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Alexis Ohanian praises wife Serena Williams for her work-life balance

“I certainly still get checked from time to time on that one”


MAY 25, 2021 3:33 PM EDT

 Alexis Ohanian  cheering on his wife,  Serena Williams , is nothing new, but he’s got even more praise to give for another thing he loves about his other half.

During an interview on CBS This Morning, Ohanian talked about the amazing work ethic that exists within his wife, which also includes turning it off when the work day is done. 

“What she hit on the head was the fact that I had a kind of a warped view of the path to excellence and the path to greatness being a direct result of just pure work,” he explained.

The Reddit co-founder, reflected on the difference between how he and his wife handle the balance of work and life.

“One thing that I’m still working on is balancing that with time off, with time away, with time to reset and recharge and something she’s really good at is shutting it off and focusing on family time or personal time,” he explained. “I’m always a smart phone away from dipping back into a term sheet or dipping back into work.”

“I certainly still get checked from time to time on that one,” the businessman said, “because it’s something that I want to be my best. I think we all do.”

During the interview, Ohanian also recalled taking his own full 12-week leave when their child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., was born.

“At the time, I wanted to set an example as a leader of my company and a leader in the tech industry,” he said. “I wanted to role model the kind of behavior I wanted my employees to follow, especially men.”

While Alexis and Serena are always speaking highly of one another in the media, that doesn’t mean their relationship is perfect behind the scenes. Earlier this year, the four-time Olympic gold medalist admitted that their marriage consists of a lot of work.

“Marriage is not bliss,” she said with a laugh during Bumble’s The Question Game when asked what was the most surprising thing she learned about the lifelong commitment. “But it can be if you work at it.” She went on to add that “a dealbreaker for me in a relationship is definitely loyalty. Well, not having it, that is.”

Williams went on to offer some advice for anyone dealing with a broken heart, saying, “Heartbreak is a part of life, whether it be a loved one, a boyfriend, or an animal...But time heals all wounds.”