Why I Created "Another" Entrepreneur Retreat Company

There are a s!@$load of entrepreneur-focused events and retreats out there...

Baby Bathwater, Archangel Summit (& Masters), Mastermind Talks, Summit, Two12, the list goes on and on. If you want to go somewhere for a few days, hang out with other entrepreneurs and company founders, learn a thing or two, and connect with some great people, you have no shortage of amazing options.

I've attended a lot of these events and I always get massive value out of going. Surrounding myself with people who think big and who think about being more successful - on all levels - causes me to up my own game.

So why the hell would I start a business in this space (with Mastermind Adventures last year)?

First, some context: I have no - I mean zero - designs on scaling Mastermind Adventures and putting on huge events, or putting on lots of events. I went all in on my other business for years, trying to scale it and be in every country on Earth. That simply doesn't interest me anymore. A full buildout of this company *might* mean 3 small events/year, but only if it doesn't intrude on other more important aspects of my life. So far, I'm pretty happy with the success of two intimate events per year.

So, without the stress of having to fill hundreds (or thousands) of seats, I'm able to focus on finding a few dozen awesome people to join me on my events, and on providing huge value to them. With each event, I put on, I get better and better at the latter (huge value). That makes the former (finding great people) pretty easy because they are drawn and get referred to me.

Now, back to the why...

As mentioned, I've attended a lot of the events mentioned above. I love and have enjoyed them all for different reasons. But for me (and this is my personal preference)... I have more success in small groups and I would always prefer to stay longer (most are 2-3 days). And after a few days in conference rooms, I go a little crazy and need to get outside.

So with Mastermind Adventures, my approach is:

Small groups

I accept no more than 30 people on an event, so that you can go deep and develop an amazing connection with almost everyone there if you like.

Longer events

My events are typically 7 days long, which gives you more opportunity to connect and, again, go deep with your fellow participants.

Heavy dose of awesome adventures

Each day we have 5-6 hours of adventure activities, typically starting at 8am and finishing by 1-2 pm. This still gives us plenty of time to do workshops, connect, hang out, etc., but when we're outside pushing ourselves together... well there's just something about tackling challenges together that helps people bond quickly.

Getting our adventure on in Patagonia, Dec. 2018

Remote, exotic locations

There’s already enough entrepreneur retreats and events in North America and beach places like Costa Rica. I choose more exotic and remote locations like Greenland and the Amazon because:

a) they’re incredible locations that are on a lot of people’s bucket list, so this is a great way to see them in the company of really cool people and build great connections in the process

b) the more remote a destination is, the greater the commitment required to attend and get to the event - which means that the people who show up are typically fully committed to the event and to each other.

Deeper Learning

Also while there tends to be plenty of business-related content at my events, I tend to favor deeper, less tactical conversations, workshops and speakers. There are lots of events (and tons of courses) where I can learn about digital marketing, for instance, but where can I turn to to have deeper conversations about how to manage my company and staff when I'm seriously depressed? Or how to balance my ambitious entrepreneurial desires with my intimate relationship? Or how to biohack my brain and body so that I'm operating at maximum capacity?

These are the types of conversations and learning opportunities I favor when I curate my events and content. Getting amazing people outdoors, pushing themselves and each other seems to facilitate deep connection and learning.

Über-entrepreneur Dmitry Buterin dropping some wisdom bombs at MMA Patagonia in 2018.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO ENTREPRENEUR EVENTS

So there you have it. That's why I think there's an opening in the world for a little company that puts on small events for big-minded entrepreneurs who ask big questions.

If you think that sounds like you, and this sounds like a fit, shoot me a PM and I can tell you more (2019 is sold out but I still have a handful of spots left for 2020 and am already mapping out 2021.

If you want to get on the early-bird list and notified when I launch new events, visit this page.

Here's to you and your adventures!