I believe in cultivating leadership through absence; taking a two-week disconnected trip allows teams to develop their own systems and leadership skills.

After my previous company faced challenges, I took time off for soul-searching and was inspired by the power of nature during a trip to the Amazon rainforest.

Since 2012, we've recognized that accommodations are just one part of the travel experience, and we aim to design the entire trip, including local experiences provided by hosts.

This annual tradition, which I call 'jetpack', has led to incredible experiences, like staying with a Japanese Buddhist monk in his temple for just $60 a night.

I took a year off after leaving Groupon to explore what I wanted to do next, which allowed me to pursue the idea of supersonic flight without the fear of it being a dead end.

I didn't want people to go through the holidays planning on coming to work in January and then the company not being there.

The shift from traditional communication methods to modern digital tools has made it harder to take time for deep thinking, especially for CEOs who face constant demands. I would take two weeks a year for think weeks, where I would disconnect from email and focus on reading papers and writing strategy memos for Microsoft.

Taking a year off between jobs can be incredibly beneficial; it allows for exploration, learning, and reconnecting with life.

The pandemic hit just as we were launching our travel app, which was designed to allow users to easily discover and book hotels. Despite the shutdown of hotels worldwide, I focused on the future, believing that people would want to travel again.