The Founder’s Guide to Taking a Real Holiday (Without the Guilt or Laptop)

Written By Nick Cramp & Alice Bea Crozier
Pause, Conversation, Reset books for founders

When it comes to holiday it appears there are 3 varieties available to leaders

  • Option 1 - A ‘normal person’ holiday
    This is when you put work on hold and focus on having a good time with those you have chosen to go on holiday with. All in. Total switch off. This is obviously the ideal option.

  • Option 2 - A ‘working’ holiday
    Unfortunately due to factors, maybe outside of your control, you need to do some work whilst you are away but this has been articulated to those you are on holiday with who have begrudgingly accepted this scenario. So you spend your holiday partially working and partially trying to switch off. This is not an ideal option, but sometimes it might be the only option available to you.

  • Option 3 - A ‘pseudo’ holiday
    This is actually the most common for founders but unfortunately the least preferable of the three options. With this option you pretend to yourself and others that you are on holiday but are working in the background. Checking emails, updating proposals, pre-occupied with work issues, but denying all three if challenged. You are both on holiday but totally not on holiday at the same time. This is the option to be avoided at all costs. No-one wins.


    Reframe: They and you need the break

    A holiday is the option to invest time in relationships that have maybe been underinvested in because you have been busy being a slightly overwhelmed ambitious founder. This is the time to spend with your partner, your family and your friends. They will be there long after your business, but the quality of these relationships depends on the investment of time you make. Holidays are a time to add credits to these accounts from here.

    Rethink: Don’t give yourself options

    Let’s make this easier

    • Leave as much of the tech as you can at home

    • Turn off all of your work notifications

    • Give work only one  ‘emergency way’ of contacting you.

    Refocus: Total immersion required

    Lets give work no room to sneak onto the agenda

  • Pause - Projects & ideas will still be there when you get back

  • Converse - Indulge in deeper conversations on bigger topics

  • Reset - Immerse your body and mind with whatever they need to re-energise



    Aim for option 1 at all costs.
    Future you and current them deserve that.

Nick Cramp & Alice Bea Crozier

Nick Cramp and Alice Bea Crozier are the co-founders of The Rethink Collective, a partnership helping business leaders achieve sustainable success through strategic leadership coaching and operational clarity.

Their “Better Before Bigger” philosophy prioritises intentional leadership, resilience, and well-being over relentless expansion.

Nick, with nearly three decades of coaching experience, helps leaders move from overwhelm to clarity, while Alice, with expertise in education and operations, optimises leadership capability and efficiency. Together, they guide entrepreneurs to scale sustainably and align business success with personal fulfilment.

At The Rethink Collective, the focus isn’t just growth—it’s meaningful, sustainable success.

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