“I wasn’t broken; I just needed a break.”

Last year, Brightec founder and managing director Andy Ferrett took a well-earned sabbatical.

“I’d been running the agency for 14 years, and just over a year ago, I realised that man, I was tired,” says Andy. “It was quite an emotional and difficult period, and I had a few sessions of counselling, where I was told I needed to take a break. That was the catalyst.”

In this month’s CEO Summit, Andy will be sharing insights from his time on sabbatical, and the process before, during and after, including:

• Preparing the agency for his absence.
• Reflecting on roles and responsibilities. “A sabbatical puts a stop on all that stuff you were doing before, and all the responsibility pointed at you. You can then decide what you want to pick up in the long term – it gives you choices.”
• What it’s like coming back to the agency – and how things have changed. “Now I’m back, I’m still trying to find my place. Myself and fellow director Josh, we’re still trying to figure out who’s responsible for what, how we communicate. But it’s lovely to be back with the team.”
• How a long period of time off has helped him personally as well as professionally.

For Andy, taking the sabbatical was necessary; an important part of the transition between the early and later parts of his employed life.

“Stage one, you’re transitioning from the early part of your life, where you’re trying to establish yourself, get a half-decent salary, and support your family,” he says.

“Stage three, you’re trying to establish a legacy. In the middle of that, stage two, which is where I am, and part of the reason I needed the sabbatical in hindsight, is where you’re trying to figure out what stage three looks like for you.”

Join us for this month’s CEO Summit, where Andy will be talking about the power of pause, and highlighting why every agency leader needs a well-deserved break at some point. And don’t worry, this session isn’t uploaded to the members’ area, so you can be as candid as you like.