The
Podcast

Meet Dana and Lola as they Spill the Secrets behind a Successful Retreat

For our 300th episode, we’re shaking things up a little. Studio Grow Coach, Christina May Wolf, is taking over as host to interview not one, but two incredible studio owners: Dana Hood and Lola Manekin.

Now, both Dana and Lola are black belt Nia teachers, studio owners, and all around amazing human beings. But that’s not all they do, together they’ve been hosting successful Nia retreats everywhere from Costa Rica to Mexico to Bali and in between.

If you’ve secretly been dreaming about hosting your own retreat someday, pull up a chair, because these ladies drop some serious strategy bombs.

Tune in to the episode to find out why hosting a retreat is a fantastic idea, the signs you need to watch for to know you’re ready, working out the logistics of building an audience, picking a venue, adding complementary modalities and more.

Plus, get tried-and-tested solutions to the problems most retreat hosters face (like unexpected eventualities, scheduling issues, and partner-chaos).

We also dive into the difference between a retreat and a vacation and the key to making a group of people who arrive as strangers leave as one big, fat, happy community.

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • What Nia Yoga really is
  • How to know when you are ready to host a retreat and where your participants will come from

  • The kind of audience to build before announcing your retreat
  • Tips on choosing a location and venue, along with possible red flags
  • Advantages and disadvantages of doing retreats with other facilitators versus as a solo

  • The solution to all your scheduling woes
  • Finding a balance in your retreat itinerary
  • Preparation time and theme importance
  • How to create a sense of community between participants

LINKS:

https://www.embodycentralia.com/

http://ibodydenver.com/

https://www.themvmtlab.com/

With grit and gratitude,

Lisé

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