Why On Leave?
Liz Coffey
Founder
I've been where you are, my headspace overtaken by something outside of myself. On Thanksgiving 2020, my husband and I were alone in our condo. We opted out of home cooking and were eating chicken tikka at our dining room table. I was talking about a colleague I felt frustrated by. Without the usual holiday bustle, I heard myself clearly for the first time in years. The realization hit me hard: I let my corporate job take up too much of my headspace.
This moment of clarity led me on a journey of self-discovery. I invested in working with a coach – a decision that initially felt expensive and superfluous but was the best investment I’ve ever made. As the world began to reopen in 2021, I prioritized travel and experiences on my own terms, something I didn't know I needed until I experienced them.
The true "a-ha" moment came during a solo trip to Birmingham, Alabama in the spring of 2023. Away from home and fully present, I explored local museums, monuments and hiking trails by myself with fresh curiosity. I struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to me at the bar of a restaurant, and we chatted throughout dinner. On the flight home, I felt like me again – not Liz the professional, but Liz the real person.
I wondered: Does anything exist to help women not to escape, but to tap into our truest selves like I had? When I discovered it didn't, I knew I had to create it.
After 15+ years in the corporate and agency worlds, advising c-suite leaders on their communications, I left my job at the end of 2023. I got certified as a coach myself. I have the tools to help you explore what a self-care day or weekend could be if we threw out preconceived notions and designed your "me time" specifically around you and your goals.
What I'm not is a travel agent or travel concierge. I've been scouting locations and experiences through the lens of how they will help you tap into your truest self as you Wander, Create and Learn. I didn't go to top-rated attractions. I went to women-owned businesses, often in neighborhoods off the traditional tourist trails.
Many of you have shared your own "a-ha" moments with me, including:
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Your job is your identity too!
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You're a parent or caregiver and give, give, give to others and don't prioritize yourself.
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You're on the cusp of something new – parenthood, the next chapter in your love life or career, empty-nesting, retirement.
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You're searching for something – the opportunity to try something new, accomplish a goal or connect with others.
You need a spark. That's why I started On Leave Experiences. For you.
Self-care doesn’t have to mean spas, pools and yoga, and travel doesn’t need to be about crossing places off your “bucket list” or visiting the most Instagrammable spots – not if those things don’t help you feel what you want to feel.
On Leave believes:
A day or weekend experience is a great opportunity for a reset, and you don’t need to travel over an ocean or leave the U.S. to find what you’re searching for.
Cities and towns can be the best sanctuaries for self-discovery – full of streets to wander, all kinds of art to create and so many people and places to learn from.
As women, we’re not all the same, so our day and weekend itineraries shouldn’t be either.
