By Stephanie Everett
At Lawyerist—and our sister firm, Affinity Consulting—we closed the corporate for a whole week. Once more.
No Groups. No conferences. No sneaky inbox checks “simply in case.” Everybody unplugged. Everybody offline.
And no, it didn’t occur magically.
It wasn’t straightforward.
It didn’t occur as a result of we might afford it.
We did it as a result of we deliberate for it.
“That’s Good, However It’ll By no means Work”— And Different Lies We Inform Ourselves
We hear this on a regular basis. Whether or not we’re speaking a couple of one-week workplace closure, a crew retreat, or a six-week sabbatical overseas, the response is usually the identical:
“That sounds wonderful. However we might by no means pull that off.”
We’ve helped our shoppers show in any other case. And now we’re displaying what’s attainable by doing it ourselves.
The fact is that you are able to do exhausting issues if you plan deliberately and construct techniques that make relaxation, flexibility, and sustainability really possible.
Shutting down for every week wasn’t a reward—it was a management resolution. One which required forethought, communication, and just a little braveness.
Why We Did It (Once more)
This was the second yr in a row we closed the corporate in the course of the week of July 4th. We selected this week strategically as a result of it:
- naturally coincides with decrease shopper exercise
- marks a mid-year reset level
- units a cultural tone that claims: “We imply it after we say we worth well-being.”
Greater than that, we all know what it feels prefer to attempt to relaxation when the world retains spinning. Even essentially the most well-intentioned holidays collapse when your inbox retains buzzing, or your crew remains to be on-line.
So, we turned off the lights—on objective—and requested everybody to really disconnect. No guilt. No catch-up stress. Simply house.
Relaxation Requires Simply as A lot Planning as Work
This wasn’t luck or luxurious. It was deliberate design:
- We notified shoppers nicely prematurely
- We adjusted timelines and deliverables
- We empowered crew members to plan forward
- We gave our full crew permission to unplug with out nervousness
This is similar pondering we coach our shoppers to construct into their very own techniques. Need to take six weeks overseas with your loved ones and are available again to a enterprise that didn’t miss a beat? Need your crew to set actual boundaries and really feel supported in preserving them?
Then construct the infrastructure that makes that actuality attainable.
We’re not simply coaches. We’re builders. And this break was one thing we constructed with intention.
Relaxation Sends a Sign. Right here’s What Ours Says.
Within the authorized world—heck, in {most professional} providers—there’s an unstated perception that nonstop availability is the value of credibility.
We reject that.
We’re not simply right here to make corporations look wholesome. We assist them be wholesome. And a wholesome crew requires respiration room, not simply workflow optimization.
This companywide shutdown is greater than only a break. It’s a press release.
A message to our crew, our shoppers, and our business:
We don’t simply preach stability. We operationalize it.
We don’t look forward to burnout. We plan for relaxation on objective.
We consider in constructing companies that breathe—and we’re doing it.
The Outcomes Communicate for Themselves
One among our crew members summed it up greatest:
“It’s an unimaginable feeling to work for a corporation that really prioritizes well-being. I didn’t open my laptop computer as soon as, and that freedom to totally unplug made all of the distinction. Now we’re again with recent vitality and focus, able to serve our shoppers and one another.”
That vitality? You’ll be able to’t pretend it.
It solely comes from house. And house solely occurs if you carve it out deliberately.
It’s Not “Can You?”—It’s “How Will You?”
So right here’s the actual query for leaders studying this:
What would have to be true so that you can shut your agency for every week?
Not: “Why it received’t work.”
However: “What must occur for it to work?”
That’s the shift. And it’s the place transformation begins.
We’re proud to say we didn’t simply survive every week away—we got here again higher.
And we’d love to assist your agency do the identical.
Final up to date July eleventh, 2025