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 simple.
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 few one-week workplace closure, a workforce retreat, or a six-week sabbatical overseas, the response is usually the identical:
“That sounds superb. However we might by no means pull that off.”
We’ve helped our purchasers show in any other case. And now we’re displaying what’s potential by doing it ourselves.
The fact is that you are able to do laborious issues while you plan deliberately and construct methods that make relaxation, flexibility, and sustainability truly possible.
Shutting down for every week wasn’t a reward—it was a management resolution. One which required forethought, communication, and somewhat braveness.
Why We Did It (Once more)
This was the second 12 months in a row we closed the corporate throughout the week of July 4th. We selected this week strategically as a result of it:
- naturally coincides with decrease consumer exercise
- marks a mid-year reset level
- units a cultural tone that claims: “We imply it once 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 disintegrate when your inbox retains buzzing, or your workforce remains to be on-line.
So, we turned off the lights—on goal—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 effectively upfront
- We adjusted timelines and deliverables
- We empowered workforce members to plan forward
- We gave our full workforce permission to unplug with out anxiousness
This is similar pondering we coach our purchasers to construct into their very own methods. Wish to take six weeks overseas with your loved ones and are available again to a enterprise that didn’t miss a beat? Need your workforce 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 value of credibility.
We reject that.
We’re not simply right here to make companies look wholesome. We assist them be wholesome. And a wholesome workforce requires respiratory room, not simply workflow optimization.
This companywide shutdown is greater than only a break. It’s an announcement.
A message to our workforce, our purchasers, and our trade:
We don’t simply preach steadiness. We operationalize it.
We don’t await burnout. We plan for relaxation on goal.
We consider in constructing companies that breathe—and we’re doing it.
The Outcomes Converse for Themselves
One in all our workforce members summed it up finest:
“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 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 pretend it.
It solely comes from house. And house solely occurs while 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 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
