Supportive Communities and Work-Life Balance: Mark Asquith's Influences

During his interview on yesterday’s episode of Smashing the Plateau, DMSQD co-founder Mark Asquith spoke about maintaining work-life balance and not letting entrepreneurial perfectionism become a liability rather than a strength. Here, he shares the people, communities, and texts that help him keep a sense of perspective as he builds his business.

1. My wife, Lianne

“She taught me how to be more generous with both my time and my resources but she also keeps me focused on what’s REALLY important, and when the right time is to turn off the ‘business person.’ ”

2. My parents and grandparents

“I’m a bit of a black sheep in the family; I follow my own path and don’t really fit into the traditional model of what someone from Barnsley can or ‘should’ do. They appreciate that and support it.”

3. Co-directors of DMSQD Don Gent, Marc Wilmot, Kyle Wilkinson, and Daniel Maw

“Don especially acts as a mentor to me day in, day out. He guided me through my early days of business and kept me on track when things were hard. He’s my barometer strategy and always has time to listen. The other guys are pivotal as they’ve helped my personality in business develop and given me the confidence to develop my own voice.”

4. The overall podcast community

“This is the single most inspiring and collaborative community I’ve ever been a part of, and since I’ve been a part of it I’ve made friends and created opportunities that I never thought were possible. What an amazing global community.”

5. Get Things Done – What Stops Smart People Achieving More and How You Can Change by Robert Kelsey

“An amazing book that I highly, highly recommend to anyone…. It actually teaches you to get over some of the previous positions that you already have. So it doesn’t assume that we’re starting from a blank canvas. It doesn’t assume that we’re starting from zero and working towards ten… it assumes that we’re starting from minus five, or minus seven, because we’ve gone ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years through our lives, and developed these bad habits. So it actually resets, and then takes you forwards. It focuses on self-esteem and how that can affect your productivity. It also taught me that there’s no real right or wrong for productivity; it’s about finding what works for you.”