What Works

The Nitty Gritty: * What Jennifer Louden has learned about hosting & selling retreats in the 20 years she’s been running them* How far in advance Jen starts planning for a retreat–and how far in advance she starts marketing a retreat* The core role retreats play in Jen’s business model* How Jen structures each retreat to create the best experience for herself and her guests Every time I go to Glacier National Park, I can feel myself expand. I take up more space, I dream bigger, I breathe more deeply. I’ve had breakthrough ideas about who I am, what I do, and how I want to run my business winding up and down the Going To The Sun Road. I’ve seen glimpses of my full potential hiking through the woods or above the tree line. So when I saw a new hotel go up in my favorite town outside the park, it was an easy decision to bring a group of small business owners there for a retreat. What wasn’t so easy… was figuring out exactly how to do that. Luckily, I had hired a fabulous event planner—Lauren Caselli—who you’ll hear an interview with soon. But I wish I had had today’s conversation first! Today, my guest is Jennifer Louden. She’s been running retreats for about 20 years now—so she’s figured out a thing or two about how they work both logistically and business-wise! Jen hosts multiple writing retreats every year, in addition to supporting writers through her community, The Writer’s Oasis. Plus, she’s the author of 6 books—with over 1 million copies in print. Jen and I chat about the role of retreats in her business, how far in advance she starts planning, what’s working for her right now to sell her retreats, and how she structures each event for both her participants and herself. Now, let’s find out what works for Jennifer Louden! What Works Is Brought To You By Mighty Networks powers brands and businesses – like yours! – that bring people together.With a Mighty Network, online business owners just like you can bring together in one place: * Your website* Your content* Your courses* Your community* Your events online and in real life* And charge for them…all while building YOUR brand. Visit mightynetworks.com to see more examples of brands bringing people together and taking their businesses to the next level. I pay the CoCommercial team—and myself—with Gusto. Now, you might be thinking… “I’m not ready for a payroll provider.” I was in the same boat when I started with Gusto. Gusto gave me the confidence to hire—both contractors and employees—and they’ve made it easy to stay compliant, offer great benefits, and keep me in control of our money. Gusto automatically files and pays your taxes, guides you and educates you along the way, and takes the guesswork out of taking care of your team. We love Gusto and we think you might too. Test it out—and get 3 months free–at gusto.com/whatworks.