Sabbatical School

About Sabbatical School

Sabbatical School is a time limited pop-up podcast for solopreneurs who are curious about taking a one-month break from their business. Over the next 10 episodes, you’ll learn everything you need to know to turn your fantasy of taking a sabbatical into a reality in the next twelve months.

Publisher

Maegan Megginson

Category

business · business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Dec 2025

Latest episode

6 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

11 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Jan 2026

   Weaving it All Together | Your Complete Sabbatical Roadmap

   Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). If you’ve listened all the way through this series, it likely means a sabbatical no longer feels like a far-off fantasy. In this final episode, Maegan speaks directly to that threshold moment when curiosity starts turning into commitment. This is a pause to take stock of everything you’ve learned so far. She walks through the full seven-month Sabbatical School journey from start to finish, showing how each phase builds on the last. The process is intentionally paced to fit into real life, requiring only a small amount of weekly effort while creating meaningful momentum toward time away. This episode is an invitation to zoom out and see the whole picture. You’ll hear how financial preparation, time awareness, relationships, systems, rest, and integration come together to support a sabbatical that truly changes how you live and work. What you’ll learn in this lesson Why a seven-month timeline creates enough space to prepare without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. [00:02:58] How financial planning in the early months makes it possible to pay yourself while you’re away. [00:03:48] How time analysis reveals energy drains and guides what systems your business actually needs. [00:04:25] Why communication and boundaries are essential to protecting your sabbatical. [00:05:38] How intentional sabbatical design and reentry planning set you up for a smoother return. [00:07:27] Why integration after sabbatical is what turns rest into lasting transformation. [00:09:18] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. In month five, we walk through this preparation together. You’ll have worksheets, journal prompts, and lots of time for guided inquiry and discernment around what kind of sabbatical is best for you right now. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

2. 

   6 Jan 2026

   How You’ll Make Your Transformation Stick | Integrating Your Sabbatical for Lifelong Change

   Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). It’s easy to imagine the rest and spaciousness of a sabbatical, and just as easy to feel a wave of anxiety about the emails, meetings, and decisions waiting for you when you return to work. Many people stop themselves from ever taking a sabbatical because they are afraid of what happens when it ends. This episode meets those fears directly. Maegan reframes reentry as a transition that requires care, structure, and intention, not something you power through. Without a plan, the spaciousness you cultivated can disappear almost immediately. With the right preparation, your return can feel steady, grounded, and supportive. This lesson introduces integration as the bridge between insight and lasting change. You’ll learn how to carry what you discovered on sabbatical back into your life and business so it reshapes how you work, not just how you rest. What you’ll learn in this lesson Why returning from sabbatical without a reentry plan can feel jarring and overwhelming. [00:02:50] How to structure your first week back to protect spaciousness and avoid decision fatigue. [00:04:05] Why insight alone is not enough, and how integration keeps transformation from fading. [00:05:13] The difference between altered-state awareness and everyday focus, and how to bridge them. [00:06:22] The four integration practices that turn sabbatical wisdom into lived change. [00:06:53] How anchoring rituals help you stay connected to who you became on sabbatical. [00:11:14] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. In month five, we walk through this preparation together. You’ll have worksheets, journal prompts, and lots of time for guided inquiry and discernment around what kind of sabbatical is best for you right now. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

3. 

   6 Jan 2026

   How You’ll Spend Your Time Away | The 4 Types of Sabbaticals (and How to Know Which One Is Right for You)

   Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). When’s the last time you had more than a day or two to yourself? For many solopreneurs, the idea of a full month off brings equal parts excitement and anxiety. In this episode, Maegan walks through why that uneasiness is normal, and how preparation can turn your sabbatical into a deeply restorative experience. We’ll explore how to clarify your mindset, identify your intentions, and design your setting so your time away is meaningful. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear framework for choosing the type of sabbatical that best suits you. Maegan introduces four main types of sabbaticals—the Project, the Adventure, the Healing, and the Timeless sabbatical—each with pros, cons, and self-inquiry questions to guide your choice. You’ll learn how to structure your month off in a way that aligns with your soul’s needs, not external expectations. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why your mindset matters before stepping away from work and how to let go of unnecessary responsibilities. [02:59] Clarifying your intentions: the big questions to bring into your sabbatical and how they anchor your experience. [05:17] How to approach your setting and the options for using your time during sabbatical [07:20] Four sabbatical types explained—Project, Adventure, Healing, and Timeless. [08:43] Choosing your sabbatical based on your soul’s calling, and the permission to pivot as needed. [18:10] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. In month five, we walk through this preparation together. You’ll have worksheets, journal prompts, and lots of time for guided inquiry and discernment around what kind of sabbatical is best for you right now. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

4. 

   6 Jan 2026

   How You’ll Create the Conditions for Transformation | The 3-Phase Process Behind Successful Sabbaticals

   Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)y (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)ouneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). Sabbaticals can shift your awareness in ways that feel profound—similar to psychedelic journeys, but without any substances required. In this lesson, Maegan explores why sabbaticals are so effective at creating lasting transformation and how the altered state of consciousness they induce is key to their impact. Maegan also introduces the three-phase process that makes every sabbatical experience intentional and transformative: preparation, experience, and integration. By understanding this structure, you’ll see how stepping away from daily life can catalyze deep insights, clarity, and creative breakthroughs. Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or ready to plan, this episode explains why sabbaticals work, how they change your mind and body, and why the results you’ve heard about are both real and repeatable. What you’ll learn in this episode: How a sabbatical acts as an altered state experience, reshaping your nervous system, your perspective, and your creativity. [00:06] The connection between sabbaticals and psychedelic journeys, and why this comparison illuminates the mechanism of transformation. [03:40] The three-phase framework of a sabbatical—preparation, experience, and integration—and why each phase matters. [06:31] How to create the “set and setting” for your sabbatical to maximize insights and safety. [06:54] Why having guidance during your sabbatical can deepen your experience and support meaningful breakthroughs. [08:22] How integration turns the lessons and clarity from sabbatical into lasting change in your life and business. [09:02] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. You’ll receive live coaching on practical steps like finances and systems, alongside deeper work on releasing guilt, re-imagining your relationship with time, and learning to rest fully. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

5. 

   6 Jan 2026

   5 Concrete Changes You’ll See in Your Life and Business After Your Sabbatical

   Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). It’s easy to see a sabbatical as just time off—but for solopreneurs, it can be much more than a pause. This lesson explores the concrete, transformative outcomes you can expect when you commit to a month-long sabbatical. From nervous system regulation to creative breakthroughs, these changes ripple through both your life and your business, making a sabbatical a strategic and restorative investment in yourself. We’ll also dive into why these results aren’t just theoretical—they’re based on real experiences I’ve seen repeatedly with clients and in my own sabbatical practice. By understanding what’s possible, you can approach your sabbatical with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Whether you’re feeling hesitant, curious, or ready to plan, this episode will help you envision what life and business could look like on the other side of an intentional pause. What you’ll learn in this episode: How a sabbatical helps you regulate your nervous system and operate from calm, present awareness. [02:38] How stepping away allows you to recharge your energy, restore creativity, and return to work with renewed vitality. [04:05] How taking a sabbatical contributes to a cultural shift around work, rest, and leadership. [05:18] How the spaciousness of sabbatical time clarifies what alignment looks like for your current life and business. [06:38] How an intentional pause creates the conditions for your next big idea to emerge, whether it’s a project, offer, or new direction. [07:58] Why these outcomes are not hypothetical—these are repeatable results when you commit to practicing intentional time away. [09:49] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. You’ll receive live coaching on practical steps like finances and systems, alongside deeper work on releasing guilt, re-imagining your relationship with time, and learning to rest fully. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

6. 

   6 Jan 2026

   Sabbatical: A Selfish Luxury or an Act of Rebellion?

   Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). It’s normal to question yourself when you think about a sabbatical—wondering whether it’s selfish, or whether stepping away could actually be an act of leadership. Many solopreneurs feel a swirl of doubt when considering a month-long pause: guilt about the privilege of stepping away, uncertainty about the impact on clients or colleagues, and curiosity about what this time might reveal about themselves. In this episode, Maegan reframes a sabbatical as more than just a break from work. She explores how taking intentional time off can be a conscious act of rebellion against a culture that prizes productivity over well-being, and a chance to model sustainable leadership in your business and community. You’ll learn why rest is both a privilege and a responsibility, how using your capacity to pause can serve the collective good, and why leaning into your sabbatical can ripple far beyond your own life. By the end, you’ll see why taking time for yourself isn’t selfish—it’s powerful. What you'll learn in this episode: How taking a sabbatical is a privilege, and why that privilege is a tool for collective good. [03:02] How a month-long break disrupts cultural beliefs about productivity and worth. [04:42] Why stepping away is not shirking responsibility but a form of leadership. [05:54] How your sabbatical can ripple outward to inspire clients, colleagues, and community. [06:18] Ways to use your time off to serve yourself first, then the macro collective. [:06:39] How to integrate and share your sabbatical experience as a social and professional act of rebellion. [08:57] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. Throughout the first five months, we’ll help you not only take time off, but learn how to use that time as an act of conscious rebellion. You’ll receive live support, reflections, and exercises that transform your mindset and prepare you for this intentional time away. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

7. 

   6 Jan 2026

   “Am I letting people down?” | Navigating Expectations and Other People’s Feelings About Your Time Away

   Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). Taking a sabbatical can bring up unexpected worries about how the people in your life will react. Clients, collaborators, friends, and family may have strong opinions or concerns, and it’s natural to wonder how your decision will impact them. For solopreneurs who care deeply about others, these reactions can feel heavy. You’ve built a reputation for reliability and hard work, and stepping away challenges how people see you. At the same time, choosing rest is an important act of self-care and boundary-setting. In this episode, Maegan guides you through preparing for conversations about your sabbatical, communicating your plans with confidence, and maintaining your relationships while protecting your time and energy. You’ll leave with practical strategies and a new perspective on navigating expectations. What you'll learn in this episode: Why people react the way they do and what those reactions reveal about their own relationship to rest and responsibility. [02:49] How your sabbatical ripples through your relationships, from full support to anxiety to projections of judgment. [04:20] How anchoring into your personal and systemic “why” helps to stay grounded when others question or misunderstand your decision. [06:53] Identifying who needs to know, communicating clearly and kindly, and setting compassionate boundaries. [08:03] Reflecting on which relationships will support you, where challenges might arise, and what support you need to stay anchored. [09:39] How Sabbatical School supports you through this process with community, templates, exercises, and guidance. [00:10:46] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. The third month focuses on navigating relationships, expectations, and communication around your sabbatical. You’ll receive scripts, templates, and strategies for communicating boundaries clearly and compassionately, and we’ll hold space for the emotional side of this process. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

8. 

   6 Jan 2026

   “If I stop working, everything will fall apart.” | How to Protect Your Business While You’re on Sabbatical

   Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). The thought of stepping away from your business can feel overwhelming, stirring worries about clients, revenue, and whether all your hard work will unravel. For solopreneurs, the pressure to constantly produce can make even the idea of a month off feel risky. In this lesson of Sabbatical School, Maegan helps you see that fear clearly, while exploring the natural cycles that sustain real business growth. You’ll learn practical strategies to protect your business while you step back, and why slowing down doesn’t mean losing momentum—it means regenerating it. This episode helps you trust your business ecosystem, create systems that support you while you’re away, and step into your sabbatical with confidence rather than anxiety. What you'll learn in this episode: How to recognize the layers of fear that make stepping away feel risky. [03:34] Why natural cycles of growth, integration, and rest are essential for sustainable business momentum. [05:31] How scheduling content and communications in advance helps maintain your presence while away. [08:02] Ways that automating essential business systems can allow your operations to run smoothly without your daily attention. [08:49] How to invite light-touch support or set up simple out-of-office systems to protect your peace. [09:08] Why trusting the roots you’ve already planted—relationships, reputation, and impact—is the most powerful way to maintain momentum. [10:20] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. The second month focuses on understanding your relationship with time and building the systems to keep your business running while you step away. You’ll receive live coaching on practical steps, alongside deeper work on releasing conditioning, re-imagining your relationship with time, and learning to rest fully. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

9. 

   6 Jan 2026

   “Can I even afford it?” | 5 Creative Ways to Fund Your Sabbatical as a Solopreneur

   Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). Saying out loud, “I’m going to take a month off,” can trigger a flood of worry: who will cover my bills, what about my clients, and how will I survive financially? For solopreneurs, the thought of stepping away often feels impossible. In this lesson of Sabbatical School, Maegan helps you navigate that fear and explore practical strategies to make a sabbatical financially possible. She breaks down how to assess your unique financial starting point, calculate your bare minimum funding goal, and creatively fund your time off. You’ll hear stories from her own first emergency sabbatical and learn why intentional financial planning transforms a sabbatical from a risky dream into a doable, sustainable practice. This episode helps you see that taking a break isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategic investment in yourself and your business. What you'll learn in this episode: How to locate yourself on the financial spectrum and understand what’s realistic for your sabbatical. [03:02] How to calculate your bare minimum funding goal, separating essential business and personal expenses. [06:09] The power of solopreneur flexibility and agency in making a sabbatical possible. [07:19] Five creative funding strategies, including a sabbatical savings fund, business savings, personal contributions, conscious use of debt, and optional revenue sprints. [08:03] Why your first sabbatical might not be perfectly funded and how to build a sustainable sabbatical practice over time. [13:01] A simple first exercise to explore which funding strategies feel possible for you right now. [14:13] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. The very first month of the program is all about money. We’re bringing in guest teacher Linzy Bonham, founder of Money Nuts and Bolts, to teach us how to bring our financial systems up to speed. You’ll receive live coaching on practical steps, alongside deeper work on releasing guilt, re-imagining your relationship with time, and learning to rest fully. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

10. 

    6 Jan 2026

    “I could never take a whole month off.” | How Solopreneurs (Like You) Are Actually Taking Sabbaticals

    Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial guide, and quiz to determine the best way to spend your time off: (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook). Do you remember the freedom you imagined when you first started your business? The spaciousness, the creativity, the sense that you’d finally be able to shape your days in a way that felt good. For many solopreneurs, that feeling fades as work grows and responsibilities pile up. What once felt energizing can start to feel heavy. In this first lesson of Sabbatical School, Maegan invites you to rethink what a break can look like when you work for yourself. She shares how the typical academic model misses the heart of what a sabbatical is meant to offer, and why a shorter, intentional pause can create real spaciousness without risking your stability. You’ll hear the story of her first accidental sabbatical, why it changed everything, and why permission is the first and most important step. This episode helps you consider the possibility that rest isn’t something you have to earn. It’s something you can build into your business on purpose. What you'll learn in this episode: How sabbaticals for solopreneurs differ from traditional academic sabbaticals and why a shorter, one-month sabbatical can be deeply effective. [01:23] The core purpose of a sabbatical: a planned pause to reconnect with yourself and your business without pressure to produce. [04:18] Why one month can be the perfect balance to reset your nervous system, spark creativity, and have a transformative experience without risking financial security. [05:30] Maegan’s personal story of burnout and the first sabbatical that led her to create Sabbatical School. [06:39] A simple first step to begin opening to the possibility of your own sabbatical, even if you’re unsure how it will happen. [10:53] Sabbatical School is a seven-month program designed to help solopreneurs prepare their business and nervous system for a real month-long sabbatical. You’ll receive live coaching on practical steps like finances and systems, alongside deeper work on releasing guilt, re-imagining your relationship with time, and learning to rest fully. Join Maegan’s full Sabbatical School program → (https://youneedasabbatical.com)youneedasabbatical.com (https://youneedasabbatical.com)

11. 

    15 Dec 2025

    Welcome to Sabbatical School

    Sabbatical School is a pop-up podcast for solopreneurs curious about taking a one-month break from their business. Over 10 episodes, sabbatical coach and former therapist, Maegan Megginson, will guide you through everything you need to know to turn your sabbatical fantasy into reality within the next twelve months. Download the free Sabbatical Playbook, including a roadmap, planning checklist, financial resources, and a quiz to discover your ideal sabbatical style, at (https://youneedasabbatical.com/toolkit)youneedasabbatical.com/playbook (youneedasabbatical.com/playbook).

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

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