Balancing the Grind with Rolando Gonzaga, Head of Executive Recruiting at Binance.US

Rolando Gonzaga is the Head of Executive Recruiting at Binance.US, the world’s leading blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider.

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I’m currently the Head of Executive Recruiting at Binance.US. I’ve been in recruiting for over 13 years now including at companies like Palantir and Uber with my role prior to Binance.US being Head of Board Recruiting at a board consulting firm.

2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

It follows a pretty typical pattern. I meet with my team in the morning to discuss urgent matters, roadblocks, critical roles, etc., and then meet with my various executive stakeholders to discuss open roles, candidates, process and anything else that may be on their mind. I’ll have a few candidate interviews for any roles that are VP and above and then spend time reviewing profiles.

3) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

I have two young kids so work-life balance is critical for me. I usually wake up at 5am to be able to work out and have some quiet time to reflect on the day ahead and by 5pm I clock off for pick up, dinner and bedtime duties. Then I’m back online from 8pm onwards, usually not actively working but available since Brian, my CEO usually likes having late night chats.

4) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

The 5am wake time has only become a recent thing, but that has been life changing. Being able to start your day on your terms and getting into your headspace is critical to a productive and positive day.

5) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?

I subscribe to Blinkist where I get to digest at least 1-2 books per day in 20-minute summaries. It’s not a perfect substitute for reading a whole book, but as a working parent, it’s the best I can do right now. I also browse my Apple News feed for the day’s news, although that can quickly turn into a blackhole of negativity so I try to limit that to the first 4 headlines.

6) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

Barack Obama. Being president of the United States strikes me as a pretty hectic job.

7) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

I’m originally from Europe and love the approach that they have on work-life balance. They work to live while Americans seem to live to work. It’s really about prioritising what is important to you and what you value in your life.

When I was single, it was really about working. That included weekends, evenings, and just always being available. Even vacations were littered with constant phone checking and replying to emails. Having kids has changed that completely.

While I can’t 100% unplug given my role, I have changed my daily schedule around to be able to accommodate my family time and still be as productive and available to my colleagues. I love my job and enjoy what I do, but I know that my job doesn’t define who I am. I prefer to lean into the European approach where I work to live and enjoy my life as much as I can. 

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