Let's Change the World.

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I'm just going to jump right in on this one and I've got to warn you - I am going to get deep (it's just how I roll).

Becoming your authentic self in a culture that has very strict notions of who we “should be” is really, really hard. We slash and silence ourselves, we buy shiny shit we don’t need to fill invisible holes that we have been told that we have. We think our pain and fear means we are broken, when it just means that we are human. We fear revealing our flawed selves to each other with shame, and then we project our shame onto each other by policing and silencing each other (especially the brave ones). We make ourselves small because we are told that we cannot take up space. We run around in busy-ness and aren’t really living fully alive in our own lives. But it doesn't have to be this way.

I know it and you know it – women are the love revolution. We are rising up in conscious connection and support of each other on this life journey. We can and are changing the world, and it starts in small, intimate communities led by soulful, heart-centered, wellness and creative entrepreneurs who are passionate about changing people's lives, empowering them to explore, heal, change, grow, and unfold into their most authentically beautiful selves.

You are one of those change makers. You are longing for deeper connection and an uplifting sense of belonging, the kind that comes from a warm hug, a brave conversation, and an engaged community connected to your work. You want to get out from behind these blinding screens and sit with your community on cozy couches, around blazing fires, in circles of laughter and support. You want to hold real space for women to explore, heal, and transform. You have something beautiful, valuable, and incredibly unique to contribute to this world, and you know it (and I know it too!). You feel passionately about your work, and you want to share it with everyone you possibly can! You yearn to really impact the women who need what you have to offer, those who are on their own soulful journey toward healthy, abundant, and conscious living. You know that retreats are an incredibly powerful way to do all of this, and you know you want to host them for your community (and beyond!). And you want to do it without losing your mind (or money)!

Let's break the mold for what retreats are "supposed to be like" and offer a more attainable and community-conscious perspective. Retreats are for every body. You don't need to take a 24-hour flight and spend 7 days (and a few thousand dollars) at a retreat in Bali to change lives, ok? Some of the most powerful retreats are the ones that happen in our local/regional communities with women craving connection, support, & transformation, right now. You can plan soulful retreats with passion, purpose, and ease. You don't need to be or have anything but the drive to make a difference in people's lives.

I think I might know why you're hesitant. You don’t have a huge community of people; building your tribe is one of the reasons you want to start creating events in the first place, right?! I need you to hear me when I say this --- retreats are not just for the well-established; they are also for the just-getting-started.⠀

Live events are not something to consider for the future. Live events are something to start working toward RIGHT NOW. Everywhere you look, the top creative & wellness entrepreneurs (& so many others!) are prioritizing in-person gatherings as an essential aspect of their business model. But live event planning isn't just for the big leagues. In fact, it can be even more meaningful & profitable for small one-person businesses, transforming you from an anonymous face in a crowded marketplace, to a leader in your industry & community. Imagine if you started now, you'd close out spring 2017 celebrating the success of your first beautiful retreat, excited to plan your next one, & wondering why the heck you waited so long to start. ;)⠀

This is important work. YOU are doing life changing work, and I want you to feel confident and supported in offering retreat experiences as a part of your journey.

That's what Retreat Roadmap is all about.

The love revolution. It starts with you. It starts right now.

Let’s change the world.

XOXO Lizzy

Top 5 Reasons Retreats are Essential to Your Wellness Business

Your work is deeply valuable. You are intentional about every little detail, and it shows. You are changing your client’s lives, one at a time. Retreats will allow you broaden and deepen your reach, establishing your business as a step above the rest. Here are my top 5 reasons why retreats are essential to your wellness business.

1. In a busy world of quick, shallow exchanges and endless Facebook groups, many women are craving in-person community support networks. Even if your attendees only stay in touch via social media after your retreat, giving them a chance to connect deeply with each other in person will help them forge online friendships that go beyond emojis. Our Mindful Mama and Mindful Women retreat attendees engage regularly in a very active Facebook group open only to women who have attended one of our retreats, and many relationships have moved offline into play dates, pot luck dinners, and shared glasses of wine.

2. Retreats offer a longer timeframe to get deep with each other than one session or class. Whether you decide to hold a one day, overnight, or weekend retreat, moving through a series of experiences together will allow for the development of a deeper connection between you and your community, and within your community itself. Waiting for the bathroom during a break, negotiating yoga mat spacing, sharing art supplies, sitting down for a meal together, holding hands during a meditation, hearing each other’s stories and being present for each other in person – these are moments where new friendships are born, where wounds are healed, where people take the next step in their journey. Your retreat will facilitate this kind of magic!

3. Live events are so much fun, both to plan and to attend. Extrovert or introvert, being with each other in person gives people a chance to connect for real. There will be laughter, tears, hugs, story telling, and if you’re anything like me, probably dancing. Planning events is also a blast. I cannot get enough of all the little details; signage, branding, sessions, partners, sponsors, meals, swag bags, name tags. Each piece of planning a retreat is a chance to have fun and make it your own.

4. During a retreat, you get a chance to strengthen your audience's connection to you. Time together changes everything. You are no longer the professional at the desk, on the computer, or on the yoga mat at the front of the room; you are a living, breathing, perfectly imperfect person who will unfold in authentic ways throughout the day. They will watch you share your knowledge, facilitate conversations, and manage mishaps, and your grace and power will forge a deeper connection than you ever thought possible.

5. We need to get off of our computers and into shared physical spaces with other women who are also mindfully journeying through this beautiful, messy life. Retreats give us a chance to do it!

Now more than ever, creating a retreat series will give your business the advantage of growing a deeply connected and flourishing community of people who can benefit from your work, share their experience with others, and help your tribe growing roots & wings.

XOXO Lizzy

PS - Ready to dive in? You can get get Retreat Ready in 5 Days my mini-course, Rise Up With Retreats. It takes you through the 5 steps I use every time I am getting ready to plan a successful, sold out retreat. I want you to have the same results!

How To Sell Out Your First Retreat Or Workshop

One of the things that often worries people about planning a retreat or workshop is that they don’t know how they are going to find people to attend. Especially if you don’t have a huge following (yet). What if you put in the time and energy to create something beautiful and don’t sell any tickets? It is enough to make you want to throw in the towel! The beautiful thing about a retreat or workshop is that you are not looking for hundreds or thousands of attendees, especially not at the beginning. To kick off, you are likely looking to fill a roster of between 5 to 30 people (depending on your topic, location, space constraints, etc.). I am here to assure you that with some intentional outreach, you will have no problem selling out your first event and beyond!

1.    I get it. You don’t have a huge community of people; that is one of the reasons you want to start creating events in the first place! One way to increase attendance is to partner with an established influencer, someone who already has a following of people who would be excited to attend one of their events. For example, a popular yoga instructor might partner with an emerging meditation facilitator. As the emerging meditation facilitator you might not have a huge audience clamoring to purchase a ticket, but the yoga instructor with a dedicated following will fill the seats for you both.

2.    Get local in your search. Most people are not going to drive more than 2 hours (if that) for a one-day retreat or workshop. Accept that as a blessing because that will allow you to really narrow your outreach to a limited geographic location. Say you are planning a one-day nutrition retreat focused on incorporating homemade fermented foods and beverages into your diet. Map out a 90-minute traveling radius from your event location. Then use trusty ole Google (or your favorite search engine) to find all of the places where people who might be interested in health and wellness would go, and connect with those places. localized Facebook ads, reach out to local vendors who will talk you up and connect you with people who are in need of your retreat.

3.  Update your social media accounts with attendee numbers, creating a sense of urgency and excitement. Share highlights from your planning process, such as workshop materials, giveaways, and meaningful content. Help your community see that this is an opportunity that they do not want to miss out on! 

4.    After your first event is a smashing success (I'm here for you!), you can continue to drum up excitement and connection by creating an affiliate program within your attendee group. They then become another network through which new people learn about your work. This can be a 10-20% referral fee, an additional discount on a future event, or something else you can dream up that works for your folks.

5.    Along similar lines, continue to strengthen your connection to your attendees by giving them early access and discounted tickets to future events. Doing this keeps you connected to your community, and helps make sure your events stay packed with people. ;) 

 These are just a few ways that I have used to sell out my retreats, workshops, and conferences. Have you used any of these tips? Let me know how they work for you in the comments. What additional ideas do you have for increasing attendance at your events?