Lessons from my 2024 Summer Slowdown
This summer, I worked less on purpose. My team and I intentionally scaled back—no new clients, fewer projects, and a plan to keep things running smoothly while I tapped out for a bit.
I’ve done this before (read about my summer slowdown of 2022 and how to implement a slowdown in your own business), and each time brings its own set of lessons. Some I expected, and others caught me off guard.
Now that I’m back into the swing of things and have had time to reflect, I want to share what I learned. If you're balancing family, business, personal goals, and trying to stay healthy, I think these takeaways will resonate with you.
No. 1 | Nanny Envy Is Real
This summer, I felt a surprising jealousy toward our nanny—watching her have so much fun with my girls, from bike rides to picnics to days on the lake.
Don’t get me wrong—we absolutely LOVE her, and she’s incredible with the girls. She works hard, and we couldn’t do summer without her. (In fact, I always try to get her to come work with me at DDC.)
But here’s the thing: I felt this guilt whenever I asked her to handle house tasks or make dinner so I could spend time with my kids. If I was paying someone, shouldn’t I be working too? It stirred up this weird tension for me—like I couldn’t fully enjoy just hanging out with my girls or, heaven forbid, sneaking off to read a book while they were at the park with her.
Relaxing felt indulgent when someone else was "working," even though that’s exactly what I needed.
This brought me to my next realization (I learned this from a business coach I worked with this summer):
No. 2 | Doing Things for Myself is the Hardest Work
I can launch a new service, write a 50-page ebook, or restructure my entire Asana workflow without blinking an eye—but going to Pilates during the workday?
That was the hardest work of all.
It was so much easier to just *do* more work than to actually focus on myself. And yet, deep down, I knew the truth: taking care of my own health and well-being is what's best for me, my family, and even my team.
When I’m too in the weeds or foggy from overworking, I don’t make my best decisions. I can’t think clearly.
At this stage of my business, prioritizing my own health is as important as (if not more important than) any business task.
Also, stepping away gives my team a chance to step up, which in turn frees me up even more to think, create, and look ahead.
No. 3 | I’m More Productive with Less Time
Remember how I wrapped up summer and was SO MAD when I realized I’d worked way less in the last three months and still got everything done that normally takes me 2x the time?
→ Enter the time audit I did to overhaul my time.
PS: This audit is still paying off in spades!
When I have less time, I get more done. Time constraints, for me, sharpen my focus. I work best under pressure and with a deadline. My time audit also made me confront a bad habit: over-involving myself in things my team already had handled.
Guilty. Sorry team. xo
No. 4 | My Team Is Great (regardless of how much I involve myself)
I realized I was jumping the gun and getting involved in tasks I didn’t need to touch. I thought I was helping, but in reality, I was sending the message that I didn’t trust my team to do the work.
Talk about a lightbulb moment (and definitely not something I want anyone to feel when they work with me).
My team is more than capable, and by stepping back, I give them the space to fully own their roles.
No. 5 | Change Is Good
This year threw some changes at us—Maria went on sabbatical in the Spring (hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and finished two months early - obviously so excited to come back to work, haha), and Ashlee was prepping to be on maternity leave this Fall. Plus, we brought Casie on board to support our growth in January.
These shifts could’ve been stressful, but instead, they forced us to get even more buttoned up. We identified gaps, created new processes, and I delegated WAY more.
I’ve always embraced change, and this time, it forced a ton of growth.
No. 6 | I Felt Foggy Because I Didn’t Know What Was Next
I’d been feeling tired and burned out, but it wasn’t because I stopped loving the work I do. It was because I’d achieved a big goal I’d set for myself. I’d hit my ‘north star,’ and then, it was like, “Okay…what now?” That sense of accomplishment left me a bit adrift. I hadn’t planned for the next level thing AFTER that.
Now, I’m not saying it has to be more more bigger bigger faster faster … but when you feel different on the inside and can’t figure out why, it could be because you’ve lost direction or feel stagnant.
🤷🏼♀️
I had achieved what I set out to do, but instead of celebrating it, I just felt… off. So, I started working with a business coach to get some clarity on where to go next.
And also to be better about celebrating the little things.
No. 7 | I Love Working with Specialists
Working with a business coach this summer helped me realize a few things—not just about my next steps but also about how I like to work with coaches and consultants. It gave me a new perspective on how I show up in those relationships, how I can get the most out of them, and how to determine if someone is the “right one” to help me achieve my goals.
I know I need to hire someone who specializes in the exact challenge I'm experiencing or the specific goal I want to achieve. They can’t be generalists.
Specialists get results faster—no fluff, no trial-and-error. My time is too valuable for anything less.
Things I Accomplished
This summer, I'm most proud of the “work” I did at home with my family.
I enjoyed so many unplugged outdoor adventures with my kids
I did Pilates 3-4 times a week
I hung out with one of my fave designers in NYC, who was fresh off a trip to Italy and still made time to see me.
I spent a lot of time writing and sent The Weekly Install® every Friday (my most cherished business activity)
I removed Instagram from my phone (this.has.been.amazing!!!!!)
Things I Didn’t Accomplish
I worked more than I wanted to on a day-to-day basis (meaning, my days were longer than I wanted them to be).
I was planning to do a lot of updates to products in The Design Library and we only updated a few items. So, that has moved to my Fall/Winter project list.
I’ve been wanting to roll out a new program and didn’t have time or bandwidth.
Taking time away from work wasn’t easy for me, but it was necessary. It gave me the space to reflect, grow, and learn. Now, I’m back with more clarity, drive, and a reminder that, at this stage of my business, taking care of myself is just as important as taking care of my business. If you’re feeling pulled in too many directions, I hope this gives you permission to slow down and reflect, too. You never know what you might discover in the quiet.
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