I take my job as the CEO of my company very seriously. But it took me a while to fully step into this role because imposter syndrome is a bitch.

But the thing is, if you’re running a business of any kind, no matter the size, you too are a CEO. 

One of the things that helped me step into my CEO-ness was holding regular CEO Retreats for myself. 

My head felt full. I had more thoughts than I could sort through and more tasks on my plate than I could tackle in a day. I desperately needed time to think and not do. 

So I booked a hotel room not too far from my house and took off for two days for my very first CEO Retreat. 

But I did so with some guilt and skepticism. 

At the time, I was connected to the idea that productivity was tied to the number of items I checked off my to-do list. The more tasks I accomplished, the more productive I was. And thinking time felt unproductive.

What could I really accomplish from thinking for two days?

Not to mention, I was leaving my husband alone to solo-parent for the weekend, so go ahead and throw in a heap of mom-guilt on top of everything I was feeling as well. 

I couldn’t tell anyone why this retreat was necessary or even what I knew I would walk away with. I just felt like I needed to think. I was getting to a stage of business where I needed to become more strategic and had to think bigger and deeper for longer periods of time. 

And my suspicions were right. 

That weekend provided the clarity and direction I needed. I went home and started making changes to my life and business right away.

These retreats have now become a fundamental part of my business and the way I operate it. 

I hold my own CEO retreat at least once a quarter. And the thing I love about them most is that they always reveal something new. They provide insights into what I want out of my life and business, clarity around what I need to get to the next step, awareness around the things I’m tolerating, and confirmation of the things that are holding me back. 

It’s important work.

A CEO retreat is not like a mini program. It’s not an annual planning exercise. It’s so much more. It’s the deep, grounded work that CEOs who run successful businesses do to move things forward. 

You’re not planning weeks or even months. You’re creating a vision. 

And it’s the kind of work that is really hard to do on your own if you’ve never done it before.

But it’s also the kind of exercise that once you’ve done it, you can do it time and time again. 

We held a Virtual CEO Retreat for all of the Mastermind coaches last fall, and it blew their minds and shattered their expectations for what a CEO Retreat was and what they could accomplish.