These are the show notes for Episode #14 of Young House Love Has A Podcast, a recording of the closing talk we delivered at the 2016 Haven Conference in Atlanta, GA. In this special episode we share what we learned after taking nearly a year away from blogging. We lay out five clear lessons that emerged in hindsight, explain why we stepped back, describe what we would have done differently, and explore the new challenges creators face in an always-connected internet age.
The episode is available on major podcast platforms such as iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and TuneIn Radio, and you can listen to it via your preferred podcast app. On this page you’ll also find several slides that serve as useful visual references for points we mentioned during the talk.
Haven Conference
Image source: House of Hargrove / episode thumbnail credit
What This Episode Covers
We approached the year off intentionally, but like many plans, it taught us lessons we didn’t fully anticipate. This episode breaks down five practical takeaways drawn from that time away. They include the emotional and operational realities of disconnecting, how priorities change when you step back, the pressure of maintaining momentum in a crowded online space, and how to return in a way that feels honest and sustainable.
The talk also digs into the factors that prompted our hiatus: burnout, a shifting relationship to the blog as both a creative outlet and a business, and the desire to protect family time and personal well-being. We discuss the distinctions between short breaks and full sabbaticals, and why clear boundaries matter when your work lives at the intersection of public and private life.
Slides With Visuals
Below are several slides we referenced during the presentation. They illustrate key points visually and can help you recall the examples we shared.
Five Key Lessons (Summary)
1) Intentional time away reveals what matters most. Stepping back helped us separate the aspects of blogging we loved from the parts that were draining. The result was a clearer sense of creative priorities.
2) Boundaries are essential. When your work and home life overlap, explicit limits protect relationships and mental health. Saying “no” to certain projects or platforms allowed us to say “yes” to more meaningful things.
3) Community is both resilient and nuanced. The readers and listeners who matter most don’t disappear because of a hiatus. At the same time, rebuilding momentum requires thoughtful engagement rather than frantic catch-up.
4) Business and creativity evolve. Over time, the ways we monetize and present content change. Being adaptable—and honest about why those changes happen—helps maintain credibility with an audience.
5) The online world is relentless, but personal fulfillment isn’t. Constant connectivity can make every gap feel like a failure. Reframing success around satisfaction, quality, and sustainability makes it possible to return to work with renewed purpose.
Where to Find More
If you’re trying to track down something we covered in a past episode but can’t remember which show notes to open, we created a master list of topics covered in previous shows to help you find the episode you want. It’s a handy reference for locating past conversations and resources.
We hope this episode and the accompanying slides offer useful perspective—whether you’re considering a break, returning from one, or simply trying to make more intentional choices about how you spend your creative energy online.
Psst — Looking for a specific past episode? Check the master list of topics we’ve covered across all episodes to quickly find what you’re digging for.