disappear

In 10 days, I will embark on an epic 9-day quest into a vast & dusty desert.

Yes, Burning Man. 😈

Burning Man is a true test of the Entreflâneur.

You hustle for years to earn your disappearance.

You get your business in order so it thrives while you’re gone.

You “front-load” all responsibility so you can forget everything and exist as a kid.

It's preparation at its finest.

Btw, it doesn’t have to be Burning Man…

Disappearing anywhere is good Entreflâneur practice.

It could be a beach, mountain, island, or forest cabin an hour out of town.

Doesn’t matter where it is. Just go somewhere.

Think of your disappearances as a TEST.

• A test of your business’s systems

• A test of your team’s ability to function without you

• A test of your ability to detach from work and screens

Yes, vanishing is a legitimate strategy for success.

… As long as you do it responsibly.

Let me share with you my responsible disappearance process as a business owner:

Step 1: Systematize your business

This is the obviously hardest step and can take years to pull off.

If your business is in your head, it will likely fall apart when you leave.

(👆If this is you btw, Built To Sell is a great little book to read for this.)

You also don’t have to be completely removed.

This is why you are running the test in the first place...

You leave for a week to expose the gaps where you’re still required.

Step 2: Write down your responsibilities

This will help you plan what needs to be done in time for your departure.

In my marketing agency, I’m responsible for:

High-level strategy & vision. Where we want to go and how we’ll get there.

Marketing strategy. How we get attention and leads.

Content creation. Writing emails and shooting Youtube videos to get us clients.

Sales management. Ensuring the sales team is efficiently closing deals.

It’s also helpful to write down random straggler tasks you have no business doing.

I’m still monitoring comments on my Facebook ads and I have no clue why.

This is a great opportunity to get that squared away.

Step 3: Write down your disappearance gameplan

These are the tasks required for you to take the time off guilt-free.

For me:

1. New sales coordinator fully ramped

2. Set up Facebook ad commenting system

3. Release updated email training for clients

4. Release update referral system for clients

5. Finish & schedule 2 Youtube videos

6. Set up projects for assistant while I’m gone

7. Set up autoresponders and emergency contact system

Step 4: Grind

The next step is to lock in and get it done.

There’s no better feeling than taking a break you worked extremely hard for.

There’s no worse feeling than taking time off when you know you shouldn’t.

I picture a stressed entrepreneur on a beach in paradise, glued to his phone and unable to enjoy anything.

Cognitive dissonance is the worst feeling. Ever.

This is why you must hustle. Work harder and more efficiently than you ever have before.

See how far you can push yourself in preparation for your deadline.

Step 5: Disappear

When it comes time, disappear and disappear as fully as you can.

This means going completely off-grid and not checking your phone at all.

It may be uncomfortable at first, but then a definite transformation will take place.

You relax, become more present, and most importantly - become more open to connecting with others.

It’s a beautiful feeling that fewer people on this earth are getting to experience.

I hope some people reading this find time to disappear, even just for a few days.

And maybe see some of you on the playa. 😉 🫡 

Graydon

Cool things I found during my weekly internet stroll.

Sakana AI introduced the first automated AI researcher. AI can now improve itself. Pretty insane breakthrough.

Super interesting walkthrough of Disney’s animation process.

Want some perspective? Check out this interactive scale of the universe website.

Watch Google’s new robot play ping ping. 🏓 

Served up by Spijker & me.

Why I Love You So | Alok, James Hurr, Supafly

Infinite Memories | Nora En Pure

Bottom | Marlin (BE), Ajna (BE)