What if the location of your retreat wasn't simply the backdrop, but an active part of the transformation?

In this episode of How to Run Profitable Retreats, I sit down with Bronwyn Ayla, an acupuncturist, herbalist, dancer, and retreat leader who has been hosting retreats and pilgrimages for three decades.

We explore what it means to design a retreat in relationship with the land, culture, season, and energy of a destination rather than choosing a beautiful location and building the experience around it.

Bronwyn shares how different places can support completely different transformations, from the devotion and spiritual traditions of Nepal to the wildness and rewilding of South Africa, and the unique energetic qualities of destinations such as Bali and Egypt.

But place is only part of the equation.

We also dive into the importance of timing and how seasons can influence the experiences we create. Bronwyn explains how she uses seasonal cycles to think about everything from the intention of a retreat to the practices, curriculum, and transformation participants are being invited into.

In this conversation, we explore:

▪️ Why every retreat needs a clear intention and through line
▪️ How the location can support the transformation you're promising
▪️ How travel can open participants to possibilities they may not see in their everyday lives
▪️ How to listen to the people who actually sign up and allow their needs to shape the experience

If you're planning your next retreat, this episode will invite you to ask a different question—not simply, "Where should I host it?" but "What place will help create the transformation I want my participants to experience?"

🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Bronwyn Ayla.

Connect with Bronwyn:
Website: www.bronwynayla.com
Instagram: @bronwyn.ayla

Free Resource:
Bronwyn's Almanac helps you explore the seasonal cycles discussed in this episode so you can think more intentionally about the timing of your retreats.

www.bronwynayla.com/almanac

🤍 If you enjoyed this episode, share it with another retreat leader and leave How to Run Profitable Retreats a rating. It helps more retreat leaders discover the show.

Plan a Profitable Retreat

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More sessions. More activities. More speakers. More hours.

It sounds like more value, but when it comes to transformational retreats, it can actually have the opposite effect.

In this episode of How to Run Profitable Retreats, Leni Cavazos breaks down one of the biggest mistakes retreat leaders make when designing their itineraries: trying to justify their price by filling every available moment.

Your participants are not paying for a packed schedule. They're paying for change. And real transformation requires space.

Leni walks you through how to stop designing your retreat like a conference and start creating an intentional transformation arc where every session, activity, and experience has a clear purpose.

▪️ Why more sessions don't necessarily create more value
▪️ The difference between designing for transformation and designing for entertainment
▪️ Why integration isn't "empty time"—it's part of the product
▪️ Why rest, reflection, silence, and conversation need to be intentionally designed into the experience
▪️ How intentional retreat design can make your pricing feel aligned instead of inflated

Instead of asking, "What should we do?", start asking:

"What must change in them by the end?"

Then design backwards from that transformation.

Because premium retreats aren't created by filling time. They're created by protecting the transformation.

🎧 Listen now and take a look at your own retreat itinerary. For every element you've planned, ask yourself: How does this move my participant closer to the transformation I promised?

And if you like this episode, share it with another retreat leader and give How to Run Profitable Retreats a rating. 🤍

Plan a Profitable Retreat

Start here to get the tools, support, and strategy you need:

Book a free consult → https://theretreatplanner.com/call

Download the Profit E-book → https://theretreatplanner.com/profitebook

Download the Loyalty Marketing E-book → https://theretreatplanner.com/loyaltyebook

Join the Sold Out & Profitable Masterclass → https://theretreatplanner.com/challenge

Follow on Instagram → https://instagram.com/theretreatplanner

We are more connected than ever, yet people are lonelier than ever.

And that gap is creating one of the biggest opportunities for retreat leaders, coaches, speakers, and experience-based businesses.

In this solo episode of How to Run Profitable Retreats, Leni Cavazos explores what she calls the connection economy and why the increasing automation of our lives is making real, in-person experiences more valuable.

AI has made content faster and easier to create. Social media has given us almost unlimited reach. But attention is cheap, and trust is becoming harder to earn.

People still want to sit across from another person. They want to feel seen, heard, understood, and connected.

And that is exactly what retreats and live experiences can provide.

In this episode, Leni discusses:

• Why the rise of AI is actually increasing the value of human connection
• Why attention is becoming cheaper while trust is becoming more valuable
• The growing demand for in-person experiences and retreats
• Why people pay for how an experience makes them feel, not simply what is included
• Why retreat leaders who create genuine connection may have a major advantage heading into 2027

Your funnel can be copied. Your captions can be copied. Your offers can be copied.

But the feeling someone has when they are in a room with you cannot.

The question is: Are you building your retreat business for the connection economy?

If you are planning a retreat or already hosting retreats and want to figure out what is keeping yours from selling or becoming consistently profitable, book a strategy call with Leni:

Book your strategy call

🎧 If you enjoyed this episode, share it with another retreat leader and leave a rating for How to Run Profitable Retreats.

Plan a Profitable Retreat

Start here to get the tools, support, and strategy you need:

Book a free consult → https://theretreatplanner.com/call

Download the Profit E-book → https://theretreatplanner.com/profitebook

Download the Loyalty Marketing E-book → https://theretreatplanner.com/loyaltyebook

Join the Sold Out & Profitable Masterclass → https://theretreatplanner.com/challenge

Follow on Instagram → https://instagram.com/theretreatplanner