How I Took a 6-Month Business Sabbatical—And Made $67K+ Without Trying

In 2024, I took a 6-month sabbatical to heal my trauma and my relationship to work, money and achievement. While I took time off, my business made over $67,000 without me launching, marketing, or actively selling anything. Here’s how I did it.

I’m a mess.
 
You might not know this about me because I tend to portray a “she’s got her shit together” vibe.

Regardless, in Fall 2023, I hit a wall. Not a metaphorical “I need a weekend off” wall, but a real, “everything-is-falling-apart-why-am-I-even-doing-this” kind of wall.

Why I Took a 6-Month Business Sabbatical

From 2019-2022, I had a thriving business. I had a team of 5 full-time employees (with salaries and benefits), consistent revenue to the tune of $50k months, and a 4-day workweek with plenty of white space built in.

But by August 2023, things had shifted drastically.

Revenue was significantly down, and I found myself upside down with my expenses
I stopped paying myself and went into debt trying to keep the team afloat.
Eventually, I had to let go of my entire team—except for one very part-time contractor.
I had spent over a year feeling like I was watching my business disappear, trying everything to “fix” it, and feeling completely drained.

Oh, and I had started with a new therapist to finally face my sexual assault trauma (the same one I had been running from for 20 years) and my anxiety had escalated from “mildly inconvenient” to panic attacks so frequent, they basically had their own Google Calendar slot.

It was also around this time that I officially got diagnosed with OCD, which created a whole new level of both relief and anxiety, understanding and confusion.

The combination of financial stress, deep-seated trauma work, and a new diagnosis also caused flare-ups of my chronic illnesses (PCOS and hypothyroidism), and basically, I was unraveling.

And no business strategy could fix that.

The Moment I Knew I Had to Step Away from My Business

There’s this quote I love (and also cannot, for the life of me, remember who said it):

When the pain of staying the same becomes worse than the pain of change, you change.

That was me. Running my business had started feeling like wading through cement. I had been doing “all the right things” and it felt like nothing was working.

And the work I was doing in therapy was intense, exhausting, and emotionally draining, making it difficult to show up for work and others while navigating it.

I’d taken time off before—maternity leave, month-long breaks—but this time was different. I had no team in place to keep things running, no set end date, no clue what would happen.

I just knew I couldn’t keep going the way I was.

So I did what any “responsible” business owner would do:

I panicked, catastrophized, and convinced myself that stepping away would mean certain doom for everything I’d built.

If I take time off, my life will implode. My clients will all see my for the mess I am and leave me forever. I’ll never financially recover from this.

Sound familiar?

Well, plot twist! I took that sabbatical anyway (I mean, really, I didn’t have a choice). 

How to Take a Sabbatical Without Losing Income

By November 2023, I knew I had to take some time off. So I planned that after the first week in December, I’d be done with work for the foreseeable future.

The most terrifying part? I had no idea when I’d be “back.”

I told my email list I’d “rest until every new possibility feels like a gift instead of a test.” (something I learned from Simone Seol)

Because I was burnt out from problem-solving—not from working too many hours (I had worked 20 hours or less per week for years), but from trying (and failing) to fix a struggling business.

And because I needed to heal—deeply, fully, from wounds I’d been carrying for decades.

To untangle my complicated relationship with work and money. To break the cycle of hiding in my achievements and my relentless belief that if I could just check every box on the “perfect” list, then I’d be good enough. 

So, instead of banging my head against the wall trying to “fix” my business, I spent my days in EMDR therapy, journaling, running, doing yoga, meditating, reading, playing with my kids, and—most importantly—learning how to actually rest, and without deadline.

Learning how to sit with my feelings instead of numbing them with productivity was so hard at first. I tried to convince myself daily that I was fine and could come back to work. But I knew that wasn’t true.

So I just kept sitting, and waiting. No “next steps” planned out.

I had to trust that when it was time, I’d know.

And yes, of course, I worried about income, about losing momentum, about disappearing into irrelevance. Would my audience leave? Would everything I built come crashing down?

But here’s the thing: I was already crashing. Staying where I was wasn’t sustainable.

So, I decided to trust the process. Instead of planning every detail of my sabbatical, I surrendered to not knowing. No timeline. No expectations. Just space to breathe.

And guess what happened?

What Happened When I Took Time Off from My Business

While I was away (for what ended up being SIX WHOLE MONTHS), I made over $67,000+ in sales.

Without posting on social media (which I quit in 2021 anyhow)
Without running a single live launch or marketing in any way
Without doing anything to actively promote/grow my business, including email

I called it my “sorta-sabbatical” because I wasn’t completely gone—I still checked in with my 1:1 clients (thank Goddess, because they give me life), which took me about 5 hours per month.

But I pressed pause on the relentless pursuit of more. I stopped chasing growth. I stopped forcing. I started trusting. And it changed everything.

In fact, when I stopped trying to grow my revenue in January, we DOUBLED it!

How I Made Money on Sabbatical

How is it even possible to make make money when you’re not working for this long?

Because I had built my business to work without me long before.

My business didn’t implode. In fact, some magical things happened:

1. My Systems Worked (Because I Built Them Right)

Years of setting up automated funnels, evergreen content, and SEO-driven traffic meant that even though I wasn’t actively “working,” my business still brought in leads and income.

Turns out, when you build a business that doesn’t rely on social media or 24/7 hustle, it actually works without you. Who knew?

2. My Audience Didn’t Forget Me

I worried that my absence would mean losing my audience. But because I had built a business rooted in long-term connection (email marketing, SEO, and authentic content), my people stuck around.

When I returned, I wasn’t starting from scratch. I was reconnecting with a community that had been waiting for me.

3. I Got Clear on What Actually Matters

Sometimes, you need distance to see things clearly. By stepping away, I realized which parts of my business I loved and which parts had just been obligations, “shoulds” or just downright totally unnecessary.

Sabbatical Success Story: A Simple, Lean Business with High Profit Margins

When I came back, I didn’t return to the same broken business model—I pivoted.

I stopped over-planning and focused only on work that excited me because I realized I didn’t have to work to make money anymore. So anything I did choose to work on was because I genuinely wanted to, not because I had to.

I also shifted my business model:

I moved away from high-ticket programs and focused on smaller, more specific digital products that felt more aligned and accessible. I added more a la carte options to my shop and I adapted my messaging for MBA to be an all-access pass or “everything offer”.
I ran a simple, lean business with high profit margins, keeping expenses incredibly low and my impact high. I already cut expenses significantly before my sabbatical, but when I returned I made a commitment to myself to prioritize profit over sexy vanity metrics moving forward. Low-pressure, low-stakes is my vibe these days.
I promised myself to lean into vulnerability, authenticity, and transparency—not just as a business strategy, but as a way to connect deeply and help others.

And maybe most importantly…

I finally learned to trust.

To trust that I wasn’t the reason my business survived.
To trust that rest wasn’t a business death sentence.
To trust that my worth wasn’t tied to my productivity.

And that’s what changed everything.

Takeaways: Why Every Entrepreneur Needs a Business Sabbatical

If you’ve ever felt trapped in a cycle of “just try harder”…
If you’ve ever feared that stepping away would ruin everything…
If you’ve ever built your business to give you freedom, but somehow still feel trapped…

I want you to know: It doesn’t have to be this way.

A sustainable business isn’t one that needs you 24/7. It’s one that supports your life, not the other way around.

If you’re feeling the weight of your business, let me tell you: stepping away might be the best thing you can do.

Here’s what I learned:

A well-designed business can function without constant input. If your business crumbles the second you step away, it’s not a sustainable business. It’s a very stressful job.

Build your business around real relationships with real humans, not fleeting social media trends. And have a way to keep communicating with them (automated emails) even when you’re offline. My people never felt forgotten or wondered where I was. Some of them didn’t even know I was on a sabbatical.

Time away gives you clarity you can’t find in the grind. Sometimes, you’re too deep in the weeds to see the full picture. Space lets you return with fresh eyes and better ideas. I can honestly say the past 10 months since returning from my sabbatical has been the happiest, most fulfilling time in my business I can remember. I just enjoy my work so much more now.

When in doubt, do nothing. Seriously. Every time I’ve stepped away, I’ve made more money. It sounds counterintuitive, but the moment I stop micromanaging every little thing, my business thrives. The less I force, the better things go. The more I let go of control, the better the results.

What’s Next?

I came back from my sabbatical with more energy, more focus, and a clear vision. And now, I’m helping other entrepreneurs build businesses that don’t require constant hustle.

If you’re tired of running on empty, it might be time to rethink the way you’re doing things.

So if you’re ready to stop the constant hustle and build a business that actually works for you (without the burnout), check out The Mindful Business Academy—where I teach entrepreneurs like you how to create profitable, soul-aligned businesses without social media or overwork.

And if you’ve ever considered taking a break but feel too scared, let me know in the comments:

What’s holding you back? Let’s talk it out.