How often have you sacrificed your vacations and weekends to run a successful business, grow that side hustle, or ascend in your role at work? If you’re anything like us, it’s too often. We’ve all compromised our personal time for late nights at the office but that’s what it takes to make it, right? Well, yes, but also, checking out and signing off is also critical to success. And you know we’re reaching a crisis point when the World Health Organization officially recognizes burnout as a medical diagnosis.

Sometimes you just have to forget inbox zero and relieve that itch to stretch your legs, unload your mental baggage, and connect with friends by updating your signature with an OOO auto-reply (and let the emails go unanswered!). We get it, that FOMO—Fear of Missing the Office—is real and we’ve all experienced anxieties around deadlines and projects that could be mishandled in your absence. And you’re not alone—66% of American employees admit to working while on vacation, and 78% say they feel comfortable taking time off only if they know they can still access work. But the consequences of you not taking that vacation are far worse, not just on your health, but for the health of your entire team, too.

That’s why we gathered 12 boss female founders for a two-day Out of Office Retreat, in partnership with Chandon at their stunning Chandon Estate in Napa Valley, California. We’re talking influential women with seriously jam-packed calendars such as Rebecca Minkoff, Deepica Mutyala, and Tia Mowry, to name a few who took the time to sign out and connect offline and the results were life-changing.

During the beautifully planned escape, our fierce group of multi-hyphenate hustlers toured the Domaine Chandon vineyard, overcame fears on a sunrise hot air balloon ride, feasted farm-to-table style, and came together to discuss business resources, hurdles and plans to collaborate in the future.

The hot air balloon ride was definitely a highlight as the girls tackled their fear of heights to take in the breathtaking views of Napa Valley at dawn. Then the group ventured over to the Domaine Chandon winery for an exclusive tour with their lead winemaker, Pauline Lhote. She spoke about the importance of crafting forward and forging a new path for women winemakers. As one of the few women in charge across the winemaking industry, Lhote has really been a champion for increasing visibility and equality.

Then it was time for a relaxing lunch outside in the beautiful ground of Chandon Estate. Our CEO, Jaclyn Johnson led an inspiring conversation with fashion designer and founder of Female Founder Collective, Rebecca Minkoff, and Estate Director, Domaine Chandon, Susan Caudry. We also invited our Create & Cultivate scholarship winners and the creative forces behind Black Girl’s Brunch along for the ride, Gaybrielle LeAnn Gant and Patricia Esguerra.

In between the main events, our retreat attendees also enjoyed a cooking class at the Silverado Cooking School, meditation session, and floral workshop where they made beautiful barrettes with wildflowers.

#OOORetreat Quotes and Takeaways

“Balance was a word invented by a mean person meant to make women feel like failures.” — Rebecca Minkoff, Founder, Rebecca Minkoff.

“Some of the best lessons in business come from the people who are different to you—that’s the value of diversity.” — Susan Caudry, Estate Director, Domaine Chandon.

“The energy, the inclusivity, and the women-supporting-women vibes were everything. I think Rebecca Minkoff said it perfectly: “In spite of all sorts of guilt leaving my kids, husband, and too many un-replied emails, I decided to take 36 hours to get some fresh air, meet some bad a$$ women, and drink some Chandon made by, you guessed it, women!” — Adrienne Bosh, CEO and founder, Sparkle & Shine Darling.

”Being in rooms like this is so important. The love was overflowing. There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." — Tia Mowry, Actor and Author.

“Add a failure funnel to your development pipeline.” — Rebecca Minkoff

“It is not selfish to be successful. It is not selfish to dream big. The more you step into your power, the more lives you can touch.” — Quigley Goode, Content Creator.

”No is just the beginning of yes.” — Rebecca Minkoff

”The people you learn the most from are the people you’re the least alike.” — Susan Caudry, Estate Director, Domaine Chandon

Overall, the retreat was a magical experience and a much-needed mental break for everyone. It’s just like Minkoff said, there will always be an email to respond to or an unfinished project but you won’t be able to apply yourself to your fullest if you’re tired, stressed, and burned out. Besides, something really powerful happens when you get a group of game-changing women together in the same room. So many new business ideas or plans to improve their existing ones were brainstormed over bubbly! All of them felt reenergized, inspired, re-fueled, and most of all, ready to get back to work and kick ass.

Check out more photos from the #OOORetreat weekend in the gallery below:

How often do you go out-of-office to recharge and unwind? Sound out in the comments below!