PAUSE: The Nitty Gritty of My Extended Sabbatical
WHY IS MY SABBATICAL NECESSARY?
An uncomfortable feeling began to creep up on me during the first few months of 2023.
At the time, I couldn’t imagine a life without the business I created. I caught myself saying, “If I didn’t have Local Type, who would I be?”
I meant it wholeheartedly.
If anyone asked, I was doing well.
I wasn’t stressed. ✅
My client list had narrowed to entrepreneurs who I thoroughly enjoyed working with. They all become friends. ✅
I had recently completed a course designed to help copywriters take control of what they want success to look like (and with a coach on my aspire-to-be-like-them list, at that!). ✅
Still, my time reading scripture was poking and prodding me to obey.
The more I avoided setting Local Type work aside for a season, the more I felt like I was being asked to sacrifice an idol of achievement and my idea of success upon an altar for the Lord.
And, let me tell you, I thought I would fall apart.
I anticipated a feeling something like being smooshed in a hydraulic press video that squishes random objects to see how they’ll explode or ooze out from the pressure.
Shockingly, when I decided that true obedience would require FULL obedience from me, I began to find an abundance of peace.
Suddenly, I began finding more meaning in pride in homemaking again. (Homemaking is a hideously old-fashioned word. I know. But when I use it, I’m talking about the act of making a home and associating it with hospitality — loving people and my family well.)
“ARE YOU TAKING A BREAK BECAUSE YOU’RE PREGNANT?”
Well, no. But maybe, yes?
I decided a sabbatical was necessary before I found out I was pregnant. So, my pride (needlessly) compels me to explain that the sabbatical was on the books before the baby. However, if you believe God’s plans are more informed and strategic than our own as I do, then you’ll see His hand at work in the timing of it.
Besides, you wouldn’t hold it against me if a sabbatical was decided upon in light of a new baby? Would you?
“WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO DURING YOUR SABBATICAL?”
I’m going to live life. Nothing crazy here.
I’ll continue to do my best to follow (listen and obey) Christ because His plans are best.
I’m going to be a wife, a mom, and a friend.
My oldest daughter and I have started to do “lessons” at home. So, we’ll continue doing that. Plus, we’re a part of our local chapter of the Wild + Free homeschool group. Thanks to the hospitable homeschool mamas and hospitable leaders, we’ll continue to go adventuring with the group regularly and participate in its inaugural co-op once a week.
“WHAT ABOUT GRETA?”
Greta (L) and I seized the opportunity to capture a Local Type team picture while dressed up for the 2023 WOW Awards hosted by our client, WithIt.
Oh, good. It’s so thoughtful of you to ask! 😉
As my clients know, Greta is a wonderful, valuable, Godsend of a content writer.
Maybe one day, I’ll share that whole story. For now, if you don’t know Greta there’s one thing you should know. I couldn’t keep up with the workload I was carrying at the time without her.
Once I knew a sabbatical was on my horizon, I knew I would want to work out a way for Greta to continue working — if she wanted/needed to. I did NOT want to say hasta la bye-bye and leave her stranded on the side of the road or up the creek or whatever other metaphor you’d choose about abandoning her without a job.
We discussed multiple options, but after praying and seeking counsel about it, she decided to step down, too. Ultimately, I agree with her decision, and I’m thankful for it.
We knew her schedule would become busier than ever not two months after my sabbatical was set to begin, and she didn’t want to ask Local Type clients to go through another major transition that soon.
“WHAT WAS IT LIKE GIVING ALL YOUR CLIENTS AWAY?”
This is the most significant way I’ve ever put the scarcity mindset behind me in favor of the knowledge that there will be more just-as-wonderful small business owners and entrepreneurs to work with when I return.
Seriously, the group of clients we were working with when I hit pause was remarkable. (IYKYK.)
I’ll explain in more detail what I mean by “giving my clients away” in the next section.
For now, I want to focus on my most notable takeaway from referring all of my clients to other trusted writers, which is…
Clarity.
I felt like the entrepreneurs and professionals I was working with were my ideal clients. As I said, I enjoyed working with all of them.
They are all easy to work with, patient, kind, and fun ladies to work with.
But they proved themselves in an unexpected way when I told them, “I’m going to be taking an extended sabbatical in obedience to God.”
They said, “There’s no better place to be than obeying the Lord.”
And, “This is a shock, but I totally support your decision.”
And, “I’m going to miss you, but the timing feels right to me, too.”
They were understanding when they could have judged me for blurring the lines between my personal, spiritual, and professional lives. (That “blurred,” genuine way of running your own business is a perk I enjoy, by the way.)
They saw me. And it made the whole decision that much easier.
WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN FOR YOU?
If you were a client with active or ongoing projects when my sabbatical began, you know how it affected you.
We chatted, discussed a few options, and either hit the pause button or I connected you with another trusted writer.
If you accepted my invitation to work with one of the incredible people on my refer-clients-to-them list, then I hope you’re LOVING them. I’ve already told you that I won’t try to steal you back from them. I hope that in sending you their way, I’ve stewarded our professional relationship well.
(Of course, you also know by now that when I see you/them share an email, blog, or social media post that I love — I will speak up and tell you how and maybe even why I love it!)
If you haven’t worked with Local Type before, this means that when you contact Local Type requesting help writing the words you need for your website (or any other project), I’ll respectfully decline — for now.
In the end, you have a few options. You can contact me to…
Request a referral.
I don’t say-and-spray referrals. I consider your business and project and attempt to play matchmaker with a copywriter or content writer who would be able to best serve you.
Ask me about projects without a hard/fast deadline.
While I don’t have a start-back date, I do not believe that Local Type is gone forever. This is simply a season of refocusing and realigning my priorities. I’d be happy to add you to my waitlist for now.
Warning: It’s not easy and automated. (Yet?) It will take a 1:1 neighborly conversation to join.
Can we discuss a project idea?
Share your sabbatical story or send encouragement.
If you’ve experienced this in some way, I would love to know! I’ve heard several others say something along the lines of: “Oh, man. I wonder if this is something I should be doing, too?”
And my answer is almost always, “WAIT. Listen to the Lord. Make sure you’re taking your weekly Sabbath seriously before you press pause because of anything I’ve said or done!”
Continue to pick my brain.
There’s much more I could share. So, feel free to ask me whatever lingering questions you have! I’m cool with long DMs, but appreciate the convenience of voice messages, too.
(Examples: What passages of scripture were you reading at the time? Why is Greta so busy now? How’s the sabbatical going now? Etc.)
P.S. This subject feels … enormous. I may continue to update this blog as more revelations hit me coulda-hadda-V8-style. Don’t be surprised. I’ve done it once, and I’ll do it again.
