Wall Street titan Thasunda Brown Duckett allocates 30% of her time to her kids because ‘work life balance is a lie’

The Wall Street titan recalled the lightbulb moment came after breaking down in tears when another long day at work meant missing out on seeing her children that evening.

“I called my husband and I was like, when I get up in the morning, I don’t see my kids,” Duckett told LinkedIn News. “When I get home, I don’t see my kids.”

Her husband, who’s an engineer, marine and a stay-at-home dad, advised her to simply quit her job—instead, she said she quit striving to do and be everything, all of the time.

“Here’s what I learned: Work-life balance is a lie because I was trying to reconcile it and the math wasn’t mathing,” Duckett explained.

“The truth is I only have 100% of me, not 110%. Understanding that I am not 100% allocated to being a mom, they only get 30%, allows me to be more intentional…. So my children don’t get 100% of all of me. But within that allocation, they get 100%.” 

Fortune has reached out to Duckett for comment. 

Work-life balance as a diversified portfolio

Instead of simultaneously trying to devote 100% of herself to motherhood and 100% to being the boss of a $45 billion-a-year financial firm, Duckett said that she tries to think of the time she has like a diversified portfolio.

“If you live your life like a diversified portfolio, just like with your money, over time you will outperform,” she explained.

“On any given day, I may not feel like I’m the best mommy when I’m traveling. There’s days I don’t feel like I’m a great CEO. There’s moments I don’t feel like I’m a great daughter,” she added. “But over time, I’m a really good mom. And over time, I believe that I’m in purpose as a leader and I’m doing a great job.”

She’s not the first to admit that it’s impossible to give motherhood and a bustling career equal attention—and thrive in both roles.

Whoopi Goldberg has even candidly admitted that it ultimately meant she had to choose her career over her child, meanwhile, the popstar Lily Allen revealed on a podcast that having children “totally ruined” her career.

Holly Wilbanks, the founder of the Wilbanks Consulting Group, echoed that idea earlier this year to CBS News: “The concept…