| As the saying goes: “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸- 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵.” And let me tell you from experience: 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱. When people are trusting you to hold a safe space for them, you need more than good intentions. Without the right knowledge and experience, hosting a retreat can be financially, legally, and emotionally overwhelming- and it can damage relationships you care about. After 12 years of doing this, I’ve made my share of mistakes and witnessed a lot of retreat leaders learn the hard way. You can’t Google your way to a smooth retreat- there are too many nuances that don’t show up in search results or Facebook threads. Here are a few of the biggest mistakes I see new retreat leaders make: ❌ 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 International retreats need 10-12 months to plan and promote (plus reputable venues fill up that far in advance and trust me- you want a reputable venue). Aim to have your minimum number of signups by the 6-month mark. People need to hear about your retreat 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 times before they say yes. ❌ 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 The venue 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 hold you to the contract- whether you fully understood it or not. If you don’t know what you’re signing, you could end up on the hook for thousands. Don’t just skim it. Ask yourself: • Are taxes and service charges included? • What are the payment dates, and how much is due at each stage? • Is it full-board, half-board, or just breakfast? • What’s the cancellation policy- for you and your guests? • How many rooms are you financially responsible for? Can that number be reduced? • Do you have full control over pricing- or does the venue set limits? This one document can make or break your retreat. Read it. Twice. Thrice. Or get someone who knows what to look for. ❌ 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 ❌ 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 Your newsletter is your best tool for promoting a retreat- no algorithms, just direct communication. Start building your list now (Mailchimp or Mailerlite are great and free) and add past clients, friends, workshop attendees, etc. ❌ 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 I hear sometimes: “I’m not interested in making money from this.” And sure, your heart’s in the right place- but kindness doesn’t cover your rent. I used to feel the same way and wanted to be as accommodating as possible. But love and light doesn’t pay my bills. Leading a retreat takes everything- your energy, your presence, your time. You deserve to be paid well for that. When you return home with $10–20k in the bank, you’re not only covering your life- you’re also showing up more grounded, generous, and energized. And your retreat will be infinitely better because you’re not running on empty. ❌ 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 Please don’t. Cooking for a group is a massive job- hours of prepping, serving, and cleaning, every single day. I’ve done it, and I’ll never do it again. You’re already holding space for everyone’s experience. You can’t do that well while managing a kitchen too. Even hiring a chef comes with risks (I know people who’ve had theirs cancel last minute). Your best move? Book a venue that includes meals. It’s one less thing to stress about- and one of the things guests consistently say they love: not having to cook for once. ❌ 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗯𝗻𝗯 It might seem easier or cheaper- but it comes with major risks: • Hosts can cancel last minute (yes, I’ve seen it happen) • Guests may have to share rooms- or even beds- with strangers • You’re on the hook for cleaning, meals, and shuttles • And honestly? It often doesn’t feel professional What feels like a simple solution can quickly turn into a logistical headache. You deserve better- and so do your guests. ❌ 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 A huge part of leading a retreat is taking care of people. When the logistics are handled, your guests can fully relax, and you can show up as the grounded, present leader they came for. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 🙂 |
5 Things I’ve Changed About The Way I Run Retreats
Some changes came from watching how guests actually move through a retreat. Others came from realizing that a beautiful property and itinerary aren’t enough to make people register 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯. These are five things I do differently now.
