Welcome to the Rich Coach Club, the podcast that teaches you how to build your dream coaching practice and how to significantly increase your income. If you're a coach and you're determined to start making more money, this show is for you. I'm master certified life coach Susan Hyatt, and I'm psyched for you to join me on this journey.

Oh hello, amazing people. Guess what… I have a hunch you need a vacation. If you’re like most Americans, you have been quarantined in your house. That’s not necessarily the kind of vacation you were counting on, right?

For the first time in recorded history, more than half of Americans, 55%, left vacation days unused, which equates to 658,000,000 unused vacation days. This is according to the Harvard Business Review. Now, of course, that’s a statistic pre-COVID-19, but let’s be honest, when’s the last time that you took a real vacation?

And let’s be clear, there are some things that don’t count as a real vacation. So, scrolling on Instagram and looking at photos of tropical beaches while you sit on the toilet, definitely not a vacation. Traveling to a business retreat, industry conference, professional training sessions or anything work-related – I’m so guilty of this because I take my people on so many retreats to amazing places.

Okay, sure, you got on a plane and maybe you had a great time. But it’s still not a vacation. Traveling to take care of an elder who is sick or another family member who needs help, that’s a very compassionate wonderful thing to do; also, not a vacation.

Traveling out of duty, responsibility, or because it’s your turn to do it, like chugging along to Thanksgiving dinner at your in-law’s home, sleeping in a cramped twin-size bed surrounded by your partner’s high school marching band trophies might be fun, but not exactly a vacation.

Going on a vacation to, say, the Caribbean but then checking your phone and work email several times a day, not really being present, feeling like your physical body is there but your mind is elsewhere, or feeling guilty for being there at all, that’s definitely not a real vacation. That’s just an unpleasant workday with an ocean view.

I’ve worked as a life coach for nearly 14 years now and I primarily coach people who are self-employed, like business owners, freelancers, consultants, and fellow coaches. And one thing I’ve noticed is that most self-employed people are terrible at taking vacations.

Many self-employed people don’t take real vacations, don’t take real weekends, and don’t make room in their schedule for self-care, or at least not consistently. And this is one of the main reasons why so many self-employed people burn out. They give up on their dreams, struggle financially, and shut down their businesses prematurely.

Two thirds of small businesses in the US don’t survive and close after just two years. And 50% close within five years. Because when you’re freaking exhausted, hanging on by a thread, emotionally and physically fried to a crisp, well obviously, your business is not going to flourish.

And this is why. Even post-COVID, you need a real vacation. You might be thinking, “Well I can’t afford to do that. Money is so tight. I don’t have time to take a vacation. I’m too busy serving my clients. I don’t deserve a vacation, my business isn’t very successful yet, therefore I don’t deserve any time off. Maybe next year. Hello, what about COVID-19, it’s not possible to take a vacation right now.”

My goal is to change your perspective on those matters and convince you that taking a vacation is a really smart move. Physically, emotionally, and financially too. Taking a vacation makes you smarter, healthier, and wealthier, more creatively inspired, and so much happier too.

And if you’ve been feeling stuck or frustrated with your business, guess what… your next million-dollar idea will probably roll right into your head while you’re on vacation, because #science. We’ll get to that later.

Bottom line, that two-week vacay is going to pay for itself tenfold. Incredible things happen when you step away from your desk, detach from your ordinary routine, set your usual tasks, responsibilities, and identity aside and experience the world with fresh eyes. I want you to start planning your next vacay right now.

Okay, here’s the facts. Vacation time makes you smarter, healthier, and wealthier because #science. Skeptical about taking a vacation, especially post-COVID-19? Prepare to be cured of your hesitations.

Taking a vacation equals feeling more inspired and purposeful once you return to work. Even if you love your career like I do, too much work and not enough rest inevitably leads to burnout. You’ve probably experienced burnout before. It’s that situation where you feel exhausted, flat, apathetic, and emotionally detached from your work. Like you just don’t care that strongly about anything anymore, even things you used to enjoy.

The good news – after taking a vacation, 64% of people report that they feel refreshed and excited to get back to work. That’s good news for you and for your clients too. You’ll feel recharged, recommitted to your mission, and able to serve your clientele at a higher level after taking a vacay.

Taking a vacation also equals a healthier and longer life. Research confirms that people who take regular vacations tend to have lower stress levels, lower blood pressure, less risk of developing heart disease and other diseases, and better mental and physical health overall.

As the New York Times reports, taking regular vacations will literally reduce your chances of having a heart attack. If you adamantly refuse to take a vacation for yourself, then at the very least, do it for the people you love.

Taking a vacation equals a higher likelihood that you’ll get a raise. Do you worry that vacation will be detrimental to your income? It’s such a common fear. But, in fact, it’s exactly the opposite. According to one study, people who take 10 days of vacation time or more per year have a 65.4% chance of receiving a raise or a bonus at work. People who take less than 10 days, only a 34.6% likelihood. Hello.

Taking a vacation equals a smarter brain, more creativity, and better problem-solving abilities. When you’re doing nothing, lounging in a hammock – you guys, I just got a new hammock, it is magical – sipping tea and staring out the window, floating in a pool or gazing at the horizon, this changes your brain activity.

Your brain shifts from beta waves to alpha waves, which boosts creativity. Plus, when you’re relaxed, not hunched anxiously at your desk, neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin flood your system in greater quantities, promoting deeper focus, motivation, and optimism, like an all-natural high.

This is why, as you’ve probably noticed, you get so many amazing ideas while you’re meditating, taking a relaxing bath, or enjoying a soothing shower. I take very long hot showers and I get tons of great ideas as a result because in that relaxed state, your physiology shifts and you see possibilities that you just couldn’t see before.

You’ve been trying to figure out how to earn more money, get out of debt, transition into a new career or solve another stressful problem in your life, a vacation will probably help your brain generate new solutions. So, in summary, please take a vacation already, because #science.

Okay, so you’re probably like, “Alright, I’ve tried it before and I didn’t follow through.” I think what’s missing, if you’ve booked vacations and then cancelled them – I know I’ve done that before. I’ve booked something and then I get right up on it and think, “How do I get out of this?” because I have too much to do – you have to develop what I call a vacation mindset.

So, what to tell yourself when you’re having that last-minute pre-vacation panic spiral. Alright, you’ve planned your vacation, you’ve rustled up the funds to do it, everything’s ready to rock, you’re super-excited, but then a few days before it’s time to go, doubt creeps in. Negative voices start thundering in your head. Suddenly, taking a vacay doesn’t seem like such a good idea.

And if that happens for you, try these responses to get your mindset back on track. So, if you’re thinking, “What was I thinking? I can’t afford to go on vacation right now. This was financially stupid.” Tell yourself, “I already booked this vacation. It’s happening. If I back out now and ask for my money back, I’ll be greatly inconveniencing or even harming the business owners who are relying on that cash for their livelihood. I’m not going to do that. I’m going on this vacation, I’ll recharge my brain, and I’ll come up with some genius money-making idea while I’m there.”

You guys, that happens to me every time. Every time I’m on vacation, I come up with an idea that makes me much more money. If you’re thinking, “I can’t leave my company, office, household, kids. Everything will fall apart if I’m not around to supervise.”

Tell yourself, “The world will not fall apart if I take a vacation. There will be grownups handling things in my absence. I trust them. It’s all going to be fine and I’m so ready for a vacation. Nothing will stop me from enjoying this time off. I deserve it and my brain needs it.”

If you’re thinking, “I’m not ready to go on vacation. I still have so much work to do, so much unfinished projects and shit. I should cancel this whole thing and stay home and work,” tell yourself, “There will always be something that feels unfinished in life. If I’m waiting for the perfect moment to go on vacation, then I’m going to be waiting forever. I’ve worked hard, I’ve done my best, and it’s okay if not everything is finished yet. I’ll handle those loose ends once I’m back from vacation and I’ll have a fresh brain and more energy to get it done.”

At the end of your life, you’re not going to say, “I wish I’d worked more hours. I wish I’d answered more emails. I wish I’d formatted more Excel spreadsheets.” You will say, “I wish I’d taken more vacations.”

You only get one life. Make it count. Cherish it. Savor it. Go on a vacation. Take a weekend. Take a break. Say yes to grilling in the backyard, lounging in a hammock, running through the sprinklers, making carrot cake using your grandma’s classic recipe, reading a book purely for pleasure, exploring a new corner of your city. Or, if you’re feeling brave, traveling far, far away, sleeping in, staying up late.

Nobody will give this precious free time to you. You have to claim it for yourself. And when you do, you’ll never regret it.

Alright, y’all. So, here’s the thing. In light of COVID-19, I have even questioned my Summer of Yes. I do this every year. And I thought, you know, “Is it a Summer of Yes?”

And I polled all of you amazing people and you said to me, “Oh my gosh, now more than ever. We need this.” So, this summer, say yes; yes to feeling like a queen instead of feeling like an overworked and underpaid maid, cook, chauffer, tutor, therapist for your entire family. You love them, yes, but you deserve playtime, joy, and fun too.

Yes to shutting off your computer, silencing your phone, and taking an actual break, because that romance novel ain’t going to read itself. Yes to finally doing that one thing you’ve been postponing for way to frigging long. Because you only get one life and it’s happening right now. Yes to making every single day count, this summer and forever.

Welcome to the Summer of Yes, a virtual summer camp for women who want to have the best summer ever. Yup, even during the pandemic. The summer of yes includes a summer in a box care package mailed to your home, seven weeks of life-changing classes, experiences, sisterhood, community, and so much freaking fun, it’s actually kind of ridiculous.

Find out everything that’s included in the Summer of Yes. You can check the show notes. Choose your enrollment level and sign up today because you’ve got to get ready for a summer of memories, adventures, beauty, energy, and joy. Your life is about to start feeling like one big yes.

Thank you for listening to Susan Hyatt's Rich Coach Club. If you enjoyed today’s show, please head over to susanhyatt.co/cash where you'll find my brand-new money magazine. Now listen, we designed this magazine to be entertaining, educational, and help you make serious bank.

So you can download the magazine, there’s a money quiz inside, there’s an interview with one of my favorite clients who went from making no money and being served eviction papers, to making over six figures in a very short amount of time. So the magazine includes that feature, lots of resources to help you do it, lots of resources about creating wealth and investing money.

It’s pretty robust, y’all. So head over to susanhyatt.co/cash to get that magazine. And you’ll also find a link to join my free Facebook community, especially for coaches called Rich Coach Club. Bring your coaching practice and your income to the next level at susanhyatt.co. See you next week.