Hobby To Hustle Podcast · Gemma Dillon & Candace Lam

How to switch off | Ep. 16

·39 min·2 clips

A week and a half after Japan, Gemma still had two workshops and felt exhausted.

1. Hobby To Hustle Podcast episode 16 focuses on how Gemma and Candice plan breaks, switch off, and return to work after time away. 2. Gemma and Candice host the episode as two business owners, and Gemma’s upcoming eye operation makes the timing matter. 3. The episode asks how creatives and small business owners can actually rest without creating shipping problems, inbox problems, or guilt. 4. Gemma says she blocks a week off in June and works backwards to set out-of-office replies and a last shipping date. 5. Candice says the break schedule changed because Gemma is having an operation on May 11 and needs to close the shop early. 6. Gemma explains that she will not ship on the day of the operation and probably not even the day before. 7. The hosts say a business owner should allow several days for orders to clear before a flight, surgery, or other hard stop. 8. Gemma describes returning from Japan after a couple of weeks and still feeling exhausted three weeks later. 9. Candice points out that Gemma booked two workshops the weekend after returning, including one large workshop and two new venues. 10. The episode argues for giving yourself time to ease back into business after travel instead of expecting immediate productivity. 11. Candice says a break should happen “at your pace,” whether that means hikes, candles, books, or a plushie. 12. Gemma says she packed the wrong shoes in Japan and spent about 10 hours a day walking. 13. Gemma also says the trip left her so tired that she mostly wanted sleep, even on the weekend. 14. Candice says a holiday with family or friends can still be tiring, especially for introverts or chaotic family settings. 15. Candice shares a friend’s idea of “cafe hunting,” using a book or drawing pad in small business cafes around the local area. 16. The hosts say a break should include a list of fun things, but not a business-related task list that becomes unfinished baggage. 17. The tone is conversational, casual, and practical, with both hosts interrupting, laughing, and correcting themselves in real time. 18. The format is a two-person discussion that moves through examples, personal anecdotes, and repeated reminders to set boundaries. 19. Listeners who run a small business and struggle to rest. 20. Listeners who want highly structured business strategy only.

As heard by us

A practical reminder that time off works best when it is planned before the break starts.

This episode treats switching off as a thing that has to be built, not wished into being. Gemma and Candice keep the advice grounded: plan breaks early, block the calendar, work backward from deadlines, and set the out-of-office message before the time off starts.

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Why you'd press play

If your time off still has you checking messages, this is your reminder to switch off.

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