The Rebalancing Act: Q&A with Houston Author Carol Enneking

Houston author Carol Enneking’s new book, The Rebalancing Act: Wisdom from Working Women for Success that Matters, published in September. The book is uniquely written from the perspective of seven archetypes that each represent a type of barrier that women find as they seek success in the workplace – Overloaded Olivia, Perfect Paige, Cool Camryn, Trailblazer Tess, Invisible Isabelle, Lovable Lila, and Striving Sabrina. Carol's hope is that women who read her book will see themselves in these archetypes and help them find clarity in what it takes to overcome some of these challenges. 

Carol’s career has spanned major corporations, entrepreneurial ventures as a business owner, and collaborations with over 100 companies. Her passion is helping businesses leverage talent, learning, and culture to deliver excellent results through their people. Carol’s life lessons learned on her elusive quest to have, do, and be it all inspired her to write a best-selling book, The Rebalancing Act: Wisdom from Working Women for Success that Matters. Through interviews with more than 70 men and women of all ages, along with her own insights, Carol explores common traps that may be holding back working women from true fulfillment.

Carol answers some questions that I posed to her about The Rebalancing Act:

What inspired you to start writing The Rebalancing Act? 

Houston author Carol Enneking’s new book, The Rebalancing Act: Wisdom from Working Women for Success that Matters, published in September.

I worked with a public speaking coach many years ago and she asked a lot of questions to help me hone my message. When I started talking about owning my own business, parenting my children, and juggling many different roles in my ever-busy life, she said, “You have a book in there somewhere.” I filed that away and put my dream of public speaking on hold due to other big projects in my company at the time. But I never forgot she said that. Fast forward about 15 years, and I reached a crossroads in my career that enabled me to take some time to consider what I really wanted to do in my next life chapter.

I decided the time was right to pick that work back up and focus on speaking. The idea of writing a book was part of that process, as I figured it would help me focus my message. What followed was nothing short of amazing! I contacted my best childhood friend, who had already written 16 books, and asked her to help me. I laugh when I tell people I would probably still be on chapter one without her help! She made the process so much easier, and a lot of fun! The idea for the book grew and grew, and now it’s more than just a book. It’s a movement!

What kind of research did you have to do? 

I wanted to write about my journey through working motherhood and all the ups and downs I experienced trying to juggle many different roles (employee, wife, mother, sister, daughter, etc.). I knew what lessons I had learned, but also knew I did not have all the answers. I thought about the women who I admired, who seemed to have successfully balanced their careers with other aspects of their lives, and about the men’s perspectives on this. So, I decided to interview them. I spoke with over 70 women and men about their experiences.

Can you share something with me about your book that is not in the blurb? 

The book is divided into two parts:

About two-thirds of it is told from the perspectives of those I interviewed. We developed the common themes about how women typically show up at work into seven fictional archetypes, from Overloaded Olivia to Cool Camryn and several others in between. For each type, we explore the traps that can result from showing up this way, and then provide techniques to move past the traps. Stories from the experience of our interviewees bring these chapters to life, filling them with relatable examples for readers. There is also a chapter devoted to men’s perspectives on these issues, and how they can support the women in their lives.

The other third is my own memoir, based on experiences over my 30-plus years navigating my journey through working, parenthood, relationships, and life-altering experiences that caused me to completely rethink my definition of success and trying to have it all.

What do you hope your readers take away from your book? 

Working women have an equilibrium problem. We have more choices than ever about how we spend our time, but having choices does not mean we can avoid making choices. Yet so many of us fall into the trap of trying to do, be, and have it all. And I am not even totally sure what “it” even is! We can become trapped by expectations of others and ruled by thoughts of doing what we should do, ought to do, or are expected to do, rather than what brings us joy and fulfillment. We are so filled with things to do, staying so busy that we have no time left to be fulfilled. And if things go wrong, and life throws us curve balls, we have no space in our lives to deal with these things. 

I know this struggle because I lived it for far too long. But I also found that most of the people I interviewed experienced this. Even though we should know better than that, we still struggle with how to make tough choices, work to eliminate non-value-added activities, and focus on what matters most. 

While most of the women interviewed work in a paid role, you certainly don’t have to work outside the home full-time to feel the pressure of juggling multiple roles. I want to encourage all women to know they are not alone, there are people all over who have faced similar struggles, and they can make some adjustments that will help them reduce stress and increase fulfillment. The book is filled with techniques to get past the traps we encounter, so we can focus on fulfillment and success that matters.

What surprised you the most when writing this book? 

I am surprised at the number of men who have enjoyed my book and are speaking up about it. I expected it to resonate with women but am thankful it also speaks to men. I am also surprised that whether I interviewed a 23-year-old or a 73-year-old woman, the challenges they face are more similar than different. Finally, I was surprised that as the interviews took off, so many people recommended their friends interview too. Over half of the people I spoke with were people I had never met. Having lived in Houston for 50 years, I started with my local network. But soon I was talking with people from coast to coast and other countries too.

Do you have any say in what your book cover looks like? 

I got to work with the graphic designer and share my vision for the cover. I gave her a few ideas and she gave me some amazing choices! I am very proud of the book’s cover.

Are you working on anything at the present that you would like to share with me? 

I am now getting busy with public speaking about The Rebalancing Act. I am really enjoying guesting on podcasts too. I have found the phrase applies for businesses, for careers, and other topics as well, and am exploring writing another book.

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you. 

I can name that tune in two notes! Kidding, but I am proud of my ability to remember the lyrics to just about every song I heard on the radio in the 70s and 80s. My greatest joy is my family – husband Eric, children Bradley, Bethany, my bonus daughter, Alyssa, and the world's best dog, a Great Pyrenees named Molly. Favorite things (in no particular order): family, live music, chocolate, Great Pyrenees, ice cream, traveling, trivia, faith, and history.

What are you reading now and what have you read recently that you loved? 

I am really enjoying books by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I just finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and started Malibu Rising. I also absolutely love historical fiction. Favorites include: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein. 

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram. Find upcoming Conversations from a Page events here.