A Time to Recharge

Every year I take dedicated time to go dark. The ten days directly preceding Thanksgiving, I take my annual “restore & recharge” trip at a sanctuary in the middle of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert with no cell service and no worries.

As the founder and CEO of a PR agency full of talented and hardworking people, whom I see as my second family, you may ask, “How are you able to close yourself off from it all for even a day, nonetheless ten?” The answer is, it isn’t easy, but the sacred time and mental space are imperative. For the business. For my team. For me.

It’s not only important for mental clarity, balance and rejuvenation (or, just because!); but, it also makes me better at my job.

For DGC, the marketing and media industries are our core specialization, and our “secret sauce” is to know the ins and outs of those spaces–the leaders, the companies, the latest news and changing trends. It’s important to play in that “bubble.” Yet, it’s imperative to look beyond it. 

Experiencing different cultures, meeting new people and seeing new places gives us perspective that makes us more creative and open to different ideas. Spending time with our inner selves helps us learn more about who we are and what we want, and can help drive and fuel our passions. Let’s do what grounds us!

Clients want to know they have talent who are diverse in thinking, and can think big – about the client’s business and how it is impacted by the world around us. So, let's go out and see the world around us!

Some people pride themselves on not taking time off. I say, go live your life. Explore. Travel. Be curious. Laugh. Have fun.

These are all personal values that have helped me keep a very intensive career and business life in perspective. It’s healthy to take time off, travel, unplug. For me, it’s raison d’etre (and it even helps the bottom line!).

This is why we’ve created a flexible work environment at DGC, with remote and work from home policies that benefit our employees, our clients and our thinking. We are not defined by our desk, but by our passion and our ideas and how we bring those to life for clients – and giving people the space and time to think, and learn, and to disconnect from the desk is part of that.

There’s a time to work, and a time to recharge. As we near the end of the year I hope you’ll find some time for yourself. If not – it’s not too late. It’s important, for you and for your work. As for me, I’m off to the Sonoran!