5 key learnings from hosting my first international retreat
I recently completed my first solo international retreat in Mexico City. The vision was always clear. The path required something else entirely — constant recalibration, real faith, and the willingness to let go of what I thought it was supposed to look like.
Here's what I learned when reality demanded pivots.
1. Don't Use Your Own Money — Build Strategic Partnerships First
I started planning without secured funding. That was the wrong approach, and I felt every consequence of it.
What I know now: research grant databases early — six to twelve months out minimum. Give sponsors real lead time to budget you in. And ask directly for what you need. Not vaguely. Not apologetically. Ask. All you need is one right partnership. The strength of your effort still determines the result — but smart funding means you're focused on execution, not survival.
2. The Comeback Is Built On Community
When the venue issues hit, when attendance dropped, when speakers cancelled — I felt it. Low moments hit different when you're the one who built the thing.
What saved me was the people. The voices that showed up in my lowest moments and reminded me why this mattered. "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord in you" became my anchor through all of it — and that salvation kept arriving through the people placed around me. The comeback is a skillset. But community is the catalyst.
3. Be Self-Reliant In Solutions & Crystal Clear On Roles
Always have someone on the ground who understands their role from day one — not day five when the confusion has already cost you. Work with people who solve problems before you ask them to. Clarity of roles eliminates ninety percent of the friction before it starts. Transparency isn't a nice-to-have. It's the foundation.
4. Less Is More
I tried to do too much. Overpacked the schedule, overfilled the container. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I found the real revelation: when I was fully present, there was so much joy available. One-on-one time with every guest mattered more than any elaborate programming I had planned.
Take only what you need. Give them the energy that keeps them mentally at ease. Ride the wave.
5. Protect Your Relationships
When people I love couldn't support the retreat the way I hoped, I felt that too. But here's the reframe I keep coming back to: they didn't support you yet. Plans not working out isn't betrayal — it's timing, it's capacity, it's life. Don't let unmet expectations damage something real.
The perfect people came. Every guest had a different experience, a different intention, a different thing they needed from the weekend — and that's exactly what made it beautiful. Genuine connection. Pure gratitude. Receiving and understanding in the same breath.