The Power of Ritual

Can an ancient practice help fast-growing companies (and founders) stay grounded? I prove it every week.

- By Harry Ritter

Just before sunset every Friday, my whole company knows I become fully unavailable for 25 hours. It doesn't matter what is going on. We could be in the middle of a fundraiser or a major product release. Unless it's a life-threatening crisis, when that time comes, I put down my phone and go offline.

I am the founder and CEO of Alma, a platform that streamlines mental health care for patients and providers, and I am also an observant Jew. Those 25 hours are my observance of Shabbat. I launched my company in 2018 and now have a team of over 500, and I don't know how I would have done it without this weekly oasis to anchor myself and regain perspective. It has helped me make good decisions, lead more effectively, and see things differently in order to innovate. Although the advantages of taking a break are wellknown, rituals contain a different kind of power-and through this experience, I've become a vocal advocate of them.