On this episode of A Whole Lotta Shift, host Jen Ingram continues her miniseries on retreats by answering listener questions. She offers her insights and personal experiences on finding reputable retreat providers, understanding retreat schedules, and the importance of pre and post-retreat support. Jen also discusses the benefits of smaller group settings and offers tips for those considering attending a retreat as a solo traveler. Finally, Jen addresses maintaining the benefits of the retreat after it's over and gives her thoughts on how to ensure the experience sticks with attendees.

About the Host:

Jen is a Dream Catalyst and Business Mentor saving hustling female solopreneurs from the chains of corporate America. Her passion lies in helping women through their self-awakening so they can finally break free, turn their side hustle into the business of their dreams, and live a life full of time, location, and financial freedom.

Jen is a California girl at heart, now living out her dream in the Midwest, traveling, coaching female solopreneurs and sharing her own story of triumph and empowerment across speaking platforms. When she's not traveling, she enjoys spending time with her college aged son and her rescued Pit Bull.

After 20 years of various project manager and corporate trainer roles while juggling a wide array of side gigs, she has mastered the ability to help women see what they cannot see, believe they are meant for more and take aligned action to make it happen. With an MBA in Change Management, and a Health and Life Coach Certification from the Health Coach Institute, Jen is an expert at creating both the business process changes and the personal habit changes needed to finally Break UP with corporate and go all-in on your side hustle or long standing passion project.

Connect with Jen on Facebook or Instagram!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenelleingram/

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholelottashift/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwestvalleygirl/

Free Gift: https://mailchi.mp/4f4ae02ebe45/beat-the-odds

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Welcome to a whole lot of shift Podcast, the podcast for multi passionate women with an entrepreneurial spirit, where we provide inspiration, motivation, and education to help you shift away from all the shoulds and supposed to choose to what's truly possible for you in your business and your life. All on your own terms. You ready, girl? Let's make shift happen. Hello, and welcome to another episode of a whole lot of shift. I'm so excited. You're here today. This is episode three in our mini series on retreats. And this is going to help us wrap up this miniseries. Over the last couple episodes, I've shared quite a bit about my own personal experiences. And some of the key points about retreats that I think really matter, including location environment, understanding your why for why you're there, and a whole slew of other things. So today, I'm going to be covering some of the questions that I've been receiving since the start of this mini series and make sure that I've got all of your questions answered. And I've covered everything. Before we get to our expert that will be joining us to finally wrap up this mini series. I will be bringing on my coach and expert retreat guest later on in the series. But first, I wanted to make sure that I covered all of your questions that that you often posing throughout this mini series. So let's just get it kicked off, shall we? Alright, so one of the questions that I had was whether or not retreats are something for a solo traveler, or if there's only groups, if you should go with a group if you should already have friends in mind. And so I just kind of wanted to address this. So first and foremost, if you have a couple of really good friends that you think would be a really good fit for the retreat that you're looking for, by all means, be sure to invite them. There are a lot of retreats that I know, I've been on where a discount was provided, if you were able to give some sort of referral or as a few of you were booking it also opera offers the opportunity for you to perhaps share a room, which could really cut down on your costs. However, that said, I'm also here to say that, I don't think and I could be wrong about this, I don't think at least not in the last two years of my retreat experiences. And in the last two years, I've been on upwards of 10 retreats, I have not necessarily gone with friends. For the most part I kind of just showed up as I guess what you would consider a solo traveler. However, I do want to say that the majority of the retreats, yes, I can safely say that the majority of the retreats, I knew several of the people who would be attending because I was in various masterminds or different programs with them, or maybe I had met them previously, or I knew of them. So I wasn't walking into a situation where I was new to everybody. But I actually have had that occur as well. But I think the vast majority, I at least knew some of the people that were going to be in attendance. So completely up to you, I have to say it can be scary showing up to a place where you don't know anybody. I think though, what makes it intimidating, aren't the experiences where you show up and you don't know anybody. I think what you make it a little intimidating is when you show up to an experience where you don't know anybody. But everybody there has maybe been to this retreat before or they all know each other. Obviously walking into that that situation can can create, you know, some feelings of discomfort because you're trying to get to know everybody and trying to figure out I don't want to say where you fit in. Because I've really made an effort over the last couple of years to not really worry about whether or not I fit in and just show up as me for me. Because I've approached it in the sense that I paid for this and I'm there for me and what I want to get out of it. And I can't necessarily worry about why other people are there if that makes sense. And not in a selfish way or I guess maybe it is in a selfish way. But I just want to show up as my true authentic self and not worry about if I'm making other people happy. Hopefully that makes sense. So whether or not you go solo, or you go with friends, I've done both, I actually am really enjoying the experience of just showing up exactly as I am. And not really knowing anybody. I've ended up making some really incredible relationships that way. And there's something kind of kind of freeing about it, right? Like, nobody knows me. Nobody knows the past me. Nobody knows the old toxic me, like I just didn't get to show up where I am right now. And I, I really, really fucking love that. So I would encourage you to, to go ahead and enter your discomfort zone, and and try something on your own. But that's just my personal my personal tip. Okay, another question was, can I recommend any affordable retreat options? Sure. If you are not already, please feel free to join the whole leadership Facebook group. within that group, I have created a guide section in the Facebook group, just for retreats. And I have been sharing information as I as I find it about retreats. Some of them include retreats and retreat hosts that I personally have experienced with. There are also some members of the group who are starting to host their own retreats. And they have also shared information about their retreat in there, as well. As far as them being affordable, the price ranges vary. So affordable. I guess it depends on your definition of affordable. And I'll get to that because I believe I have a question that somebody asked about cost. So we'll cover cost. But can I recommend any retreat options? Yes, please go on enjoying the whole leadership Facebook group, because I've been working on creating a guide and sharing either retreats that I have been on indoor retreat that I know, I am very familiar with the host and have been in their world and feel quite confident in recommending their work to anybody in that group. So please be sure to join. Are there any age restrictions or retreats tailored to certain age groups? Yes, yes, yes, yes, there are always retreats tailored to certain age groups, certain demographics, you know, retreats could be tailored to women, men, couples, I don't know that I've seen something for families, I've definitely seen couples. I've seen men, I've seen women, I don't see a lot for men that they are there. I've seen some for moms, specifically, moms of school aged children. So yeah, there's definitely retreats that can be tailored to certain age groups. Again, my biggest piece of advice that I think I've shared on the podcast before is to really kind of get to know the retreat host as much as you can prior to signing up for a retreat, so that you really have a good feel for, for who they are, what their values are, you know, probably what they're going to be doing and sharing on the retreat. And you're probably gonna get a really good idea just from getting to know them, who their ideal client is, which will probably help you a little bit with the answer to your question about age groups.

How can you know Oh, how do you find a reputable or trustworthy retreat provider? Again, I strongly recommend that you go and you you get into the retreat leader or hosts world just as much as you possibly can to really kind of understand where they're coming from, what they're about what their values are, and what they're going to be bringing to the table. So that may mean following them on social media, that might mean engaging in some type of other activities or content that they create, so that you can, you know, get kind of a Oh, what do I want to call it like a mini view of what a retreat with them might be like? I think that's probably probably the best way for you to really figure out if it's reputable, of course, you know, if there's testimonials and they offer testimonials, definitely go out and go and check those out as well. I know a lot of retreat hosts will gladly share, you know, who has been on the retreats in the past so you could probably speak to speak to one of those prior guests if you wanted to. I know that I have left both written and video Oh, testimonials for my prayer retreat experiences. And I would be happy to share with anybody just as I am right here on my own platform, some of the retreats that I've been on in the past, what's the typical daily schedule look like for retreat? Honestly, it's gonna vary, it's gonna vary on what the retreat is about who it's with, where it's at, etc. But typically, a lot of the ones where I've been, you know, there are, there's opportunities for, I guess, what you'd call free time relaxation, what have you, there is some sort of daily, I guess I'll call it daily movement activity, because it can vary, right? I've done yoga, I've done circuit workout, I went to a retreat in Mexico, and we all did water Zumba every day, that was amazing and fun. It'll vary, but definitely some type of exercise or movement is typically involved. There may or may not be an excursion, at some point in within the day, some retreat leaders, I've been on retreats where we had a small excursion every day, and I've been on others where there was just one large excursion for the four day retreat. So the typical daily schedule, it's really, it's really going to vary, that would probably be a question that you would want to ask of your retreat leader and trying to understand what the experience is going to look like. And again, I think this is where it's really important for you to have a solid understanding of what you're wanting to get out of the experience. If you're truly just wanting nothing but relaxation. And you're you know, you're you're there for your overall I guess wellness and self care, you're wanting the experience of something like yoga or breath work, maybe some Reiki session, some massage, you know, and maybe owe some experiences for grounding or mindfulness, what have you, you know, then you're going to want to ask about asking about those things. Obviously, that's going to look a bit different than an adventure retreat. Right? So really kind of, again, getting into the world of the retreat host understanding what it's about making sure that you're clear on what you want to get out of it. Those things are really important. Oh, somebody asked something about? Well, you know, when you leave the retreat, how can you? You know, is there is there any kind of prolonged benefits? Where was the exact question? How can I maintain the benefits from from a retreat? Once it's over? I think this is a great question. So there's a couple of ways that this could go. I've only experienced this with a couple of the retreats that I've been on. So one, I'm just going to share a couple, a couple examples that I have, okay. I am in a year long mastermind right now. And within that mastermind, it includes two retreats during the year. So I'm guaranteed at least two retreats. They're normally about three or four days, I'd say more like four. And so obviously, I'm getting support before and after, though, those retreats because they are actually part of the mastermind. So that's that's one way that that a retreat could go. The Key West retreat that I've been on, includes like 30 days of support afterwards, which includes if you're familiar with boxer, the boxer app, and includes some boxer support post retreat, I've also two or three, four of the other retreats that I've been on, we just had to add that up for the other retreats that I've been on. They have Facebook groups in which people can continue to engage after the retreat. And it's really nice being in those Facebook groups, because a lot of times if there is a another retreat coming up, then information is shared within that Facebook group for any upcoming retreats as well. In case you decided you wanted to go on to the retreat with that same host. So those are just you know, a couple of ways. One thing that I'm experiencing right now I am working on a good and be going on a retreat in May of next year. And leading up to that. It includes several monthly coaching sessions in between now and the time of that retreat. So really, I'm getting the support before the retreat, so that when I arrive at the retreat, we've got a really good idea of what I want to be working on when I get there. And I think that that's really helpful. For me personally, when I start hosting retreats, I will probably be doing well not probably I will be doing a mix of both, because I think it's important. I think it's important to have something that leads up to the retreat so that you do have the clarity of what you're wanting to get out of it when you once you do get to the retreat. And again, I think that the post, post retreat support is really important as well. And so that's something that I'll be offering both the pre and post retreat support, I think those can be really, really impactful and making sure that any benefits that you obtained from the retreat are able to stick with you. Yeah, I know, one of the questions that I got was about how much does a retreat typically cost? So this is a tricky question. And here's the thing. retreats can vary greatly in cost. Obviously, things like location matters, what kind of experiences you're expecting to get out of the retreat that could impact the cost. I mean, I know that I follow someone who had recently shared, I think she had said she'd paid like $20,000 to go on a retreat. For her that was no big deal, it was well worth it for her because she knew the coaching she was going to be receiving. And it was in some exotic location I can't even remember. And accommodations were supposed to be really top notch. And so she felt completely comfortable paying that I personally have not paid that for a retreat, the retreat prices can can vary greatly. So again, I'm currently in a mastermind and included in the mastermind are to retreat, and I just have to pay for my airfare there, the lodging, and everything else is covered as part of the mastermind. So

if you look at it in the sense that I'm already paying for it, with the cost of the monthly mastermind, which you can pay for on a monthly basis, or you can pay for it. In theory, it's not a monthly mastermind. It is a year long mastermind program, we meet weekly, I am on a payment plan that pays monthly, but you can pay for the mastermind yearly. It includes the two retreats. So really the cost for me outside of that is just my travel expenses to get there and back. I, I would say my second lowest cost retreat I went on was last August. And it was last year sometime I went to a retreat in Mexico. And that was at an all inclusive resort. That was five days, it was a women's retreat. And that one included one excursion. Transportation was not included, except they did arrange for my airport transportation, I believe. I spoke to that in the last episode. But that retreat was $1,000. And I thought for five days in Mexico all inclusive, that was a really great price. And that included like an excursion that was almost all day. So I felt like that was really great cost anything extra that you wanted that was available at the resort, like the massages, you could get any UV get your hair done, you could get a facial, you could get massage, manicure, pedicure, all those kinds of things, any of those extra services that you might have ordered, obviously, we're we're on your own, it was not included in the in the cost, but all food and beverages was included and your lodging, and the excursion for the $1,000. And I thought that was really good. Beyond that, I want to say what I say most of the retreats that I've been on, if it's somewhere in a 2000 to $3,000 range, it did pay like 4500 for one. Again, it really depends on what you're looking to get out of it, I think I think that makes a significant difference. And again, location, you know, you're gonna pay more for certain location. Obviously, real estate, or any kind of lodging whatsoever in Key West is expensive. It's not cheap. The average like one bedroom apartment in Key West is like 2500 or $3,000 a month. So you can only imagine what it's like to get a whole house to host a retreat for a week. It's not cheap. It's not cheap. And so something like that you may pay a little bit more for, again, why you want to get to know your retreat host there. There's opportunities there. So that retreat host you know, if you've been on other retreats of hers, then you get a discount on future retreats or if you're buying other programs of hers, same story. Also if you provide any referrals, you can get a discount so Again, super important to get into the world of your retreat host. Because that that can really make a difference. So cost can vary widely and and just depends on so many different factors. Is there anything special that I've had to bring on retreats? Again, that depends on the retreat, all the retreat hosts that I have had have done a fabulous job of kind of providing a bit of a packing list prior to the retreat, so that I was well aware of what to expect and what to pack. And that even included, you know, if we were going on an excursion, and I needed to bring something special for that, that was clearly laid out for me. So again, that can vary widely. You know, if you're going on some sort of sports and adventure retreat, or you're going mountain biking in the mountains, they're they're probably going to help you figure out what it is you need to bring in what they are providing. And again, I believe in the first episode of this miniseries, I cover, you know, some of the questions to ask for that and understanding if you need permits, and what you need to bring to those are great questions. I think a lot of these other questions that I had come in, I feel like they've been covered. But some of these, I just really wanted to make sure that we kind of talked through a little bit, you know, somebody did was trying to ask if it were a retreat was like a vacation, I believe in the first episode of this mini series I covered you know, what is the difference between a retreat and a vacation. Obviously, a retreat is something far more intentional than just a vacation. You know, some of the benefits can be really geared more towards your wellness, self development. here lately, a lot of the retreats that I've gone on have been more business focused. So obviously, any benefits I'm gonna get from that retreat, or, you know, how it may pertain to my business. So it just it, it really varies, but obviously, that's way different than just going on vacation. So all those kinds of activities and everything that you're going to do and what benefits you get and what to expect that's really going to vary on what kind of retreat that it is. So something you know, just something to think about dietary restrictions. Already, you're talking about food. So in the last episode, one of the things that I kept bringing up was the importance of food. I've been on retreats where we've had a chef, I've been on retreats where we don't have a chef, but then we eat out for at least one meal a night, that may or may not be something you know, that you want to do. If you are, you know, if paying for the retreat itself was something that was already a stretch for you, then you might want to really, really understand what meals are included in what meals or not, because it may not work for you to pay for the retreat and then go out to eat every night. But as far as dietary considerations or restrictions. Yeah, I think every retreat that I've been on that has been asked, actually, I know every retreat that I've been on that has been asked. And so that has been easily accommodated. I know I've been on retreats with people with all sorts of food sensitivities and allergies, as well as just maybe some choices, vegetarian, so forth. And we we were always able to accommodate. So yes, I know I talked a lot about food in in one of the episodes in this miniseries, but a lot of those considerations or dietary restrictions are typically covered in a retreat again, though, be sure to ask, ask your host and really understand that. What if you're a first time retreat goer? Well, if you're a first timer, congratulations, I hope that you enjoy your experience. And, you know, as again, as a first timer, I would say be open to the experience, be clear on why you're there and what you want to get out of it. You know, I sorry, to like, beat that into everybody. But it it really is important. The only again, the only time I've really had, quote unquote a challenge when it came to showing up as at a retreat was when was one time I went on a retreat, and it was it's a retreat that happens every year. And so there's been several people that have been a part of this retreat for the last several years. And so walking in to that retreat, as a newbie, if you will, and not really knowing anybody was a little bit intimidating at first, but again, you know, you just you got to kind of show up with an open mind and and be willing to get a little bit uncomfortable and and everything turned out for the better. And I feel like I actually made some really amazing friendships out of that retreat. And I can't wait to go again next year. So yeah, and I know I did have one person, somebody in my accountability group had asked about, well, you know, what kind of expert I could bring on the show, you know, maybe somebody who has gone to like maybe 20, different retreats. And I kind of laughed for a minute. And I was like, yeah, that's why I'm doing the miniseries. Because somebody who has been on like, 20, different retreats would be me, but, but also, I am bringing on another expert. So my coach who specializes in retreats and has hosted, she has hosted probably, I want to say she said her number is over 40, I can't remember the exact number. And then and of course, that doesn't even include all the retreats she's actually been on. So I will be bringing her on as a guest as well, because I think it's important for you guys to hear from from an expert as well, because obviously, she's going to be able to share some insights with all of you that, that I may not be able to because I haven't officially hosted my own. Before I have helped. I've helped plan some various trips, of course, many moons ago, and I won't even say when, hmm, but it was a very long time ago, I worked, I worked for a lodging facility, and used to help plan group trips, and all of their transportation, lodging, excursions, etc. I did that. And then of course,