Oh my gosh! I am so excited to finally get our Thrive Retreat London Recap up for you! Note to self – never, never, never forget to check that the house you’re renting for holiday for a month has internet! Ireland was amazing, but we were a little more unplugged than we were hoping for!

Okay. So there are dreams that you put out there, that you whisper to the universe, but at the time, you can’t possibly imagine could ever come true. This year has been one such whisper (traveling the world for a year) and having the opportunity to bring The Thrive Mastermind Retreat for Photographers to England was an over-the-top, pinch me because I can’t believe this is real moment.

I remember when I first dreamed of having a Thrive Mastermind Retreat. I remember opening registration for the very first one (it was in Florida) with a mixture of emotions… partly terrified but mostly exhilarated. This Thrive Mastermind Retreat was number SEVEN, but it was the first one outside of the United States, so once again, I found myself with that mixture of emotions… partly terrified but mostly exhilarated. When the day finally arrived and these amazing women would soon be knocking on the door, all I could feel was giddiness!

But let’s start with the house! It was incredible! Every retreat is hosted in an absolutely stunning venue, but this one takes the cake!  These retreats are about growth, and well, I believe growth feels better when you’re being pampered and made to feel like a queen! I’ll show you more behind the scenes of the house and the accommodations in a minute, but first I want to share Night One.

We always start by letting everyone get settled, and then we all come together to fill our bellies with delicious foods and get to know each other. I always feel like I’m holding in a secret because at this early moment, everyone is a little shy and a little uncertain, but I know that before their heads hit their pillows on this first night, they will have made fast friends. Friends that all become cherished gifts for years to come after we all say goodbye at the end of the retreat. For Night One, everyone received a gorgeous hand calligraphied name tag by Heather at Design Roots. Her prints, note pads, and calligraphy supplies are fabulous!  Heather doesn’t stop spoiling our attendees here. They also receive a gorgeous print from her and a second name card for our celebration dinner. Now it’s time for our first training session! I love this night as I get to tell my own personal story and journey with way more detail than I would online. We set the foundation for their growth strategy and just get empowered and excited for everything that’s about to come. It’s always a really good idea to leave extra room in your suitcase when you come to a Thrive Mastermind, because I’m going to fill it with gifts and surprises that I have planned throughout the retreat!

Our first gift came complete with a notepad from Clean Mama (our favorite blog for simplified home care and cleaning tips!), an adorable camera USB keychain from Photo Flash Drive, ‘Make it Happen’ pencils to keep note taking motivational by Wangs Wonderful World,  and a couple other fun gifts from me including a gold dipped pencil pouch to keep these first gifts all tucked away safe. Of course we can’t forget our signature Thrive Mastermind Workbooks printed by the ever fabulous Pro Digital Photos! Every time I open the box to see our newest Mastermind Design (we change it for every retreat)… I’m over the moon with the print color and quality! Okay! I promised to show more of the house! It was amazing! I’m pretty sure I already said that… but just look at it! I could say it 10 more times and still not do it justice. I think this may be my favorite house we’ve ever stayed in, and that’s really saying something because our New Orleans plantation house was amazing!! We decided this room was the Downton Abbey room! We may or may not have hatched a plan to see how many people fit in that gorgeous clawfoot tub! You better believe we were out on the deck in the hot tub every night, and the pool got plenty of love too! There were never-ending spots to curl up and relax in, or go and explore. This side sitting area has now become my next backyard goal (that fireplace!!), and that’s despite loving our own last backyard makeover. For one of our meals, I brought the girls to possibly the coolest location ever for a lunch… a long boat on the canal! The Thrive Business program is based on what I call the experience business model. I believe in creating an incredible experience for our clients while building a business that works for the life you are dreaming of (instead of having a business that seems to be at odds with the personal life you want). We focus on creating such an incredible experience that comparison and competition fade away, clients can’t help but gush, and creatives are able to build an incredibly successful and profitable business! All because they have set themselves up as the premiere experience.

So of course… with experience being the cornerstone of my business philosophy – we work to surprise and delight our Thrive Mastermind attendees every step of the way! And we could never pamper and shower our amazing attendees with gifts as we do without the amazing contributions of incredible businesses and fellow entrepreneurs!

Here’s just some of the amazing that was sent to our attendees! Divina Cosmetics – This is an Etsy shop, how cool is that!? Monica (the owner) creates small-batch organic natural cosmetics and skin care products out of England! How adorable are these tees (did you see the very top image on this post? Swoon!), and how amazing does Leah Remillét International team member, Ashley look in the ‘Get it Girl’ tee by Aleah Shop?!? Ash and I had laughed hysterically in between shots as we played models in these adorable tees with the retreat house as our backdrop before all our attendees arrived. 🙂   There are so many gifts – I am so lucky to work with so many amazing businesses and creatives!
Girl Boss Tee – Aleah Shop
Dream Big Pencil – Wangs Wonderful World
Tangerine Lip Balm – Little Flower Soap Co.
Not All Who Wander Print – Design Roots
Black 5×7 Frame – Organic Bloom Frames (photographers – they are a must check out!)
Thrive Retreat Workbook – Printed by Pro Digital Photos
Facial Mist – Divina Cosmetics
*The rest are special surprises from me.

Okay… Let’s talk about food again!

This time with our London retreat experience, we enjoyed one of our dinners in and one out. Our dinner in was definitely my favorite! We even roasted marshmallows over candles to share a very American treat (s’mores) with everyone! And how gorgeous are the name tags that Design Roots sent for us?!? Then there is our model afternoon! We bring in different models and have an opportunity to shoot together, learning from each other, and building new contact for blogs, social media, and portfolios. The teaching continues throughout our 4 days together. We cover marketing, sales, organization and workflow, and so much more.  And since food is my happy place (yes we are back to food again), there is no shortage of delicious snacks, meals, and treats (this is not the place to come on a diet!). How much fun are these utensils from Jamboree Party Box? They can’t help but make lunch more fun! Did I mention that the utensils are dipped in gold glitter! Working with these women who made the trip from Denmark, Germany, the U.S. and all over England and  brought their love for photography and their ambition to thrive in their businesses will always be one of the magical moments in my highlight reel when I look back at the history of Leah Remillét International.
I know I say it all the time, but I love what I do!

I don’t even have words to express how grateful I am. I know exactly how lucky I am to do what I do. I know exactly how magical it feels, and I am grateful every single day for the opportunity I have been given to change the lives of creative women all over the globe.

If you want to see more behind the scenes from a totally different perspective, check out Emma’s of Studio Bambino recap that she wrote on her blog.

Don’t worry… I won’t leave you completely hanging! Curious about the next retreat??? Our next Thrive Mastermind Retreat will be in Australia in early 2017!

If you want to get on the list to find out details and know when registration opens, just CLICK HERE, drop in your name and email and we will get you on the insider list!