At Indigital, we believe in doing business differently.
Every 12 weeks, our entire company stops, completely. We close our laptops, turn off the notifications, and step away from work. We call it Indigital Leave, a full ‘paid’ week off, company-wide, to rest, recharge, and reconnect with what matters most in our lives, our families, our friends, and with Country.
From the very beginning, we knew that building a company rooted in Indigenous values meant we had to honour balance, connection, and care in our everyday operations, not just talk about them. Indigital Leave is one example of how we bring these values to life. This isn’t a bonus; it’s a built-in rhythm to how we work.
As Joanna Baker, Indigital’s Chief Operating Officer, puts it, “We made a conscious decision to embed this rhythm into our company culture from the start. Indigital leave is about honouring our humaness first and the ebbs and flows of our energy. In business, inputs are as important as outputs and we recognise that to show up fully in our work, we need to rest, rejuvenate, and nurture the diversity of creative expression that each of us brings.
This time gives us the space to rest and reconnect with other things that fuel and inspire us, which ultimately makes us better at what we do.”
Image: Indigital's Community Success Lead Cassandra Rowe and Chief Operating Officer Joanna Baker spend time connecting on Gubbi Gubbi Country on the Sunshine Coast during the team's annual retreat in 2024.
In a world where burnout has become the norm, making time for rest has become a radical act. But at Indigital, we see it as essential to how we show up for our work, the communities we support, and each other. By taking a week off every quarter, we are intentionally putting our well-being first and in doing so, we’re maximising our creativity and productivity.
“It might seem counterintuitive to pause every quarter, but we’ve found that stepping away actually fuels productivity. When we honour natural rhythms like the seasons, with times for output (like Summer) and times for rest (like winter). When we return we are more focused, creative and connected to our work. In Western business culture, it's like we work in summer energy all year round! At Indigital, we know that true sustainability comes from balance and our Indigital Leave is our way of embedding that wisdom into how we work. The impact shows in our team’s wellbeing, engagement and outcomes.” says Jo.
For Cassandra Rowe, Indigital's Community Success Lead, Indigital Leave is more than just a break, it’s a reminder of what a values-driven workplace can look like.
“To work somewhere that says, ‘We want you to take care of yourself, and we’ll support you to do it,’ is honestly game-changing,” says Cass.
“I use the time to be with my kids without juggling, to get outside, and to reconnect with my own rhythm. It’s made me better at my job and more grounded in myself.”
Indigital founder and CEO, Mikaela Jade, and COO Jo Baker made the decision to embed Indigital Leave into the Indigital business model from the very beginning. It’s a decision they're proud of and one that continues to shape how we care for our people and do our best work.
When we honour time to rest, we make space for creativity, deeper connections, and innovation with purpose. All of which are central to our mission at Indigital.
Our next pause begins Monday 14 April, and we’ll return refreshed and reconnected on Tuesday 22 April.
Image: Indigital's Community Success Lead Cassandra Rowe enjoying time on Country during Indigital Leave.
