The Canva Cool Down: The Ritual That Helps Their Sales Team Hit Every Target

I spotted a fascinating approach to team performance from the VP of EMEA Sales Jorge Bestard in his recent LinkedIn post here.

At the start of every quarter, he implements a “cool down week”.

Anyone that has worked in a commercial role or is responsible for company revenue will know the pressure at the end of each quarter.

He recognised this and applied the same principle from sports performance that I wrote about in this article which helped Roger Bannister break the 4 minute mile record.

The result? His team has never missed their quota.

In elite athletics, they call this a deload week and it’s not optional. It’s baked into the training cycle because rest is a multiplier on performance.

The same applies in business.

He had four goals from this cool down week:

1. Take zero internal meetings (except one leadership readback)

2. Reflect on previous quarter performance

3. Strategically plan their approach for the next quarter

4. Restore mental and physical energy

When you alternate periods of intense focus with purposeful rest, you create a system that’s built to last.

Let me tell you a quick story.

A few years ago, I had coffee with a friend who worked at a hyper-growth tech company.

He told me he hadn’t taken a full day off in over 4 months. I asked why.

He laughed and said, “Because I’m crushing it.”

Fast forward six months: burned out. Shorter temper. Worse decisions. Underperforming. Eventually? Gone.

That story isn’t rare. It’s the norm.

In high-performance environments, most leaders still believe the old script: grind equals greatness.

But here’s the truth:

Recovery isn’t a reward. It’s the foundation.

And some of the best companies in the world are getting this right.

I’ve pulled together my favourite examples below that might inspire a new initiative with your team 👇

WHAT ELITE COMPANIES ARE DOING THAT MOST LEADERS FORGET

1. Salesforce: Trailblazer Ranch

Imagine this: a retreat nestled in the California redwoods.

No Slack pings. No endless Zooms. Just connection, quiet, and culture.

That’s Salesforce’s answer to burnout.

While specific visit frequencies aren’t publicly detailed, Salesforce welcomes approximately 10,000 employees per year.

Each visit typically lasts about two nights, though durations may vary based on the program. 

What they do:

The retreat is primarily intended for:

• New Employees: To facilitate onboarding and immerse them in Salesforce’s culture.

• Employees in Transition: Such as those who have shifted roles, come from acquired companies, or experienced recent reorganisations.

• New People Leaders: To support their development and integration into leadership roles.

These groups are prioritised to help them build connections and align with the company’s values.

At Trailblazer Ranch, employees engage in various activities aimed at promoting well-being and connection, including:

• Guided nature walks

• Restorative yoga sessions

• Garden tours

• Group cooking classes

• Art journaling

• Meditation

Why it works:

It’s rooted in a simple truth from elite performance: you can’t build strong teams without psychological safety.

You can’t create safety if everyone’s in fight-or-flight mode.

The ranch slows the nervous system down. It recalibrates the team.

And it signals: we care more about how we work than how fast we go.

2. Whoop: Pay People to Sleep

This one is wild… and brilliant.

Whoop, the performance wearable company, pays employees a $100 bonus every month if they hit 85% of their optimal sleep target.

Read that again: they incentivise sleep like most companies incentivise sales.

What they do:

• Every team member who opts in wears a Whoop band.

• Their sleep, recovery, and strain scores are tracked (privately).

• If you prioritise rest and recovery, you get paid for it.

Why it works:

Because they practice what they preach. They build performance tools and live by them internally.

But more importantly: they flip the cultural script.

In most companies, pulling an all-nighter makes you a hero.

At Whoop, being well-rested makes you a high performer.

That’s how you build a system where people sustain output over decades, not burnout in months.

3. YuLife: The Game of Wellness

YuLife, a UK-based insurance company, gamifies wellness.

Every walk, every meditation session, every healthy choice earns “YuCoins”.

These are digital tokens employees can cash in for vouchers or charity donations.

Why it works:

They’ve gamified recovery.

They’ve made the act of resting and recharging into a competitive advantage.

And they tap into something deep: intrinsic motivation + a sense of progress.

We thrive when we feel like we’re moving forward even in how we care for ourselves.

4. Epic Systems: Sabbaticals for Global Exploration

Epic Systems, a healthcare software company, offers employees a five-week paid sabbatical every five years, encouraging them to travel internationally.

The program aims to provide employees with a break from work to explore new cultures and experiences.

Why It Works: 

Extended time away from work allows employees to recharge, gain new perspectives, and return with renewed creativity and enthusiasm.

Encouraging travel can also foster cultural awareness and personal growth, which can translate into more empathetic and innovative workplace interactions.

YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK

If you’re leading a team, try this:

• Run a cool-down week at the start of each quarter.

• Build in full-team breaks where everyone logs off.

• Incentivise behaviour that leads to long-term performance: sleep, movement, mental stillness etc.

• And when people come back, run deep debriefs. Look at what worked. What didn’t. Where to go next.

You don’t build a high-performing team by pushing harder.

You build it by knowing when to push and when to pause.

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Reply to this email if you want help mapping out a cool-down model for your team.

These strategies aren’t just feel-good perks.

They’re how the best in the world stay the best 🚀

MY TOP FINDS OF THE WEEK 🏆

For Your Performance

• James Clear (The godfather of systems thinking) with the tweet of the year about winning 👏 (X)

For Your Team

• The Navy SEALs 🗣️ secret to the highest performing team in the world and the importance of role clarity (YouTube)

For Your Health

• A behind-the-scenes look at NFL star Christian McCaffrey’s recovery day (YouTube)