Julia Linehan, CEO and Founder of growing adtech and martech PR and communications agency The Digital Voice, has just been on holiday.

No biggie, except for the fact that that it’s the first proper time off she’s had since starting the company a decade ago.

Not only did her family breathe a huge, collective sigh of relief to have Julia to themselves for a change, but as she explains below, her time off came with some unexpected benefits for her PR team and the business as a whole…

It might seem strange that I am not calling out the more traditional aspects of PR – coverage, publicity and communications. Instead, I wanted to focus on what I’ve learnt from running a PR agency for 12 years and counting.

It’s a rollercoaster. It’s full of many highs – and sometimes lows – but always a constant requirement to be running at a high pace with maximum energy.

You can’t drop, stop or dial down the constant outputs, strategic ideas, creative thinking and high-volume deliverables.

And yet, stopping is exactly what we all need to do sometimes.

My team knows that when I come back from a break, I bring my best ideas. I arrive back at ‘the office’ buzzing with new thinking, ideas and plans.

The reason? I’ve given my mind and body time to rest, recharge and reignite.

This year, I took my first two-week summer break since I started The Digital Voice and it’s been an eye opener.

First, I was able to step back and let my team do what they do best.

They know what they’re doing and they are brilliant at keeping momentum going, looking after our client partners – and each other – and doing their job to such a high standard.

I didn’t need to worry or step in as they’ve got this! You bring on a team to take on roles that the business needs and you find people you trust and build them up to believe in themselves. Then, you let the magic happen.

Simple.

Knowing I had a team of 35 taking care of business meant that I could switch off the constant hum in my head for two weeks. I could rest the brain and the body. I could catch up on life, family and myself for a while and reset.

Rest gave me the chance to turn down the energy battery so it could recharge.

After the first week, I was back to full charge again and that’s when it kicked in. The ideas came flooding through.

When it’s your own company, you don’t want to switch off fully. I love what I do, what I’ve built and the business I’ve created.

I always want it to be the best it can be and constantly evolve it to give our everything to our partners and to our team. So, week two was all about reigniting.

I started thinking of new ideas, plans and ‘PR chess moves’ that could work (or not; it really doesn’t matter if something doesn’t hit the mark the first time).

I came back this morning full of fresh thinking, a full battery pack and an absolute certainty that the three Rs are essential. Not just to me as a CEO but to anyone working at any level.

You have to step back in order to move forward, and that’s what my break has given me.

So here I am; back in the saddle and ready to take on ‘H2’ with cunning plans, courageous thinking and a huge smile on my face.

Rest, recharge and reignite, my friends. It’s golden.

Originally posted in: Mediashotz.