Dave Withbroe is one of two active owners in Dental City, a dental supply firm. In 2000, he took a one-month break from the business to tour Europe with his girlfriend. “It was the 
trip of a lifetime,” he said. “I got to check a whole bunch of boxes.” (Like running with the bulls in Pamplona, paragliding, attending a Formula One event, and seeing the Tour de France.)
“When I was planning, the word sabbatical never came out of my mouth,” he said. “But looking back almost 10 years, it really kind of was.”
Dave took his trip seven years after the company started. By that time, he said, the business was well established and he was confident he could take time away. While he was gone, a staff member stepped into his sales manager role. The ‘interim’ sales manager did so well, Dave was able to hand over that aspect of his job when he returned.
“I was able to come back and realize I should be working less in the business and more on the business,” he said. Today, he spends nearly all his time on strategy and big picture management. He said he’ll definitely take another sabbatical or two in the future. “These are the things small business owners set themselves up to be able to do.”
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