I retreat a lot.

In fact, I’ve retreated three times in the last two months…

I keep waiting for people to ask when I’m going to stop retreating and start attacking.

That’s the funny thing about it though…we retreat so we can “attack”.

“…the F are you talking about, Jen?”

Ok, ok, here we go:

A retreat is an experience where you break out of your “normal” routine and go into a space with other people on the same journey as you, guided by someone who has walked the path and can light your way. Because you’ve “retreated” from your daily distractions, you can look with fresh eyes and new energy. You can break things apart and decide what goes back again. You can accelerate your growth at a pace you can’t imagine…doing years worth of work in a matter of days and immediately embodying it (aka the transformation becomes part of who you are).

The most recent time I “retreated”, I went through a transformation like nothing before (and I’ve been through a lot of transformation…whether I wanted them or not). I tapped into a part of me that had been missing for a long time, and brought her home again. And I tapped into an energy I’d never felt before, but was more than ready to receive and hold so I could lead on a bigger, broader scale. I am simply not the same woman I was before that experience, in the very best way.

The time before that, I “retreated” with other female entrepreneurs. We dove deep into our businesses, areas where we were needing the most support.

Before that, I led a wonderful group of women with me when I “retreated”.

Leading retreats has been on my heart for many years, because I know the power they hold to transform us, to create new and lasting bonds of friendship, and to set your life on the trajectory you crave faster than you ever imagined possible.

When I was in my early 30s, I craved mentorship more than anything. I wanted a wiser woman who had “been there” to guide me, to help me navigate what it meant to be a successful career woman…and hell, just a successful modern WOMAN. I was burned out, exhausted, but still fighting my way “to the top” in the only way I knew how. I also struggled with forming friendships after college. Everyone fractions off into different life stages and I felt meaningful connections were hard to come by. I was over the shallow happy hour bonding scene. Sure, there’s a time and place for it…but I wanted women who were “doing the work”, who wanted to have real conversations about how we continue to grow and become better, happier versions of ourselves.

And I had no clue where to find either.

So a decade or more later, I f*cking created it.

A space for women to break down their walls and connect to what it really means to be a badass, thriving (not just surviving) modern woman in this world.

A space for growth, through mentorship and support.

A space for connection, to heal the “mean girl” sister wound and form lasting friendships with other women.

And, damn, was it everything I had dreamt it would be and so much more.

They experienced incredible breakthroughs, came home to themselves in new ways, and formed friendships that will last their lifetime. How do I know?

This past weekend, these women got together again, flying in from across the country to spend the weekend together. They FaceTimed me last night, all of their smiling faces together on the couch, and my heart has never felt so full…watching them thriving in their lives and seeing them all together, deepening the bonds they formed back in August.

Y’all, I’ve been through some gnarly shit in my life. This retreat, the work that I do as a coach and mentor, every word I speak and write…all of it came from hard-fought personal lessons that I’ve alchemized into what you see today. And seeing the impact from it all? Damn, if it doesn’t make it all worth it.

I’m honored to share this video from my retreat, and a huge shout out to my amazing videographer, Andrew Reed, for his incredible work capturing this powerful four day experience!!

Interested in finding out about my next retreat? Check it out HERE! 

Sparkle On….