business breaks are scary
Let me start out by saying: taking a break from podcasting was a scary decision. Classy on the Outside is more side gig or hobby than legit business right now because the time vs revenue ratios are wayyyyyy off. But still, it’s a big portion of what I do right now.
That’s why taking a break from the podcast last year was something I thought a lot about before doing it. I mentioned this briefly with a previous episode but we’re diving into it here.
deciding to take a business break
Even with giving it a lot of thought, I wasn’t quite sure that taking a podcasting break was a good idea for the business. What if you, as a loyal podcast listener, forgot about me? What if no one ever listened to another episode again? What if, what if, what if…
Finally, I was fed up with something or other (I elaborate in the episode) and decided to just freaking take a break.
Lessons learned
I was expecting to plan out content and get more organized for the approaching new year. That wasn’t exactly how my little break went, though.
Instead, I learned some interesting lessons:
- I needed to stop being so scared
- I needed to start trying new shit
- I’m not obligated to stick with something
- Sometimes a mix of planning and winging it are called for
a break was worth it
At the end of the day, I could have used my break a little more wisely. But I still had some helpful business (and life) takeaways. They’re not so profound, but have you ever noticed how hard it is to observe our own stuff objectively and learn something from it? This little podcasting break was helpful for my business and helpful for my personal sanity.
does your business need a break?
What things are you routinely doing that no longer serve you or your business? What do you hate doing? What makes you exhausted?
Sit for ten minutes and see if you can run through the feasibility of taking a break from those things. Or even from your business or side gig altogether, if you can. Breaks don’t have to be weeks long–try a few days or a week and see how it goes.
You might find that you don’t even want to continue, as I talked about in my pivoting episode and the 10-question workbook I developed.
Or you might find that taking your own business break refreshes you and gives you some new ideas and momentum!
What are your thoughts on business breaks?
