Episode 065: The Ideal Podcast Launch Timeline

Back in April, I dropped an episode about preparing for a two-week sabbatical. Well. while I didn’t take a full-blown two-week sabbatical, I did take two weeks off of work and away from my client work. So, how did it go? Well, let me tell you.

Earlier this year, my family planned a week-long vacation to the beach. This happened to also fall the week before my mastermind trip. One week off was no big deal for me, but two weeks was a whole other story. So, I decided to try out somewhat of a sabbatical. This took a lot of planning and prep work on my part.

Rules for My Sabbatical

Before logging off for two weeks, I wanted to establish some rules for my time away.

No Client Work

Keep My Inbox Cleaned Up

Respond Only to Inquiries

My clients were so wonderful in helping me prepare for this time away. I briefed them on my plans well before taking the two weeks off. They stepped up and respected my time off. They were able to help me prepare by providing the necessary elements I needed in order to work ahead and then they respected my time once I was off.

What I Would Do Differently

This mini-sabbatical showed me so many things. Preparing for those two weeks required me to do a TON of work in preparation. Essentially, I was working two weeks at a time for the weeks before to get ahead. Instead of working 40 hours, it was looking more like 80. So, there are a few things I would do differently next time.

Outsourcing Work

To get ahead leading up to my sabbatical, I had to outsource projects that I don’t normally hand off. These projects being handled brought me so much relief. This went so well that I would consider handing off more of those projects in the future. I might even consider completely outsourcing if I took another sabbatical. I don’t want to have to hustle that hard again in order to enjoy a vacation. I trust my contractors enough that my work will get done well.

Have Someone Manage My Inbox

I have always managed my own inbox and have never thought to hire someone to do it for me. I really enjoy it, so I haven’t wanted to. But, while being on vacation I would love to have a team member take over the simple inquiries. Then, I won’t have to worry about responding to inquiries or even think about it. I could establish a simple response and have them handle the standard inquiries. They then could flag any other important emails that I may receive.

Overall, my sabbatical went perfectly. It was. a lot of work to prepare for and I think that is the only thing holding me back from doing it again. Two weeks was very tough.

If you have found a way to take a longer version of a sabbatical, I would love to know what that looks like for you. Feel free to reach out to me on my Instagram.