This Entrepreneur Found the Ultimate Way to Balance a Demanding Life

Celeste Samaseia

One Man, Six Hats

Corey Blake is a husband, father, CEO, LDS missionary, mentor and college professor.

Oh, him and his wife just had a baby, too.

Needless to say, he is busy. “Busy” may be an understatement.

Despite his many roles and responsibilities in his life, he has found a way to balance it all (including running an international multi-million-dollar business).

In the Shoes of a Student

It all started when Corey was a student, just like you, studying at Brigham Young University-Hawaii.

While Corey was studying International Culture Studies (Communications & Anthropology), he was working with a man named Josh Steimle. They worked together with start-up companies. Corey was the big sales guy.

While he was working with the other start-up, he stumbled across MWi.

MWi at the time was a newly transitioned digital marketing business that focused on SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

The brand was strong.

The website was great.

It was a gold-mine opportunity that was right in front of him.

So, he asked Josh, “If I close SEO or website deals, could you do the work?” Josh said the magic “Y-E-S” and Corey brought business faster than Josh had ever seen.

Impressed by Corey’s hustle, Josh said 3 things that would change the course of their life:

• “I’ve never grown this fast before.”
• “I like working with you.”
• “Let’s split the company 50/50.”

And that’s how Corey Blake became a CEO of a company fresh out of BYU-Hawaii.

The Secret? Start Work at 4 AM

So, how did a student find time to do this work? Well, here’s how.

While Corey was in school, he very intentionally and strategically planned his classes and work.

Here’s a quick look into his old student schedule:

Mon/Wed/Fri

4AM Wake up
Work. All. Day.
Homework at night
Keep working
Be a husband
Be a dad
Eat some food
11PM Sleep

Tues/Thur

4AM Wake up
4:30 AM Work
6:30 AM Still working
7:30 AM ^^Ditto
8AM Class
Work in between 14 credit hours of classes
Class
Somewhere in there eat
Spend time with wife (aka the Real Boss)
Sleep

You get the point.

He was busy, but he hustled.

And with that hustle and major talents in sales & business development, he built MWi from the ground up where he still stands as CEO today.

The 5 Things that Must Be Done to Tackle a 450+ Hour Work Week

What is so unique about Corey’s position is that not only is he a CEO of an international digital marketing company, but he is also a (full-time) husband, father of three young kiddos, LDS missionary, and college professor.

How in the world does he handle this oh-so-busy plate?!

He does this by being an optimist and making sure his priorities are in order.

When asked how he manages so many different roles in his life he attributes his success to these 5 key things.

1. Having Your Faith in Order

Corey, like many other students, didn’t know what he was going to do after he graduated. He didn’t know if pursuing MWi was going to be the best option for him and his family. Amid the uncertainty, he took it to the temple.

While in the temple he felt very strongly that “this is an opportunity that [he needed] to take advantage of.” Following that prompting, he continued MWi after graduating.

Now, as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he makes a conscious effort to serve the Lord to the best of his ability while wearing his missionary name tag.

2. Prioritize Correctly

One vital thing that Corey understands in his life is the importance of prioritizing correctly. When asked what his priorities are, he instantly answered the following:

“Never will any business opportunity be more important than my wife. So, my wife comes first. The kids come right there close second. Then my faith, which is so intertwined with my marriage. And then my work comes in.”

With his priorities in order, he feels he is ready to optimistically take on all that he has to do. Corey can now fully work after what he seeks (even if there seems to never be enough time).

3. Have an Abundance Mentality

Which is why having an abundance mentality is vital. From the popular book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey talks about an abundance mentality. This concept struck a deep cord in Corey (he read the book six times in two years).

This idea of having a mentality of abundance–rather than its opposite, scarcity–opens doors to thinking there is more than enough around you.

Knowing there is plenty of anything needed to succeed in abundance (including time) allows Corey to confidently take on all of his roles.

4. When You Go Somewhere, Be There

One of Corey’s mentors shared this piece of advice with him and it shaped how he responds to his manyroles.

“When you go somewhere, be there. Don’t be elsewhere.”

For example, when a student walks into his office and he has his name tag on, he is a missionary teaching for BYU-Hawaii.

When he puts his CEO hat back on, he focuses on utilizing his talents to help MWi grow.

The moment he walks inside his house, he makes a conscious effort to be a husband and a father while leaving the rest at the door.

When he goes somewhere, he is there. He is not elsewhere.

His presence in his many roles allows him to focus completely on the task at hand and fulfill his varying duties.

5. Sacrifice

With anything worth having in life, sacrifice is always necessary. As a student, Corey had to sacrifice his time and schedule is classes accordingly. Now as a CEO, missionary, professor, husband, and father of two young boys and a newborn baby girl, different sacrifices are required.

However, as long as he felt his priorities are in order, Corey knows that he will always have enough time to do everything he needs to do.

“Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of Heaven”; Corey lives this and reaps these blessings daily.

Advice For You From a Successful Businessman

As a student at BYU-Hawaii, you may feel overwhelmed with the tasks you need to do while planning your future. Corey Blake has lived in those Seasider shoes (or jandals) and has come out conqueror.

This is his personal advice for you:

“Absolutely make sure you have your priorities in order. I think a lot of times people don’t have that in order and then they feel trapped trying to do all these other things, but they’re not able to because the foundation isn’t right. Spiritually feel like what you are doing is what you are supposed to do, and then after that you can move forward with faith and hustle.

“After those priorities are in check, you really have to work harder and smarter than everyone. You know that Michael Jordan or LeBron James say they’re the best in the world because they put in work when other people aren’t. That gives you a competitive edge. After you put first things in order, you hustle.”

Corey Blake started in the same place you are in, as a student at BYU-Hawaii. What set him apart were his innate skills and talents he consistently builds upon, his ability to prioritize correctly, his faith, and his hustle.

Corey is not an exception to this success. He worked hard for it and still does today.

And you know what? You can have it too.