retreats for businesses

An effective team moves like a herd

Successful teams have clear roles, a shared mission, and a unique way of communicating. They organize themselves according to their talent roster and seamlessly adapt to changing circumstances. Our leadership retreats offer an intensive training ground to get you there.

nature based leadership retreat
Group 2007

Tighten your operation

Great leaders create a sense of security, a feeling of hope, visible trust, and communal compassion.

WYLD executive retreats allow a team to simply focus on who they are and where they are going, together. We craft experiential learning activities that prompt shared joy, reflection, and connection.

Why plan a WYLD retreat?

Executive burnout, stress, and exhaustion are on the rise. As quality of life continues to be tied to quality of work, executives are held more and more responsible for business health and growth AND employee health and growth.

Now, more than ever, executives must model what it means to manage their energy, well-being, and mental clarity.

It starts by investing in themselves.

“Nearly” 70%
of the C-suite

Are seriously considering quitting for a job that better supports their well-being"

What your WYLD retreat could look like

While we tailor our activities according to your learning goals, we lead with an overarching framework: the four directions or compass. Each day centers on a different direction.

Together, the four directions represent the key component parts to operating a successful business.

Overarching Experience Framework
Sample Day 1
Sample Day 2
Sample Day 3
Sample Day 4
We lean on the indigenous wisdom of the compass to guide our evolution as leaders, teams, and businesses. This ancient tool, found in cultures all over the world, reveals the intuitive power of living in closer harmony with our natural rhythms and seasons of life. We believe that time spent in nature has the power to transform both individuals and teams, unlocking new perspectives, and catalyzing personal and professional growth.
Group 1970

Creativity and Novelty

Understanding the nature of our leadership through curiosity, creative vision, & beginner's mind

Collaboration and Structure

Creating support systems around us that nurture our nature & encourage our growth

Vision and Discernment

Intentionally designing our future while letting go of the things that do not align with those goals

Integration and Action

Using our power effectively by managing our energy & effort wisely

Meek 2

Creativity and Novelty

 

Activity: Intuitive Horse work
Greet a herd of horses and tap into the wisdom each one has to offer. Expand your non-verbal communication during an activity like moving a horse, without touch, to the other side of a pen.

 

Wisdom
As prey animals, horses act as a mirror for our energetic impact. A horse reacts to our body language and energy immediately, providing instant feedback to the tone and atmosphere we create as leaders. Each horse has a unique wisdom to provide around emotional intelligence and power.

 

Values & Outcomes
Horses build our intuitive capacities. We develop greater empathy, understand our communication style, and learn how to set or soften boundaries. Horses guide humans to more intentionally direct their emotions & understand others’. As a herd, they model what synchronized teamwork looks like.

 

*This is an example, not a final agenda

IMG_5165 (1)

Collaboration and Structure

 

Activity: Ropes Course
Teams are tasked with navigating a suspended obstacle course with one or more team members blind folded.

 

Wisdom
Climbing a mountain is a metaphor often found in leadership development and for good reason. Testing yourself to reach optimal performance while managing the needs and skill sets of others in your group is a mirror reflection to tackling everyday initiatives at work.

 

Values and Outcomes
This physically and mentally challenging activity brings out the natural individual and collective talent dynamics at play. The competitive nature of the exercise also reveals how leaders communicate and collaborate when under pressure. What patterns are revealed? How does this relate back to the office? Groups leave with more intentional tactics for how best to work together no matter the factors at play.

 

*This is an example, not a final agenda

w2

Vision and Discernment

 

Activity: Skeet Shooting
Compete with yourself and others as you learn how to hit stationary and moving targets.

 

Wisdom
When we prepare, focus, and align mind, body and breath, we hit our benchmarks of success. Skeet shooting often engages our adrenaline and performance anxiety, allowing us to mature our relationship with success and failure - building a growth mindset. Upon receiving instant feedback, resilient leaders adjust course, return their sights back on the target and try again. You hit the target or you don’t - the visibility of our performance keeps participants accountable and humble.

 

Values and Outcomes
These activities serve as a framework for a meaningful, candid discussion around how you define, measure, and recognize success. There is no imposter syndrome here - leaning in and learning from failure is a catalyst for courageous leadership.

 

*This is an example, not a final agenda

Copy of IMG_4291 (1)

Integration and Action

 

Activity: Re-entry Roadmap
Each executive will develop a plan to guide their continued growth. The team will create an action plan to apply their collective insights to their daily reality.

 

Wisdom
Benchmarks serve as guiding lights to desired future outcomes. Our goal is that each person and the team brings back a toolkit for long-term development.

 

Values and Outcomes
These 5 days are designed to push each leader to discover the circumstances and environments that set them up for success, to improve their resiliency and strategic approach in challenging or high stakes situations, to lean more intentionally on the complementary partnerships of other executive team members, and to establish the vision of this leadership group and the associated action steps. This day serves as the wrap up and “so what” to ensure new ways of working that support the rapid and successful growth of the company.

 

*This is an example, not a final agenda

Overarching Experience Framework
We lean on the indigenous wisdom of the compass to guide our evolution as leaders, teams, and businesses. This ancient tool, found in cultures all over the world, reveals the intuitive power of living in closer harmony with our natural rhythms and seasons of life. We believe that time spent in nature has the power to transform both individuals and teams, unlocking new perspectives, and catalyzing personal and professional growth.
Group 1970

Creativity and Novelty

Understanding the nature of our leadership through curiosity, creative vision, & beginner's mind

Collaboration and Structure

Creating support systems around us that nurture our nature & encourage our growth

Vision and Discernment

Intentionally designing our future while letting go of the things that do not align with those goals

Integration and Action

Using our power effectively by managing our energy & effort wisely

Sample Day 1
Meek 2

Creativity and Novelty

 

Activity: Intuitive Horse work
Greet a herd of horses and tap into the wisdom each one has to offer. Expand your non-verbal communication during an activity like moving a horse, without touch, to the other side of a pen.

 

Wisdom
As prey animals, horses act as a mirror for our energetic impact. A horse reacts to our body language and energy immediately, providing instant feedback to the tone and atmosphere we create as leaders. Each horse has a unique wisdom to provide around emotional intelligence and power.

 

Values & Outcomes
Horses build our intuitive capacities. We develop greater empathy, understand our communication style, and learn how to set or soften boundaries. Horses guide humans to more intentionally direct their emotions & understand others’. As a herd, they model what synchronized teamwork looks like.

 

*This is an example, not a final agenda

Sample Day 2
IMG_5165 (1)

Collaboration and Structure

 

Activity: Ropes Course
Teams are tasked with navigating a suspended obstacle course with one or more team members blind folded.

 

Wisdom
Climbing a mountain is a metaphor often found in leadership development and for good reason. Testing yourself to reach optimal performance while managing the needs and skill sets of others in your group is a mirror reflection to tackling everyday initiatives at work.

 

Values and Outcomes
This physically and mentally challenging activity brings out the natural individual and collective talent dynamics at play. The competitive nature of the exercise also reveals how leaders communicate and collaborate when under pressure. What patterns are revealed? How does this relate back to the office? Groups leave with more intentional tactics for how best to work together no matter the factors at play.

 

*This is an example, not a final agenda

Sample Day 3
w2

Vision and Discernment

 

Activity: Skeet Shooting
Compete with yourself and others as you learn how to hit stationary and moving targets.

 

Wisdom
When we prepare, focus, and align mind, body and breath, we hit our benchmarks of success. Skeet shooting often engages our adrenaline and performance anxiety, allowing us to mature our relationship with success and failure - building a growth mindset. Upon receiving instant feedback, resilient leaders adjust course, return their sights back on the target and try again. You hit the target or you don’t - the visibility of our performance keeps participants accountable and humble.

 

Values and Outcomes
These activities serve as a framework for a meaningful, candid discussion around how you define, measure, and recognize success. There is no imposter syndrome here - leaning in and learning from failure is a catalyst for courageous leadership.

 

*This is an example, not a final agenda

Sample Day 4
Copy of IMG_4291 (1)

Integration and Action

 

Activity: Re-entry Roadmap
Each executive will develop a plan to guide their continued growth. The team will create an action plan to apply their collective insights to their daily reality.

 

Wisdom
Benchmarks serve as guiding lights to desired future outcomes. Our goal is that each person and the team brings back a toolkit for long-term development.

 

Values and Outcomes
These 5 days are designed to push each leader to discover the circumstances and environments that set them up for success, to improve their resiliency and strategic approach in challenging or high stakes situations, to lean more intentionally on the complementary partnerships of other executive team members, and to establish the vision of this leadership group and the associated action steps. This day serves as the wrap up and “so what” to ensure new ways of working that support the rapid and successful growth of the company.

 

*This is an example, not a final agenda

How we customize your retreat

Your team dynamics, challenges, and objectives drive your WYLD experience. We take the time to get to know your daily reality so we can design an experience that not only excites and delights while you're away, but one that leads to lasting change back at the office.

No two WYLD experiences are alike. The below is a sample of our approach.

Design

Vector (35)

The Goal

To understand individual and collective development areas from each leader's and stakeholder's perspective

The Process

Align

Vector (36)

The Goal

To share and collaborate on the key focus areas to center the retreat experience around

The Process

Experience

Vector (37)

The Goal

To deliver an unforgettable team experience that has a company-wide ripple effect

The Process

Debrief

Vector (38)

The Goal

To recap retreat insights, the delta we observed, and advise on a go forward strategy

The Process

What your team should expect

Vector (40)
1

7-8 hours of intensive experiential teaching each day

Vector (40)
2

Nature-based learning that combines cutting-edge scientific research and ancient wisdom traditions

Vector (40)
3

Nature-based adventure activities that serve as metaphors for great leadership and management

Vector (40)
4

Multi-sensorial details are designed to increase the discovery of individual insights and set the stage for lasting team connection

Vector (40)
5

Countless opportunities for healing, growth, and a broadened perspective in all areas of your life

Vector (40)
6

Strategic pre / during / post-retreat action steps that directly correlate with your individual and collective development opportunities

leadership training

Before WYLD

After WYLD

Group 2011 (1)
Group 2009 (2)
Confidence & skills as a leader
Confidence & skills as a Manager
Team unity & strength

How would your team benefit?

WYLD improves team performance, engagement, and well-being through a strengths-based approach.

We measure this through a pre- and post-retreat survey that each participant is asked to complete. Here’s a sample of the results:

After their retreat, one VP team reported an 18% increase in individual confidence and skills as a leader, an 11% increase in their confidence and skills as a manager, and a 38% increase in team unity and strength.

WYLD's concierge approach to sustainable change

What you can expect from us:

icon-bullet-point

Tight management of all logistical details from securing the venue and coordinating everything from the lodging and food and beverage to the daily activities leading up to and throughout the event.

icon-bullet-point

Strategic travel recommendations to get your team to and from the event in the most cost and time effective way possible.

icon-bullet-point

Anticipation of needs and clear communication with the venue team and WYLD Guides to deliver and exceed those expectations.

icon-bullet-point

Personalized hospitality like navigating dietary restrictions, physical challenges, preferences, etc.

icon-bullet-point

Surprise and delight — we weave in special details throughout the experience to create moments that matter.

Images retreats

We do all the heavy lifting, so even your company stakeholders can be full participants without the burden of event management.

We know the tiniest details are crucial to creating psychological safety which leads to vulnerability — the essential ingredient to building trust.

Explore a few of our retreat destinations

We are always expanding our list of preferred venues to make our retreats as convenient and effective as possible. We partner with you to identify the best location to fit your team's needs.

Alisal Ranch
HF Bar Ranch
Marriott Ranch
Scribner's Catskill Lodge
Glenstone Gardens
Images (1) (1) (1)

Alisal Ranch

About the Property: 10,500 acres working ranch nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley founded in 1946

Getting there: 40 minutes from Santa Barbara Airport or 2.5 hours from Los Angeles Airport

Sample activities:
  • horseback riding
  • ropes course
  • water boats / kayaks / paddleboards
  • fishing
  • air rifle
  • archery
HF Bar

HF Bar Ranch in Saddlestring, WY

About the Property: 7,500 acre ranch bordering Wyoming's Bighorn National Forest founded in 1911

Getting there: 40 minutes from Sheridan Airport or 6 hours from Denver International Airport

Sample activities:
  • horseback riding
  • skeet shooting
  • cattle cutting
  • fly fishing
  • archery
Marriot

Marriott Ranch in Hume, VA

About the Property: 4,200 acre ranch with a historic bed & breakfast founded in 1814

Getting there: 1 hour from Dulles Airport, 1.25 hours from Reagan Airport, 1.25 hours from the heart of Washington D.C.

Sample activities:
  • horseback riding
  • creative arts
  • yoga
  • hiking
  • soundbath / meditation
Scribners

Scribner's Catskill Lodge

About the Property: 20 acres of naturescape nestled in the Catskill Mountains founded in 1966

Getting there: 40 minutes from Amtrak's Hudson Train Station, 2.5 hours from New York City, 1.25 hours from Albany airport

Sample activities:

  • meeting spaces designed for custom experiences
  • garden tour
  • soundbath / meditation
  • ice skating and skiing in winter
  • cocktail class
  • hiking trails
Glenstone-Gardens-1 (1)

Glenstone Gardens

About the Property: A 1,000 acre private country estate tucked under the eastern slope of the Bull Run Mountains in Middleburg, VA. Settled circa 1750 by the same family who owns it today, this property has been placed in a lifetime conservation easement.

Getting there: 1 hour from Washington D.C., 25-minutes to Dulles Airport and 1 hour to Reagan Airport

Sample activities:
  • Horseback riding
  • Fishing
  • Air rifle
  • Canoeing
  • Sporting clay range
  • Hiking
  • Archery
  • Wine tasting
Alisal Ranch
Images (1) (1) (1)

Alisal Ranch

About the Property: 10,500 acres working ranch nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley founded in 1946

Getting there: 40 minutes from Santa Barbara Airport or 2.5 hours from Los Angeles Airport

Sample activities:
  • horseback riding
  • ropes course
  • water boats / kayaks / paddleboards
  • fishing
  • air rifle
  • archery
HF Bar Ranch
HF Bar

HF Bar Ranch in Saddlestring, WY

About the Property: 7,500 acre ranch bordering Wyoming's Bighorn National Forest founded in 1911

Getting there: 40 minutes from Sheridan Airport or 6 hours from Denver International Airport

Sample activities:
  • horseback riding
  • skeet shooting
  • cattle cutting
  • fly fishing
  • archery
Marriott Ranch
Marriot

Marriott Ranch in Hume, VA

About the Property: 4,200 acre ranch with a historic bed & breakfast founded in 1814

Getting there: 1 hour from Dulles Airport, 1.25 hours from Reagan Airport, 1.25 hours from the heart of Washington D.C.

Sample activities:
  • horseback riding
  • creative arts
  • yoga
  • hiking
  • soundbath / meditation
Scribner's Catskill Lodge
Scribners

Scribner's Catskill Lodge

About the Property: 20 acres of naturescape nestled in the Catskill Mountains founded in 1966

Getting there: 40 minutes from Amtrak's Hudson Train Station, 2.5 hours from New York City, 1.25 hours from Albany airport

Sample activities:

  • meeting spaces designed for custom experiences
  • garden tour
  • soundbath / meditation
  • ice skating and skiing in winter
  • cocktail class
  • hiking trails
Glenstone Gardens
Glenstone-Gardens-1 (1)

Glenstone Gardens

About the Property: A 1,000 acre private country estate tucked under the eastern slope of the Bull Run Mountains in Middleburg, VA. Settled circa 1750 by the same family who owns it today, this property has been placed in a lifetime conservation easement.

Getting there: 1 hour from Washington D.C., 25-minutes to Dulles Airport and 1 hour to Reagan Airport

Sample activities:
  • Horseback riding
  • Fishing
  • Air rifle
  • Canoeing
  • Sporting clay range
  • Hiking
  • Archery
  • Wine tasting

WYLD curated a thoughtful and impactful retreat for our executive team. There was a careful balance of activities, talking, social time, and feedback to take our team to the next level. We left with a strong understanding of our personal and collective strengths, areas we need to develop, and action plan to support this. Our team has more trust and noticeably improved communication. Thank you WYLD!

If you are looking to reshape, refresh, or find a foundation to who you are as an individual, how you operate among your family, friends, or work environment, this program will take you on a life changing journey to see and understand yourself at your core, how you play with others, and bring out the inner strengths that you have had all along to thrive in today's often chaotic world.

When our team returned from Wyoming, we didn't quite know how to articulate our experience beyond the word "transformative". For many of us, it was our first time meeting the true Leaders who live inside us and when those inner Leaders were unleashed, the WYLD Team helped us understand how to come into our new selves in supportive and empowering ways, both at the retreat and in the coaching calls that followed. The connection to nature, the relationships we established with our horses, and the open and honest discussions about ourselves as individuals and as a team sent us back to NYC with clarity, trust, and encouragement that we had never experienced before.

– Retreat participant and coaching client
– Retreat participant
– Retreat participant and coaching client
Title
Group 2009

Common questions asked about retreats

Where do your retreats take place?

All over the country! We are always adding to our list of preferred venues so we can offer clients the most convenient options that deliver an inspirational, nature-driven experience.

Our venue criteria:

  • Accessibility - ideally the location is no longer than a 2-3 hour plane ride and a short drive away and the venue is set up to accommodate a range of visitors.

  • Comfort - we want you to feel as supported, relaxed, and cared for as possible.

  • Delight - from the food and beverage to the views to the design of the spaces to the activities offered, we aim to excite and delight the senses.

  • Nature-immersion - to us, nature is what makes a retreat a place of refuge where leaders simultaneously enjoy nervous system recovery and experiential learning that lasts.

How long are your retreats?

Our team retreats range from 2-5 days. The recommended length depends on a few factors - such as your budget and preferred time away as well as how long it takes to travel to the venue.

We typically suggest a minimum of 2 days for a more local retreat and 4-5 days for a destination further from home. It’s important to have enough space to truly drop into the experience, so teams who are still getting to know each other and those who take time to warm up would benefit from a longer time frame.

What is the benefit of a WYLD retreat?

That largely depends on your objective and the learning topic, but generally speaking the benefits of one of our retreats include an increase in:

  • Self-awareness - leading to a greater ownership of one’s authentic leadership style, unique contributions and needs. When individuals know themselves well, they can teach others more precisely what does and doesn’t set them up for success which is key to effective collaboration.

  • Team trust - stemming from a heightened understanding of one another and the collective dynamics as well as a greater compassion for these behavioral drivers, teams lean into their relationships as a result of their time with WYLD. It all starts with our curriculum designed for vulnerability that is the essential ingredient to trust.

  • Individual and group performance - using data-driven frameworks as their guide, participants develop tactical strategies to be applied immediately following their WYLD event that address their opportunity areas. Whether it’s leveraging CliftonStrengths to create new project management systems that are more aligned with the team’s talent distribution or utilizing their understanding of stress science to optimize the preparation for and execution of a sales pitch, participants leave with an actionable plan.

  • Collective buy-in - establishing a cultural identity as a team is a main focus area of any WYLD retreat. We identify a symbol that represents the unique contributions, dynamics, and wisdom of the collective. The result? A team of leaders leave as a leadership team with a stronger sense of unified purpose and a commitment to upholding the integrity and success of the group.

What is involved in your operational process?

While no two projects look the same, the general arc remains consistent:

  • Discovery - we get to know you and your objectives through conversations with your stakeholders, coaching individual participants, pre-event surveys when applicable, and our own desk research in order to better understand the key factors to customize your curriculum around.

  • Execution - we handle the logistical details leading up to and throughout an event to make it as easy as possible for you to engage with us. We know that what’s happening behind the scenes is just as important as the front-of-room experience when it comes to creating an optimal learning environment for all.

  • Recommendations - we schedule time with your stakeholders to exchange insights on what worked well, what could have been even better, and our suggestions for how best to carry the work forward for lasting results. When post-surveys and coaching are involved, we include that individual feedback into our recap as well.

What is included in a retreat package?

It depends on your goals and budget but a typical retreat includes:

  • 8 hours of experiential teaching each day (morning, afternoon, and evening sessions)

  • Learning resources and frameworks inspired by leading experts (ex. Dan Pink, Brene Brown, The Heath Brothers, Kim Scott, Tom Rath, Adam Grant, Angeles Arrien)

  • 2 executive 1-on-1 60-minute coaching sessions per leader (1 pre and 1 post-retreat session)

  • All logistical coordination from venue contracting to identifying the best travel options for your team and organizing all event and dining details 

Interested in a WYLD Team Leadership Retreat?