As a business owner it’s easy to feel like your work is never done – because no matter how much you do, there is always more that could theoretically be done. Many business owners we’ve spoken with also feel that they have a responsibility to be available to their team and that if they step away they are putting an undue burden on their team. So, we wanted to hear from a broad range of business owners on whether they take vacations and we’ve shared some of their responses below.

Hugo Healy

I love vacations. I make vacations part of my work. I believe any business owner can do this. For me it’s easy, as I can create beautiful imagery during my trips. Which I then use to grow my social media, sell online or to submit into competitions and then win awards! Vacations allow me to see more of the world resulting in more inspiration and creativity. I love exploring new places. I use my vacations to wake up at sunrise and hike to an epic view to take it all in and capture the emotion and beauty there. I believe a lot of businesses these days are run from a laptop. Read more>>

Ian Peterman

I haven’t always taken vacations. I remember being partner at my first design firm, I worked for almost 4 years with 3 vacations, all less than 5 days, and I worked 6-7 days a week, 10+ hours every day. While it can be easy to fall into the “grind until you succeed” mentality, it will not lead to success 99% of the time. Some people do it, but usually because they hit a big break just before a mental breakdown and then it’s seen as a “success”. Read more>>

Sarah Lamagna

This is such a simple question but so incredibly hard to answer for travel writers. Every place I wander to is potentially a story and it is very difficult to turn off that side of my brain when I truly need to vacate. Vacations can be both a blessing and a curse for travel writers. One side is that many vacations might actually be free since PR companies and tourism boards might pay for your flights or accommodations. Read more>>