Vacations are great. We all need to recharge from time to time, to unplug and unwind and get away from the daily stress that consumes too much of our time.

A week on the beach gives you a whole new perspective. Nothing much to worry about except pass me the sunscreen and is it time to go back in the water yet? In my case, I was in Kauai, the least stressed island in the least stressed state in the nation. Even though unemployment is up and business is down, the locals know that there is no need to sweat the small stuff. The ocean speaks to them and it says, "Don't worry, be happy."

Nevertheless, I did learn some important lessons on vacation. For one thing, a lot can change in a week. I returned to the swine flu crisis, a reminder that it is critical to plan in advance for a potentially game-changing crisis like a pandemic flu. If your clients are not ready to communicate internally and externally about how to protect or minimize the impact of a dramatic event on their stakeholders, now is the time to discuss it.

I also learned the value of backup. Knowing that the world and my business would not fall apart without me for a week because I left my clients in the capable hands of my trusty associates was huge. Although I did check messages and email occasionally, I could feel comfortable doing it much less frequently and even unplugging entirely some days. No Twitter, no Facebook, no problem.

Most importantly, it may seem obvious but a vacation reminds you that service counts. If the people and staff where you stay, eat, recreate and shop go out of their way to make sure everything about your vacation is a pleasant experience, that's the message you will communicate when you return. My wife and I stayed at the Hanalei Colony Resort. Check it out. It is secluded, first class, laid back and unpretentious. No phones, no TV, just a perfect resort in a perfect location.

A good vacation teaches us that the best thing we can do for our own business is to deliver that same level of primo service to our clients every day. We need to make sure our own brand delivers what we promise. No exceptions and no excuses.

Life is definitely a beach. Surf's up, enjoy.