Holding the Business While Protecting Founder Leave

Mackenzie is on leave.  When she is on leave, she is fully buffered from the business. This is not symbolic. It is a boundary we set clearly in advance, and one we are holding in practice.

At the same time, she welcomed her second child, and I became a grandmother again. For three weeks, I stepped back as well. I was not leading day-to-day operations. I remained available for escalations, but otherwise I was simply her mom and a grandmother. That time does not repeat itself, and I wanted to be fully present for it.

Now, I have stepped back in.  What that means in practice is different than it was before.

There are decisions I would normally not make alone. There are situations I would typically bring to her. There are moments where alignment would be the natural next step. In this season, I am making those decisions, or I am supporting someone else who is.

And I am not escalating anything to her. Period. In this season, we are only holding our family relationship.  Not because I cannot, but because we chose not to.  That distinction matters.

I am wired to move. If something needs doing, I do it. If a decision needs to be made, I make it. My bias is toward momentum. If something is slightly off, we adjust. That has served us well.  In this season, that instinct is still there, but it has to be held differently. Because this is not just about getting things done. It is about protecting leave.

There are moments where it would be easier to send a message. To get quick alignment. To confirm a direction. Most of those moments are not emergencies.

What I am learning is that holding the business in this way requires a different kind of discipline. It is not just about making decisions. It is about containing them. It is about allowing imperfection. It is about trusting that not every decision needs to be optimal to be acceptable.  It is also about supporting others who are stepping into more responsibility.

Within Find Your Voice Music Therapy, I am holding an advisory and escalation role. I am not leading day-to-day work, but I am supporting someone who is now making decisions they may not have made before. That requires space. It requires restraint. It requires allowing someone else to lead, even if they would do it differently than I would.

Across both businesses, the common thread is this: leadership in this season is less about control and more about trust.

Trust in the systems we have built.
Trust in the people stepping forward.
Trust that the business can hold without constant involvement.

And most importantly, trust that the boundary matters more than the moment. Because one message becomes two. Two becomes a thread. And before long, leave is no longer leave. Protecting that boundary is not about rigidity. It is about respect. It is about recognizing that stepping away fully is what allows someone to return fully. This season has also reinforced something for me personally.

I do not want to lead in a way that requires me to choose between being present in my life and showing up in the business. Those first weeks after my grandchild arrived are not something I want to experience from the margins. Taking that time, even in a limited way, reminded me that the same principles apply to me as well.

If we expect leave to be real, it must be designed that way for everyone. Holding the business while protecting founder leave is not effortless. It requires clarity. It requires restraint. It requires a willingness to move forward without perfect alignment.

But it also proves something important. A business that can hold through absence is a business that is built well. And a boundary that is held in practice is one that people can trust.