A couple weeks ago week I opened up and shared some deep truths about what’s going on in my life right now, and it got me thinking about what makes the Retreat and Grow Rich approach such a special way to do business.
When something feels “off”
Here’s the background: I’d been experiencing a “stuck” feeling when it came to talking about our upcoming event at the end of March. Being someone who pays close attention to energy, I knew that it meant it was time for me to pause. To ask what was really going on.
And I realized something. Because of what was happening elsewhere in my life, I wasn’t fully in a place of excitement at my core. I was feeling reflective, and deeply connected to big truths and my core values, but projecting fizzy, sparkly “excitement” about the retreat didn’t fully encompass that.
That disconnect was what was resulting in this drop in energy. After seven years building a business and a tribe of entrepreneurs who put truth front and center, I knew what to do.
Getting vulnerable as a leader.
I spoke up. I shared with my community – first with the group attending this intimate retreat, and then with the wider tribe. I opened up about my personal challenges and what was coming up for me as a result.
Sharing and reflecting publicly like this, and getting vulnerable and real as a leader, is a more natural path for me now, even when things get tough. But it hasn’t always been this way.
In fact, it wasn’t all that long ago that an upcoming event meant scrambling to get “butts on seats” and filling a venue to run what everyone told me a “successful” event looked like. Back then I would have been terrified to admit to the people I was a vulnerable human just like them. I was far too busy trying to “carry it all” and project an invincible image.
The truth behind those big events.
What you don’t see in the launches for those kind of events is often, behind the scenes, big name entrepreneurs are giving away tickets, scrambling to get anyone and everyone to attend, and ultimately devaluing their own work – work that is truly valuable. In my experience, the massive event model rarely means working in a way that’s aligned with your truth.
What a contrast with the intimate retreat approach!
CONNECT 2017 is actually ‘big’ by my standards — I want more people to have an opportunity to workshop with Liz — but will be capped so that it is intimate. I’m actually turning people away if they’re not a good fit for the deep growth and conversation we want to ignite in the room. (To find out if you’d like to apply for one of the last remaining seats, click here LINK).
I’ve been able to show up, share and feel the support of my tribe. There’s no pressure on me to be “perfect” or pretend that my life looks and feels a certain way. My business supports my life, demands my honesty, and flexes to give me the nourishment I need when I need it – not the other way around.
Another way
If you’ve exhausted yourself putting together a huge event while pretending you have it all together, take heart. It really is possible to go deep with your clients and attract committed people who are really ready to do the work with you.
It’s also possible to make MORE profit from a small retreat than a big event, with a fraction of the work and expense. And that’s without taking into account the huge energetic burden you lift when you’re finally able to be completely real with your audience, and get vulnerable about what’s going on for you.
Your clients will trust and support you and in turn, you’ll be able to give back and serve them even better. Truth really is the answer.
Love,
Darla