Palm Desert Team Retreat Recap
Creating a business, building a business, running a business, operating a business—it’s all such an interesting concept, whatever words you choose. We’re humans, and work and commerce are things ingrained in our everyday lives—it’s something most humans just do, just like using language. I find it all fascinating and it keeps me up at night (in a good way, until 10pm … and then I get 8+ hours of sleep hehe), especially as a first-generation entrepreneur. I get excited about what’s possible, given that I think it’s in our DNA as humans. We’re creators and doers at the core—we always have been.
What does this have to do with Lightward’s recent team retreat? I find it exciting to do things differently—to follow my intuition and logical mind both, and create things that surprise even me. When I thought about what I wanted out of our team retreat, I knew that I wanted it to be special, fun, focused, and enjoyable. That’s how I always start: thinking about how I want it to feel, for me and for everyone around me.
At Lightward we’re slowly evolving this organism that has its own personality and energy, which requires intentional focus from everyone on the team. So when I was thinking about how to create the five-day retreat structure, I wanted something that would fill all of us with the kind of energy and excitement necessary to keep building on the magic that already exists.
We rented an Airbnb in Palm Desert during a hot week (+90F degree days) in an arid climate. It was important to me to find a space that would fit everyone—sort of creating a summer camp vibe with everyone under one roof—so we could start and end the day together and celebrate the fact that we’d all flown in from around the world to be in one place. When we arrived, the property blew us away! Everyone felt like it was a resort, from the outdoor dining and kitchen area, to a huge pool with a stone slide, to a huge fire pit, five hammocks, and most importantly a PICKLE BALL COURT! Yes, reader, we played a lot of pickle ball. :)
I really don’t like sitting in meetings all day—I don’t think many people do. ;) So, I wanted to create a retreat schedule that was 75% restful/playful/relaxing and 25% productive, for two reasons. First, we continuously design Lightward with a lot of margin in everything we do, with plenty of space for rest and imagining and discovery, and our in-person gatherings are no exception. Second, the whole goal of getting everyone together was to intentionally spend time with each other as we’re a remote-first company and don’t get to connect in-person often throughout the year.
I’m happy to say that we knocked both of those priorities out of the park. :) Here’s a glimpse of what the days looked like—take this and apply any of the structure or activities to any retreat you lead, or convince your boss to borrow a page from our book so you can enjoy a retreat vs. working the whole time. ;)
Sunday
3:30–4pm: Arrive at Airbnb
5–7pm: Happy Hour + HANG!
7–8:15: Welcome Dinner
8:15: Relax/hang!
Monday
8–11:30am: Do your own thing: work, workout, relax, meditate, etc., hang out with team members (grab-and-go breakfast will be available)
12pm: Lunch
1:15–2:45pm: Understanding Our Merchants
3–4pm: Team Fun Activity: Acro Yoga and Juggling— led by Ken
4–5:30: Team State of Play: tech team and creative team meeting to discuss current state of things/ideas/dream session
7pm: Dinner
8pm: GAMES!
Tuesday
10–11am: Team Hike
12pm: Lunch
1–4:30pm: Relax/hang out/enjoy the Airbnb property
5pm: Happy Hour + Photos (for anyone wanting a new headshot, Abe will be taking photos)
7pm: Dinner
8:30pm: Pool/games/chill night
Wednesday
8–11:30am: Do your own thing: work, workout, relax, meditate, etc., hang out with team members (grab and go breakfast will be available)
12pm: Lunch
1:15–3pm: Story time // How we work // Emotional intelligence activity
3-4pm: Growth meeting
7:15pm: Closing Dinner: Dress up in something you feel amazing in!
Thursday
9am: Final team breakfast
11am: Check out
We ended the retreat by all going to the Journal launch party in Los Angeles, which was such a special way to end our time together. (By the way, did you know we created a magazine exploring the intersection of business philosophy, art, and life design? Check it out here.)
During our final dinner, many team members expressed their gratitude, some saying that they came to our retreat feeling tired from a busy few months (work, life, the world, etc)—and they were leaving feeling grateful, connected, rejuvenated, and inspired. As someone who is helping lead Lightward, I was and am pumped that our team had those words to say. Relationships were deepend, we had a lot of fun, dove into really great work conversations, enjoyed incredible food by chefs Rebecca Fralick and Andy Jack, and encouraged one another—and that’s really just touching the surface.
I’m grateful for intentionally creating space for our team to connect, dream, and come together to continue to build what Lightward is, and is becoming. ✨