This episode came straight out of a conversation with a client who's starting to plan for maternity leave, and it's the question I get more than almost any other from creatives: how do I actually take time off without my business falling apart while I'm gone?

So today I'm walking through what financial prep looks like for the big planned changes (maternity, sabbatical, a move, going back to school), the unplanned ones (illness, family emergency, burnout), and the cash architecture and systems that have to be in place underneath all of it so you can actually step back when life calls for it.

In this episode

Why financial prep is a different sport when you're self-employed, including all the safety nets employees have that creatives don't (paid leave, employer disability, severance, health insurance that doesn't disappear the moment your income dips).
The 12-month buffer rule for planned leave, and why three months out is already too late if you're trying to actually rest instead of scrambling.
The real prep checklist for maternity leave or a sabbatical, including adjusting contracts, pausing onboarding, setting client expectations early (how I handled my move in May and how I'm thinking about our Korea trip in November), and deciding what monthly revenue you need to be back at by month 3, 6, or 12.
Why your true monthly burn rate is the number you have to know cold, including software, contractors, rent, insurance, and everything that keeps running while you don't.
Why a business emergency fund is non-negotiable, what 3 months of operating expenses in a separate account actually looks like, and how to build it one subscription at a time if you're starting from zero.
The systems that let your business keep functioning if you have to step back for 30 days, including delegation, automation, and a break-glass SOP someone else can actually follow.
The insurance and legal gaps to fill (short-term disability, life insurance, business interruption, a will, a business succession plan, an "in case of emergency" doc for your spouse), and which conversations belong with an advisor, attorney, or insurance broker (not me).
The 3 cash buckets every self-employed creative needs: tax reserve, emergency fund, and opportunity fund, and why they each need to be sized for your business specifically.
The mindset shift around taking time off when you ARE the business, including the guilt around rest with variable income and the real reason most creatives need someone outside the business to tell them they can afford the break

Links & Resources:

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