In this candid conversation, Ellie Shippey sits down with Taylor Strange to explore the decision, process, emotions and outcomes of Taylor’s month-long sabbatical.
Decision & Motivation
Ellie Shippey: What inspired you to take a sabbatical at this point in your career?
Taylor Strange: Last year my colleague Glen celebrated his 15-year anniversary at the Center. As our CEO, he used that milestone to pause and reflect—and seeing a leader I admire take that kind of intentional break made me stop and think: shouldn’t I do the same? I realized that since graduating college and joining the Center, I’d never taken a meaningful break. No deep reflection, no real downtime. Between my job, a mortgage, three kids, and a bustling household, I needed space to catch my breath.
Ellie Shippey: Had you been thinking about this for a while, or did the idea come up more recently?
Taylor Strange: It bubbled up once Glen hit his milestone. Seeing him step back gave me permission to wonder: “What would I do with that time?” Almost immediately, I knew I simply wanted some time off.
The Process
Ellie Shippey: How did you choose mid-March through mid-April for your break?
Taylor Strange: Ironically, it was the worst possible time—there was a major shift happening with the new presidential administration, and our work at the Center was in a period of intense change. But I had made the decision in late 2024. Had I waited until 2025, I don’t think it would’ve happened. Glen was instrumental in holding me accountable. He kept saying, “You said you’d do this—so do it.” That kind of leadership and encouragement made all the difference.
Ellie Shippey: How did you bring leadership and the rest of the team on board?
Taylor Strange: I’m fortunate to have a close, trusting relationship with Glen, and that trust extended to the whole team. I didn’t need a formal pitch—just an honest conversation about why it mattered. That openness also sparked a bigger change: I advocated for a formal sabbatical policy. Now, at the Center, everyone who reaches ten years of service will qualify for a four-week sabbatical.
Emotions & Expectations
Ellie Shippey: What was your emotional state leading up to the sabbatical?
Taylor Strange: A total mix—excitement and anxiety all at once. I was racing to tie up loose ends, worried about the backlog I’d return to. There’s this ingrained sense in our culture that stepping back is somehow selfish or wrong—we’re taught to power through, to always be available. Taking a break felt almost rebellious, like I was breaking some invisible rule. But my husband said something simple that shifted my mindset: “This is for you—be in the moment.” That helped me release the guilt and really embrace the time away.
Ellie Shippey: What were you most looking forward to?
Taylor Strange: Quiet. My days are filled with noise—three kids under six, a dog, neighborhood chaos, plus the 24/7 pings of work. I deliberately planned nothing—no trips, no projects—just to sit in silence, something I’ve never managed before.
Preparation & Transition
Ellie Shippey: How did you prepare your team?
Taylor Strange: I had one-on-one conversations with each team member to walk through roles, decision-making pathways, and back-up plans. I didn’t send out a mass email weeks in advance because I didn’t want to trigger external anxiety—like “Who do I call when she’s gone?” Instead, I left a short away message the day I signed off. Looking back, I’d give my external partners more notice, but internally, those personal conversations were the right approach. It made the transition feel thoughtful and supported.
Looking Ahead
Ellie Shippey: What did you hope to gain—and what did you actually gain?
Taylor Strange: I hoped for clarity, balance, and a little peace—and I came back with all of that, just not quite as deeply as I imagined. Four weeks felt like a warm-up. By week three, I was finally settling into the silence, and then it was time to re-engage. In the future, I’d love to see longer or more frequent breaks—maybe every five years—to normalize the rhythm of stepping back and recharging.
Ellie Shippey: How will this experience shape your work going forward?
Taylor Strange: Professionally, I want to help normalize sabbaticals across the nonprofit sector. This can’t just be for executives or long-timers—it should be accessible to anyone who’s deeply invested in the mission. Culturally, we need to undo the instinct that says rest is a weakness. The more we build a culture of pausing, the easier it becomes to give ourselves—and others—permission to do it.
Personally, I reconnected with the joy of simply being with my kids. When work was paused, I became more present—and that’s a lesson I want to keep living out.
Ellie Shippey: Any final reflections?
Taylor Strange: I’ve talked about sabbaticals like they’re some new innovation, but of course they’re not—they’ve existed forever. I stand on the shoulders of people who’ve taken this time before me, and I don’t want to overlook the path they’ve already paved. I do want to be loud about my own experience, though. I want to help build a community where we share what we’re learning and advocate together—not just for personal growth, but for organizational strength.
And the truth is, I haven’t even begun to know all the benefits. I’m excited to learn from peers in the sector—because this isn’t just about one person taking time off. It’s about how our organizations and movements grow when we make rest part of the culture.