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48 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2025 Q & A W I T H K E L LY ATAY, AS C S U N STO N E C I RC U I TS Work-Life Balance for a Marketing Professional K elly Atay has one piece of advice: Don't wait until you're burnt out. Balance requires inten- tional choices and consistent practice. As the sales and marketing manager at Sunstone Circuits, Kelly often feels herself being pulled in many directions. This interview examines her ongo- ing efforts to achieve a healthier work-life balance. While it's generally positive, Kelly is still learning to set stronger boundaries and uses audiobooks during her commute as a daily reset time. Kelly, how do you meet the demands of your job and personal life, and how do you resolve issues between the two? Overall, my balance is pretty healthy. I work hard, I care, and I do put in the time, but I've also learned I'm better when I give myself space to reset. If some- thing starts to feel like it's cutting too much into my personal time, I try to address it rather than letting it grow. I am not always successful, but it's something my family pays attention to and doesn't hesitate to remind me. I want to be my best self in both places. A couple of things I have learned this year that can help protect my time: 1. A mentor has shown me that making a quick phone call instead of diving into a lengthy email chain reduces wasted time 2. Recent leadership training has taught me that "time blocking" is beneficial to create focus time These two things have been a good start and something I have been practicing to get a better handle on work spilling over into my personal time. ASC Sunstone Circuits team members (L–R): Mike Meisch, Matt Stevenson, Kelly Atay, and Jan Neil.