😓 My last in-person retreat almost failed

I ran my first retreat in the summer of 2019, and according to one attendee, it was "the best weekend of my life.”

Yet, it wasn't all unicorns and rainbows behind the scenes...

Just a few days before our departure, I thought about cancelling everything. I realized I had miscalculated some of the costs for the event.

One moment, I was celebrating breaking even; the next, I felt like a failure.

Like many people, I might have gone into this whole retreat panning a bit naively, but it gave me a chance to learn many great lessons I shared in a live workshop three weeks after I got back (you can watch the full recording here).

On the one hand, I wanted to share my lessons with my community, and on the other hand, I wanted to create a reminder for the next in-person event that I will be hosting.

And now, delayed by a global pandemic, the time has finally come:

I am thrilled to announce that registration is now open for my two-day Facilitator Training in Toronto on September 18-19, 2024.

As I am preparing for a truly unique experience, which is far from a boring corporate training where you sit inside a window-less conference room the whole day, I am revisiting some of my lessons from 5 years ago:

1. Create an Arrival Experience

I often discuss how how you start a meeting, training, or workshop sets the tone for what’s to come. When the participants arrived at the venue from the city, I invited them to slow down and go on a short walk through the forest. I hid a few surprises along the path to help everyone slow down and set an intention for the experience.

2. Co-create your Group Agreements

When you bring together a group for a longer experience, it’s crucial to set some rules for how we will communicate, connect, and collaborate. Instead of having people sign an impersonal document with Terms & Conditions, I invited everyone to outline their hands on a large flipchart paper. Each person individually wrote down their intentions and requirements from the group on their fingers, which then became the shared document for the weekend.

3. Customize the Journey

From the start, I wanted each person to feel welcome and appreciated, so I put together a small bag that included a few goodies. For example, a personalized journal with a quote based on what people shared in the registration survey. We used this notebook throughout the weekend for guided journalling activities and reflections.

4. Balance Structure & Flow

Especially when designing a training, it’s easy to overload the time with content you want to teach, but the most magical moments happen in the discussions and debriefs after experiential activities. I struggled with this during my weekend retreat, so I am even more conscious about creating a structure with planned breaks and room to process what we’re learning.

Most importantly, we have to be present with the group and adjust plans to ensure the group walks away with what they most need. I once attended a 3-hour workshop led by Lewis Howes and couldn’t figure out why he would spend the first 30 minutes just asking us what our main takeaways were so far from the conference. Only halfway, it dawned on me: He tried to figure out what we still needed support on and then designed a workshop around that. It was so powerful!

My intention is to implement all of these lessons (and new ones I have learned since) to make my upcoming facilitator training an unforgettable experience, and this is your invitation to join me:

The Art of Melting the Ice - Live in Toronto, Sep 18-19nbsp;

Transform awkward icebreakers from a mere checklist item into a purposeful, impactful practice.

What we’ll cover in the Training

Join me for an immersive training designed to transform how you lead and facilitate group sessions. This hands-on experience will equip you with the skills and knowledge to create engaging, trust-building, and deeply connecting experiences that leave a lasting impact on participants – without making people cringe.

MODULE 1: Stop Breaking the Ice

Understand The Flaws of Traditional Icebreakers: Learn why traditional icebreakers often fail and the negative impact they can have on group dynamics and trust-building.

MODULE 2: Fuel for Connection

Create an Inclusive and Engaging Environment: Gain practical strategies for setting up your sessions to foster a welcoming and psychologically safe environment that encourages participation from everyone, including introverts.

MODULE 3: The First Spark

Design Meaningful Activities: Learn how to design and select activities that align with your session’s goals, cater to participants’ diverse needs, and promote genuine connections without awkwardness.

MODULE 4: Building the Campfire

Maintain Engagement: Develop skills to keep participants engaged and the session momentum high while also learning how to handle unexpected situations and turn potential disruptions into opportunities.

MODULE 5: Nurturing the Flames

Building Lasting Trust and Deep Connections: Discover techniques to cultivate genuine relationships, build trust, and create a sense of belonging in any group setting, leading to enhanced creativity, collaboration, and overall group success.

To find out more (what’s included, the options for one day or both days, how to get a certificate, …) here:

👉  jankeck.com/art-live