Soon after Holly Haveman bought into her family business, Kennedy’s Flowers and Gifts in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she realized something had to change to protect her personal time.

Prior to buying into the business with her brother three years ago, she had backpacked around the world for three years and worked in the floral industry in Singapore and Australia. When she returned to work at the family business, she knew she needed to establish clear boundaries to enjoy her personal freedom.

The Win

By managing the store and team in a way that supports everyone who works there, Haveman has achieved the balance she wanted.

Not only does that mean she can travel the world (she just returned from a trip to Argentina), take a yoga class, and ensure she works regular business hours, it also means her employees, and co-owners, can enjoy needed time off, too.

The Gameplan

Rather than lead with work demands, and make her personal life conform, Haveman flipped the priorities and established a work-life balance that prioritized the needs of herself and her employees outside the flower shop.

“We highly value personal freedom,” she says. “I want our employees to have a good work-life balance, and I want to have it myself. I aim to cross-train and to have processes in place, so nothing is too dependent on only one person.”

She ensured other team members were prepared for leadership roles, cross-trained and supported. This required having department managers identifying right-hand helpers to fill in and offer support as needed.

“We communicate our needs, and we depend on our teams to all come together to get the job done,” she says. “Communication is key. Coaching is important. Clear guidelines help keep everyone on the same page.”

The business has other ways to supports its employees. The store is closed Sundays so that everyone gets the day off, and management avoids texting employees when they are off the clock and seeks to keep a manageable workload for everyone.

The Takeaway

These days, Haveman rarely says no when an employee asks for time off. And she does her best to give herself the same freedom to take time to do the things that matter to her outside of work.

Through communication, a teamwork approach, identifying leaders from within and coaching, she’s found that it is possible to promote a balance between work and personal lives that is attainable for everyone.

“I am on a never-ending mission to strive for greatness,” she says. “I am learning to better share my vision, and to get the team’s input and involvement early on.”

Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.