Prosper's Whiz Kids, 2005
From December 2004
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It is a refrain heard often with this group. Ceresola says working 50-plus hours a week is about average, although that can ratchet up significantly in the middle of a big campaign. Gonzalez rarely seems to leave the station. Eldridge says he also puts in 60-plus hours a week, although he says he has toned it down a bit since his daughter was born. But while he gets home earlier now, he admits to spending a lot of that time working in his home office. But unlike Lewis, Eldridge does not see himself as a compulsive worker.
“Workaholic sounds like you are doing something you don’t enjoy,” he says. “That is definitely not true in my case.”
Prior also denies being a workaholic, although she says she counts on getting a little help from her staff and husband when she is getting too close to the edge. “I am still at the age where I feel invincible,” she says. “So I usually rely on my co-workers or boss to reel me in a bit when I am getting that glazed look in my eyes.” But she also denies ever feeling burned out or that she is missing out on something fun that her less-accomplished colleagues might be doing.
“I am engrossed in what I do and whom I do it for,” she says. “Our company is amazing.”
But even doing something you enjoy can be taxing, and mishaps tend to linger for those obsessed with positive results. For these folks, separating work from personal life is often as challenging as any employment task they take on.
“Anytime something went wrong at work, I would carry it with me all weekend,” Ceresola says. “I would really let it invade my personal time.”
But what could possibly distract an overachiever long enough to recharge the battery? For Ceresola, it is spending time reading or hiking with her fiancé. Prior spends time with her husband and pets, lifting weights and listening to music, although after a hard day she insists on “nothing with lyrics.” Eldridge exercises and plays guitar, while Lewis likes to read and spend time with her family. Gonzalez goes to movies and hangs out with his wife and two-year-old daughter. Balderas says she also chides him to leave work and go to the gym more often, advice he follows more now than he used to. She says that the past five years have given Gonzalez a perspective on work and family he did not previously have.
“He is a little less willing to take bad risks now,” she says. “He’s a little older and wiser, and he takes things a little slower.”
It is a description that could fit any of the people mentioned here, although “slower” is always a relative term with such ambitious folks. And although it is often said that youth will not be denied, it is also true that youthful zeal is rarely an even match with age and experience. Alexander the Great, after all, conquered the known world at the ripe old age of 32 but was dead within a year.
Bill Gates began his ascent to earthly supremacy when he started Microsoft at age 20 but has avoided many of the pitfalls associated with early success to become — and remain — one of the richest and most powerful people in the world. So while the folks mentioned here may not alter the course of history, it is a safe bet that these Sacramento whiz kids will continue to make their mark across this region’s media, arts and business communities for years to come.
“Workaholic sounds like you are doing something you don’t enjoy,” he says. “That is definitely not true in my case.”
Prior also denies being a workaholic, although she says she counts on getting a little help from her staff and husband when she is getting too close to the edge. “I am still at the age where I feel invincible,” she says. “So I usually rely on my co-workers or boss to reel me in a bit when I am getting that glazed look in my eyes.” But she also denies ever feeling burned out or that she is missing out on something fun that her less-accomplished colleagues might be doing.
“I am engrossed in what I do and whom I do it for,” she says. “Our company is amazing.”
But even doing something you enjoy can be taxing, and mishaps tend to linger for those obsessed with positive results. For these folks, separating work from personal life is often as challenging as any employment task they take on.
“Anytime something went wrong at work, I would carry it with me all weekend,” Ceresola says. “I would really let it invade my personal time.”
But what could possibly distract an overachiever long enough to recharge the battery? For Ceresola, it is spending time reading or hiking with her fiancé. Prior spends time with her husband and pets, lifting weights and listening to music, although after a hard day she insists on “nothing with lyrics.” Eldridge exercises and plays guitar, while Lewis likes to read and spend time with her family. Gonzalez goes to movies and hangs out with his wife and two-year-old daughter. Balderas says she also chides him to leave work and go to the gym more often, advice he follows more now than he used to. She says that the past five years have given Gonzalez a perspective on work and family he did not previously have.
“He is a little less willing to take bad risks now,” she says. “He’s a little older and wiser, and he takes things a little slower.”
It is a description that could fit any of the people mentioned here, although “slower” is always a relative term with such ambitious folks. And although it is often said that youth will not be denied, it is also true that youthful zeal is rarely an even match with age and experience. Alexander the Great, after all, conquered the known world at the ripe old age of 32 but was dead within a year.
Bill Gates began his ascent to earthly supremacy when he started Microsoft at age 20 but has avoided many of the pitfalls associated with early success to become — and remain — one of the richest and most powerful people in the world. So while the folks mentioned here may not alter the course of history, it is a safe bet that these Sacramento whiz kids will continue to make their mark across this region’s media, arts and business communities for years to come.
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