How to plan a meditation retreat
How To Plan A Retreat? Plus Mistakes You Should Avoid When Planing Your Very First Retreat.
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so hey today's episode I'm going to see
Allison who is the studio owners yoga
studio owner here in a resort area
palaces hosting a very successful yoga
studio and she wants to up level her her
business by hosting a retreat selling
the live event and so we're gonna
actually go and talk about how can she
start planning for her retreats for her
customer this is gonna be fun actually
I'm super excited about that let's do it
so Allison so tell me a little bit about
your business what how long have you
have these studios and and where do you
want to go from here sure I'll tell you
a little bit about myself I've had
become yoga East Valley since July 13 to
2013 so we just going over our six year
mark Wow yeah so it's been it's been a
great journey we have the Bikram yoga
sequence here along with we've added in
some more modalities write it in the
inferno hot Pilates which is a great
fitness class and we added in the
cyclone cycling at the start of this
year so we have a lot of variety that we
offer we've built really strong
community which is great yeah so yeah
where we are right now right right I
mean I saw you HOT you work hard you
know and you have a good team so that's
that's awesome
have a great great crew yeah yeah so um
so then tell me what what do you want to
go from here where do you want to go
from here about your business I want to
continue to add value to the studio
that's something that the community just
thrives on and I think another way to
add value might be doing retreats right
there it's a it's a community that likes
to be together there are very health
conscious of course and but they like to
have fun they have it like a good time I
have adventure so I think a retreat
might be the next best thing to bring
them something that that's value that
they might find you know write writing
rewarding you know all those good things
yeah and I and I think that's good
because Allison having this studio for
the past six year so she built like a
strong community are
rady is not just like this is her first
year and then she's just gonna host a
treat right sometime when you do the
life event you need to to have that
audience to have the fans right convert
the audience to fan first and then you
say step up to to the to the retreated a
few days life event so do you know how
to host a retreat have you done
retreated before no so I have no idea
where to Ryan you know the idea I have
an idea of what it is what I want to
offer what I want to pride okay we
talked about that today as far as
retreat but to begin I haven't so today
guys we're going to talk about the 10
step 10 10 keys instead that Allison
need to do to set up her retreat up and
running for planning the success right
think of your retreat like a life event
I mean I saw you host a party right new
year Christmas or some challenge party
before and that just a few hours of that
day one day right so retreat is the same
but you host like different party you
know in this few days and you you're not
doing it as at the studio you take the
people to somewhere else that it can be
a beautiful place it can be at the
resort it can be somewhere closer to
nature right it doesn't have to be just
like at the hotel in the square room
right you know so here's the first thing
and I have my note here because I don't
want to miss anything right and I just
really want to help you Allison to to
get this right and and again guys like
everyone can host a retreat you just
need to do to do it right
step number one tell me why do you want
to host retreat I know I asked you a
little bit but like really why do you
want to host your why is she was retreat
I want to be able to offer something
else to the students I think that's I
think that's a great way to do it it's
they my students love to travel right
adventure students and it's just a way
that I think that can add value I mean
yeah and and some of your student
already like travel across the world
here too
Thailand with me you know for that ten
days they spend like two weeks of travel
and you know what I mean you you can own
that too
so that's your why so understand your
why is big because when you don't know
your why and when you know that the
challenge come right because it's not
gonna be like oh I want a husband to go
to the hotel and then that's it you know
people are gonna sign up but what if
people don't sign up yet if you can't
convince the people yet that's gonna be
something challenging and you're gonna
go back to your why right okay now I
remember why I want to host a retreat
and that's like why I'm doing it your
big wine is very important so now when
you know you're big why right why you
want to host retreat the next thing they
that I want to ask you is who do you
want to serve I'm talking about the
Avatar client or some people say ideal
clients you know like who who do you
really want to serve who you want to
work with who you want to go you know
for the weekend or ten days with I'm
looking to like my target client is is a
female primarily she is a mom and she
also works mmm so she you know she's
pretty busy and she loves what she does
both of them you know who would that she
does raising her family being being
there for them is is important to her
but also some self-care you know showing
up for herself was also important and
that's why you know she may come here as
often as she does so can man go to this
retreat absolutely yeah for sure
okay so let's focus a little bit more
because you you talk about female right
mom
you know self-care right she'll offer
herself have a job too but then why do
we invite man you know what I mean like
like rather want to invite a new
everyone just like if the the more you
can tell about your ideal client the
better it is is it better to have a
focus on just being for women or to open
it up for everyone it can be open it up
for everyone but everyone that might
have the same problem everyone that
might have gone through the same
challenge
you know because both men and women but
if you say you know
I really want to host a woman retreat
for a woman only then you are this is
the benefit guy because you are ideal
client will understand that hey this
weekend this five there is for me right
you know right right because if you if
you want to target the woman but then
you have three men show up right and
they're gonna feel like awkward right
you know so make sure that you write
think about and you know we're not gonna
finish everything today right we just
gonna random that that create the idea
together so you go home write in the
journal like make a list of who you
really want to invite but you got to
think of yourself to like what can you
give them right what's the promise that
you can give I'm gonna share with you
with after that so when you know okay
let's say that you focus on women
retreats and you want to help them about
self-care right what is their problem
what is their challenge what what kind
of life they have gone through what do
you think that you know anyone maybe
just like pick one person you don't have
to say the name but think of that woman
right that that woman so what is her
problem
her problem is she feels bad doing
everything at one time burnout burnout
she feels better she doesn't have time
to be the mom that she wants to be she
feels that she doesn't have time to to
devote to her career she wants to so
she's got two feet into boats and she
feels bad about it she's trying to do
all things at one time and when she's
really doing a really great job not
really acknowledging how much she's
actually pulling off at one time in fact
there's a lot of women that like
entrepreneur you know owning the
business just like you and having like
five kids three kids - they're very
successful in the career but they also
burnt out you know there's a lot of
women out there that looking for some
self-care retreat like that so this is
like good niche yeah so so good right
yeah and and plus they have money
mm-hmm that they don't have to like go
to the husband right yeah right and ask
for permission if I can spend thousand
dollars right you know what I mean and
they and they
the educator yeah right so good what do
they want so knowing that challenge
right now do you know what they want I
think they want permission permission
what permission - to be acknowledged
that they're doing they're doing as much
as they possibly can there enough that
you know yeah mmm
mission to be to be okay with what with
what they're doing versus how he's
grappling back and forth should he be
doing more of this or less of this
knowing that what they've chosen to do
the journey that they're on their path
that is serving them is enough
so step one they burned out they work a
lot there they take care of the family
inside and outside the house then they
want to feel that they could enough and
I think we can add the word recharge for
that too you know like they want to feel
recharged they want to feel that after
this event they will go back to their
normal life and they will have an extra
energy extra power for that yeah I think
that's gonna be a good one add add the
word recharge for that the next one is
now you know why you want to host a
retreat and who's your ideal clients now
you can create the theme of the retreat
the theme is not as like I want to
create self-care retreat for women fine
because a hundred of people doing the
same thing but the theme for you it's
got to be a really good one because this
is gonna determine the price you know if
you're gonna charge a lot of money
images you can you know but it's got to
be really good promise so what is the
theme that you can think of what's the
promise what's the benefit what's the
result that they're gonna get out of it
what do you think I think the result
will be that they will feel refreshed
that they'll have a new outlook on their
on their life yeah as far as being able
to be accept themselves and feeling
those are they have permission to do
what they're doing when as hard as
they're working to play as hard as
you're playing all those things are good
so so when we create a theme we gotta go
back to the idea of clients again you
know I can't think of someone that you
know in your studio already it's not
like we are spying on them but look at
what kind of job
what how much money she makes you ously
you know that what kind of her day who
we can look like how many kids what is
her relationship with her husband you
know it's her husband had a not a woman
to or what you know like it's like it's
not just like we're spying on people but
the more you understand about your
client the more you can create the theme
that like the good thing the the problem
is that you can give to those woman yeah
right
so yeah I'm go home and and and write it
down and really like research about it
yeah you know because you might find
some woman that you know a very
successful but I hate how I look because
I'm pretty big like I don't get time to
exercise so and I don't I don't get time
to cook because I'm tired when I come
home so you know it's just me whatever
she might want some weekend boot camp
something that she will learn how to
cook better in a short time you know
something that you can add later on this
gonna help with the theme and the
promise you know beside spiritually what
they want emotionally mentally
physically right if every area every
aspect of their life wonderful how do
you feeling so far pretty good yeah yeah
so now she was the right location step
number five guy choose the right
location I mean I host surgery in
Thailand and people thought Oh name is
so easy you know people gonna sign up
anyway because people want to go to
Thailand but in fact it's not just the
destination that's sale you know it's
not like Hawaii Costa Rica Greeks Italy
is also what's inside that package that
gonna sell right that's why we got to do
a lot of research about your audience
research about what they want and what
their problems is yeah so what do you
think you want to hold the retreat this
is your first between right yes I
definitely want to keep it in stated I
want to keep it in an air in Arizona
okay um there's a lot to choose from it
in the in the state of Arizona as far as
location so what kind of that much I
know I'd wanted to be able that she can
get there for that weekend drive up easy
to arrive and yeah so something simple
like that so wait
where's the the town a city that you
have in your mind Sedona is always
lovely going up north would be kind of
nice to go to Sedona that area how far
from the studio to the Sedona Sedona
would be less than two hours
okay great down and then also I'm down
to Sun waves also nice - that's awesome
yeah I'm for two hours and so there's
just like those two locations kind of
resonate with me or share as far as
discuss and keeping it drivable
so listen two hours yeah uh-huh
easy with a couple easy no pills right
don't have to book the air ticket okay
right so I just want to tell you guys
like if you're new in this industry for
your first retreat you don't really have
to like go aboard you know they don't
need a passport they don't need to book
the flight they need to spend thousands
of dollar to look for the flight you
know you can start to do something local
like if you're in New York you can stay
you can host a retreat in the city -
right urban retreat you know if you call
su the snow to the mountain area hey
that's great you know people like to be
connect to the nature so so that's
that's awesome
how many days of the retreat that you
wonder - host I would like it to be
maybe maybe arriving Friday evening okay
Emily depending upon location and
Saturday and then I'm heading out set a
Sunday after you know morning or
absolute so you're talking about the the
clients stay on Friday night Saturday
night yeah right yeah and then and they
leave on Sunday afternoon right
that's good also but also we want to
make it easy for people say no second
thought no branding right just like what
could be easy solution for those busy
woman who's entrepreneur who all
business who have a job and then who
have like kids and family so maybe
starting on Saturday would be better
right that that seems to be for me that
that sounds better because she doesn't
have to be she have to pick up the kids
at school but I have kids I know that
yeah you know yeah maybe the husband is
not gonna be happy about - nice
you know so I'm yeah maybe meet everyone
on Saturday morning sometime in the
morning because you said is like less
than two hours drive right you know yeah
be there and then stay only one Saturday
night and leave again Sunday afternoon
that they can get home and still have
dinner with their family and the Monday
start to go back to work again right the
kids go back to school that's awesome so
think think about that and and see
really see if that what you want to do
you know if you said yeah it is not
enough time for me to to help them then
we can add more to you know but later on
very cool number six you got to plan how
to pricing your retreat all right
I like reverse engineer I like to like
think of how much money I want to make
from that retreat I I like to think of
what number will get me excited and will
get me serious about it so what number
is exciting for you because they don't
think of your audience right no think of
yourself yeah because I've never done
anything in this type of round before I
don't even have like with some what's
something that you base your retreats on
us I don't have anything to even think
of yeah the minimum that I love making
is ten thousand like if if I don't make
ten thousand I don't want to host a
retreat like because that's like my
bottom line that's my powder and breaks
down to what per day for you what per
day for me it's the pen like if I host a
10-day retreat I want to make more than
that you know but in fact a lot of
people who host a retreat they either
break event break even or lost money you
know because if you don't do the right
way then you're probably going to lost
money if you say for example is let's
throw the number right if you want to
make ten thousand for that weekend I
how's that number make you
feel that would be a lot of women for
that short amount of time for that
location you don't have to you don't
have to right I'm gonna I'm gonna tell
you later on so how's this just don't
worry about how much you're gonna charge
or how many women not yet not yet but
how much money it's gonna make you feel
like you deserve you deserve it
I'm not saying that it's gonna make you
happy right but how much money you think
that you value and you deserve it
I like 10,000 okay I'm down for that
yeah that was my first thought too but I
thought that being you know I don't have
any realm or you know any debates it off
of that you know just kind of going
either do you know I like to say be
unreasonable be unreasonable you don't
have to like okay then how many or how
can I wait late you don't have to know
how to get there yet but you need to
know where you want to go if you say man
if I make $10,000 that weekend you know
I'm gonna like go all-in I'm gonna
advertise I'm gonna help them so much
I'm gonna keep the promise I'm gonna
work on you know preparing my activities
for them and so you know so now you know
that you make you want to make 10,000
then we're gonna break it down of what
you need right research the hotel and
the resort or even air B&B space in
Sedona in Tucson how much is it for rent
per day right do some like four to five
different places contact them and I list
them and people and compare what they
give you like do they give the space
they do they include the breakfast as
well you know or they just you know so
what did it give you okay and so I would
say if you can find the space the facts
is that he that can that you can only
only pay $1000 for that one night for
the whole group that would be great
and then I would say maybe hire someone
who is a chef
like as the resort like can we use your
kitchen as the Airbnb space like can can
we use your kitchen right what what do
you give us it can be a nice big Airbnb
house homestyle right that everyone's in
the group just like in together right
and Aaron can cook together too so I
have a student she hosts a retreat and
every time in in pine and she hire some
one who's a chef so that this woman like
bought food buy some organic vegetable
cook for the group the whole time it
doesn't have to cost a lot right so if
you can spend another $1,000 for food
and for the labor right that will be
great now it's 2000 expenses already
right this idea and then P pay I always
tell my students to prepare at least
$1,000 for like miscellaneous you know
whatever is gonna come by right or the
the gift back for them or some something
that they can take it home some
something they can make them feel like
they're beautiful
you know something special even like put
some chocolate under the pillow or
something like that um so prepare that
so now I would say you kind of like
budget and within this $3,000 right
expenses your gas and everything that
you know drive up there too or maybe
someone that you need to hire for your
team right but I would say if you host
the first retreat maybe do work trade
that would be better that's a great idea
do some work trade give them some
discount for their for the retreat all
right you're gonna make sense awesome
awesome all right let's see my next
question is after you pricing the
retreat okay so you know that it's
$3,000 expenses that you that you need
to prepare yeah and you want to make
10,000 so now you have 13,000 right
$13,000 how do you feel if you have like
how many people do you want to to host
but I always liked in I don't like 20 30
because I I
I don't want to feel it I'm a tour guide
yeah yeah 10 minimum 15 max awesome so
let's say let's route up the number if
we want to do 10 woman but our expensive
sorry 13,000 so that's me in 1,300 each
person then you need to charge right and
if you get 15 that even better right
yeah right uh-huh so how is that style
for you as a customer to pay 1,300 for
one night right with two days like kind
of almost there should be a lot packed
in there for that and and when I teach
my student this is like this is so scary
when it's turned like yeah am I gonna
charge people 1,300 for that weekend you
know but I also want to make ten
thousand right here's how it's go you
set up the payment plan because one of
the biggest mistake a lot of
entrepreneur a lot of retreat leaders
holds the event or host the retreat is
that they don't plan enough time ahead
before the retreat happen so I would say
eight month eight to ten months
it's your ideal time like this is you
know I was in here and you don't want to
just like mid of the year you know maybe
August 2020 right August so you have
like about eight months from now so if
people put gonna pay 1,300 for that
weekend divided by eight months and
again you need to do non-refundable
deposit maybe you say do $300
non-refundable deposit to save your spot
because I'm only gonna open 15th spot
for this special weekend right so $300
non-refundable deposit then they have
$1,000 live dy divided by seven but you
charge them every 30 days automatically
payment so you don't have to worry about
it right so let's say listen let's
calculate with me right now
how much is it gonna be I'm not good at
math $1,000
right divided by
seven months that we're gonna charge
them 142 a month from him do you think
they can do that that's pretty
reasonable yeah yeah isn't it make you
feel better yeah yeah it's not nearly as
overwhelming will you see it that way
yeah it just like hate putting the
saving and then by the end you know by
August they get a good vacation that
they looking for this 142 a month it's
not gonna disturb their family too much
right
not just like 1,000 right you know so so
that that's how you plan okay right you
you you know how much you want to make
and you're pricing it you calculate all
the expenses and be realistic right do
some research you have to do a lot of
research and then set up the payment
plan for them I like to tell my audience
this like if they say oh wow it's 1300s
for that weekend is today I don't have
that kind of money when people said I
don't have that kind of money
give them the the value you've done the
prom is the benefit and then say hey I'm
gonna send you a link for a credit card
that you can maybe apply for it you know
you can move money around you apply for
the credit card and you can use this to
just be your next year Christmas gift
for yourself yeah yeah so like basically
you got to coach them and help them find
a way to pay you basically right right
you know like you already think ahead
yeah already thing I had that is 140 to
a month wow this is doesn't sound too
big right all right number and everyone
almost a number it is like set up then
write out the name of those women who
want who you want to invite I love the
social media like promotion you know put
ads on on social media pause on your
Instagram posts on your facebook posts
on your website and you have email lists
to write how big is your email list I
think it's about that's awesome so think
about those 1,300 people you only need
like 15 or 10 people come you know what
do you mean like it's possible
it's possible but the reason why I said
list maybe list 30 names of like who you
really think that this really is gonna
be good for them list it and then invite
them you can invite them personally you
can just email them you can send a
message and because they already have
relationship with you so acting like
you're speaking directly to them then I
always tell my student write out the
first conversation that you have with
them like dated you know if you say
you're talking to them first of November
and what they say like keep the record
keep track of it and then next time they
say when they follow up so if you don't
hear the word no.5 time then you don't
stop following up a lot of retreat
leader they say I want to hos retreat
but I only have 5 people because the the
rest of the people that they invite they
didn't have the second or the third
conversation right they said you have to
hear the word no five times in order to
like okay now I can leave you alone
right you know keep track with it later
write down the date of you know your
second conversation when is is that you
didn't bother them to too much too soon
yeah yeah
the man is set up the event page right
make sure that you tell the world that
this is this is going to happen I love
the concept of Christmas in July right I
mean a lot of big companies start to
sell Christmas stuff
yeah like early right so you've got to
think okay August your retreat it's like
it's the Christmas time for you you know
so start to like plan now you know give
them early bird price give them
challenge or 30 days discount whatever
right create some some urgency for them
so think ahead so that you can give them
this cow here and there you know just to
like help them to eventually say yes and
sign up for a treat right okay stuff do
you have any question for me so far
um no I like the idea of keeping track
of how many times you're reaching out to
them because that makes sense as far as
like each time you you know have an
interaction with them I like that that's
good yeah you said my mind thinking well
the last one is is I think it's not
gonna be the hard part for you plan to
show up as an expert
I mean being an expert is not the
accident you go find it right uh-huh
so so in order for the retreat to be
very successful and really give the
transformation to people's life you got
to plan so well right so if you feel
like this is south over warming name you
know I haven't started yet we'll find
someone who can help you you know let go
of something that is not necessary you
know and just focusing on your why plan
your itinerary you know that tailor your
clients need would you suggest so for
when I think of the the treatments and
the value that I want to add or have
available for them when you invited in
people to do the treatments or whatever
might whatever their they're bringing to
to the clients do you do a trade with
them like how do you you know like if I
had someone come into its gonna be doing
you know buddy work or energy work or
something online so you how do you how
do you manage that you keep the expenses
down okay so it's the pen right and and
and I think you're gonna trust you in
intuition you know you're gonna you're
gonna know what what that person II and
how much can you give right in Thailand
for 10 days retreat I had a videographer
from United States contact me she's like
family on Google and she contact me and
she said let's see she said I I want to
to film the the retreat for you and I
said okay go ahead and send me your
resume send me information so she's
saying and in her package is like over
$3,000 and I say what about this you
show up in Thailand I'll take care of
you for 10 days and you're producing the
video for me so it's the pain
the value of they get what-what they
gonna give you and how do you feel about
getting that because if it's not
necessary get it you don't have to give
to write you know yeah they can pay ya
again why when we sailed it it's just
like way to be coaching them like
talking to the my yeah and I think
that's it Allison I hope you you get a
good information of like this is what
you gotta do and and you know go all in
yeah right unreasonable ya know that the
steps are very clear and easy to follow
cuz when I first talked about its kinda
like it never really entered my mind it
wasn't something I thought about doing
and then when you mentioned it was like
wow okay and then I started wrap my
brain around it and it was clear like I
know I'm targeting her and hurt you
don't exactly talk to her
- so you're saying reverse engineer it
in its yeah kind of you know falling
into place which isn't good yeah it's
not so helpful very helpful thank you
are so did thank you
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