By Stephanie Everett
At Lawyerist—and our sister firm, Affinity Consulting—we closed the corporate for a complete 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 may 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 few one-week workplace closure, a staff retreat, or a six-week sabbatical overseas, the response is usually the identical:
“That sounds wonderful. However we may by no means pull that off.”
We’ve helped our purchasers show in any other case. And now we’re exhibiting what’s potential by doing it ourselves.
The truth is that you are able to do arduous issues if you plan deliberately and construct programs that make relaxation, flexibility, and sustainability really possible.
Shutting down for per week wasn’t a reward—it was a management choice. One which required forethought, communication, and a bit of braveness.
Why We Did It (Once more)
This was the second 12 months 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 wish to attempt to relaxation when the world retains spinning. Even essentially the most well-intentioned holidays collapse when your inbox retains buzzing, or your staff continues to be on-line.
So, we turned off the lights—on function—and requested everybody to actually 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 purchasers nicely prematurely
We adjusted timelines and deliverables
We empowered staff members to plan forward
We gave our full staff permission to unplug with out anxiousness
This is identical considering we coach our purchasers to construct into their very own programs. 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 staff to set actual boundaries and really feel supported in preserving them?
Then construct the infrastructure that makes that actuality potential.
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} companies—there’s an unstated perception that nonstop availability is the worth of credibility.
We reject that.
We’re not simply right here to make corporations look wholesome. We assist them be wholesome. And a wholesome staff requires respiratory room, not simply workflow optimization.
This companywide shutdown is greater than only a break. It’s a press release.
A message to our staff, our purchasers, and our trade:
We don’t simply preach steadiness. We operationalize it.
We don’t anticipate burnout. We plan for relaxation on function.
We imagine in constructing companies that breathe—and we’re doing it.
The Outcomes Communicate for Themselves
Considered one of our staff members summed it up finest:
“It’s an unimaginable feeling to work for an organization that really prioritizes well-being. I didn’t open my laptop computer as soon as, and that freedom to completely unplug made all of the distinction. Now we’re again with contemporary vitality and focus, able to serve our purchasers and one another.”
That vitality? You possibly can’t faux 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 should be true so that you can shut your agency for per 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 per 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
