The Balance Myth — Rethinking Work - Life Success

Tired of trying to attain the mythical work-life balance and constantly feeling frustrated? Are you giving yourself a C– for your performances at work and at home? Teresa A. Taylor knows that trying to be a career woman and a mom can leave you feeling tired and defeated, and she wants you to take a new approach. She herself rapidly ascended through the ranks to become COO of a Fortune 200 company while raising two boys with her working husband, and in The Balance Myth, she shows you how you can do it too.

Taylor takes you along to a meeting in the White House, to union negotiations, and to her sons’ soccer practices as she shares her candid, humorous, and heartfelt stories. Based on these real-life experiences and the lessons she learned from them, she shares the key to living with multiple responsibilities: integrating—not bifurcating—your personal and professional worlds. In addition, she offers insights about leading with integrity; surrounding yourself with positive resources; pushing through adversity; and celebrating accomplishments—especially your own.

Taylor couldn’t take the mother out of the career woman or vice versa, and she believes that you shouldn’t have to either. Don’t search for balance; the answers are within you!
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Written in an engaging voice, Teresa Taylor, the high-profile COO of Qwest who orchestrated a $20 billion acquisition in the telecom industry, uses memoir and real-life examples to deliver valuable business perspectives that illustrate how she rose to the top of a Fortune 200 company while also raising her two sons with her working husband and maintaining fulfilling family relationships.

Taylor illustrates that executives (as well as professionals with executive ambitions) don’t have to sacrifice a successful family life for a corner office position—and she provides the keys to managing these multiple responsibilities based on her experience.

Raised in Delafield, a rural community in central Wisconsin, Teresa A. Taylor was the first in her family to attend college. After graduating, she moved to Colorado where she began her career with start-up technology companies. She joined US West/Qwest, a Fortune 200 company, in 1988. She reached the c-suite of the multibillion-dollar nationwide telecommunications corporation in record time. During those 23 years she also worked through adversity, raised two sons, and stayed married to the same extraordinary man.

Taylor retired as the COO of Qwest after leading the telecom giant through an acquisition, facilitating the $22 billion process and navigating the complexities of a large corporate merger. Today, she is a sought-after speaker on topics including leadership, economic development, and innovation, and she has been featured in a number of national business publications, including the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

She serves on the board of directors for First Interstate BancSystem, Inc., a financial services holding company with $7.3 billion in assets, and for NiSource, Inc., a Fortune 500 natural gas and electricity storage and transmission company.

She also advises companies, government agencies, and other enterprises on vision, strategy, operations, and public affairs. Taylor is active in the community and public affairs of Colorado. She has been appointed to the Colorado Economic Development Commission by Governor Hickenlooper and has served on numerous cabinets and boards for other governors of Colorado. In addition, she serves on the Global Leadership Council for the Colorado State University’s College of Business and is a member of the board of directors of the Colorado Technology Association.