I run my companies with unlimited vacation. That shocks some people. It should not. Time off is not the problem. Confusion is the problem. My stance is simple: take the trip, keep the promise, and tell me when you are not available.
The old way of work measured hours. I measure outcomes. If you are productive, accessible, and gracious, you will win here. If you go silent for days and clients are left hanging, you will not. My view comes from a lifetime in business, coaching top performers, and leading teams that handle serious stakes. Performance beats presence every time.
“I have unlimited vacation. I just wanna know, are you available or not?”
Stop Policing Time, Start Demanding Clarity
People know what they need to do to deliver results. I do not need to track their steps or their hours. I do need to know when they are off the grid. That is it. If you are hiking the Himalayas for three days, good for you. Just say so. Then I can route work to someone else. Clients stay served. Momentum stays high.
“Go where the hell you wanna go… but I need to know if you’re not available.”
Availability is a promise, not a guess. When leaders expect clarity, teams respond with trust. When leaders demand control, teams respond with fear. I choose trust backed by systems. Calendars are shared. Status is clear. Hand-offs are planned. We protect freedom and results at the same time.
How Culture Beats Policy
Unlimited vacation is a policy. What makes it work is culture. My culture is built on three daily standards:
- Productive: Do the right things and do them well.
- Accessible: Be reachable or say when you are not.
- Gracious: Treat people with respect under stress.
Those standards drive our goals. They also keep the team honest when someone is off.
“You wanna empower people to make money, help people, and have fun.”
That is the deal. Make money. Help people. Have fun. Hit those marks and you earn freedom. Miss them and the policy is not the issue—performance is.
Accountability That Scales
Here is what happens when we run this way. People engage more because they own their time. They plan better because others depend on them. They enjoy their breaks because there is no guilt or mystery.
“The more productive, accessible, and gracious you are, the more money you’ll make, and the more money we’ll make.”
Freedom without clarity causes chaos. Freedom with clarity creates speed. Clients feel the difference. So do teams. We replace stress about time with pride about results.
Answering the Doubts
Some leaders fear the policy will be abused. They picture empty offices and missed calls. That fear points to a hiring and coaching gap, not a vacation policy flaw. If someone hides, we will see it fast in client outcomes and team feedback. If someone rests well and returns sharper, we all win.
Another concern is fairness. What if one person takes more time than another? Fairness is not about matching days. It is about meeting standards. If the work is excellent and the hand-offs are clean, time off is not costly. If the work slips, we coach or we part ways. Simple and fair.
I have seen the other side. People hoard days, burn out, and still underperform. That is not leadership. Real leadership sets clear rules, then steps back and lets grown adults run. Judge the score, not the seat time.
The Playbook Anyone Can Use
Use this if you want freedom without chaos:
- Declare availability daily. No surprises.
- Share hand-offs before you leave.
- Keep one owner per task, even when delegated.
- Measure outcomes weekly. Celebrate wins fast.
Do that, and unlimited vacation stops being a perk. It becomes a proof of trust.
The future of work is not about counting hours. It is about keeping promises. Take your time off. Come back stronger. Stay honest about your status. We will make more money, help more people, and have more fun. That is not a slogan. That is how I build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do you prevent gaps in client service when someone is out?
We plan hand-offs in advance, keep shared calendars current, and assign a single point person for each task. Clients always know who is on.
Q: What if a team member takes frequent long breaks?
We look at results and reliability. If outcomes stay strong and communication is clear, it works. If standards slip, we coach or reset roles.
Q: How do you measure productivity without tracking hours?
We set weekly outcomes, check progress daily, and review client feedback. The scoreboard reflects output, quality, and response time.
Q: Does unlimited vacation lead to burnout from constant access?
No, because availability is declared, not assumed. People set clear off-grid times. The team covers, and rest is respected.
Q: What values guide your approach to time off?
Be productive, be accessible, be gracious. Make money, help people, and have fun. If those hold, the policy strengthens the culture.
