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.

Felicia Brown

To me, the desire to go on vacation is very similar to wanting an escape from one’s day-to-day life. When I owned my first business, it was something I daydreamed about a lot. Since then, I have grown in my intention to create a life I enjoy and doing work which supports that. Now, going “on vacation” is not a need in the way it was when I owned my first spa. Instead, for the most part I plan travel to enhance my health, mindset, or relationships rather than to “get away” from my day-to-day life. Read more>>

Carla Sendino

I live in an (apparent) perpetual vacation, I am a freelancer! I can wake up anytime I want, go for a coffee at 12pm on a Monday or stay in the sofa reading a book all day, if I pleased. But there’s a catch, I never know when I will land my next project and when I do, any of that free time disappears and my life becomes, literally, the project I am working on. All work and no play! To me, managing all of this is what makes somebody a “successful” freelancer. Read more>>

Tina Dahdaly

Absolutely, I do take vacations. As a business owner, it’s crucial to understand the importance of stepping away occasionally to rest and relax. This break not only rejuvenates your energy but also enhances your creativity and productivity when you return. It’s perfectly normal to feel some anxiety about not being present at your business, and the urge to check in can be hard to resist. Read more>>

Julie Hassett

I do take vacations! I noticed that when I stopped taking vacations for a couple of years during and post pandemic, I had a much harder time balancing my life. I was running myself into the ground with work because I just kept saying yes to all the opportunities that presented themselves to me. That’s not always a bad thing, but in this case I was working way too many hours per week and my body and brain were suffering as a result. Read more>>

Christian Shamas

As a business owner yes I take vacations. I find the need to escape reality a bit sometimes to clear my head with my family. I hear it all the time from folks, we can’t take a short vacation we don’t have the time. Find the time, don’t book yourself a Friday, Saturday, Sunday and just go. You don’t have to take a week trip to Cabo or 3 weeks to Europe to feel that release. Often times to clear your mind may just involve a change in scenery for a couple days. Read more>>