CadenceCombat profile picture
CadenceCombat profile picture

CadenceCombat

Account Executive

Tycoon
Arsonist
Politicker
+12

Sales sabbatical

Did you ever take a sabbatical / extended break from sales or work in general?


  • Why / what led you to do so?


  • What did you gain / lose as a result?


  • Did your perspective or approach change when you returned to work?


  • If you could do it over again, would you do the same thing or do it differently?


  • Did you ever end up back with the same employer after trying something different?


  • Was it voluntary or involuntary?


Discuss in the comments!

Did you ever take a sabbatical / extended break from sales?

Attached poll
*Voting in this poll no longer yields commission.
🚀 Career Goals
💆‍♂ Mindset
🎯 Career Development
20

23 comments

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UserNotFound
Politicker
10
Account Executive
I was googling sabbatical information at 3am, then I log on and see this?! Feels like a sign that I, at minimum, need a vacation.
CuriousFox
WR Officer
7
🦊
I have not. This is a great post btw. 
braintank
Politicker
4
Enterprise Account Executive
Agreed. Nice to have a new topic. Although it seems like very few here have done it.
bandabanda
Tycoon
1
Senior AE Mid Market
@CadenceCombat great posts AND haikus??

Marry me
UrAssIsSaaS
Arsonist
7
SaaS Eater
I have not - I would love to. If this company im at currently IPOs and we make out alright then I will definitely take one (and maybe just retire if things go really well)
braintank
Politicker
5
Enterprise Account Executive
That's the closest I've seen. Had several people "retire" or just drop out after previous company was acquired. 
Gyro25
Notorious Answer
4
Account Executive
That's the dream! I've got ESOP's and stocks in my current company and there's talks of getting acquired/sold..I'd invest, travel and just fuck off from where I'm at for a few months, do some eat, pray, love shit and get back to it a few months to a year later. 
UrAssIsSaaS
Arsonist
4
SaaS Eater
$20Ms will do that for you. 
bandabanda
Tycoon
2
Senior AE Mid Market
This is the only situation I can see myself taking one.

Frankly don’t have enough in the bank to take one but 6 months would be glorious
braintank
Politicker
3
Enterprise Account Executive
Took some time off for parental leave, but that's about it
Sunbunny31
Politicker
3
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
I've never deliberately taken a sabbatical, all though one was offered to all employees at a previous employer, use or lose.  I didn't know anybody in sales who actually ever exercised it, which is a shame. 

My unintended sabbatical was at the time of the dotcom crash.  It reaffirmed my desire to remain in tech sales, even though the job I was finally able to land after over a year of searching was for a horrible company and for too little money.  However, I did meet a colleague who was responsible for introducing me into the interesting startup I joined that was ultimately acquired and led to bigger and better things.   

My next sabbatical will be permanent.  :)
braintank
Politicker
2
Enterprise Account Executive
Interesting, they offered everyone a use it or lose it sabbatical.

How long were the offering and what prompted it?
DungeonsNDemos
Big Shot
3
Rolling 20's all day
I have not. If in the future I feel a huge strain on my mental health I'd certainly consider it.
Jbeans
Opinionated
3
Director of Sales
It’s a sick addiction. I’m afraid to take a break.. what if I realize I really hate it and then wtf would I do? Or i lose my mojo? And who would take my accounts. I don’t even like people replying for me if I’m vacation… 1 day a year ..😂 . .. see ? Sick addiction. 
SalesBeast
Politicker
2
Sales Leader
In the same boat. Don’t trust my team to reply or sell for me. Taken 1 PTO day in almost 3 yrs. If taking more than a week off my pipeline would be destroyed.
Jbeans
Opinionated
2
Director of Sales
Lol!! I’ve considered I might have issue with control …I don’t like putting my money in other peoples hands!!
peachykeen
Politicker
2
sae e-commerce
The only leave I ever took was (involuntary) due to a nose dive from the startup that left me out to dry; that was 6 years ago. And now (voluntary), having moved to another country(almost a year ago now 🤯) and looking for a new money maker 💰💰💰…besides my own 🍑
Corpslovechild
Politicker
2
Inbound Sales Manager
I want to but I have a number to hit. 
NotCreativeEnough
Big Shot
1
Professional Day Ruiner
Nope. Personally, I love what I do. I don't see a need to take one. Other than the occasional long weekend and few vacations I take a year that's all I need. 
ultrarunner
Opinionated
1
Account Executive
I think a sabbatical would be helpful in a few years. I’d love to ride my bike across the states.
jefe
Arsonist
1
🍁
Beginning of the pandemic... Turned out really well.. I was at a pretty toxic and shitty gig, and it allowed to me re-centre myself, figure some shit out, etc.

Entered back into sales refreshed and better suited for success. 
Austin
Celebrated Contributor
1
O&G O.G. - Sales Mgr. - NCSA
“I was born on a Sunday
By Thursday I had me a job
I ain’t never had no day off
Since I learned right from wrong”
-CCR
LambyCorn
Arsonist
1
A mfkn E
I guess I just took something similar. After being in a rough spot, I took a 4-month brake from working (from this april to august). It was a combination of self-brought depression (100% my fault) and burnout. I blew all my savings which were not much but in the neighborhood of $10k - So, lost my savings and Im kinda rusty. I took a SDR gig remotely, no strings attached on the 28th of July so I have gone back to work since then, Now I have an AE gig coming up, I start September 4th. I would NOT do it again, I left the previous employer and it was voluntary.

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