Fashion designer and entrepreneur Rebecca Minkoff, 45, has declared that the pursuit of work-life balance is a damaging myth for working parents. The cofounder of the Female Founder Collective and mother of four children aged between four and 14 stated that the concept "does not exist" and never has for dedicated parents of any gender.
Minkoff shared her perspective in an interview with Business Insider, drawing from her own difficult experiences trying to manage a growing business while raising her first three children. She described a mindset of constant urgency, feeling she needed to rush her children to bed to return to work.
A Shift in Mindset After Fourth Child
Minkoff said a significant change occurred after the birth of her fourth child in February 2022. "I was like, 'Guess what happened when I didn't reply to that email?' Nothing," she recounted. This realisation prompted a major restructuring of her professional responsibilities upon returning from maternity leave.
She reduced her number of direct reports from 18 to just one, delegating detailed work to a creative director. "This freed me up a lot," Minkoff explained, allowing her to set clearer boundaries, such as aiming to finish work by 5 p.m. to be with her family and minimising business travel.
Reflections and Advice for Other Parents
Looking back, Minkoff expressed a wish that someone had emphasised to her earlier that "only your babies matter, focus on them." However, she acknowledged that her current situation relies on a strong support system, including her husband, a babysitter, her parents, and her business team.
Her core advice for other working parents is to define their own limits rather than comparing themselves to others. "I think you have to put the guardrails up for yourself and not what some other mom is doing," Minkoff said. "Try your best to hold true."