Episode Details

DJ DiDonna has spent years studying what happens when people have the courage to step away from work, and his new book, Big Time Off, makes the case that the biggest breakthroughs rarely happen while we're glued to our calendars. A senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and founder of The Sabbatical Project, DJ joins Ryan to challenge one of our most deeply held beliefs: that the path to success is always to keep pushing forward. Together, they explore why so many people wait for burnout, layoffs, or life-changing events before giving themselves permission to pause, and why creating space intentionally can lead to greater clarity, stronger leadership, and a more meaningful life. Ryan and DJ also discuss identity, ambition, the pressure to always be productive, and the surprising lessons that came from DJ's own 900-mile pilgrimage across Japan.