Retreats & Offsites Unpacked

Is friction during an offsite a problem — or a signal that something important is happening? In this episode, Dan Berger sits down with Adam Silberstein, a YPO Certified Forum Facilitator and executive coach, to unpack why tension inside peer groups and leadership teams is often the gateway to creativity. Adam shares what nearly 20 years of facilitation has taught him about mastery, onboarding for...

What does it actually take to start a men’s group that lasts? In this episode, Dan Berger sits down with Tony Delmercado and Kris Derentz — co-chairs of Fellows & Fire Pits — to unpack how a small backyard gathering evolved into a thriving men’s community. This conversation isn’t about theory. It’s about structure, participation, leadership, exclusivity, accountability, and the unglamorous ear...

What happens when facilitation runs in the family? In this episode, Dan Berger sits down with siblings Kaley Klemp and Paul Warner to explore what retreat leaders can learn from working inside a family system — and what it takes to build trust, credibility, and mastery across generations. As second-generation facilitators, Kaley and Paul share how mentorship shaped their careers, how they develope...

What changes when a retreat is led by a team instead of a single facilitator? Many retreats rely on one voice, one lens, and one nervous system to hold the room. But when retreats are co-hosted, something different happens: the container deepens, participants feel more supported, and transformation becomes shared rather than hierarchical. In this episode, Dan Berger is joined by Christina Courtrig...

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 surp...

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 r...

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 fa...

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 neo...

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, a...

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 mistake...

How do you create peer groups and retreats that actually feel safe—while still driving growth, accountability, and real change? In this episode, Mo Fathelbab, founder and president of the International Facilitators Organization, joins host Dan Berger to unpack what makes peer groups, forums, and retreats truly work. Drawing on decades of experience facilitating thousands of retreats across the glo...

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...

Brent McCann went from Marine Corps infantry + 15 years in HR to building True North men’s retreats — and he did it without a big audience, big budget, or flashy ads. In this episode, Brent breaks down what actually moved the needle: simple offers, outcome-based messaging, DM follow-up, and a post-retreat integration path that keeps the work going (and stabilizes revenue). Episode Themes How Brent...

Dr. Simon Rakoff has spent 25+ years helping executives, teams, athletes, and performers get better under pressure — and he and Dan go way back. In this episode, they unpack Simon’s core framework (focus, relaxation, connection), why “bring the calm” is a real skill, and how tiny habits (like how you brush your teeth) can re-train a mind that’s always sprinting ahead. They also get into the messy...

Meg Sylvester leads retreats that don’t rely on hype, hierarchy, or spiritual performance. Instead, she creates what she calls the “retreat bubble”—a contained, intentional space where people feel safe enough to slow down, create, and reconnect with themselves without judgment. In this episode, Meg breaks down the two very different types of retreats she runs, how she balances structure with intui...

Jacob Green built a facilitation firm of 30 leaders after a career in local government — but his earliest facilitation training started at 14, helping run retreats aimed at reducing hate and conflict on a public high school campus. In this episode, Jacob shares what makes facilitators effective (curiosity, language, listening), how public-sector retreats really work, and why “cognitive diversity”...

How do you help people speak the truth—with courage and compassion—without shutting others down? In this episode, Coach In Motion founder Kim Mensh Weinberg joins host Dan Berger to explore how leaders can elevate self-awareness, strengthen team trust, and navigate difficult conversations with honesty and care. From her CLEAR communication model to her experiences teaching at UVA and Georgetown, K...

Most men don’t get spaces to slow down, feel, and connect. Sascha Lewis decided to build one. As co-founder of EVRYMAN, Sascha turned men’s emotional wellness into a movement—creating retreats where real conversation replaces performance. Host Dan Berger talks with Sascha about the reality behind these experiences: how they work, why they matter, and what it takes to make them sustainable. From 10...

Emmy Award–winning coach Tim Peek once led through fear—until a career meltdown forced him to rebuild from the inside out. In this episode, Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality, sits down with Tim to explore what real leadership looks like under pressure: emotional intelligence, radical responsibility, and the courage to be vulnerable. They talk failures, retreats gone wrong, and how creati...

In this episode of The Assemble Podcast, host Dan Berger sits down with Jonathan Hermida, Managing Director of the Center for Transformational Coaching, to unpack what true coaching looks like — and what it isn’t. Jonathan explains how authentic coaches use lived experience, not just credentials, to help people navigate identity shifts and purpose. He and Don explore the stages of personal power,...

What does it really take to design a retreat that transforms a team—not just entertains them? In this episode, Dan Berger talks with Vince Corsaro, veteran facilitator and author of Waking Up: Eight Questions That Will Shift Your Life (or Help You Do Nothing) . Vince has spent decades leading retreats and forums across the world, helping groups of leaders move from surface-level interaction to aut...

What happens when people step away from their routines and into an environment built for connection? In this conversation, Dan Berger talks with Scott Jones, M.S., founder of Becoming Ultra , about how retreats create the kind of belonging and transformation that one-on-one coaching can’t touch. With over 20 years of experience training Olympians, pro athletes, and everyday runners, Scott shares w...