Earlier this month, I went to Podfest 2026 and it was a blast. I gave a talk about not letting AI do your work for you. I also got to spend time with my brother, who works at Disney World.

Now, for an extrovert like me, conferences are life-giving. I love meeting new people, having great conversations, and learning things to make my business, and me, better.

But between the long conference days and the long Disney days, I was beat. 40-year-old me doesn’t bounce back as well as 25-year-old me. I was excited to go home.

But when I got to the airport at 3:30pm for my 5:45pm flight, it got delayed until 6pm. Then 7pm. Then 9pm.

We didn’t take off until after 10pm.

I was super bummed at first, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Stuck with nothing to do, I realized something: this was forced downtime for me. I was in the airport, couldn’t go anywhere else, and leaving the chaos of a long trip to go back to the chaos of a house with 3 small kids who were getting over being sick.

The airport was essentially a chaos-buffer for me.

I decided to make the most of it. I headed to a restaurant, did some reading and writing, and ended up making friends with two other stranded travelers.

While I didn’t get in until 3am and was extremely tired, I was actually grateful for that forced break. If I got word about it before I left for the airport, I would have ended up doing something more strenuous.

Instead, I got a little bit of extra time to myself. This is great because we have a lot going on.

Why we all need downtime

Something else I tested at the conference (and in last week's poll) was the idea that I help solopreneurs take off several weeks throughout the year.

I've done this successfully multiple times. I took 4 breaks of at least one week each in 2025, my best fiscal year to date.

I was a bit shocked at the strong reaction I got from people. They told me, "I could never do that," "I don't take time off," and just straight up, "no."

There was a point in my lifetime where vacation meant actually taking a vacation, and being unreachable was a good thing.

It's really a shame that the idea of not taking my laptop on a family vacation is met with "good for you," and not, "why would you?"

I also completely understand this sentiment. For a long time, I felt I couldn't take time off either.

But I built a system of automations, contractors, and most importantly, clear communication to give me the space I needed.

After all, if I'm going to be chained to my desk, I might as well do it for a steady paycheck.

I started my business for freedom, and that's what I've given myself.I want to help as many solopreneurs as possible break free as well.

You shouldn't have to wait until stranded at an airport to get the downtime you deserve.

The Case for Leaving Your Phone at Home Someone recently told me that they can’t leave the house without their phone. I call Bull. We’ve been reprogrammed to thing we need it at all times. Even my parents, who spent almost as much of their lives without cell phones as with them, think they are a necessity. Here’s my case against that idea. Read the Article on Substack

Why Gear and Tools Actually Matter STREAMLINED SOLOPRENEUR: TIPS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS GROW WITHOUT BURNOUT • S2:E514 Why Gear and Tools Actually Matters 21:51 MORE INFO In this episode, I’m breaking down the “Gear” pillar of my GAPS framework. I’ll share the specific tools that save me hours every week and give you a practical framework to audit your own toolbox. It’s time to stop letting bad systems eat your time so you can finally focus on your important work. Listen at Streamlined Solopreneur

That's it for this week. What do you think? Do you plan on taking time off in 2026?

Reply and let me know!

Joe