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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
From retreat to revenue: 4 ways to extend the impact
The event ends and, for most hosts, so does the revenue. It doesn't have to. This post covers four ways the work you've already done keeps earning after everyone has gone home, without you building anything new.
How small retreats create big impact (and profit)
Small retreats get treated as practice for the real thing later. The numbers rarely support that, and neither do the outcomes. This post covers what a small room actually produces, both for your guests and for the business.
3 low-stress ways to build client trust through small, intentional gatherings
You don't need a full retreat to get people in a room together. Three lower-stakes formats sit between a webinar and a four-day event, and this post covers what each one builds and which one suits where your business is now.
Why one live event can do what a thousand posts never will
A year of consistent posting and one good afternoon in a room do very different things for a business. This post covers why the room wins, and what it builds that content genuinely can't reach.
How to build a support system that makes your retreat run itself
A team that checks with you before every decision isn't support, it's another inbox. This post covers how to set things up so the answers already exist, and your people can move without waiting on you to confirm.
The one document you need to keep your retreat on track
When every moving piece of a retreat lives in one document, the whole event stops depending on what you remember. This post covers what belongs inside it, how it gets built, and what changes for your team once it exists.
Why even the most prepared retreat hosts still burn out
Being prepared turns out to be poor protection against burning out, which is a confusing thing to learn after months of careful work. This post covers what preparation genuinely covers and what it leaves sitting entirely on you.
Managing retreat vendors & speakers: What most people overlook
Every vendor and speaker arrives carrying assumptions you can't see, about timing, about setup, about what you're providing. Event day is a bad moment to discover them. This post covers what to confirm early and how to ask so nobody is guessing.
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.
Delegate like a leader: What not to take on when running a retreat
There's a version of retreat leadership where you're still doing everything, just with more people watching. This post covers which pieces stop being yours the moment you have a team, and which ones genuinely stay with you no matter how much support you have.
Why your retreat launch isn’t working, and what to do instead
A launch that goes quiet almost never has a sales page problem. Something upstream of it is usually doing the damage, and it's fixable. This post covers where to look when the registrations aren't coming in the way you expected.
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.
Plan your next retreat like a pro: The milestone-based timeline you need
Counting backward from your event date only helps if you know which milestones actually matter. Most timelines are a long list of tasks with no sense of what depends on what. This one is built around real decision points and what each one unlocks.
5 clarity decisions you must make before booking your retreat venue
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 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.
How to prevent your retreat from falling apart (even if you’re a first-time host)
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.
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.
Time Management for Event Planners: Boost Your Productivity In Every Hour
Time blocking assumes nobody is going to interrupt you, which makes it a strange fit for event work. This post covers a more realistic approach for days that get rearranged by other people's emergencies.
You've written the agenda; it covers what's happening and when, and something still feels missing when you picture the actual morning. The piece you're looking for is a separate document written for a different set of people. This post covers what goes on a run of show, who gets one, and how to build yours.