Building a Wellness Team IRL: Lessons from Our Motherland Retreat

Bringing this team together in person is something I’ve dreamed about for years.

As I was slowly building Motherland and the women who would one day help carry it forward, I knew I wanted to gather them in my town. Not for a big event or a production. For something more personal. A retreat that felt like home. A week to be together, breathe together, and remember what we’re building.

And this year, it finally happened.

The week was filled with little things that made it feel special. Salty spritzes in the afternoons. Strawberry Equip shakes as a mid-day pick-me-up. Pizza night under the stars. All made possible by the generous brands we love who showed up to support the vision and add extra care to the experience. It was thoughtful, simple, and somehow exactly what we needed.

Every detail felt aligned. Every conversation felt honest. And by the time we played two truths and a lie near the end of the retreat, I looked around and thought, “This is it. This is what I hoped for.”

That game, which started as something silly, turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of the week. We were wide-eyed, laughing, and learning things about each other that none of us saw coming. It cracked us open in the best way and made it feel like we’d known each other for a decade.

That energy. Real connection. Real conversation. Space to be fully ourselves. It carried through the entire week.

This wasn’t just a team retreat. It was a reminder of who we are, why this work matters, and how powerful it is to build something alongside women you trust and admire.

Here’s what the week looked like, what we learned, and how it’s shaping what comes next.

Why We Gathered

Our team spans seven states and several life stages. And while we’ve found a solid flow working remotely, we knew it was time to pause and come together.

After seven years of Motherland, the timing felt right. We’ve grown a lot- as individuals, as a business, and as a team. This retreat wasn’t just about moving things forward. It was about reconnecting to what brought us here in the first place.

We wanted to check in. With each other. With our bodies. With the bigger vision we’re building. And literally I couldn’t wait to hug all of them.

What the Retreat Actually Looked Like

We met in Springfield, Missouri and turned a cozy Airbnb into our home base for the week. It was a space where we could settle in, spread out, and have the kind of honest conversations that don’t happen in the margins of a calendar.

Yes, there was an agenda. Yes, we had a plan. But there was plenty of breathing room built in, too.

Our days included:

• Branding photoshoot

• Morning coffee runs to Cherry Picker (the aesthetic was on point!)

• Team meetings and 1:1 check-ins

• Deep dives into our own HTMA results and what they were telling us

• Shared meals and unhurried time around the table

• Walks, ice cream runs, long dinners, and quiet moments in between

It was a full week, but in the best way. The kind of full that leaves you clearer, not more depleted.

What We Took Away

1. In-Person Time Just Hits Different

Even after working together for months, being in the same space changed everything. Conversations flowed easier. Energy synced naturally. We collaborated more intuitively and supported each other more freely.

There’s something about being in the room together, eye contact, body language, shared space, that you just can’t replicate on a screen.

2. Even Practitioners Need Support

We shared our own HTMA results during the retreat, and every single panel told a story of depletion in one way or another.

Ash’s minerals pointed to nervous system fatigue.
Laura’s results reflected the intensity of early motherhood.
Mine showed the slow-down after years of full-on go-mode.

These weren’t problems to fix. They were invitations to listen more closely. To be gentler. To support ourselves the way we support our clients, without judgment, and with a lot more grace.

3. Seven Years In, the Vision Is Still Evolving

The retreat happened right around Motherland’s seventh birthday, which brought space for me to reflect on the journey so far and where it’s all headed.

“The biggest surprise? Realizing that real self-care has to be part of how I lead.
The most rewarding part? Watching women return to their bodies and trust themselves again.
What I’d tell myself seven years ago? Ask for help way sooner.”

What started as an idea has grown into something much deeper. This retreat was a moment to honor how far we’ve come and get clear on what we want to carry forward.

If You’re Planning a Team Retreat, Here’s What Helped:

• Keep the focus on connection, not just productivity

• Make space to talk about what’s really going on, work and personal

• Share meals, take walks, and let unstructured moments breathe

• Don’t wait for the perfect timing. Just start. The rest will unfold

Final Thoughts

Having these women, this team, in the city where Motherland was born felt full circle in the best kind of way.

What started as an idea during a completely different chapter of my life has grown into a business that’s now supporting women around the world. But it didn’t happen on my own. It happened because of the women who said yes. Who brought their gifts. Who showed up with their full selves and chose to build something meaningful together.

Hosting them here, in the place where it all began, was an honor. Watching them walk these streets, sit around these tables, and pour into the mission of Motherland. It reminded me just how far we've come and how deeply I respect the women who are helping shape where we’re going.

This retreat wasn’t just about strategy or systems. It was about rooting back into the why. And doing it alongside the people who believe in it as much as I do.

I’ll never forget it.

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