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Pull something off the shelf. I write most weeks about the parts of an event nobody sees.
New on the shelf
everything on the shelf
The event planning checklist, from first decision to debrief
Every event planning checklist you've found covers the same eight things and leaves out the twenty that actually catch people. This one runs from the first decisions through the debrief, with the real tasks in each phase and a rough sense of how far ahead to start.
Event planning timeline: what waits and what doesn't
Your caterer has been on the list for three weeks and you keep not picking one, because the final headcount isn't in yet. That's two decisions, and only one of them is actually waiting. This post covers the question that separates what genuinely has to stay open from what's already decided and hasn't been said out loud.
The 5 event planning steps that come before everything else
Leaning toward a date is not the same as having one, and nobody on your team can build on a decision you haven't actually made. This post covers the five decisions everything in your event sits on top of, the order they go in, and how to spot the one of yours that's still hanging open.
Event accessibility planning for retreats and conferences
Someone tells you at registration that they'll need something, and you want to get it right without making a production of it. This post covers what to ask on the form, when you need the answers back, what to check with the venue, and who on your team has to know before the day.
The event planning process and why yours feels unfinished
The agenda has been rewritten four times and none of the versions are better than the last one. That usually means something the agenda depends on hasn't been decided yet. This post walks through four signs a decision in your event is still open when it should already be settled, and what one open decision ends up costing.
How to plan a conference when the event gets bigger
What worked beautifully for thirty people doesn't quietly scale to three hundred, and the places it breaks aren't obvious in advance. This post covers what changes as the number grows and what to build before you need it.
The event planning checklist for your last two weeks
The final fourteen days generate a lot of activity and not all of it is useful. This checklist is built around what genuinely needs confirming in that window, rather than what feels most urgent at 10pm.
Hidden event costs: the categories every template leaves out
The costs that ruin an event budget are almost never the big obvious ones. They're service charges, early load-in fees, and the categories no template thinks to list. This post covers where they hide and what to ask before you sign.
Event planning at midnight: why the session never sticks
Late-night planning sessions feel productive and almost never survive the morning. You reopen the doc and none of it has moved. This post covers why that work doesn't stick and what does, at a more reasonable hour.
How to plan an event from scratch: decide these five first
Starting from nothing is mostly a question of order, and the wrong order is what makes it feel impossible. This post covers five decisions that make every decision after them significantly easier, and what to do with each one.
Timeline for event planning: what the last three weeks do
The last three weeks before an event aren't more of the same work at a faster pace. They're a different job with a different shape, and knowing that changes what you prepare. This post covers what those weeks are actually for.
The decisions to make before you invite a single event speaker
Inviting speakers before you've settled a few things means renegotiating with them later, which is a conversation nobody enjoys. This post covers what to decide before the first ask goes out, so the yes you get is the yes you wanted.
What actually happens between "the venue is booked" and event day
Impressive names, strong bios, and a room that somehow never quite lifts. It happens more than anyone admits and it isn't about the speakers being wrong. This post covers what determines whether a lineup lands once everyone is in the room.
The difference between planning your event and running your event
Connected tools and a working setup are two different achievements. This post covers how the pieces fit together so that registration, confirmations, and reminders keep moving without you remembering to push them.
You’re building your retreat backwards (start with the tech)
Most retreats get built in an order that guarantees you'll redo half of it. This post makes the case for starting somewhere that feels counterintuitive, and covers what it saves you later.
The difference between planning your event and building your tech
Planning your event and building the tech behind it are two separate jobs, and treating them as one is why both keep taking longer than you budgeted. This post covers where the line sits and what belongs on each side of it.
Why retreat profit should be planned before you book
Profit worked out after the venue is booked is really just whatever happens to be left. By then most of your costs are already decided. This post covers how to build the number in from the beginning, before anything gets signed.
3 retreat planning mistakes that quietly damage your brand
Three planning missteps your guests register even when nothing visibly goes wrong. They won't mention any of them, and they'll factor into whether she comes back. All three are fixable months before event day, and this post covers how.
How to successfully execute a retreat after the planning is done
Planning ends and running begins, and the two ask entirely different things of you. Most hosts prepare thoroughly for the first and improvise the second. This post covers what execution actually requires and what to build before you get there.
How to create an aligned, trust-building retreat journey from start to finish
Your guest starts forming an opinion the moment she registers, which is often weeks before you've thought about her at all. This post walks through the whole arc from registration to the drive home, and where trust gets built or lost along the way.