'I haven't had a vacation in years'

When you're running a business on your own, it's tough to take time off.

Working 10 - 10, 7 days/week

no vacation shannen kelly
  • Name: Shannen Kelley, 38
  • Company: Practically Perfect Organizing, Plano, Texas
  • Last vacation: 2009, Kauai

I founded Practically Perfect Organizing two and a half years ago just after I got divorced. Unemployed and sleeping at a friend's house, I realized I had to figure out what I could do and realized I had always been good at organizing.

Since then, I've organized garages, boats, baby bags and even bar mitzvahs. I tell my clients if it's not illegal or immoral, I will help with it. I've discovered part of what I do ends up being life coaching.

As the only employee in my company's third year of business, I often work from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. I love what I do, but it is exhausting physically. My last vacation was my honeymoon in 2009, a week in Kauai. I would love to get my business to a place where I could go on vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with my girlfriends, put my toes in the sand and have a nice cold drink.

But I'd have to have enough business where I'd bring in someone to work with me, someone with empathy and intelligence. Basically it would be a clone of me who I could trust with my clients.

Until then, I unwind by watching TV at night such as "Game of Thrones" and reading self-help books.

  @CNNMoney - Last updated August 09 2013 12:45 PM ET

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