This past week was a great time to step away from our firm with my partner, Julie Shipp, and teach a leadership Summit with some of our Thriveal members. We do prepare content, logistics, and the agenda for these events but Julie and I learn so much too that we can take away and apply in our own firm, Blumer CPAs. 

One particular concept Julie explained was the difference between “rest-rest” and “owner-rest.” We were discussing a leadership concept about the balance of work and rest, and this was a particular nuance to the concept of rest. 

Rest-Rest – this is a time to fully step away from work and not let work lead your mind. I think this is the concept most people are talking about when we as entrepreneurial firm owners are encouraged to step away from our work and do things that are not related to our work (like hiking, vacation, etc.). We know that rest fuels our work, and that the way we work means we need rest to continue to stay fresh. 

Owner-Rest – this is also fully stepping away from work, but this is where a firm leader steps into another form of rest they need. This rest is strategic and allows them to travel to a place to learn new concepts, to be encouraged by other owners, and to also enjoy some dinner and drinks with people of like mind going through what you are going through. Many of us experience this owner-rest when we go to conferences, events, and programs that allow us to rest from work while growing in our leadership.

One point that was being made was that you can’t work or rest to someone else’s standards. We were emphasizing that your own personal goals and goals for your firm are what should drive how you view work and how you view rest. All of the owners at Thriveal’s Venture Summit practiced a lot of owner-rest.

Jonathan Godwin, CPA who attended the Summit said it this way on Linkedin:

“Owner-Rest” takes place when a #lifestylebusiness owner takes #purposeful time away from the business to #learn and make themselves better owners. There have been times where I’ve felt guilty about taking time away, but I always walk away with something valuable, and this was no exception. I didn’t feel guilty about attending the Summit, mind you, but we sometimes feel the pull when we’re not available to our team or clients.”

As you consider where and when you seek owner-rest from your firm, consider these 4 concepts we discussed at the leadership Summit this past week:

Mind – how can you challenge your mind to grow and expand beyond what you already know as a firm owner, and to dismantle old leadership lenses that need to go away?

Mouth – how can you learn to speak with more specificity and clarity as a leader that encourages accountability and growth in the team around you?

Ears – how can you hear new forms of feedback and information that challenge your thinking to act differently as a leader in future difficult situations? 

Hands – how can you choose to serve the clients and team around you when what you really want to do is put yourself first and make the firm serve you?

There is another opportunity in Thriveal for owner-rest. Join us at our annual Deeper Weekend Conference where we will be discussing the theme The Science & Practice of Productivity. You can register here.