What if designing a retreat required the same level of intention as producing a great film?

The most powerful retreats don’t happen by accident. Like films, they’re carefully designed experiences with a beginning, middle, and end—crafted to move people emotionally, not just impress them logistically.

In this episode, Dan Berger speaks with Sean Buckley, CEO of Buck Productions, to explore the surprising parallels between retreat planning and filmmaking with an award-winning producer whose work spans unscripted television, documentaries, and feature films. Through the lens of Project Guatemala, the conversation unpacks how story, audience, environment, and shared challenge combine to create experiences that genuinely transform people.

The discussion reframes retreats as immersive narratives—where participants leave their normal lives behind, step into discomfort, build community, and walk away with a story they’ll carry long after the retreat ends.

Episode Themes

• Why retreats and films share the same narrative structure
• Designing experiences with a clear beginning, middle, and end
• Audience-first thinking in retreat planning
• Discomfort and challenge as catalysts for transformation
• Creating shared meaning through collective experience
• The role of environment in emotional impact
• Post-retreat integration and lasting connection
• Story as the takeaway participants carry forward

Chapters
00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:20 – Introducing Project Guatemala
02:21 – Chaos, luxury, and the turning point
05:12 – Discomfort as the start of transformation
08:06 – Why this experience qualifies as a retreat
11:14 – Six weeks vs. lifelong impact
14:33 – Interventions, breakdowns, and growth
17:26 – Community after the retreat ends
19:28 – Why storytelling matters in retreats
20:57 – Audience-first design
23:06 – Films and retreats as shared journeys
23:59 – Closing reflections

About the Guest – Sean Buckley
Sean Buckley is the CEO of Buck Productions and an award-winning producer with more than 30 years of experience in unscripted television, documentaries, branded content, and feature films. His work is known for pushing creative boundaries while centering deeply human stories.

Through large-scale productions and purpose-driven projects, Sean has helped shape experiences that challenge people emotionally, physically, and ethically. His perspective brings a rare storytelling lens to retreat design—highlighting how narrative, audience awareness, and intentional structure can turn moments into meaning.

Website: buckproductions.com
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

What actually makes a women’s retreat transformational—and not just a beautiful escape?

Transformation doesn’t come from the location alone. It happens when people slow down, regulate their nervous systems, and feel safe enough to let go of urgency, perfectionism, and performance.

In this episode, Dan Berger speaks with Kelley Hartman, founder of Wild Harts Collective, about how transformational retreats for women are intentionally designed—from nervous-system work and creative expression to nature-based ritual and integration.

Drawing on more than 20 years of corporate leadership experience, the conversation explores the shift from burnout to sovereignty, how small-group retreats create safety and depth, and why creativity and joy are essential—not optional—ingredients in meaningful retreat experiences.

Episode Themes

• What differentiates transformational retreats from getaways
• Nervous-system regulation as the foundation for change
• Letting go of urgency, burnout, and perfectionism
• Creative expression as an access point to embodiment
• Designing retreats that balance structure and flow
• Why small groups foster deeper trust and safety
• Relationship-based approaches to marketing retreats
• Supporting integration after the retreat ends

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:40 – The retreat experience that changed everything
03:22 – From corporate leadership to retreat creation
05:09 – Failing forward and nervous-system regulation
06:43 – Stillness, sovereignty, and pattern awareness
08:12 – One-on-one work and post-retreat integration
08:37 – Retreat size, pricing, and audience
09:38 – Finding participants through community
11:12 – Transformation stories from retreats
14:12 – Nature-based rituals and somatic practices
16:06 – Creative expression and painting joy
17:47 – Expanding retreats and future plans
19:55 – Advice for aspiring retreat leaders
21:48 – Who these retreats are for and closing thoughts

About the Guest – Kelley Hartman

Kelley Hartman is the founder of Wild Harts Collective and a former corporate leader turned retreat creator. With over two decades of leadership experience, she designs transformational retreats that blend nervous-system regulation, creative expression, and nature-based ritual.

Her work supports women—often high-performing and burned out—in reconnecting with joy, sovereignty, and embodied presence. Through small-group retreats, coaching, and experiential practices, she helps participants move beyond “shoulds” and build lives that feel aligned, regulated, and expansive.

Website: wildhartscollective.com

Social Media: Instagram | LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

What if the real work of retreats isn’t strategy or skills—but relationships?

Many retreats struggle not because of poor agendas, but because of unspoken dynamics, unmet attachment needs, and a lack of psychological safety inside the group.

In this episode, Dan Berger is joined by Patience Shutts, a retreat facilitator, keynote speaker, and licensed marriage and family therapist, to explore how family systems thinking can radically improve retreat and forum outcomes.

The conversation unpacks why belonging is a felt, somatic experience—not an intellectual one—how facilitators can co-regulate groups, and why deep listening, shared agreements, and vulnerability are the real drivers of trust and transformation in retreat settings.

Episode Themes

• Why retreats are fundamentally relational systems
• Family systems theory applied to forums and retreats
• Belonging as a somatic, nervous-system experience
• Psychological safety and attachment needs in groups
• Facilitators as co-regulators of the room
• Teaching vs. facilitating—and when to do each
• Vulnerability, credibility, and leading by example
• How shared agreements shape healthy group culture

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:36 – The story behind the name “Patience”
03:04 – What makes facilitation truly effective
04:58 – Systems thinking and group dynamics
08:13 – Teaching vs. facilitating in retreats
08:44 – Forums, families, and relational systems
11:39 – What belonging really feels like
15:35 – Vulnerability and facilitator credibility
16:42 – Co-regulating a group as a facilitator
19:32 – Choosing the right facilitator fit
23:24 – How family therapy informs retreat work
27:25 – Final reflections and closing

About the Guest – Patience Shutts
Patience Shutts is a retreat facilitator, keynote speaker, and licensed marriage and family therapist who blends human development, attachment theory, interpersonal neurobiology, and systems psychology. With thousands of clinical hours and global field experience, her work focuses on helping leaders and groups build emotional intelligence, belonging, and relational health.

Patience has supported leaders and organizations across the world, including work with trauma survivors, executive forums, and alumni communities. Her facilitation style emphasizes embodied presence, deep listening, and the belief that meaningful growth happens best in relationship with others.

Website: patienceshutts.com

Social Media: Instagram | LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

What actually happens inside a neotantric retreat—and why do people travel across the world to attend them?

Neotantric retreats sit at the intersection of intimacy, nervous-system regulation, embodiment, and personal growth—yet they’re often misunderstood or oversimplified.

In this episode, Dan Berger sits down with Dawn Cartwright, founder of the Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute, to unpack what neotantric retreats truly involve, how they’re designed, and why safety, structure, and presence matter just as much as vulnerability.

The conversation explores tantra versus neo-tantra, how sexuality relates to flow states and leadership, and what retreat leaders must consider when facilitating deeply personal work in a group setting—without crossing boundaries or losing trust.

Episode Themes

• Tantra vs. neo-tantra: ancient roots and modern application
• Sexuality as a pathway to flow, creativity, and leadership
• Shame, control, and the challenge of receiving
• Creating psychological safety in intimate group retreats
• Designing neotantric retreats with structure and consent
• Somatic practices that build sensitivity and presence
• Why ritual matters in lasting transformation
• Retreat environments that support intimacy and trust

Chapters
00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:40 – Why sexuality still feels taboo
03:23 – Shame, success, and delayed pleasure
05:41 – Sex, flow states, and peak performance
06:59 – Tantra vs. neo-tantra explained
10:13 – Belonging, control, and mutual presence
12:26 – Creating safety in intimate group settings
14:40 – What a neotantric retreat actually looks like
17:34 – Integration, aftereffects, and long-term change
19:23 – Inclusivity, pricing, and group size
21:59 – Designing spaces for intimacy and privacy
25:43 – What tantric sex really means

About the Guest – Dawn Cartwright
Dawn Cartwright is a tantric visionary, sacred writer, and teacher with more than three decades of study across classical and modern tantric traditions. She integrates ancient tantra, bioenergetics, psychology, and somatic practices to support embodied intimacy and human potential.

As founder of the Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute, Dawn leads retreats and trainings around the world focused on presence, connection, and relational mastery. Her work emphasizes safety, consent, and practical integration—bringing esoteric teachings into modern relationships and daily life.

Website: Chandra Bindu Tantra Institute
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram | LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

When COVID shut down her brick-and-mortar yoga studio, Bethany Forest was forced to rethink everything. What began as a crisis became the catalyst for a retreat business rooted in healing, nature, and deep human connection.

In this episode, Dan Berger talks with Bethany—founder of Heal Yoga—about the leap from studio classes to immersive retreats, the hard lessons learned from her first retreat, and how thoughtful design, systems, and pricing make long-term sustainability possible.

Bethany shares how yoga retreats go far beyond poses on a mat, why discomfort can be a powerful teacher, and how intentional outdoor experiences help people regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with their bodies, and form lasting bonds.

Episode Themes

• Pivoting from a brick-and-mortar studio to retreats after COVID
• Why retreats create deeper transformation than weekly classes
• Designing yoga retreats that balance movement, reflection, and adventure
• Learning pricing, margins, and systems the hard way
• Creating psychological safety for first-time retreat guests
• Using nature and outdoor challenge to foster growth
• Building connection and belonging among strangers
• What makes people return to retreats again and again

Chapters
00:00 – Welcome and introduction
01:33 – COVID, studio closure, and the pivot to retreats
03:36 – Why retreats felt more aligned than a yoga studio
04:40 – Lessons learned from the first retreat
06:42 – Building systems and pricing retreats sustainably
08:46 – What a yoga retreat really looks like
10:40 – Healing, the nervous system, and connection
12:46 – Structuring retreat days and setting expectations
16:02 – Adventure days and the role of discomfort
17:51 – Retreat size, frequency, and growth
18:27 – Marketing retreats and filling spots
20:31 – Final reflections on facilitation and belonging

About the Guest – Bethany Forest

Bethany Forest is the founder of Heal Yoga and a retreat facilitator who designs immersive experiences focused on healing, resilience, and connection. A multi-business entrepreneur, she brings a grounded, real-world perspective to wellness shaped by her background in product development, real estate photography, and business ownership.

After a personal health journey and the challenges of the pandemic, Bethany shifted her work from studio classes to retreats that combine yoga, nature, outdoor challenge, and deep self-inquiry. Her retreats help participants reconnect with their bodies, build meaningful relationships, and explore growth at the edge of discomfort.

Learn more: www.healyogastudio.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

In this episode of the Assemble Podcast, Dan Berger sits down with Anna VanAgtmael, founder of Wandering Roots, to talk about what actually goes into designing retreats that are meaningful, sustainable, and worth running.

The conversation explores Anna’s path from hosting her own retreats to planning retreats for entrepreneurs and leaders around the world. Along the way, they unpack common mistakes retreat hosts make, how to think more clearly about pricing and group size, and why leaving space for downtime and integration often matters more than a packed itinerary. The episode also looks at current retreat trends and how thoughtful planning can extend the impact of a retreat well beyond the final day.

Episode Themes

• Designing retreats that balance intention, logistics, and guest experience
• Why overpacked itineraries often undermine retreat outcomes
• The role of downtime in creating meaningful connection and clarity
• How retreat pricing impacts sustainability and perceived value
• Ideal group size and host-to-guest ratios for deeper engagement
• The shift toward more content-driven, less excursion-heavy retreats
• Helping guests integrate retreat insights back into everyday life

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to the Assemble Podcast
01:00 – Anna’s path from biotech to retreat hosting
03:30 – Creating approachable, accessible wellness retreats
04:30 – How she first found retreat clients
06:00 – Moving into retreat planning for others
07:30 – Where most retreat hosts get stuck
10:40 – Over-scheduling, travel fatigue, and downtime
12:30 – Current retreat trends
13:30 – Integration and re-entry after retreats
15:00 – When to say no to a client
15:40 – Pricing advice for retreat hosts
17:00 – Realistic retreat pricing benchmarks
18:00 – Ideal retreat size and group dynamics
18:50 – How Anna prices her planning services
19:30 – Final advice for retreat planners

About the Guest – Anna VanAgtmael

Anna VanAgtmael is the founder of Wandering Roots, where she helps retreat leaders and entrepreneurs design thoughtful, well-run retreats rooted in connection, clarity, and sustainability. Her work blends travel planning, logistics, and intentional experience design to support hosts and guests alike.

Website: www.yourwanderingroots.com

Social Media: Facebook | LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

What if leadership, trust, and communication could be revealed without a single slide deck? In this episode, Dan sits down with Kristine Palmer, founder of Horse + Bow, to explore how horses—and mindfulness-based archery—surface the gap between what we intend and the impact we actually create, especially under pressure.

Episode Themes

• Why intention doesn’t matter if your impact says otherwise
• How horses respond to incongruence you can hide from people
• A simple “handoff” exercise that exposes team friction fast
• Why pressure (time limits, no talking) reveals real operating habits
• How archery reinforces presence, focus, and grounded decision-making
• When a short session works—and when real change needs a full day or more

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to the Assemble Podcast
00:40 – Introducing Kristine Palmer and Horse + Bow
01:34 – Why teams are craving deeper connection right now
02:39 – How Kristine found equine-assisted learning
05:30 – Intention vs. impact: what horses reveal immediately
06:23 – How horses respond to incongruence and energy
08:04 – Skepticism, proof, and seeing patterns repeat
09:56 – The “handoff” exercise and leadership breakdowns
12:01 – Half-day activities vs. multi-day retreat work
14:25 – Why pressure exposes real habits
15:40 – Nonverbal leadership and losing connection
19:42 – Why horses choose safety over compliance
20:03 – Why archery became part of the experience
22:40 – Advice for building retreats around a specialty
26:11 – Connecting experiential work to business outcomes
27:08 – Final thoughts and where to find Kristine

About the Guest – Kristine Palmer
Kristine Palmer is a team-building and leadership development facilitator and the founder of Horse + Bow, based in Marble Falls, Texas. With a background in business, marketing, and entrepreneurship—and certification in equine-assisted learning—Kristine designs experiential sessions that help individuals, couples, and executive teams build self-awareness, strengthen communication, and create trust through hands-on work with horses and mindfulness-based archery.

Her work focuses on the gap between intention and impact, using real-time experiences under pressure to surface patterns teams often know exist but rarely see clearly. Kristine works with leaders, facilitators, and organizations seeking meaningful change beyond traditional team-building activities.

Website: Horse + Bow

Company Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn

Personal: LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.