CREDITS

KAREN PAVLIN, 50

•Global client managing director at Xerox Corporation •Married to Rob Pavlin, with a son, Zuri (21), and a daughter,

Marley (17) •New York City

ONE CORPORATE CAREER + TWO KIDS + A DOG WHO HANGS OUT ON THE BED? TALK ABOUT AN EXECUTIVE SWEET!

PAVLIN’S TIPS FOR KEEPING IT TOGETHER

TIP NO. 1

“Learn to say, ‘I can’t do it right now,’ and don’t feel guilty about it. It’s liberating.”

TIP NO. 2

“Find time to be creative. For me, making jewelry is therapeutic.”

TIP NO. 3

“Bridge the gap between business and personal. Socialize with people you work with—it’s multitasking!”

TIP NO. 4

“End every day with a list. The top-three things need to get done—the rest can wait.” “Fitness has always been important to my well-being. In the 80s, I made the U.S. Olympic Trials in track and field.”

7:00 A.M. “This is what we do—we have our meals around the kitchen counter and talk about our plans for the day. It’s very relaxed. My son is home from college, so I’m really relishing it.”

11:15 A.M. “Every few days, I go over sales strategies at the whiteboard with Morgan Rossi, Xerox’s client manager for the U.S. I also manage the teams in London, India, and Singapore.” 7:45 A.M. “Even if it’s hard to fit it in, I make a point to exercise, whether it’s a run in Central Park before work or a yoga class, three to four times a week. It revs me up for the day.”

2:30 P.M. “As I’m heading over to my client’s office, I’ll use this time in the car to prepare for the meeting. I call my team to get the latest updates on outstanding proposals.”

THE BUSINESS OF TRAVEL

“I go abroad for work once a quarter. It helps a lot that Rob is a consultant and can work from home. Traveling used to be harder when the kids were younger.”

5:40 P.M. “After work I pop by the gym to watch my son shoot hoops. Zuri is on the Connecticut College team. He takes after my father, who was recruited by the Baltimore Bullets in the 50s.” 9:25 P.M. “My daughter and I are very close. It’s a typical nightly ritual that we hang out on my bed with our dog, Nola, and talk about college plans, boys, and whatever’s going on in her life.”