I wrote recently about the mastermind retreat that I hosted for my high-level clients. I always put a lot of work, effort, preparation and care into planning my client retreats and this one, in particular, was a winner. Client satisfaction is one of my core values. In business, it’s not just about attracting ideal clients – it’s about serving them well.
This particular retreat was extra special because we were on site in Prince Edward Island at the Inn at Bay Fortune, with Chef Michael Smith and his wife, Chastity. The fact that they own and run this Inn is a fabulous success story. I was thrilled that they both made time and had the interest to come and speak to my clients and share some of their insights from the past year.
More often than not, in this type of situation, I end up writing about what I learned from my guest speakers. This time, I asked my clients to write about their major takeaways from the retreat overall. The beauty of this perspective is that my clients are from across Canada and from across the industry. The beauty also is that this validates the fact that business is business! We can all learn from each other.
Let me introduce you to some of my high-level clients and what they had to say about this particular business mastermind retreat.
Heather Reid
Heather Reid Event Consulting
heatherreid.ca | heather@heatherreid.caThere are 5 senses with which to experience something….and our latest Moguls retreat at the Inn at Bay Fortune in PEI delivered on them all! The following are my key takeaways.
HEARING: when you truly listen, aha moments abound! These are just a few of the things I learned: track everything, every day; journal everything; do just one thing with excellence; success cards work; it’s not the price they pay, it’s the value you bring; promote benefits, not features; when speaking, think conversation, not performance; the key to success is setting a high bar; and, be amazing!
SIGHT: when you are surrounded by natural and man-made beauty and peacefulness, your mind is instinctively open to learning and exploring – and then your thoughts become clearer and more readily accessible to you.
TOUCH: when you are in close proximity with – and lean into the experience of being with – people who inspire you, your heart softens and opens!
SMELL: when you change your location – you notice things that you take for granted in your everyday surroundings. Breathing in island air and the smell of the ocean made me feel totally alive.
TASTE: when you break bread together – you are feeding not only your body but your soul and mind too!
Yvonne Weld
The Virtual Assistant Matchmaker
yvonneweld.com | yvonne@yvonneweld.comMy experience at the Moguls Retreat has captivated my imagination with all that is “in the world” for me to continue to experience! As I sat in a room of fantastic fellow women entrepreneurs I was reminded of the power of a Mastermind. The ability to talk with other women who “get it” is priceless and seeing the growth of each of these women from retreat to retreat is amazing. It is like having your own personal cheerleading team helping you through the ups and downs in business; there to cheer you on when things get tough and to celebrate with you when you find the success you are after. Each time we meet our bonds strengthen more and more and having that support in your business is what every entrepreneur should be looking for. The learning and sharing from Pat was the icing on the cake!
This retreat, in particular, was all about EXPERIENCE! It was a good reminder to me in particular, of the importance of stopping and enjoying life. We spend so much time in our business that it is a good reminder spending time on ourselves is equally important. Chef Michael Smith and his wife Chastity sharing their story, their goals and their dreams and weaving in some important lessons along the way was a great way to round out the retreat and I am so thankful to Pat for giving us this experience. Chef Michael said it best when he said “Team first not customers. When you treat your team well it will reflect in how they treat your customers.” This is definitely a great model as the customer experience was one I will never forget and something I will be emulating in my own business!
Michelle Hamelin
613.295.2191
michellehamelin.ca | michelle@michellehamelin.caI am just back from the most fantastic retreat with Pat Mussieux and my Moguls mastermind group. The setting was incredible: the fantastic Inn at Bay Fortune, owned and operated by Chef Michael Smith and his wife Chastity Smith. You would be hard-pressed to find a more relaxing and secluded location to get together and work on your business.
As a coach and HR strategist who speaks locally and internationally, I am always looking for ways to improve myself. Pat always delivers on what she knows her people need, and our theme addressed the very timely topic of public speaking.
My greatest ah-ha was the idea of practicing my talk more than I think I need to practice – and to practice out loud.
I found this to be particularly poignant because, with Pat’s guidance, I am changing parts of my signature talk. This means I can’t just wing it while delivering it in front of people – at least not today. With practice, which will be recorded by a video for my review and also performed over Skype with my accountability partner, I will have a fantastic and refreshed signature talk that engages conversation with my audience members. I would not have had the idea of recording a pre-video or to practice over Skype without Pat.
Speaking is one of the most relevant ways that I use to grow my business. I often provide training and lead workshops for my clients, too. Three benefits of practicing out loud are to measure the time, to review my non-verbal cues (facial expressions, gestures), and to see how I keep my energy up for the duration of the talk.
Pat reminded us that Michael Caine said, “Rehearsal is the work; performance is the relaxation.” I believe that more than ever.
Victoria Baird, Image Coach
Beautiful You By Victoria
519-282-6319
beautifulyoubyvictoria.comThe mastermind retreat has been an integral part of moving forward in a decisive way in my business. Particularly in this last retreat in PEI which devoted a 2 hour period of time just to “be”, no email, no business talk, no work. Forced Unplugging allowed me to be more focused and creative during content filled time. My greatest takeaway would be to have my business structure and team in place ready for the next phase before it happens. Stay one step ahead. And to make a decision, take action, stop hesitating, go for it, might work out, might not but at least I won’t remain stuck in limbo “wishing”.
Karen Baldock/Gail Mercer McKay
Gail Mercer-MacKay Digital Storytelling
mercermackay.com | gail@mercermackay.comChef Michael and his wife Chastity took time to sit with our group and explain their “abundance” philosophy and why their mission in life is tomake the world a better place by living authentically and practicing sustainability. They are definitely making their mark – the 48 hours we spent at their property were joyful, peaceful and uplifting. I left truly inspired to keep on doing what I am doing; to always be guided by my passion of helping freelance writers create the abundant lives they were meant to live by serving the technology companies who need writers to tell their stories.
I had a unique opportunity to speak one-on-one with Chef Michael and he shared with me how taking action and saying yes has contributed to his successful career. He remarked that he felt truly blessed to be living the life he now has the opportunity to live. Like the aptly named dinner service at his signature restaurant, his life has also become a feast.
In business, it’s critically important that we keep on learning. One of the best ways to ensure this happens is to participate in high-level mastermind groups. This is what I’ve done for the past 7 years – and this is how my clients are growing and succeeding. I recommend you get yourself into one too!
