TODAY’S EPISODE IS ALL ABOUT HOW TO PLAN FOR A VISIONARY RETREAT DESIGNED TO TAKE YOU UP AND OUT OF THE WEEDS OF YOUR BUSINESS . . .

and into either a mental and/or physical space where you can dream and envision and create and plan for the future of your business, your company, and your life.  

I am so excited to bring you this episode! As I record, I am sitting in the most beautiful vacation home on the shore of Lake Michigan with the most incredible view. 

I’m going to walk you through what it looks like for me, why I chose this specific place and the power that comes from an experience like this for forward momentum, reconnection, vision, mission, and a fire that’s hard to put out.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

[2:17] Spread Thin 

Although I’m really great at helping other people grow and scale their business and build the freedom of time and to be present with their families, it doesn’t mean that I’m immune to having those struggles myself.

Leading up to this little getaway, I was feeling really spread thin. I was starting to feel the shift from leading to managing; I was planning things by the quarter or even just by the year when I know I’m made to plan things by 3, 5, 10 years, because that’s what keeps me in that visionary role. Now, I build regular “white space” into my calendar weekly to be able to do this process, but it’s just so different when you step away from your home. Sometimes I’ll take off for the day and then come home, but this time I really had major things that I’ve been scribbling into notebooks for a while and I couldn’t just keep scribbling down the ideas, it was time to develop. 

[5:01] The Location

The reason I chose this specific location was because I wanted to go somewhere where there was water, because I am super connected to big bodies of water. There are waves on the lake, the weather is amazing, the leaves are changing and it’s still warm and comfortable so I can work outside. I know me and I know what makes me inspired, so this is where I wanted to go.

[7:17]  The Purpose 

When you start your own business, if you continue to just ride out that wave without actual scheduled times to sit, stop and visualize what’s coming next, you’re going to hit those ceilings.

It’s going to show up in financial plateaus. It’s going to show up in fulfillment plateaus. It’s going to show up in other areas of your life, like your health or within your family. 

We launched our new company within the last year, we launched this new podcast, we launched new offerings, we filled them, we were in contact with the people within our new programs. So I need those times to sit and evaluate and be a visionary to look at what’s working and what’s not, to be able to take ownership of the aspects of my business where I feel like I can do better or grow.

[9:59] What I Brought 

In terms of clothing, I brought really comfortable clothes and a couple of outfits in case I wanted to be in civilization.

I brought two books from two different categories of my business that I’m focusing on. I brought a book I’m currently reading around raising successful children. And I brought a book around leadership, because those are the two things that my offerings and the development of my company are focused on.

I brought my journal so that I could sit down and really capture the experience and capture the emotions that I feel in the process. I think sometimes we get so tactical and so focused and we forget to capture those feelings that come with it.

I brought a notebook with plenty of writing space, my microphone and multiple whiteboards for sketching out ideas.

I also brought a bunch of healthy food to fuel my brain.

[12:30] The Set Up

Going into it, my team was well aware that this was coming. They were excited for me and they protected me in the process; they cleared my schedule, they made sure nothing pops up and they knew that the days after I got back, weren’t going to be “hit the ground running with the team” kind of days. I shut off all my Slack notifications, there was no email on my phone, nothing that could make me look at my phone.

I coordinated this with my husband so that he didn’t have anything on his calendar for those four days. And he looked at it like an awesome opportunity to really bond with the kids without mom present. I had to let go of the guilt because ultimately this is our family’s livelihood. This is what we do. And they’re totally invested in this mission. 

[16:41] The Biggest Mistake

I think one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs and small business owners make is that they plan by the quarter or by the calendar year. It’s shortsighted, it lacks leadership, it’s going to slow you down and it limits possibility. Everything I do is, at least, with three years in mind, if not upwards of ten. And I strongly encourage everybody to do something very similar to that.

[17:47] Focal Buckets

One of the first things I did after I drew up my calendar was creating my focal buckets. These are the top things that I need to come away with from these four days. I had to look at what are the big bucket things that I need to focus on:

• Offers. I knew I was going to be coming out of this experience with additional offerings that were going to serve my audience, based on what you’ve been telling me you want.
• Events. Now, I can’t give you the details on this, but there’s an event coming. And if you are an entrepreneurial parent, an entrepreneurial family, keep a close eye on this podcast and my social media, because if you blink, you will miss it. And this event is going to be super exclusive because of the capacity of it.
• Breaks. I was very intentional in looking over these next five years where I want breaks, where I want a season of rest, where I want a season of family, where I want a season of launch, where I want a season of growth.
• Looking at the essence. I needed to look at the essence of each offer I’d be bringing back to the team to be able to galvanize them around that mission and explain why and to be open to their feedback. 
• My messaging. I knew there was something missing and I finally hit the nail on the head. I knew exactly whose lives we were changing in this process and how to serve them, but it wasn’t fully clear to me. And I was finally able to see it clearly. 

[24:53] Your Visionary Retreat Process

So, everything starts high-level, I boil it down as much as I can, based on my skill sets and my gifts so by the time it gets to my project management and ops teams, they’re taking the ball and running. They’re devising a plan.

This was my visionary retreat process, but ultimately you have to make it work best for you. Think about what it would look like before you go into it, talk to your team and find those dates in the calendar that you can sneak away and do this. And then go create that longterm roadmap for your business!

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Raising Luminaries True North workbook
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