So last Friday and Saturday I hosted my 18th (!) 2-Day  Private Client Retreat.  

Since 2013 I’ve hosted a private mentoring group and the Mastermind invitation investment includes two 2-day Live Retreats.

During lockdown we pivoted and hosted these online and, as ever, with partnership and trust they worked really, really well.  

I can’t say I didn’t squeal and swear a bit about how it would work, if it would feel off AND, what I’ve learned is this – it’s so easy to fear doing something differently to how you’ve done it before.

BUT, some of the BIG lessons I’ve learned over these 18 live and in-depth, special Retreats are:

• Show up – be there, be present and stick to the plan as it evolves
• Create the space – whatever that is, make it easy and inviting and there, ready  
• Have a strong, collaborative intention – in partnership rather than believing you have to know it all
• Trust – yourself, your clients, your supporters and the energy of what you’re doing
• Let go of it being perfect – things will go off, not be or do as expected.  Expect that.
• Invite it to be how it is – and embrace that and work with it rather than fight it!

Over the years, we’ve had – as the Retreat Treat –  a private art class, a guest Magician, a cocktail party, a Character Assessor, Colours Analysed, Make Up Lesson, Style Analysis – and all over these 9 years we used the technology and what we could do, rather than complaining about what we couldn’t do.

This time we had a private room at one of Snowy & my fave restaurants – The Wolseley on Piccadilly.

Not everyone could make the dinner with rail strike challenges, Covid, family commitments BUT the dinner was fabulous.

The Retreat in London from start to finish was so special and of the 7 of the 10 women who could be in the room, everyone thanked me for ‘holding the space’ for us to be live.  

It would have been so easy to take it online again and my instinct *which I trusted* was “No, if you build it they will come” – those who could did and this who couldn’t adapted to the online version!

So this might help you to stay loose and flexible as you stare down arrangements which shift, participants who have to pivot, plans which go swirly.  

Trust yourself and your instincts in how you move forward.

 In other news…

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A few shots of our special, VIP retreat – perfectly imperfect as always….

and in other news, Jeffrey, our pesky Whippet Cross hound was signed off by his Heart Surgeon and her team to come off the lead and to only have another check up in 6 months.  He is being a true hound.   Not looking back, only facing forwards.  Another lesson ….