Luton Town manager Matt Bloomfield recently took a 10-day holiday to Tenerife, but his work never stopped.
"It's not a job where you switch off; it's always with you, it's an obsession," he told BBC Look East.
During his vacation, he encountered Port Vale's assistant manager Wayne Jacobs and one of Wolverhampton Wanderers' coaches at the same hotel.
"I gained insight into what was happening with Wolves center-back Nigel Lonwijk, which led to us signing him on a season-long loan," Bloomfield explained.
He added, "Even on holiday, my wife was a bit annoyed that I kept stepping away to try and sign someone from Wolves, but it's all part of the fun."
'Heartbroken'
Bloomfield transitioned from Wycombe Wanderers to Luton following Rob Edwards' departure in January. At that time, the Hatters were 20th in the Championship table, just two points above the relegation zone.
Despite an improvement in form, with only one loss in nine Championship games leading up to the final day against West Bromwich Albion, Luton faced a devastating 5-3 defeat, leading to their relegation.
Luton became only the fourth club in the Premier League era to suffer successive relegations after a season in the top flight, joining Swindon Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Sunderland.
Bloomfield admitted that the scars from that final day still linger. "Yeah, it'll never go," he stated.
"The boys were heartbroken. The staff were heartbroken. It was incredibly painful, incredibly painful. And like I say, that will never leave us.
"I think you learn more from your most painful memories than from the best ones because they teach you lessons on how to evolve and improve for the future."
"So no, the pain of that day at West Brom will never go, but it's fuel. It's fuel to get better and drive this football club forward."
'New Core'
As Bloomfield prepares for life in League One, he has initiated a significant rebuild of his squad.
Striker Carlton Morris and midfielder Thelo Aasgaard have moved on, while Nahki Wells, Hakeem Odoffin, and Nigel Lonwijk are among the eight new signings.
"It was the right decision for some players to move on," Bloomfield commented.
"The challenge this summer has been managing players who have played at the top level and are wanted elsewhere, and adapting to that situation has been crucial."
"It was also important for us to refresh the squad."
He continued, "The most open challenge has been the psychological effect of moving up and down a couple of levels over the last three years."
"What does it need to look like for us to be successful again?"
"Evolving the group, getting a new group to gel, and bringing in experienced players was crucial to building a new core in the changing room."
Luton opens the League One season with a home game against AFC Wimbledon on Friday, August 1. Bloomfield brings extensive experience in the third tier as both a player and manager at Wycombe.
"I know the level extremely well," he said.
"There will be many different challenges within the game. Some will be physical, while others will be more tactical and football-based."
"We need a group capable of adapting to these different challenges to win."