Balance.


She recognized there was no champion for work-life balance, and the concept itself was almost nonexistent in corporate America—a huge challenge for working parents. So, she decided to face the challenge head-on, igniting the idea for her second book, "The Pie Life: A Guilt-Free Recipe For Success and Satisfaction."

Ettus dug back into her compartmentalizing toolbox from her tennis days and set out to discover how other people strike a balance in their own lives. She interviewed a host of successful individuals, from Sallie Krawcheck to Shonda Rhimes, and unveiledcommon characteristics they all share.

Watch this three-part series to find out what that trait is and learn more about Samantha Ettus’ recipe for a fruitful life and career.