BWB 2023 Retreat
Text, in all caps:“What becomes possible when we lead with questions?”
Hey friends,
Our first client retreat since 2019 is happening in a few weeks at Raven Crest Botanical Retreat Center. As I look back on last year's experience at Raven Crest with our team, I want to share a story with you.
This photo was taken last July at the BWB Retreat at Raven Crest Retreat Center in Berne, NY. Mateo was almost four-months old, and this was my first week back to work after maternity leave. We had a group of 10 clients and collaborators coming in from across the country for a three-day deep dive into the topic of what it means to live a feminist business.
I decided to consider this retreat a real time experiment in my never ending quest to explore the edges and possibilities at the intersection of parenthood, business ownership, and family.
Javi was the private chef for the retreat, and both my kiddos came for the weekend, staying in this sweet little cabin here just a mile up the road from the main group cabin.
We hadn't led an in-person retreat together since before the pandemic, and everything felt particularly vulnerable. The question I was holding all weekend was: Can I be my whole self here?
In a thank you note post retreat, a participant shared this: "One of my favorite BWB memories was witnessing you live in the both/ands of mother and founder while eating Javi's delicious food. That whole weekend was a micro-example of all the love + energy BWB is all about."
Those words remain some of the most meaningful I've ever received, and were an affirming reflection that not only could I be my whole self there, but I could also be seen and celebrated as my whole self in the process.
We all need time and space to lean into the bigger questions we're asking of ourselves and our work. And as I prepare for our upcoming Lead With Questions retreat on July 13th - 16th, I can't help but be flooded with all these memories, and all that is about to emerge as we return to Raven Crest in a few weeks.
Read on to learn more about what we have in store. We have two spots left (one private room and one shared room!), and invite you to join us.
<3
Casey
Fire circle at Raven Crest
3 nights, 4 days to dive into the questions at the center of your life and work. July 13-16 2023
This is about flipping the script on the dominant notion of leaders as 'those with the answers." We affirm those who ask, hold, and live into the questions as our guides into the present and future.
Here, the questions, not the answers are the map.
We rarely, if ever, gift ourselves our dreams, visions, questions, or concerns without the pressure to make something of them. For three days, BWB invites you to be immersed in our Questions to Hold™ practice. In a world that praises answers over questions, the act of holding a question is an act of resistance, presence, and devotion.
Our intention is to hold an expansive and visionary space about business, leadership, ourselves, and our capacity to shape change together. We will luxuriate in time and space, and be given ample room and full permission to ask, hold, and lean into our biggest (and smallest) questions.
As with all of BWB’s work, identity will be the foundation for our creative process and how we understand and unpack our inquiries. The invitation is to explore what our questions are inviting us into conversation with; not from a place of certainty or control, but rather from a place of “what if,” inspiration, and new possibility.
Raven Crest sitting area with stone stove
In a nutshell, what makes this retreat special?
Half day herbal workshop with Raven Crest owner and lead herbalist, Susana Raven. We will be exploring the property, learning about and harvesting herbs and plants from the land, and creating our own custom tinctures to support the changing of the seasons
Creative and contemplative exercises to breath new life and space into stuck spots
Dedicated time to brainstorm your business, with specialized attention from Casey and Cait and the retreat participants
Feminist, affirming space for revolutionary growth in action
Healing our relationship to visibility and marketing
Accountability to center your agency in your brand and business development
Daily ritual and mindfulness practices
A big ol’ pond perfect for swimming in the middle of a herbal farm in full summer bloom
An invitation to be in the questions (without answering them!) so you can discover new truths and paths forward
Pure quietness and a break from light and screen pollution
Acres of land for strolling, sitting or soaking in the sun
Delicious meals made with love, accommodating all necessary dietary restrictions
A daily question to hold with a variety of activities designed to deepen your relationship with that inquiry
The retreat will be guided and facilitated by Casey and Caitlin, and held on the wise and nurturing lands of the Raven Crest Botanicals medicinal herb farm. Chef Javier Villatoro will provide the nourishment.
