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.

What happens when people step away from their routines and into an environment built for connection? In this conversation, Dan Berger talks with Scott Jones, M.S., founder of Becoming Ultra, about how retreats create the kind of belonging and transformation that one-on-one coaching can’t touch.

With over 20 years of experience training Olympians, pro athletes, and everyday runners, Scott shares what he’s learned about designing retreats, balancing training and recovery, and building inclusive communities where people push toward big goals together.

Episode Themes

• Origins of Becoming Ultra and how retreats took shape
• Designing retreat days: balancing training, recovery, and connection
• The belonging effect — what happens in groups that can’t happen 1:1
• Making retreats inclusive for beginners and seasoned athletes alike
• Why bonds formed in small groups change performance and perspective
• Ensuring the lessons and relationships last when people return home
• Practical advice for leaders or coaches who want to launch their own retreats

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to the Assemble Podcast
02:10 – Scott’s path from coaching to retreats
07:30 – Designing the structure of a retreat
14:05 – Why belonging and group dynamics matter
18:45 – Inclusivity: balancing beginners with experienced athletes
24:20 – How bonds form and transform performance
29:00 – Lasting impact beyond the retreat
32:00 – Scott’s advice to leaders considering retreats
34:00 – Upcoming Becoming Ultra retreats

About the Guest – Scott Jones, M.S.

Scott Jones started Becoming Ultra to bridge the gap between athletes doing amazing things and the rest of us. With a master’s in exercise science and over 20 years of coaching experience, Scott has trained Olympians, professional athletes, and countless runners chasing big goals.

He is the host of the Becoming Ultra podcast, the voice behind Athlete on Fire, and the organizer of training camps and retreats worldwide. His mission is to make the life-changing experience of training and belonging in a community accessible to all.

Based in Fruita, Colorado, Scott shares life with his wife Lauren and their two sons, Wyatt and West — who, as Scott likes to admit, can probably beat you up the mountain.

Learn more: becomingultra.com

Social Media: Facebook | X | 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.

What actually makes a women’s retreat transformational—and not just a beautiful escape?

Transformation doesn’t come from the location alone. It happens when people slow down, regulate their nervous systems, and feel safe enough to let go of urgency, perfectionism, and performance.

In this episode, Dan Berger speaks with Kelley Hartman, founder of Wild Harts Collective, about how transformational retreats for women are intentionally designed—from nervous-system work and creative expression to nature-based ritual and integration.

Drawing on more than 20 years of corporate leadership experience, the conversation explores the shift from burnout to sovereignty, how small-group retreats create safety and depth, and why creativity and joy are essential—not optional—ingredients in meaningful retreat experiences.

Episode Themes

• What differentiates transformational retreats from getaways
• Nervous-system regulation as the foundation for change
• Letting go of urgency, burnout, and perfectionism
• Creative expression as an access point to embodiment
• Designing retreats that balance structure and flow
• Why small groups foster deeper trust and safety
• Relationship-based approaches to marketing retreats
• Supporting integration after the retreat ends

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:40 – The retreat experience that changed everything
03:22 – From corporate leadership to retreat creation
05:09 – Failing forward and nervous-system regulation
06:43 – Stillness, sovereignty, and pattern awareness
08:12 – One-on-one work and post-retreat integration
08:37 – Retreat size, pricing, and audience
09:38 – Finding participants through community
11:12 – Transformation stories from retreats
14:12 – Nature-based rituals and somatic practices
16:06 – Creative expression and painting joy
17:47 – Expanding retreats and future plans
19:55 – Advice for aspiring retreat leaders
21:48 – Who these retreats are for and closing thoughts

About the Guest – Kelley Hartman

Kelley Hartman is the founder of Wild Harts Collective and a former corporate leader turned retreat creator. With over two decades of leadership experience, she designs transformational retreats that blend nervous-system regulation, creative expression, and nature-based ritual.

Her work supports women—often high-performing and burned out—in reconnecting with joy, sovereignty, and embodied presence. Through small-group retreats, coaching, and experiential practices, she helps participants move beyond “shoulds” and build lives that feel aligned, regulated, and expansive.

Website: wildhartscollective.com

Social Media: 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.

What if the real work of retreats isn’t strategy or skills—but relationships?

Many retreats struggle not because of poor agendas, but because of unspoken dynamics, unmet attachment needs, and a lack of psychological safety inside the group.

In this episode, Dan Berger is joined by Patience Shutts, a retreat facilitator, keynote speaker, and licensed marriage and family therapist, to explore how family systems thinking can radically improve retreat and forum outcomes.

The conversation unpacks why belonging is a felt, somatic experience—not an intellectual one—how facilitators can co-regulate groups, and why deep listening, shared agreements, and vulnerability are the real drivers of trust and transformation in retreat settings.

Episode Themes

• Why retreats are fundamentally relational systems
• Family systems theory applied to forums and retreats
• Belonging as a somatic, nervous-system experience
• Psychological safety and attachment needs in groups
• Facilitators as co-regulators of the room
• Teaching vs. facilitating—and when to do each
• Vulnerability, credibility, and leading by example
• How shared agreements shape healthy group culture

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:36 – The story behind the name “Patience”
03:04 – What makes facilitation truly effective
04:58 – Systems thinking and group dynamics
08:13 – Teaching vs. facilitating in retreats
08:44 – Forums, families, and relational systems
11:39 – What belonging really feels like
15:35 – Vulnerability and facilitator credibility
16:42 – Co-regulating a group as a facilitator
19:32 – Choosing the right facilitator fit
23:24 – How family therapy informs retreat work
27:25 – Final reflections and closing

About the Guest – Patience Shutts
Patience Shutts is a retreat facilitator, keynote speaker, and licensed marriage and family therapist who blends human development, attachment theory, interpersonal neurobiology, and systems psychology. With thousands of clinical hours and global field experience, her work focuses on helping leaders and groups build emotional intelligence, belonging, and relational health.

Patience has supported leaders and organizations across the world, including work with trauma survivors, executive forums, and alumni communities. Her facilitation style emphasizes embodied presence, deep listening, and the belief that meaningful growth happens best in relationship with others.

Website: patienceshutts.com

Social Media: 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.

What actually happens inside a neotantric retreat—and why do people travel across the world to attend them?

Neotantric retreats sit at the intersection of intimacy, nervous-system regulation, embodiment, and personal growth—yet they’re often misunderstood or oversimplified.

In this episode, Dan Berger sits down with Dawn Cartwright, founder of the Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute, to unpack what neotantric retreats truly involve, how they’re designed, and why safety, structure, and presence matter just as much as vulnerability.

The conversation explores tantra versus neo-tantra, how sexuality relates to flow states and leadership, and what retreat leaders must consider when facilitating deeply personal work in a group setting—without crossing boundaries or losing trust.

Episode Themes

• Tantra vs. neo-tantra: ancient roots and modern application
• Sexuality as a pathway to flow, creativity, and leadership
• Shame, control, and the challenge of receiving
• Creating psychological safety in intimate group retreats
• Designing neotantric retreats with structure and consent
• Somatic practices that build sensitivity and presence
• Why ritual matters in lasting transformation
• Retreat environments that support intimacy and trust

Chapters
00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:40 – Why sexuality still feels taboo
03:23 – Shame, success, and delayed pleasure
05:41 – Sex, flow states, and peak performance
06:59 – Tantra vs. neo-tantra explained
10:13 – Belonging, control, and mutual presence
12:26 – Creating safety in intimate group settings
14:40 – What a neotantric retreat actually looks like
17:34 – Integration, aftereffects, and long-term change
19:23 – Inclusivity, pricing, and group size
21:59 – Designing spaces for intimacy and privacy
25:43 – What tantric sex really means

About the Guest – Dawn Cartwright
Dawn Cartwright is a tantric visionary, sacred writer, and teacher with more than three decades of study across classical and modern tantric traditions. She integrates ancient tantra, bioenergetics, psychology, and somatic practices to support embodied intimacy and human potential.

As founder of the Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute, Dawn leads retreats and trainings around the world focused on presence, connection, and relational mastery. Her work emphasizes safety, consent, and practical integration—bringing esoteric teachings into modern relationships and daily life.

Website: Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute
Social Media: Facebook | X | 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.

When COVID shut down her brick-and-mortar yoga studio, Bethany Forest was forced to rethink everything. What began as a crisis became the catalyst for a retreat business rooted in healing, nature, and deep human connection.

In this episode, Dan Berger talks with Bethany—founder of Heal Yoga—about the leap from studio classes to immersive retreats, the hard lessons learned from her first retreat, and how thoughtful design, systems, and pricing make long-term sustainability possible.

Bethany shares how yoga retreats go far beyond poses on a mat, why discomfort can be a powerful teacher, and how intentional outdoor experiences help people regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with their bodies, and form lasting bonds.

Episode Themes

• Pivoting from a brick-and-mortar studio to retreats after COVID
• Why retreats create deeper transformation than weekly classes
• Designing yoga retreats that balance movement, reflection, and adventure
• Learning pricing, margins, and systems the hard way
• Creating psychological safety for first-time retreat guests
• Using nature and outdoor challenge to foster growth
• Building connection and belonging among strangers
• What makes people return to retreats again and again

Chapters
00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:33 – COVID, studio closure, and the pivot to retreats
03:36 – Why retreats felt more aligned than a yoga studio
04:40 – Lessons learned from the first retreat
06:42 – Building systems and pricing retreats sustainably
08:46 – What a yoga retreat really looks like
10:40 – Healing, the nervous system, and connection
12:46 – Structuring retreat days and setting expectations
16:02 – Adventure days and the role of discomfort
17:51 – Retreat size, frequency, and growth
18:27 – Marketing retreats and filling spots
20:31 – Final reflections on facilitation and belonging

About the Guest – Bethany Forest

Bethany Forest is the founder of Heal Yoga and a retreat facilitator who designs immersive experiences focused on healing, resilience, and connection. A multi-business entrepreneur, she brings a grounded, real-world perspective to wellness shaped by her background in product development, real estate photography, and business ownership.

After a personal health journey and the challenges of the pandemic, Bethany shifted her work from studio classes to retreats that combine yoga, nature, outdoor challenge, and deep self-inquiry. Her retreats help participants reconnect with their bodies, build meaningful relationships, and explore growth at the edge of discomfort.

Learn more: www.healyogastudio.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | 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.

In this episode of the Assemble Podcast, Dan Berger sits down with Anna VanAgtmael, founder of Wandering Roots, to talk about what actually goes into designing retreats that are meaningful, sustainable, and worth running.

The conversation explores Anna’s path from hosting her own retreats to planning retreats for entrepreneurs and leaders around the world. Along the way, they unpack common mistakes retreat hosts make, how to think more clearly about pricing and group size, and why leaving space for downtime and integration often matters more than a packed itinerary. The episode also looks at current retreat trends and how thoughtful planning can extend the impact of a retreat well beyond the final day.

Episode Themes

• Designing retreats that balance intention, logistics, and guest experience
• Why overpacked itineraries often undermine retreat outcomes
• The role of downtime in creating meaningful connection and clarity
• How retreat pricing impacts sustainability and perceived value
• Ideal group size and host-to-guest ratios for deeper engagement
• The shift toward more content-driven, less excursion-heavy retreats
• Helping guests integrate retreat insights back into everyday life

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to the Assemble Podcast
01:00 – Anna’s path from biotech to retreat hosting
03:30 – Creating approachable, accessible wellness retreats
04:30 – How she first found retreat clients
06:00 – Moving into retreat planning for others
07:30 – Where most retreat hosts get stuck
10:40 – Over-scheduling, travel fatigue, and downtime
12:30 – Current retreat trends
13:30 – Integration and re-entry after retreats
15:00 – When to say no to a client
15:40 – Pricing advice for retreat hosts
17:00 – Realistic retreat pricing benchmarks
18:00 – Ideal retreat size and group dynamics
18:50 – How Anna prices her planning services
19:30 – Final advice for retreat planners

About the Guest – Anna VanAgtmael

Anna VanAgtmael is the founder of Wandering Roots, where she helps retreat leaders and entrepreneurs design thoughtful, well-run retreats rooted in connection, clarity, and sustainability. Her work blends travel planning, logistics, and intentional experience design to support hosts and guests alike.

Website: www.yourwanderingroots.com

Social Media: Facebook | 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 create peer groups and retreats that actually feel safe—while still driving growth, accountability, and real change?

In this episode, Mo Fathelbab, founder and president of the International Facilitators Organization, joins host Dan Berger to unpack what makes peer groups, forums, and retreats truly work.

Drawing on decades of experience facilitating thousands of retreats across the globe, Mo shares why vulnerability is the foundation of trust, how facilitators create real belonging, and what leaders often misunderstand about moderation versus facilitation.

Whether you’re a facilitator, retreat leader, coach, or operator designing peer experiences—this episode offers a masterclass in connection, structure, and presence.

Episode Themes

• What peer groups and forums really are—and why they matter
• Creating psychological safety and confidentiality that actually holds
• Matching peers for trust, belonging, and relevance
• The role of vulnerability in facilitation and leadership
• Why facilitators matter (and when moderators fall short)
• Designing exercises that lead to transformation, not performance
• Building facilitator communities and scaling peer learning
• The future of forums in an AI-driven, disconnected world

Chapters
00:00 — Welcome + what this show is about
00:00 — Welcome to The Assemble Podcast
00:41 — Introducing Mo Fathelbab and his work in facilitation
01:39 — Why Mo founded the International Facilitators Organization
02:38 — What facilitators really do—and why the work matters
03:14 — Peer groups vs. forums: what’s the difference?
04:27 — Why chemistry, matching, and belonging make or break groups
06:48 — Setting the room: intentions, safety, and confidentiality
08:01 — Levels of confidentiality and how to make them explicit
08:41 — Mo’s most powerful facilitation exercises
09:35 — Exploring mortality as a catalyst for transformation
10:34 — Do groups really need facilitators—or just moderators?
11:46 — Why facilitating and participating is so demanding
11:54 — How Mo has led thousands of retreats over decades
12:49 — The value and vision of the International Facilitators Organization
14:37 — Membership tiers, pricing, and benefits
15:25 — Mo’s three-year vision for the facilitator ecosystem
16:39 — The size of the peer group and facilitation market
19:44 — How facilitators should think about pricing
20:53 — What Mo actually charges—and why it depends
21:19 — Breaking into facilitation and building demand
22:13 — Vulnerability as the currency of relationships
23:56 — Seeing others as human to deepen connection
24:47 — Setting intention so exercises land with meaning
25:12 — Where to find Mo and closing thoughts

About the Guest – Mo Fathelbab
Mo Fathelbab is the founder and president of the International Facilitators Organization and a global authority on peer learning, facilitation, and leadership development. He has worked with over 30,000 CEOs and entrepreneurs across 30+ countries and has led more than 2,500 retreats and programs worldwide.

Mo is the author of The Friendship Advantage and Forum: The Secret Advantage of Successful Leaders, a Harvard Business School Alumni Forums co-founder, and a longtime facilitator within YPO, EO, and executive peer networks.

Company website: internationalfacilitatorsorganization.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.

What if leadership, trust, and communication could be revealed without a single slide deck? In this episode, Dan sits down with Kristine Palmer, founder of Horse + Bow, to explore how horses—and mindfulness-based archery—surface the gap between what we intend and the impact we actually create, especially under pressure.

Episode Themes

• Why intention doesn’t matter if your impact says otherwise
• How horses respond to incongruence you can hide from people
• A simple “handoff” exercise that exposes team friction fast
• Why pressure (time limits, no talking) reveals real operating habits
• How archery reinforces presence, focus, and grounded decision-making
• When a short session works—and when real change needs a full day or more

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to the Assemble Podcast
00:40 – Introducing Kristine Palmer and Horse + Bow
01:34 – Why teams are craving deeper connection right now
02:39 – How Kristine found equine-assisted learning
05:30 – Intention vs. impact: what horses reveal immediately
06:23 – How horses respond to incongruence and energy
08:04 – Skepticism, proof, and seeing patterns repeat
09:56 – The “handoff” exercise and leadership breakdowns
12:01 – Half-day activities vs. multi-day retreat work
14:25 – Why pressure exposes real habits
15:40 – Nonverbal leadership and losing connection
19:42 – Why horses choose safety over compliance
20:03 – Why archery became part of the experience
22:40 – Advice for building retreats around a specialty
26:11 – Connecting experiential work to business outcomes
27:08 – Final thoughts and where to find Kristine

About the Guest – Kristine Palmer
Kristine Palmer is a team-building and leadership development facilitator and the founder of Horse + Bow, based in Marble Falls, Texas. With a background in business, marketing, and entrepreneurship—and certification in equine-assisted learning—Kristine designs experiential sessions that help individuals, couples, and executive teams build self-awareness, strengthen communication, and create trust through hands-on work with horses and mindfulness-based archery.

Her work focuses on the gap between intention and impact, using real-time experiences under pressure to surface patterns teams often know exist but rarely see clearly. Kristine works with leaders, facilitators, and organizations seeking meaningful change beyond traditional team-building activities.

Website: Horse + Bow

Company Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn

Personal: 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.

Brent McCann went from Marine Corps infantry + 15 years in HR to building True North men’s retreats — and he did it without a big audience, big budget, or flashy ads.

In this episode, Brent breaks down what actually moved the needle: simple offers, outcome-based messaging, DM follow-up, and a post-retreat integration path that keeps the work going (and stabilizes revenue).

Episode Themes

• How Brent’s military + HR background shaped his retreat style (push + comfort)
• Marketing men without “bro marketing” or spiritual cosplay
• His simple ad formula: image + outcomes (not itinerary)
• Why he skips talking-head ads (and what he does instead)
• DM conversion lessons (and the follow-up mistake that cost him $10K)
• Post-retreat integration: 1:1 calls + a 10–12 week community + “mastery summit”

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome + who Brent is
01:18 – HR to men’s retreats: the real origin story
03:47 – Marine Corps “what not to do” and how that shaped his leadership
06:02 – Balancing comfort + challenge for first-time retreat guys
07:27 – The marketing challenge: reaching men who’ve never done this
10:13 – Men in crisis + Brent’s lens (neuroscience, nervous system, self-worth)
12:32 – Pricing: $3,500–$5,000 all-inclusive
13:06 – Growth: from ~100 followers to hundreds + “800 DMs in two months”
14:42 – The campaign format: Canva + outcomes (keep it simple)
15:48 – Integration + community model (and why the real work starts at home)
19:02 – Advice for new facilitators: clarity, reverse engineering, and practice
21:42 – Win + loss: the zipline breakthrough vs. losing $10K on retreat #2
24:30 – Mechanics: what he literally does to launch a first campaign
27:19 – Why he avoids talking-head ads
28:29 – Closing + Don commits to attending

About the Guest – Brent McCann
Brent McCann is a mindset coach and men’s retreat facilitator who helps high-achieving men build clarity, confidence, and meaningful direction. A former Marine Corps infantryman and longtime HR leader, Brent blends neuroscience, meditation, breathwork, and emotional mastery to create experiences that move men from “successful but stuck” into grounded self-leadership. He leads True North Men’s Retreats and a post-retreat integration community designed to help men break old patterns and live with intention.
Website: www.fulfillmentfinders.com/unstress

Social Media: Instagram | Facebook | 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.