Retreats & Offsites Unpacked – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What changes when a retreat is led by a team instead of a single facilitator?

Many retreats rely on one voice, one lens, and one nervous system to hold the room. But when retreats are co-hosted, something different happens: the container deepens, participants feel more supported, and transformation becomes shared rather than hierarchical.

In this episode, Dan Berger is joined by Christina Courtright Jenkins, April Millar, and Aleena Hill—co-founders of The Wise Woman World—to unpack why co-hosting retreats can dramatically improve safety, depth, and long-term impact.

The conversation explores shared leadership, feminine containers, astrology-informed personalization, nervous-system regulation, and how multiple facilitators create resilience not just for participants—but for the facilitators themselves.

Episode Themes

• Why co-hosted retreats create stronger containers
• Shared power vs. hierarchy in facilitation
• The role of feminine energy and cyclical rhythms
• Personalization at scale through astrology and somatics
• Nervous-system safety as the foundation for intuition
• Pre-retreat preparation and energetic investment
• Post-retreat community and integration
• Choosing the right co-hosts and complementary roles

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:18 – What Wise Woman World actually does
02:17 – Who these retreats are for
03:39 – Feminine cycles and life stages
05:16 – Masculine vs. feminine energy
06:59 – Being held and fully taken care of
07:30 – Personalization through astrology
09:23 – What facilitators experience during retreats
11:29 – Pricing, value, and transformation
14:15 – Astrology as meaning-making, not prediction
17:55 – Marketing retreats through word of mouth
19:54 – Why co-hosts multiply impact
21:27 – Post-retreat community and continuity
23:51 – Defining roles within a facilitation team
24:38 – What to look for in a co-host
26:25 – Nervous system healing and intuition
29:54 – Advice for new retreat organizers
31:00 – Where to learn more

About the Guests – The Wise Woman World Founders
Christina Courtright Jenkins, April Millar, and Aleena Hill are the co-founders of The Wise Woman World, a heart-centered collective devoted to embodiment, transformation, and living in sacred rhythm with the body and the earth.

Their retreats integrate astrology, somatic practices, nervous-system healing, intuitive guidance, and shared leadership. Working through a non-hierarchical model, they create deeply personalized experiences where women feel seen, supported, and safely held—often for the first time in years.

Website: thewisewomanworld.com
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

What if designing a retreat required the same level of intention as producing a great film?

The most powerful retreats don’t happen by accident. Like films, they’re carefully designed experiences with a beginning, middle, and end—crafted to move people emotionally, not just impress them logistically.

In this episode, Dan Berger speaks with Sean Buckley, CEO of Buck Productions, to explore the surprising parallels between retreat planning and filmmaking with an award-winning producer whose work spans unscripted television, documentaries, and feature films. Through the lens of Project Guatemala, the conversation unpacks how story, audience, environment, and shared challenge combine to create experiences that genuinely transform people.

The discussion reframes retreats as immersive narratives—where participants leave their normal lives behind, step into discomfort, build community, and walk away with a story they’ll carry long after the retreat ends.

Episode Themes

• Why retreats and films share the same narrative structure
• Designing experiences with a clear beginning, middle, and end
• Audience-first thinking in retreat planning
• Discomfort and challenge as catalysts for transformation
• Creating shared meaning through collective experience
• The role of environment in emotional impact
• Post-retreat integration and lasting connection
• Story as the takeaway participants carry forward

Chapters
00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:20 – Introducing Project Guatemala
02:21 – Chaos, luxury, and the turning point
05:12 – Discomfort as the start of transformation
08:06 – Why this experience qualifies as a retreat
11:14 – Six weeks vs. lifelong impact
14:33 – Interventions, breakdowns, and growth
17:26 – Community after the retreat ends
19:28 – Why storytelling matters in retreats
20:57 – Audience-first design
23:06 – Films and retreats as shared journeys
23:59 – Closing reflections

About the Guest – Sean Buckley
Sean Buckley is the CEO of Buck Productions and an award-winning producer with more than 30 years of experience in unscripted television, documentaries, branded content, and feature films. His work is known for pushing creative boundaries while centering deeply human stories.

Through large-scale productions and purpose-driven projects, Sean has helped shape experiences that challenge people emotionally, physically, and ethically. His perspective brings a rare storytelling lens to retreat design—highlighting how narrative, audience awareness, and intentional structure can turn moments into meaning.

Website: buckproductions.com
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Dr. Simon Rakoff has spent 25+ years helping executives, teams, athletes, and performers get better under pressure — and he and Dan go way back.

In this episode, they unpack Simon’s core framework (focus, relaxation, connection), why “bring the calm” is a real skill, and how tiny habits (like how you brush your teeth) can re-train a mind that’s always sprinting ahead.

They also get into the messy reality of team coaching: confidentiality, board dynamics, why a facilitator shouldn’t “perform,” and why sometimes the best move is letting tension breathe long enough for the team to build the habit of working through it.

If you lead retreats or facilitate leadership teams, this one is a practical playbook — and a reality check.

Episode Themes

• Bring the calm: why calm is contagious (and how leaders transmit it)
• Relaxation as a skill: not “just relax,” but training the mind through the body
• Micro-habits: practicing presence in normal life (teeth, walking, writing, driving)
• Individuals + teams: why coaching only the CEO caps results
• Trust + confidentiality: how to surface issues without blowing up relationships
• Facilitation philosophy: it’s not a performance — it’s the group’s time
• Conflict + habits: teams can change their defaults faster than they think
• The long game: building a career by stacking life experiences into a point of view

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome + Simon’s background
02:10 — First responder mindset: “bring the calm”
03:45 — Why Simon starts with relaxation (and why “just relax” is useless)
07:10 — Micro-practices: teeth, walking, writing, driving
10:30 — Why coach the whole team (not just the principal)
13:20 — Confidentiality + transparency inside team dynamics
16:05 — Facilitation under tension: truth over comfort
19:10 — Why Simon doesn’t always jump in (and why that helps teams)
22:00 — Education path: conflict resolution → industrial psychology → Aikido
25:10 — Advice for facilitators: stack your story + design for what the group really wants
29:40 — Wrap: the group’s time, not the facilitator’s

About the Guest – Dr. Simon Rakoff

Dr. Simon Rakoff is a performance psychologist with more than 25 years experience helping executives, teams, athletes and performers grow, develop and excel. Simon’s proprietary and proven approach cultivates three specific abilities that are fundamental to success: 1)Focus 2)Relaxation and 3)Connection. Simon is an experienced facilitator, having worked with leadership teams across a wide range of industries. He is a former career firefighter, paramedic and technical rescue specialist. His time working in public safety taught him how to work closely with a team effectively, even in high stress situations, and became the basis for Simon’s approach to helping teams and individuals achieve peak performance.

Social Media: LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Meg Sylvester leads retreats that don’t rely on hype, hierarchy, or spiritual performance. Instead, she creates what she calls the “retreat bubble”—a contained, intentional space where people feel safe enough to slow down, create, and reconnect with themselves without judgment.

In this episode, Meg breaks down the two very different types of retreats she runs, how she balances structure with intuition, and why true facilitation isn’t about having answers—it’s about creating the conditions for others to find their own. She also shares how health challenges, creativity, and lived experience shaped her work, and why environment, pacing, and psychological safety matter more than buzzwords.

Episode Themes

• The “retreat bubble” and why containment creates safety
• Two retreat models: inner work vs. curated group travel
• Structure vs. intuition — why both matter
• Circular leadership and facilitation without hierarchy
• Creativity as a tool for healing, clarity, and confidence
• Judgment-free spaces and avoiding “spiritual gaslighting”
• Why slow mornings, free time, and pacing matter
• Hosting retreats that feel grounded, not performative

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome + what this show is about
00:40 — Meg’s background and retreat philosophy
01:55 — Two types of retreats: inner work vs. group travel
04:25 — Defining the “retreat bubble”
06:10 — Structure, intuition, and earning participant trust
07:55 — Tools Meg uses: writing, yoga, breathwork, creativity
09:35 — Why slow mornings and free time matter
11:40 — Judgment-free facilitation and psychological safety
14:45 — Masculine / feminine energy and inclusivity
16:10 — Men in retreat spaces and authenticity in marketing
18:45 — Health, creativity, and lived experience as teachers
23:00 — Group travel retreats and third-party planners
25:00 — Where to find Meg and closing thoughts

About the Guest – Meg Sylvester

Meg Sylvester is a published author, speaker, and retreat facilitator known for her playful, soulful storytelling and grounded facilitation style. She leads two retreat experiences: an “inner work” retreat bubble focused on creativity, mental health, and self-trust — and a curated group travel format designed for mindful travelers who want connection and adventure without the heavy, all-day processing.
Meg’s work blends gateless creative writing, breathwork, Kundalini-inspired practices, sound healing, music-led embodiment, and creative play — with a clear agenda and structure, plus intuitive flow inside the container. She’s built a large audience through honest sharing around health and personal growth, including the food–mood connection, Lyme disease, grief, and hormonal health in midlife.
Website: www.megsylvester.com

Book: The Body Positivity Journal: Inspirational Prompts and Practices to Boost Self-Love and Acceptance

Social Media: Instagram | YouTube

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Jacob Green built a facilitation firm of 30 leaders after a career in local government — but his earliest facilitation training started at 14, helping run retreats aimed at reducing hate and conflict on a public high school campus. In this episode, Jacob shares what makes facilitators effective (curiosity, language, listening), how public-sector retreats really work, and why “cognitive diversity” is one of the biggest levers for high-performing teams. He also makes the case that environment isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s the container that determines what’s possible.

Episode Themes

• Jacob’s origin story: brain injury, rehab, and the leadership lessons that became his book
• Building a facilitation firm of 30: structure, quality control, and learning from each other
• Facilitation fundamentals: ask better questions, listen more, stop “performing”
• How to break into public sector retreats: conferences, niches, relationships, and language
• Public vs. private sector: different constraints, same human problems
• Cognitive diversity: what it is, why it matters, and how to work with gaps on a team
• Why environment matters more than people think — and why facilitators should own the venue decision

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome + what this show is about
00:40 — Jacob’s background and why Dan starts with the book
01:15 — “See Change Clearly”: brain injury, rehab, and leadership lessons
03:20 — Building a company: why Jacob didn’t want to be a solopreneur
05:40 — Facilitation at 14: retreats, conflict, and learning the craft early
08:10 — What good facilitators actually do: curiosity, questions, listening
10:00 — Training experienced execs to stop telling war stories
12:00 — Landing public-sector clients: where to speak and who to target
16:10 — Language that works (and fails) in government environments
18:05 — What public-sector retreats look like in reality
20:00 — The AEM Cube + cognitive diversity (and how to handle gaps)
23:40 — What happens when facilitation scales (and why it improves quality)
26:40 — The environment argument: space, memory, trauma, and why venue matters
29:10 — Closing thoughts

About the Guest – Jacob Green
Jacob Green is a nationally recognized leadership and organizational development expert, bestselling author, and master facilitator with nearly two decades of executive experience across local government and the private sector. As President and CEO of Jacob Green & Associates, he leads a nationwide team of 30 facilitators who work with public agencies and Fortune 500 organizations to help teams improve alignment, communication, and performance. Jacob’s work is deeply informed by his personal recovery from a traumatic brain injury, which shaped his approach to facilitation, curiosity-driven leadership, and cognitive diversity in teams.

Jacob Green and Associates: jacobgreenandassociates.com

Book: See Change Clearly

Social Media: LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

How do you help people speak the truth—with courage and compassion—without shutting others down?

In this episode, Coach In Motion founder Kim Mensh Weinberg joins host Dan Berger to explore how leaders can elevate self-awareness, strengthen team trust, and navigate difficult conversations with honesty and care.

From her CLEAR communication model to her experiences teaching at UVA and Georgetown, Kim shares how she blends candor with compassion, structure with humanity, and professionalism with presence.

Whether you lead a team, facilitate groups, or just want to get better at hard conversations—this episode’s for you.

Episode Themes

• Courage + compassion—the dual mindset of effective leadership
• Bringing candor into coaching and facilitation
• Managing “terminal politeness” and getting real in teams
• Kim’s CLEAR Model for courageous communication
• Handling “jerks” with awareness and empathy
• Holding space without losing authority
• When connection matters more than correction

About the Guest – Kim Mensh Weinberg 

Kim Mensh Weinberg is an executive coach, facilitator, and organizational consultant with over 30 years of experience helping leaders grow through conscious awareness and action. She’s a UVA and Georgetown faculty member, YPO-certified facilitator, and founder of Coach In Motion, where she helps teams transform how they lead, communicate, and connect.

Learn more: coachinmotion.com

Social Media: LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Most men don’t get spaces to slow down, feel, and connect. Sascha Lewis decided to build one.

As co-founder of EVRYMAN, Sascha turned men’s emotional wellness into a movement—creating retreats where real conversation replaces performance.

Host Dan Berger talks with Sascha about the reality behind these experiences: how they work, why they matter, and what it takes to make them sustainable. From 10,000-person yoga events in Central Park to deeply human men’s circles in the Berkshires, this episode explores what happens when culture, business, and consciousness meet.

Episode Themes

• The state of modern masculinity and belonging
• How men’s retreats create community and release pressure
• Real talk vs. performative vulnerability
• Marketing and scaling authentic experiences
• Sustaining connection after the high of a retreat

Chapters

00:00 – Intro
Dan Berger introduces Sascha Lewis—founder, builder, and cultural entrepreneur.

01:20 – The 10,000-person yoga class
Central Park, JetBlue yoga mats, thunder, lightning, and lessons learned.

05:00 – Starting EVRYMAN
How a simple men’s group became a global movement.

07:00 – Why men need spaces to feel
Breaking through the armor—fear, purpose, and emotional honesty.

10:00 – Designing emotional retreats
What makes men open up—and what doesn’t.

15:00 – Fun as healing
Why tug-of-war and talent shows matter more than you’d think.

19:00 – Marketing meaning
The hardest part of the retreat business—and how EVRYMAN found its audience.

25:00 – Scaling heart-driven work
Why EVRYMAN paused retreats to focus on sustainable community.

28:00 – Closing
Sascha’s advice: build the community first, the business second.

About the Guest – Sascha Lewis

Sascha Lewis is a co-founder of EVRYMAN , a global men’s emotional wellness platform helping men connect more deeply with themselves and others.

He’s also Director of Culture & Commerce at Dutchfield LLC and previously co-founder of Flavorpill Media, pioneering digital culture and live experiences.

His career spans creative entrepreneurship, large-scale events, and leading wellness-driven communities worldwide.

Learn more: evryman.com
Social Media: LinkedIn 

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Emmy Award–winning coach Tim Peek once led through fear—until a career meltdown forced him to rebuild from the inside out.

In this episode, Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality, sits down with Tim to explore what real leadership looks like under pressure: emotional intelligence, radical responsibility, and the courage to be vulnerable.

They talk failures, retreats gone wrong, and how creating safety and humor can unlock growth—at work and in life.

Episode Themes

• Emotional intelligence in high-stakes leadership
• Building safety and belonging in teams
• Vulnerability as a performance advantage
• Leadership lessons from failure and humility
• How retreats reveal what daily life hides

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
Dan introduces Tim Peek, Emmy-winning coach and former NBC executive.

01:20 – From newsroom to boardroom
How leading through fear backfired—and what forced Tim to change.

03:00 – The turning point
A book, a coach, and a moment of truth that shifted everything.

05:00 – Fired mid-retreat (twice)
Why even facilitators fail—and what “readiness” really means.

09:00 – Emotional intelligence under pressure
What great leaders do when chaos hits.

13:00 – Creating psychological safety
The role of presence, hospitality, and space in building trust.

15:00 – Vulnerability-based trust
Why people connect fastest through honesty, not polish.

17:00 – Exercises for connection
“If you really knew me…” and other prompts that open teams up.

22:00 – Retreats that work
A story of transformation through storytelling and shared history.

24:00 – Closing reflections
Why “Peek” means looking deeper, not higher.

About the Guest – Tim Peek

Tim Peek is an Emmy Award–winning executive coach and facilitator who helps leaders and teams surpass themselves.

A former NBC News producer, he combines storytelling and emotional intelligence to build cultures of trust and self-awareness.

Learn more: timpeek.com

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

In this episode of The Assemble Podcast, host Dan Berger sits down with Jonathan Hermida, Managing Director of the Center for Transformational Coaching, to unpack what true coaching looks like — and what it isn’t.

Jonathan explains how authentic coaches use lived experience, not just credentials, to help people navigate identity shifts and purpose. He and Don explore the stages of personal power, the role of community and retreats, and why presence matters more than process.

They also discuss how technology and AI are reshaping the coaching landscape — and why, despite all the tools, real transformation still happens face-to-face.

If you care about leadership, facilitation, or creating spaces where people feel seen and connected, this one’s worth your time.

Episode Themes

• What makes transformational coaching real
• How to tell authentic coaches from marketers
• The business side of coaching and personal growth
• The “Stages of Power”: moving from achievement to purpose
• Designing environments that build trust and clarity
• The growing need for community and belonging
• Retreats as catalysts for presence and transformation
• AI as a coaching tool — opportunity and caution

Chapters

0:00 — Welcome and introduction
1:10 — What is transformational coaching
2:36 — How Jonathan found his path and mentor
4:13 — Everyone’s a coach? Sorting authenticity from noise
6:00 — Learning the business of coaching
8:10 — Understanding the Six Stages of Power
10:09 — Who joins the Center and why
12:20 — Success stories from the program
13:08 — The power of in-person retreats
14:40 — Presence as the foundation for transformation
16:17 — Trends: AI, connection, and the future of work
18:02 — Can AI coach humans?
20:08 — Designing retreats that truly move people
21:46 — Balancing structure with flow
23:49 — Blending Eastern and Western mindsets
24:28 — Vulnerability in facilitation
25:46 — How to connect with Jonathan

About the Guest – Jonathan Hermida

Jonathan Hermida is a leadership and transformational coach and Managing Director of the Center for Transformational Coaching. A three-time founder and global mentor, he helps leaders and teams move from reflection to purpose through deep, conscious work and immersive retreats

Learn more: centerfortransformationalcoaching.com

Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

What does it really take to design a retreat that transforms a team—not just entertains them?

In this episode, Dan Berger talks with Vince Corsaro, veteran facilitator and author of Waking Up: Eight Questions That Will Shift Your Life (or Help You Do Nothing). Vince has spent decades leading retreats and forums across the world, helping groups of leaders move from surface-level interaction to authentic connection.

They explore the power of physical space, why fear is the real blocker, and how facilitators can create judgment-free environments where people actually show up as themselves.

Episode Themes

• What it means to “facilitate from a step behind”
• How fear and power dynamics block real belonging
• Why space and hospitality aren’t just aesthetics—they’re strategy
• The difference between hosting and facilitating
• Creating emotional safety through physical risk
• What CEOs need to understand before their team retreats
• Why vulnerability isn’t a feeling—it’s a decision
• Book & framework recs Vince uses to spark transformation

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

01:20 – Vince’s book: Waking Up and the eight essential questions

03:00 – What “facilitating from a step behind” looks like

05:40 – Forums vs. executive teams and managing power in the room

08:00 – Physical risk → emotional openness

10:00 – Designing for people afraid to show up

12:30 – Why space, seating, and the kitchen all matter

15:00 – Hospitality → safety → engagement

17:00 – How facilitators can step out of the spotlight

19:30 – Book recs: 15 Commitments, Lencioni, Priya Parker

22:00 – Ongoing relationships vs. one-off events

24:00 – What makes a great facilitator (and what doesn’t)

25:30 – Pricing with integrity

27:00 – Final thoughts on purpose, place, and people

About the Guest – Vince Corsaro

A veteran facilitator and leadership coach, Vince Corsaro works with forums, executive teams, and high-trust groups to design experiences that go deep. He’s the author of Waking Up: Eight Questions That Will Shift Your Life (or Help You Do Nothing) and brings decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, group dynamics, and personal transformation.

Learn more: vincecorsaro.com

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.