Recently, I had an opportunity to do something I’ve wanted to do for years. I unplugged from all three of my businesses and stepped off the grid for 10 weeks.  No social media, no emails to my list and no meetings, networking or events. I woke without an alarm, worked on projects in my home, reconnected with friends and family, became a tourist in my own town and did lots and lots of reading, reflection and writing.

In the beginning it felt odd and even uncomfortable.

Who was I if I was not building a business? How would it feel to have nothing on my calendar? What would happen to my network (and list) if I go totally silent for that long? Would they forget me? Would they leave? What if everything goes to hell in a hand-basket and there is no business to come back to? And even worse… what if after going off the grid I didn’t want to come back at all?

These were my thoughts as I stepped into my sacred sabbatical.

But I did it anyway. I did it because this sacred sabbatical was born out of a promise I made to my mom on my last visit with her before she passed on June 1, 2018.

The gift of my sabbatical – beyond allowing my heart to heal – is that I discovered I am much more than my business. I have passions that had gone dormant, friends who were still there for me, projects that felt good to complete and adventures to experience. I was also relieved to discover that my businesses hummed along quite nicely. Revenues flowed, projects moved forward and clients were cared for – without me in the mix.  Very cool.

But more than all that, I discovered how much I love my work. I missed the people, the team, the work itself. I’ve returned with a renewed sense of purpose, a renewed vision and reclaimed the energy that had disappeared. Yay!

Here’s what’s interesting…

Throughout my sabbatical, I’d share with others that I had stepped off the grid for two months… without fail, they would express their own longing to unplug for a sabbatical of their own. Without fail, they would explain that it wasn’t possible and that their business and their income was solely dependent on them.

If you can relate and would love to have a business that keeps on running whether you are working in the trenches or not, I’m here to tell you that it is possible. Why not you? Why not add a Sacred Sabbatical of your own to your vision for the coming year? Whether for 1 month or more, you deserve to have a business that survives and even thrives without you.

But… you’ll need to put some things in place – three things in fact, so that the revenues keep flowing, the clients remain happy and systems run without you.

The three elements of a highly leveraged business…

  1. One or more well-designed online programs that deliver exceptional value
  2. A systemized sales process that grows your list and generates sales
  3. A Rockstar team that keeps all the plates spinning

With these three elements you can step off the grid just like I did for my sabbatical.

There are things you will need to before stepping into your Sacred Sabbatical.

Here’s what I did:

  1. I gathered the team to let them know I was planning to go off the grid.
  2. I emailed my list sharing why I was going off the grid and that they would not be receiving our bi-weekly emails. I was honest, vulnerable and spoke from my heart.
  3. I transferred most emails to team members and defined what circumstances I wanted them to contact me.
  4. I spoke with my private clients who either paused, worked with my team or rescheduled calls allowing me to have only four client sessions throughout these 10 weeks.
  5. We got clear about what projects my team could focus on while I was not driving the ship and made sure each one new how they could contribute in my absence.
  6. I transferred my authority to Diane, who has her finger on the pulse of all three businesses, so she was able to lead the team in my absence.
  7. I cancelled a handful of events I had planned on attending.
  8. I rescheduled “networking” calls I had on my calendar.
  9. I introduced a few people I had been courting for our e-learning service to a team member who stepped in and closed the deal.
  10. I asked my team and colleagues to step in for me on the live calls for students in our ongoing courses. (I did end up doing a few live calls during that time and it was incredibly fun.)
  11. I met with our bookkeeper to ensure we could meet our financial requirements and had a Plan B in the event sales dipped while I was away.
  12. We discovered a handful of expenses we could eliminate or postpone until my return.
  13. We established a way for my team to report to me on a weekly basis, so I had the peace of mind of knowing everything was OK.
  14. I adjusted my scheduling software to show no open spots during the 10 weeks.
  15. Most of all… I pushed back our pre-determined timelines and short-term goals to allow myself the space to step away without freaking out.

How about you? Is your business at a place today to allow you to step off the grid for an extended Sabbatical? Do you have the online program to continue serving clients, the sales process to keep the income flowing and the team to keep all the plates spinning?

If not, you are not alone. Most entrepreneurs are trapped in a model that does not give them this kind of freedom. Most expert entrepreneurs do not have the missing ingredient… leverage.

If you want more freedom in your business and are willing to take some steps to get there, I’ve got something for you. Over the course of three days, I will be sharing three simple trainings – one on each of the three essential elements of a leveraged business. In each training I’ll be sharing what needs to be in place to have it and one step you can take toward it. I promise you will come away from all three trainings with a renewed sense of hope for the business you have always wanted.

If you would like get access to these trainings email us at WeCare@GlobalExpertsAccelerator.com.