life comes first

I’m writing this on my way back from a family packed weekend that included a combination of a family reunion, my grandfather’s celebration of life, and 90th birthday celebration for my grandmother. This family weekend had been planned for a long time; we only get together with my grandmother’s side of the family every two years.

What we didn’t expect was losing my grandfather right before Easter weekend this spring. Our family chose to hold his memorial service the same weekend so relatives from near and far could gather to honor the smartest man we’ve ever known.

An obituary can only capture so much, and my grandpa was so much more than a few paragraphs on a page. My grandpa was a very impressive human. He was brilliant and adventurous in a way I’ve rarely seen in anyone. He led our family on white-water rafting trips in his 60s and tackled rough beach waves in a kayak in his 70s… the list goes on. And did I mention his five college degrees + patents for lighting innovations? Like I said, he was a smart dude.

Although it’s been hard losing Grandpa, we have a very caring family who supports each other and makes these times more bearable. Over the long weekend, relatives from Florida, California, and everywhere in between asked the usual questions: How is life? How is the business? And for the first time in a long time, I could answer with genuine joy that things really are going well.

I’m thankful every day to run my own business, shape my own schedule, and step away when life calls for it — whether the moment is major or seemingly small.

Life is too short not to have a say in how you spend it. I created gvb to give myself more freedom — and I want that same freedom for the people I work with.

As I write this, my grandma emails me back (yes, at age 90, she checks her emails daily). I sent her a recap of the weekend and a simple “I love you” message. And her response included: 

“Thank you, dear, sweet Jennie. That made me tear up all over again. I only wish you did not live so far away. I love you and your precious boys dearly and wish I could be with you more often. But the times that we do get to spend together are precious to me and always will be.”

Moments like these are what life is about. Feeling love for someone and giving love back. Being there when people need you. Making the drive. Sending the message. Taking the call. Sitting around a table with family and remembering someone who helped shape you.

A flexible work environment makes it possible to be there for the people you love. Work matters, but life should always be first on your prioritization list.

work-life balance is not just a phrase at gvb

Work-life balance means trusting people to do great work without policing when or where it happens. It means understanding that it doesn’t always happen at a desk between 9 and 5. Sometimes it happens from their couch, a passenger seat on the interstate (me right now), a lake house, or during the hours that make the most sense for their family (catch me online at midnight most Mondays).

At gvb, we respect that people have full lives outside of work. Kids have field trips. Parents have appointments. Families have vacations. Hard things happen. Good things happen. Life keeps moving, and work shouldn’t require people to miss it.

Of course, there are still busy seasons at gvb: late nights, tight timelines, and moments where the laptop comes out when you wish it wouldn’t. But the goal is not perfection. The goal is flexibility, trust, and a company culture that treats people like adults.

And no matter what, life comes before work. 

That’s the kind of life I wanted for myself. 

It’s also the kind of culture I want to build for everyone at gvb.