Sh*t I Took a Radical Sabbatical

In today’s hustle culture, where we’re always going and busyness is glorified, daring to hit the pause button feels like a rebellious act. Yet, this pause might be exactly what we need in order to show up better for ourselves and others and to unlock the most beautiful and true path for our future selves.

Personally, I’ve been riding a rollercoaster of emotions regarding my own career hiatus and period of introspection. Some days I feel like I deserve this time and enjoy every second of it, others I feel like I’ve thrown my life away. On good days I feel proud to have put myself first, but on bad days I feel guilt and shame for needing this break in the first place.

Enter Daisy Auger-Dominguez, my guest today, who has been on her own journey of reflection, healing and regrouping for the last six months. Unlike my somewhat nebulous idea of what a career break was going to be like, Daisy’s was a meticulous and intentional planned time off.

Daisy spent many years in the corporate world furthering diversity, equity and inclusion at some of the world’s most prestigious companies. Her last role was as the Chief People Officer at Vice Media, a role that left her burnt out and which lead her to what she called her radical sabbatical.

I sit down with Daisy to talk about career breaks, decoding the business world, her book Inclusion Revolution, and the importance of owning your narrative and the impact it can have if you share it with others.

Daisy Auger-Domínguez is a global leader recognized for her expertise in building high-performance cultures and guiding global organizations through business transformations at the leading edge of people and culture. She is the author of Inclusion Revolution: The Essential Guide to Dismantling Racial Inequity in the Workplace and forthcoming book Burned Out to Lit Up: How to Rekindle The Joy of Leading People, and has been featured in Harvard Business Review and IDEAS.TED. A sought-after speaker, Daisy’s TEDX talk, ‘Inclusion Revolution’, inspires and equips audiences to achieve a meaningful and lasting impact. Daisy has led human capital practices at Vice Media, Moody’s Investors Service, The Walt Disney Company, Google, and Viacom. Her contributions have earned her prestigious honors, including Hispanic Executive's Top 10 Leaders, ADCOLOR Legend award, and the New York City Council Leadership in Community Service Award. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and daughter, is a board member of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and also sits on the Board of Trustees at Bucknell University, her alma mater.

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