School Business Insider

Episode: "The Juggle is Real: Lessons in Work, Family, and Identity"

Host: John Brucato
Release Date: October 28, 2025

Overview of the Episode

This special solo episode of School Business Insider features host John Brucato opening up about his personal experiences balancing work, family, and self-identity. Following the recent birth of his second child, John reflects on the evolving challenges and lessons of managing a demanding school business career alongside parenthood and personal well-being. Blending humor, sincerity, and practical insight, he explores what “balance” really means for education leaders, how his approach has changed, and why embracing imperfection and presence matters most.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Navigating Major Life Changes

Becoming a Parent Again

• John shares that he and his wife recently welcomed their second child, marking a major shift:

  “Man did I forget how taxing the newborn stage is. Just really on your sleep and your mental psyche.” (05:40)

• Balancing a three-and-a-half-year-old and a newborn brings both joy and unexpected hurdles, particularly around competing needs and shifting routines.

Timing and Its Challenges

• Their daughter’s birth coincided with the back-to-school ramp-up, adding stress to an already busy period as a district leader.
• John reflects on how, the second time around, he and his wife are less anxious and more adaptive to nighttime disruptions.

2. Redefining Balance & Embracing Imperfection

Evolution of Priorities

• John notes a shift from striving for perfection to accepting “good enough” at work and at home:

  “I think my balance has evolved...not striving to just perfect everything...you can't sweat the small stuff and kind of embrace imperfection.” (16:15)

• Examples include accepting a messier house or less elaborate dinners to make meaningful time for family.

Being Present

• Reducing social media and email checking at home has increased John's presence with his family:

  “Rather than looking at my family through a screen, I’m looking at them face to face. And it kind of sounds silly saying it out loud, but...we’re just getting stuck in a routine of being on my phone checking email. And I’m really trying to disconnect...” (25:20)

• Has replaced doom scrolling with reading physical books for relaxation and mental health.

3. Work-Life Integration Strategies

Learning from the Past

• John regrets not taking sufficient parental leave after his first child due to wanting to establish himself professionally:

  “I think I prioritized that a little bit more than I did my new family. And looking back on that was somewhat of a regret for me.” (30:32)

• This time, he made a point to take more time off:

  “I made an oath to myself that this time around would be different...that has totally changed my life for the better.” (32:00)

• Being present for key milestones, like seeing his daughter roll over, was especially meaningful.

Handling Routine with Two Children

• Using daycare for his older child allows one-on-one bonding with the baby, managing parental guilt, and maintaining his son’s routine.

Parenting and Professional Leadership Parallels

• Gained patience, empathy, and improved communication skills from home life that translate to the workplace:

  “I’ve been able to be a little bit more patient, exact a little bit more empathy in my work because we’re all juggling these priorities.” (40:10)

4. Maintaining Identity and Self-Care

Importance of Self and Couple Time

• Emphasizes the value of keeping personal interests (yardwork, Peloton workouts) and making time for his spouse:

  “You have to keep your identity as yourself....it’s important to take time for yourself and take time for one another.” (46:50)

• Honest about the challenge of prioritizing couple time but notes that scheduling breaks and individual outings is essential to prevent burnout.

Humorous Anecdotes

• Lightly pokes fun at his “bad angles” when taking photos of his wife and kids—reminding listeners that imperfect efforts are still valuable.

Cherishing the Moment

• Shares wisdom passed on by a coworker that deeply resonates:

  “The days are long, but the years are short. And no truer words have ever been spoken to me about parenthood.” (56:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On redefining balance:
  “One of my personality traits is I get focused on something and I want it to go well, and I get frustrated when it doesn’t go according to plan...you can’t sweat the small stuff and kind of embrace imperfection.” (16:15)

• On presence over perfection:
  “For the most part, I really have committed to trying to stay disconnected when I’m not at work.” (26:40)

• On learning from regret:
  “I think I prioritized [work] a little bit more than I did my new family...this time around would be different because I feel like I have established myself...I wasn’t hesitant to say, I’m going to take a little bit more time at home...” (30:32–32:10)

• On shared leadership lessons:
  “There’s parallels between managing your team in your business office and a household. And I think for me...it really does boil down to communication.” (44:00)

• Wisdom that sticks:
  “The days are long, but the years are short.” (56:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:01 | Introduction and episode overview | | 03:40 | Reflections on newborn stage and early challenges | | 11:10 | Adjusting routines with two children | | 16:15 | Redefining “balance” and embracing imperfection | | 25:20 | Disconnecting from devices and being present at home | | 30:32 | Regrets about parental leave and lessons learned | | 40:10 | Leadership lessons: patience, empathy, and communication | | 46:50 | Maintaining self-identity, self-care, and couple time | | 56:05 | “The days are long, but the years are short” – final reflections|

Final Thoughts

John Brucato’s candid and relatable solo episode offers not just a window into his life but universal lessons about the ongoing dance of professional ambition and personal fulfillment. The message is clear: as school business officials and parents, striving for perfect balance is less important than making intentional choices, embracing imperfection, and cherishing presence—with family, with colleagues, and with oneself.

If this episode resonated or you’d like future topics addressed, John encourages listeners to suggest ideas at the podcast homepage (asbointl.org/SBI).