#80 How Marissa & Carla Built Real Connection At Their Thrive Retreat
This week I attended the most incredible retreat in Portugal... and I can already tell you it's one of the top 3 best investments I've ever made in my business.
Imagine this: expanding your mind and goals to what is possible, jotting down new ideas ... and then having 20 business owners focus on YOUR business and give you feedback. The breakthroughs were incredible.
When we ask the same 3 people for thoughts and feedback all the time we aren't going to get the new perspectives we need to unlock the next level of growth or expand our thinking.
In today's issue I'm going to focus on what this retreat did SO well – building connection amongst the attendees.
Let’s get into it —
I've said it before and I'll say it again – building relationships and connection is the most impactful way to grow your business.
Marissa & Carla hosted the Thrive Retreat which was all about building a business where you can thrive as a person and build what helps you live your dream life... whatever that looks like for you.
This retreat was primarily about connection and personal growth. It was just what I needed... I've really been struggling with my mindset lately.
For those that don't know, Marissa Liesen was the COO of bossbabe while I was Head of Product. She was my boss and now she is one of my friends. She's so brilliant at balancing business vision and life vision and helping you get out of your own way.
It was super fun to meet Carla for the first time who has truly mastered maximizing lifestyle through digital product sales.
If you're building community, teaching, or hosting any kind of in-person events then you need to think about how to create intentional connection amongst your members.
Because it's not about you – it's about the entire collective.
Here are the touches that Marissa & Carla included in the programming to build amazing connection amongst each attendee:
Ice Breaker
During the welcome hour they handed us a bingo card full of fun facts that represented each person. It included things like "works with her husband" and "Spent 6 months in Bali".
This was a fun low-pressure way to meet people.
After bingo we stood in a circle and shared answers to a few prompts, one of them being "If you really knew me, you'd know ___" – this was such a good question.
Group Discussions & Feedback
During the training sessions we were able to workshop our own responses and then share them in small groups for discussion or feedback.
This is something people don't do often enough with teaching and training online ... but think back to grade school!
We need to practice what we learn and then connect with others to push one another and improve. How can you create those environments in your programs and courses?
Mastermind Groups
We gathered as a large group in a circle and shared our areas of expertise one by one so that we could self organize into groups of 4 afterward.
In our mastermind groups we each had 10 minutes to share a problem and get feedback from our small groups.
This might sound like not much time, but asking other business owners a specific question about a problem in your business and having a discussion is a very rare opportunity.
Each person left with insightful takeaways and a whole lot of gratitude...
Gratitude
At the end of our mastermind groups we were asked to share gratitude with each person (I'm keeping the beautiful prompts we were given close to the chest). This is the kind of experience that we just don't take the time to have on a regular basis.
When was the last time you shared a deeply thoughtful gratitude with someone in your life that helped you? I know I don't do it often enough.
Hot Seats
Each person at the retreat had the chance to sit in the "hot seat" for 10 mins of focus on their business. You could ask any question you wanted to the entire group. In my case it was a room full of ideal customers so of course I used it as a customer research opportunity.
The entire group poured into each person giving them ideas and feedback. I honestly feel that the most joy I got was from helping others with their products this week.
Here was one of the best questions asked:
For those of you that have reached multiple 6-figures, what was it that unlocked growth for you –– what was the catalyst or the thing that really moved the needle?
My answer was building relationships – I've had multiple 5-figure months because of the partnerships I've built with other agencies. And that started from participating in masterminds, making time for 1:1 conversations, and building true connection with other business owners.
Love Notes
At the very end of the retreat we had the chance to share notes with each other about our experience. I have an envelope full of them in my bag – I can't wait to read them on the plane ride home (and probably cry in front of whoever is sitting next to me).
The last time I experienced this was when I finished my 400 hour User Experience Design certification – we wrote each person in our class a note. I still have my envelope of notes and read them when I need a confidence boost.
Taking This Experience Online
At the end of the retreat Carla and Marissa shared an opportunity for us to join a private 3 month container to continue our experience online together.
It includes group calls, a challenge, a community space, and more for a no-brainer price.
I'm bullish (a big fan of) on in-person events being a catalyst for online community. It's one of the best ways to spark deep connections, especially with incredible programming like this retreat, that make people want to show up and engage online.
I'd love to hear how you're building connection amongst your community. Send me a note and tell me all about it!
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