Lotus Leaf is turning over a new leaf, as its president Julia Che has decided to shut down the PR and social media agency and take a sabbatical.
The eight-year-old Toronto shop will close its doors on Nov. 1 with Che ready to explore various opportunities including travel.
“I’m really excited about it,” Che says. “I just feel that it’s time for a change. In the ad industry, people change jobs every year, every three years. It has been eight years for me and I just feel I want to learn something new.”
Clients, who range from Triumph Lingerie to Guess, were informed of the impending closure a few months ago and the firm’s employee count has fallen from 10 to three.
“It wasn’t easy informing clients that we were closing up shop, but it’s something that needed to be done.”
Che says she is taking inspiration for her “leap of faith” from designer Stefan Sagmeister who gave a TED Talk describing how he closes his New York studio for a yearlong sabbatical every seven years.
“You need to take a break,” she says. “I was definitely a workaholic. It was my baby. It was eight years of sweat, blood and tears.”
Che notes she’s heard too many stories of young ad execs who are either burned out or take pride in working until late at night and on weekends without proper food or sleep. “That’s not a healthy way to live,” she says.
Che, who also has a side venture with her Fashionotes website that features fashion and technology news, says Lotus Leaf is not going to be her last business.
“I’m definitely a risk-taker; I’m definitely a serial entrepreneur,” she says. “I just want to get that hunger again.”
