Stress-cations 😩Let’s talk about It …

Have you ever stressed about work while TRYING to take a vacation? I've been "that guy" before, and it's not fun.

The worst was a family trip to Vancouver, Canada a few years ago. I'm walking around False Creek with my wife and daughter, trying to take in the sights...

But Slack messages are going absolutely bananas my pocket: Bzzz! Bzzz! ... Bzzzzzz!!!! URGENT PROBLEMS ISAAC!

(Don't worry, I had my phone on silent... so I was the only one being tormented. I'm not a psychopath. 😆)

"You guys go ahead for a minute while I talk to my team and try to sort this out." - sigh.

Gratefully, today looks a lot different. This week, I'm groggily getting back to work and routine after two full weeks off.

My in-laws came to visit from Michigan for a week (yay! (seriously)), and then I spent most of last week at a conference in Chicago.

My phone this time? Silence. (And not just because I've learned about Slack's notification settings.)

What a difference having the right people in place makes!

I've made a lot of mistakes in hiring and managing people over the years. And hopefully, not only is my hair grayer (and a little thinner as my wife points out), I've gained a little wisdom from those "learning" experiences.

Special thanks to Lalaine Paiton for kicking ass and keeping things running smoothly while I was away! (And seemingly effortlessly, I might add! 🤩)

Here's a photo from that Vancouver trip -

See that I'm-trying-to-keep-it-together-and-enjoy-our-vacation-despite-the-chaos-happening-in-my-pocket smile? Or did I mask the stress?

(I think I did a good job on that smile.)

"Keep it together Isaac!"

Seriously though, I am exaggerating a bit, and I did enjoy our time in Vancouver. But it wasn't without its moments.

PS. -

If you're curious how I've done it, I write a bi-weekly newsletter about hiring and managing accounting teams in The Philippines that share quick tips on the most important lessons I've learned over the years. Let me know if you'd like to get it.

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