My Experience with the Conor Begley Interview
I was scrolling my phone late last night, honestly just wasting time before bed, when I stumbled on this interview clip titled something like “Conor Begley Talks Real Work-Life Stuff.” Didn’t know much about the guy, but the title felt real, you know? Like maybe not all the usual fluffy business talk. So I clicked play. Figured worst case, I’d fall asleep faster.
Listened to the whole thing leaning against my kitchen counter. Conor was just… blunt. Talking how he actually tries to handle running companies without totally burning out. Some bits really jumped out:
- No email in bed. Like, ever. He checks it super late? Fine. But his bed is just for sleep or reading or whatever, never work stuff. That hit me because I totally scroll Slack while lying down.
- His schedule is weird. Dude gets up crazy early sometimes, but also sleeps in when he can. Not rigid 5 AM stuff, just listening to what his body needs. He called it “working with his energy, not fighting it.”
- Boundaries are everything. He talked about telling people “I’m not able to help right now” without feeling guilty. And actually protecting time for family and dumb hobbies, not just squeezing more work in.
- It’s messy. He straight-up admitted he fails constantly. Like forgetting his own rule and working weekends, then feeling like crap. Made it feel relatable, not some perfect guru advice.
Honestly, it felt less like an “interview” and more like someone venting honest struggles over coffee. No magic formulas, just practical stuff he actually tries. Felt real.
Anyway, it got me thinking: How would this work in my messy life? Decided to do a 7-day test run starting last Monday, treating his chat like a loose guide. Here’s how it went down:
Phase 1: Bed Means Bed
Okay, first night. Charged my phone OUTSIDE my bedroom. Felt weirdly naked. Picked up that book collecting dust on my nightstand instead. Fell asleep quicker? Maybe. Woke up without that “omg what did I miss” panic feeling though. That was new. Kept this up all week. Hardest part was resisting that “just one quick peek” urge before brushing my teeth. Fought it.
Phase 2: Screw the Perfect Schedule
Tried waking up super early Tuesday… felt dead tired by 10 AM. Wednesday? Slept later cause I was beat, felt way sharper by 10. Kinda proved Conor’s point about listening to yourself. Stopped stressing about missing the “ideal” wakeup time and focused more on how I actually felt. Packed my gym bag and went when I felt restless, not just scheduling it blindly.
Phase 3: The “No” Experiment
Thursday rolled around. Coworker pinged me about joining a late call for a project I’m barely involved in. Usually I’d say “sure, I guess…” even if it ruined my own plans. Took a breath. Channeled Conor’s boundary talk. Wrote back: “Sounds important, but can’t make it work tonight – maybe a quick written update tomorrow AM?” Felt awkward hitting send. Guess what? The world didn’t end. They found another way. Minor miracle.
Results After 7 Days?
Didn’t magically solve work-life balance. That ain’t happening. But a few things shifted:
- Actually finished that book.
- Felt less reactive to every ping/email, especially evenings.
- Got way more honest about feeling tired versus lazy.
- Realized saying “no” doesn’t actually cause earthquakes (most of the time).
Still bombed. Slept through my alarm yesterday. Checked work stuff before lunch today. But that’s the point, right? Conor framed it as practice, not perfection. Felt less like failing and more like figuring it out. Gonna keep stumbling along with this stuff. It feels a little less overwhelming after hearing someone else admit it’s messy too.
