What if the key to balance is not working less, but working with intention?
Alex Tuck runs a remote-first consulting firm from a farm in Vermont while raising four young kids with his wife. His approach is simple but disciplined: block the time, protect the priorities, and design work to fit life, not the other way around.
From quarterly OKRs to daily timeboxing, Alex has built both a company and a family rhythm around clarity and structure. But beneath the systems is something deeper. A belief that work matters. Health matters. Relationships matter. And none of them should consume the others.
Alex shares how to:
• Use timeboxing to reduce overwhelm and increase focus
• Break big goals into daily commitments that actually get done
• Protect personal time with the same intensity as client work
• Build a remote culture that values flexibility over utilization
• Model boundaries so your team feels safe taking time off
• Create phone free zones that increase connection at home
• Adjust work rhythms when kids, travel, or life get chaotic
• Invite your kids into decision making so they feel ownership
• Replace guilt with intentional tradeoffs
• Design meaningful work that supports, not competes with, family
This conversation is practical, honest, and full of real world examples for dads trying to build something worthwhile without losing the people they are building it for.
Dig Deeper
Timeboxing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeboxing)
Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing at a Time by Marc Zao-Sanders (https://amzn.to/4cWfEZj)
One Thing at a Time newsletter by Marc Zao-Sanders (https://marczaosanders.com/newsletter/)
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEypinvApHo)
Journey (https://journeymusic.com)
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On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alextuck
On his website: https://www.tuckconsultinggroup.com
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On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themichaeljacobs/
