WELCOME TO THE
Library
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
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.
Why so many retreat hosts say “never again” and how to avoid burnout
Guests loved it, the photos were beautiful, and privately you decided you'd never do that again. That reaction has a cause, and it usually has nothing to do with the event itself. This post covers where it comes from and what changes it.
Why hustling through retreat planning backfires and what to do instead
Working longer hours on a retreat rarely gets it finished sooner, because most of what's left is waiting on someone else to answer. This post covers what genuinely sets the pace and what it costs you to push against it.
How to build a retreat that’s actually worth hosting (and attending)
A retreat guests rave about and a retreat you'd willingly do again aren't automatically the same event. Plenty of hosts build the first and quietly resent the second. This post covers how to design for both from the start, before the schedule gets set.
The Secret to Building Deeper Client Loyalty? Take Your Business Offline
Something changes in a client relationship after you've been in a room together. She replies faster, refers more freely, and renews without a conversation about it. This post covers what actually happens in that room and why an afternoon does what a year of posting cannot.
A guest tells you at registration that she can't eat something; you send the list to the caterer, and the plated meals go perfectly. Then there's a reception with forty unlabeled things on trays. This post covers what to collect, who it goes to, and the step that catches an error before it reaches somebody.