The Biggest Mistake Retreat Leaders Make (And What to Do About It)

Maybe my hot take: But it's about connection over perfection, always.

At the time I’m writing this I’ve led twelve retreats both in the U.S. and internationally. By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be emerging from lucky number thirteen, floating somewhere between the post-retreat high and the energetic reset that always follows. Part soul hangover, part “wow, I need a nap.” (If you know, you know.)

Why the need to recoup?

Because I was on. Present, engaged, fully there—for every moment of it.

And that, to me, is the part of retreat leadership that often gets misunderstood. When someone sells out a retreat, it means they’ve cultivated deep trust. People have rearranged their lives, invested their time and money, and chosen to spend days in your presence—often with strangers—because of the space you created.

That’s a big deal.