In the month of April, I did something really special. I invited 12 women from my mastermind to come to Barbados to join me in my home and to come together to work on their businesses. You might've seen it on social media or heard me talk about our wedding business retreat. In today's episode, I want to share all the details and give you a debrief from our first-ever Barbados Wedding Pro Insiders Retreat.
In today’s episode, I’ll share what we did during the retreat, the vibe and energy, some of the outcomes for the women who attended, and my biggest takeaways from hosting this truly special and magical experience in my home.
In case you didn’t know, I’m originally from Connecticut. I’m an East Coast girl, born and raised for most of my life, but I now live full-time in beautiful Barbados. My husband Jason and I bought our first home here at the end of 2023 and moved in January 2024. When we first toured this house, we immediately saw so much potential — not just for our own lifestyle, but for hosting parties, having friends over, and entertaining. We love to cook, gather, and create meaningful experiences.
As we settled into our new home and hosted friends and family, it dawned on me: why not bring my mastermind here instead of going to a hotel or another location? And that’s how the WPI Barbados In-Person Retreat was born.
Let me tell you — I am so grateful the universe brought us to this home, helped Jason and me purchase it, and inspired me to host this retreat. It was absolutely life-changing, both for the women who attended and for me. It was a special three days of gathering, reflection, momentum, and deep conversation. I can’t wait to share everything we did.
Special shout-out and thank you to Carla Ten Eyck, my business BFF and our official retreat photographer!
In this episode sharing behind-the-scenes of our wedding business retreat:
- [00:00]: Introduction to the Barbados Retreat
- [02:49]: Setting the Stage for Connection
- [06:04]: Peer Presentations and Learning
- [09:03]: Finding Clarity Through Big Questions
- [11:58]: Creating Momentum and Taking Action
- [14:48]: Reflections on Energy and Community
- [18:07]: Key Takeaways from the Retreat
- [27:23]: The Power of Positive Energy
- [28:37]: Authenticity in Professional Spaces
- [30:31]: Creating Safe and Supportive Communities
- [33:21]: The Importance of Creative Structure
- [36:11]: Embracing Leadership Roles
- [38:25]: The Value of In-Person Connections
- [41:23]: Seeing Your Potential Through Community
- [43:43]: Invitation to Join Wedding Pro Insiders
Setting the Stage For This Wedding Business Retreat
Let me set the stage for the retreat. Maybe you’ve been to a business retreat before, maybe you haven’t. While what we created in Barbados was truly one of a kind, at the core, retreats share a similar essence: they bring together an intimate group of like-minded people with a common purpose or goal. A retreat experience isn’t just about taking action or learning; it’s also about conversation, connection, and plenty of rest — which I prioritized during our time together.
We had four days in Barbados, spending three of those days fully immersed in the retreat. Out of the 40 women in my mastermind, 12 powerhouse women joined us for this inaugural experience. The venue was my home, which made it even more special and intimate. There’s something different about being invited into someone’s home — it creates a unique, personal atmosphere.
We gathered on the veranda for conversations, with a gorgeous view and the pool nearby. I brought in my favorite caterer to take care of the food, and hired a bartender — shout out to Kevin, who kept us refreshed with cocktails throughout the day. It really created such a warm, inviting environment where we could relax, connect, and dive deep into our work.
We spent two days at my home, and then had a special day in between where I treated the ladies to a catamaran cruise along the west coast of Barbados. They got to see the island from the sea, enjoy a lovely lunch, and even swim with turtles. It was the perfect break from all the brainstorming and meaningful conversations happening back at the house.
This retreat was structured a little differently than our first retreat in San Diego, which was amazing in its own right. For Barbados, I incorporated peer presentations. Four of the women presented on topics like how Reddit is working for them, AI marketing, and EFT tapping — which was a huge hit. Shout out to Ashley for her incredible tapping presentation! In addition to the peer-led sessions, I gave a keynote to set the tone for our time together. Each woman also had a private hot seat session with me, and we broke into smaller groups of four for more intimate feedback and support. There was a lot of laughter, deep conversation, decision-making, and real action being taken.
Unlike a conference where you're mostly listening to speakers on a stage, this retreat offered equal parts learning, connection, and deep, meaningful conversation that simply isn’t possible over Zoom. Some of the women shared that their late-night chats back at the hotel with their mastermind roommates were actually some of their favorite moments. One woman even described the retreat as “not just a mastermind retreat, but a soul reset,” which I absolutely loved.
Coming To This Wedding Business Retreat With One Big Question
In between all these conversations and connections, women found clarity on their next move. Everyone came to the retreat with one big, powerful question — something we worked on ahead of time. The question needed to be big enough to pull them out of their comfort zone and deep enough to create meaningful progress. I remember one woman initially saying she wanted to talk about setting up her systems. I told her, “Girl, you are not flying all the way to Barbados to talk about systems — let’s go deeper.” And together, we uncovered a much bigger question that included systems but expanded into something truly transformative.
This process worked so well, and I plan to continue it for future retreats. Having that one bold question helped each woman focus deeply during the retreat. Whether we were on the catamaran, enjoying an incredible lunch by Anna Wen, or sipping Kevin’s margaritas or Aperol spritzes, that question was always present in the back of everyone’s mind. Everyone supported each other’s questions, helping each person uncover deeper answers.
Often, when you come to an experience like this, you fall into one of two camps. Maybe you’re eager to soak up everything like a sponge (which can then feel like your drinking from a fire hose not sure where to begin). On the flip side, you might come into an experience like this with no direction at all — no clear idea of what you want to get out of it — and that can leave you feeling rudderless, unsure of what you should be focusing on or discussing. Neither scenario is ideal.
That’s why having one big question was so powerful. It forced everyone to arrive with a clear focus, seeking clarity, greater awareness, and also tangible next steps tied to their specific question.
During our amazing time — whether it was hanging out in the pool, cruising on the catamaran with Kevin mixing cocktails, enjoying delicious food, or simply spending meaningful time together in my home — I watched these women do some pretty incredible things.
What I Witnessed From The Women At This Wedding Business Retreat
One of the most beautiful things I witnessed during this retreat was how many of the women found their voice — and they did it in different ways. Some women stood up and presented to a group for the very first time. I watched them overcome fears of public speaking and deliver powerful 10- to 15-minute presentations that showcased their expertise and confidence.
But I also saw women find their voice when it came to what they truly wanted for their life and business — sometimes for the first time, even after being in business for 10 years. In this safe and encouraging environment, they were able to tap into desires and dreams that may have been simmering under the surface for years, but had never been spoken aloud until now.
I saw women take bold action on things they had been overthinking for far too long — new pricing models, job listings they had hesitated to post, or major business shifts they had previously only whispered to themselves or mentioned privately in coaching calls. But in this retreat atmosphere, surrounded by encouragement and contagious energy, they finally moved forward. Seeing someone else say, “I’m going to do it. I’m posting the job listing. I’m sharing this on Instagram. I’m finally taking that leap,” created this powerful ripple effect where everyone fed off each other’s momentum.
At one point, a simple roundtable conversation on my veranda even turned into an entirely new business model for one of the attendees. I was floating between hot seats when I listened in on a conversation where her peers were pouring into her, offering insights and encouragement. By the end of that hot seat, she walked away with a completely new business idea that didn’t exist before she arrived — and it’s good. You’re going to see me promoting it once she’s ready to launch. She’s probably listening right now, already working through the fears and putting the pieces in place.
These are the kinds of breakthroughs that happen when you're surrounded by women who are thinking bigger — women who reflect your brilliance back to you in ways you may not always see in yourself. That’s what this retreat really was — like holding up a mirror. You see both your brilliance and your blind spots, but in this case, the community helped reflect back everything good, everything strong, everything full of potential. The women left feeling reminded of who they are and what they’re truly capable of, and that kind of energy and momentum was something I haven’t seen in a long time. It was contagious.
Reflecting On The Retreat Everyday
My best friend, Carla Ten Eyck, who you may know as my brand photographer (she shot my most recent brand shoot), was also there. Carla and I co-authored two books with our business bestie, Beth Chapman, and we've been friends for over 15 years — truly like sisters. Having Carla at the retreat added such a special energy.
At the end of each day, once the ladies left, Carla and I would sit down, debrief, and reflect on how things went. We’d ask ourselves: What worked? What can we improve? And every single night, we’d end up saying the same thing: “Oh my God, this retreat is amazing. These women are amazing.” We kept saying that these women are the kind of daughters every parent would be proud to have — smart, driven, compassionate, and kind. And each day we kept wondering: how could it possibly get better than this? And yet, somehow, it did.
The momentum these women created wasn’t just emotional — though emotional momentum is absolutely the first step to meaningful action — but it was also visible. You could literally see the shifts happening as women opened their laptops and started taking immediate action on their businesses, right there in real time.
Being In The Right Rooms
This is what my mastermind, Wedding Pro Insiders, was created to be. When I started WPI back in 2019, I could have never imagined how much it would evolve into such a supportive, safe, nurturing, and growth-filled space for women in this industry. But I can confidently say: this is what happens when you're in the right room.
Throughout my career, I’ve been in a lot of rooms — some that lifted me up, stretched me, challenged me, and made me the business owner I am today. But I’ve also been in rooms that left me questioning myself, that gave me imposter syndrome, that made me feel like I didn’t belong. And as a business coach, mentor, and community builder, I made a decision that no woman would ever feel that way in my rooms.
Wedding Pro Insiders is the opposite of those negative experiences. It’s not about making you feel less than — it’s about lifting you up, reminding you who you are, and surrounding you with women who believe in your greatness.
The Biggest Takeaways From This Wedding Business Retreat
Now, with all of this momentum, I want to share some of the biggest takeaways from the WPI retreat — both my takeaways and the women’s. So if you’re listening, you might want to take some notes or bookmark this part to revisit later, because I think these lessons can be powerful for you too.
Clarity comes when you stop trying to make the wrong thing work
Many women came into the retreat with a big question they thought they wanted to pursue. But for some, once we started digging in, they realized that the question no longer aligned with who they are or where they want to go. One woman, on the very first day, shared her big question — and then quickly realized, “Wait a minute. This isn’t me. I’m playing too small. I need to think bigger.” She completely rewrote what success looked like for her business and what she truly wanted.
As she said, “I didn’t like the answer I had, so I threw it out and started fresh.”
Sometimes, knowing what you don’t want, what you’re no longer willing to tolerate or pursue, is even more powerful than setting goals. Recognizing what no longer serves you can be the first step to real transformation.
The big lesson here was this: clarity comes when you stop trying to make the wrong thing work.
I want you to think for a moment about your own business. Is there something you're currently trying to force that just isn’t aligned anymore? Maybe it doesn’t fit the season of life you’re in or where you want to go. What would happen if you stopped trying so hard to make the wrong thing work — and instead let it go to make space for something that fits you better? What is that one thing in your business right now where this lesson might apply?
You don’t need a bigger following. You need a bigger vision.
We talked a lot about boldness during the retreat. In fact, that was the theme of my keynote that set the tone for our time together. And good news — I’ll actually be sharing part of that keynote here on the podcast next week, so you’ll get some of those big, bold vibes too.
This conversation came up again and again — around marketing, pricing, visibility, and most importantly, being bold enough to pursue your bigger vision. So many members realized they were playing small in how they spoke about their work, what they allowed themselves to pursue, and what they even allowed themselves to dream.
The truth is: it’s not about how many followers you have or how “popular” you are. It’s about having a bigger vision for your business — and being willing to boldly step into it.
So I invite you to ask yourself: where might you be playing small in your business? Where are you dimming your voice, holding back your opinions, or not fully stepping into your expertise? How might playing small be limiting your ability to see and pursue your bigger vision?
You’re allowed to evolve
You’re allowed to grow, change your mind, and shift your business model. Evolution was a huge theme at our retreat. Women created new service models, shifted their brands, hired team members, raised their rates, stopped second-guessing, and made powerful decisions to say no to things that no longer aligned.
We all came to a deeper understanding — both individually and together — that we're allowed to evolve. We’re allowed to release the things that no longer serve us.
Francis Ledgewood, a member of my mastermind (and a dedicated podcast listener — hi Francis, I know you’re listening on your morning walk!), shared a beautiful post during the retreat. She said: “This business is built on consistently refining the experience we give our clients.” And that’s exactly what she was doing in real time at the retreat.
Growth in business is never a straight line. This retreat gave everyone permission to let go of outdated versions of their business. In fact, some women literally wrote down what they were releasing, and burned it in the fire pit on the beach in Barbados.
I wonder: what version of your business could you write down and burn? What are you ready to release? What no longer serves you, your clients, or the industry? And where are you being called to move next?
Your energy is your most important asset
The energy swirling around this retreat was so positive, so uplifting, and completely authentic. You can’t fake that kind of energy. You can have beautiful swag bags, great food, perfect speakers and topics — but if the energy’s off, none of it matters.
And not only that — we realized the energy we bring to our businesses for the rest of the year has fundamentally shifted because of what we exchanged at this retreat. We had important conversations about pricing, team building, and especially capacity — how much we can truly hold as CEOs.
Many women realized just how exhausted they were, and that protecting their energy is critical. Our catamaran cruise, placed right in the middle of the retreat, was intentional. Some women used that break to sleep, to fully unplug. One woman even Voxered me that night to say, “Thank you for today. It was the first time I’ve truly unplugged from my business in a long time.”
Rest matters. Your nervous system matters. You simply cannot scale when your nervous system is in fight or flight. If you feel like you’re being chased by a bear all day long, your brain can’t focus on anything but survival. You can’t solve problems or bring creativity to your business from that space.
I encourage you to ask yourself: Am I safeguarding my energy? Am I in control of my emotional state? Am I setting the tone for my business and my team?
As a former boss with a team and an office, I saw firsthand how my energy impacted everyone else. If I showed up frustrated, negative, or overwhelmed, that energy would spread throughout the team. But if I showed up positive and grounded, everyone else’s energy shifted too. That lesson has stayed with me — not just in business, but even here on the podcast, in coaching calls, and in how I show up for myself.
Especially in the hospitality industry, we have to be intentional about the energy we bring. Our clients feel it. Our team feels it. And it directly impacts the work we do.
The right room reminds you of who you really are
One of the women described the retreat as a breath of fresh air because there was no posturing. No one was pretending or trying to impress anyone. Unfortunately, some spaces in the wedding industry can feel very performative — where your worth is tied to your resume, your accomplishments, who you know, or how many celebrities you’ve worked with.
There was none of that at this retreat. And honestly, I don’t attract those people anyway. I’ve been in rooms like that before — years ago, when I cared more about appearances — but that’s not what this community is built on.
At one point, someone said it felt like they watched another member come alive right in front of their eyes. That’s what happens when women feel safe enough to let their guards down, knowing they won’t be judged or compared to anyone else.
In Wedding Pro Insiders, whether you’re a past or present member, you know it’s a safe, supportive, fluff-free space where we talk about what matters. We get to the heart of things, support one another, and cheer each other on. This retreat was built for bold, wholehearted women who are ready to lead, grow, and dream bigger.
Some women even admitted they almost didn’t come. They were nervous — and that’s normal! Every in-person event brings a little moment of panic: Why did I say yes to this? But as soon as they walked into the room, saw the women around them, and felt the energy, those fears melted away.
The room reminded them of who they are. It inspired them to think bigger, to trust their intuition, and to realize that they weren’t behind, they weren’t imposters — they were the real deal. And they left knowing that in their bones.
I want you to reflect: What rooms are you in right now? Are they uplifting you? Or are they draining you?
Maybe it’s a group chat that leaves you feeling discouraged every time you see someone else's success. Maybe it’s a networking group that doesn’t feel like a safe space.
Maybe it’s a conference you attended where you didn’t feel welcome or included. But what would happen if you consistently placed yourself in rooms where people genuinely want to see you win? Where your success is celebrated because your success contributes to the collective success of the group. If we’re all making money, living our purpose, leading with hospitality, and doing our best for our clients in an authentic way — we all win. And as we rise, we lift each other up and hold one another to higher standards.
What if your business could be in a room like WPI — a room that lifts you up and reminds you of who you really are?
Creative expansion requires structure
In order to be creative at a high level, you need the systems and structure that create space for that creativity. One member realized during the retreat that she was drowning in backend work and couldn’t access her creativity because she was buried under admin tasks. And I’m willing to bet many of you might be in a similar position.
As your business grows, so do your responsibilities. The to-do list gets longer. And if you don’t have help — if you don’t have systems or a team — you end up doing work that drains you of the very joy that led you to start your business in the first place.
We talked about building systems that support our artistry — systems that allow us to breathe life into our creative work. For the woman who originally came to the retreat wanting to talk about systems, it wasn’t just about backend processes — it was about reclaiming time for creativity, play, and experimentation in her business.
And here’s the good news: most of the time, you don’t need a full overhaul. You don’t need to tear down your entire business model. Small tweaks can make a huge difference. Sometimes we convince ourselves we have to burn it all down and start fresh, but often that’s unnecessary and counterproductive.
So I invite you to ask: What small tweak in your business structure could unlock a new level of creativity? What would open up for you if you had more space to play, to experiment, to create?
You are the leader. It’s time to start acting like it.
Leadership was a huge thread throughout our entire time together. For some of the women, it became clear that they could no longer operate as just the “doer” of their business. They needed to step fully into the role of CEO. That required bold decisions. It required them to get off the fence, stop wavering, and stop hiding behind operations. They needed to think bigger and bolder.
What could be possible for you if you were no longer the bottleneck in your business? What doors would open if you started making decisions as a CEO rather than an operator? What would shift if you stopped thinking like a freelancer and started thinking like a business owner?
I’m willing to bet that on the other side of this shift — the shift where you fully step into leadership — is everything you want: the clients, the recognition, the income, the creative fulfillment, the impact. It’s all waiting for you to lead.
Why Being In The Room Matters
Why do retreats like this matter? Why does proximity matter?
You can’t build a bold, legacy-level business from behind a screen.
Yes, Zoom is great. So much can happen virtually. But there’s something about being in person — the energy, the momentum, the reflection, the real-time conversations — that accelerates growth in ways no virtual room can match. What might take six months of coaching on Zoom can happen in just a few days in person. Growth at this level requires presence.
Proximity is power — but only if you’re in the right room.
Not all rooms are created equal. WPI is special. It’s a room filled with women who are ready to lead, to rise, and to do it with humility and authenticity. They’re not pretending. They’re not performing. They’re real — flawed, figuring things out, but clear on what they want and capable of achieving it. Proximity to people like that reflects your own brilliance back to you.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, flatlined, or like you’ve lost momentum — this is the kind of shift you need. Momentum happens when you’re in a room where people are saying: “Of course you can do that. Let’s figure out how. Let’s show you what we see in you.”
There was one attendee whose story really stuck with me. She has such a fascinating life experience — incredible design taste, adventurous stories, and a level of creativity that’s inspiring. I want to see more of her inside her business because she brings something so special to the table. That’s the kind of reflection that happens in the right room — people around you see the things you can’t always see in yourself.
I would’ve never been able to experience that level of depth if we were just on Zoom. I had been coaching her for at least six months, but being in the room with her, hearing her share parts of her story in person, I found myself thinking: Why aren’t we talking about this? This is so cool!
Everyone walked away from this retreat changed. And I believe the shift many of you are craving is waiting for you in a room like WPI — because when you're reflected by the right people, you begin to see yourself differently. You see what you’re truly capable of.
Are You Forgetting How Powerful You Are?
Sometimes we forget how powerful we are. We forget how much we already know, how many obstacles we’ve overcome. We shrink. We say, I don’t know if I’m worthy of that… I just need to do X, then I’ll be ready.
But a room like this holds up a mirror and says, You’re playing too small. You need to stretch yourself. That idea you keep shrinking away from? That’s your big idea — go chase it.
You deserve to be surrounded by women who not only remind you of what’s possible but actively call it forward out of you. They’re not gatekeeping. They’re open. They’re willing to share what’s worked for them — even when things aren’t perfect — and they celebrate your wins without ego.
That can be hard to find, especially in a local market where competition can make sharing your wins feel uncomfortable. We say community over competition, but it’s not always easy to embody that when you’re surrounded by people competing for the same clients. But in WPI, there is no competition — we’re from all over the world. We’re here to rise together. It truly is community over competition.
Just imagine what could be possible if you had a space like this to grow into and fully be yourself.
Our Next Wedding Industry Retreat
The retreat was magical, and I can’t wait to do it again. Our next retreat is coming up in November — our Business Lab. It’s going to be a space for experimentation, play, and, most importantly, action.
The feedback I received from this past retreat was clear: everyone wanted even more of day three — more time to actually implement, take action, and work on the big moves they had been thinking about for so long. So that’s what we’re doing in November — treating our businesses like laboratories and finally taking action on what’s been on the to-do list (or whispered inside our heads) for way too long.
Now, I want to talk to you a bit more about Wedding Pro Insiders because you’ve listened to this whole episode. You’ve heard what we did, the breakthroughs, the friendships, the fun, the transformation.
Wedding Pro Insiders is my high-level mastermind for women in the wedding industry who are ready to build a bold business. It’s for women who want to step outside their comfort zone, build businesses that provide for their families, but not at the cost of their families or their lives. They want profitability and balance. They want to lead with purpose and make money unapologetically.
If that sounds like you, I’m inviting you to join the waitlist. Doors will be opening soon with a few limited spots available.
Is Wedding Pro Insiders (WPI) Right For You?
One of the reasons WPI works so well is because everyone is vetted. Not just anyone can join. This ensures we have a group of like-minded, but still diverse, women who are in similar seasons of business and life — women who stretch one another while also supporting one another deeply. And yes, spots are limited because many members stay in WPI for years. But a few longtime members will be graduating soon — they've gotten what they came for, and now they’re ready for new chapters. That opens the door for new women to join us.
This mastermind is for experienced wedding professionals who are scaling, shifting, or reinventing their businesses. It’s not for newcomers — though if you're newer, definitely put this on your business bucket list for when you’re ready.
WPI is more than just these retreats. When you join, you get 12 months of coaching, strategy, accountability, and community. And yes — one of these incredible retreat experiences is included as part of your membership. Three days in Barbados — my home, my pool, the catamaran, the food, the conversations — it’s all included.
This isn’t surface-level coaching. This is soul-deep work. We pair clarity with strategy so you know exactly what your next move should be.
And if you’ve been circling this mastermind — watching the testimonials, reading the sales page, signing up for the waitlist multiple times, lurking on the retreat recaps — let me say it clearly: You are ready.
You are ready for this level of support, this level of strategy, this level of community. You deserve to be in a space that stretches you, challenges you, and reminds you of your capability.
If you’ve been waiting for a magical sign to join — this is your sign.
You are not meant to build your business alone behind a laptop. You are meant to be in rooms where women are making bold moves, having brave conversations about business, marriage, family, hormones — all of it — and saying out loud the things most people are afraid to say.
Wedding Pro Insiders is more than a course. Courses have a place (and I’ve created some great ones), but they can’t give you what WPI gives you: the holistic, unfiltered, deeply personal coaching.
You get me — fully invested, fully present, coaching you with honesty, even when it’s hard. The real, behind-the-scenes conversations you can’t always have elsewhere — but you can have here.
You deserve a business that is profitable, powerful, and deeply personal — one where you scale with intention, price confidently, stop shrinking, and finally build something that fits who you truly are.
The Retreat Is Included in Wedding Pro Insiders
In November, we gather again. Our retreats are scheduled for November and April each year. If you join WPI (or if you’re one of my members listening and planning to renew), you’ll be invited to join us at the Business Lab as part of your experience.
And I want you there. I want to see your booty swimming with the turtles on a catamaran cruise, sitting on my sofa, living your best life, eating delicious food, and talking business with women who get it.
In November, we’re focusing on experimentation: revenue strategies, marketing strategies that actually convert, new service suites, and brave, bold shifts in your business. Most importantly, you’ll have the community, coaching, and focused time to finally tackle the things you’ve been putting off.
If you’re tired of doing this alone…
If you’re ready to stop tinkering with your business and start leading with bold, decisive action…
Then I want to see you inside Wedding Pro Insiders.
You can head to here to learn more. We’ll also be posting a full retreat recap over on the blog, where you can see some of the beautiful photos Carla captured from the retreat — and yes, I’ll be photo-bombing your Instagram feed with them over the next few weeks too. You’ll be able to see exactly what we did together.
Here’s what I want you to hear:
You are meant for more. You are meant for this experience.
And I cannot wait to welcome you into a room filled with women who want to see you succeed — radically, unapologetically. Women who are ready to hold you accountable, cheer you on, and push you to your next level. And I’ll be there to guide you every step of the way as your coach, mentor, and partner in this next chapter of your business.
Candice (00:02.668)
In the month of April, I did something really special. I invited 12 women from my mastermind to come to Barbados to join me in my home and to come together to work on their business. You might've seen it on social media. You might've heard me talk about our retreat. And in today's episode, I want to share with you all the details and a debrief from our first ever Barbados Wedding Pro Insiders retreat.
Hey there friends, welcome back to the Power and Purpose podcast. It's your host, me, Candice. Special episode coming up for you today, a debrief of my retreat here in Barbados in my home for women inside my mastermind, Wedding Pro Insiders. I asked you guys on social media, would you like me to talk about this on the podcast? Should I do a little debrief? Overwhelmingly, you said, duh, of course we want to hear about this.
which made me really happy. And I'm excited to share with you so much from our retreat. So in today's episode, I'm gonna share with you what we did during the retreat, the vibe, the energy of the retreat, the outcomes for some of the women in the retreat, and some of my biggest takeaways from hosting this really special and magical experience in my home.
In case you didn't know, I'm originally from Connecticut. I'm an East Coast girlie born and raised for most of my life, but I now live in beautiful Barbados. I don't split my time. I live here full time. And my husband, Jason and I bought a beautiful home, our first home last year, end of 2023. We moved in January of 2024. And when we toured this house, when we first walked into this home,
We saw so much potential in this house. We saw potential for our own lifestyle, hosting parties, having friends. We're big entertainers. We love to cook. We just love the art of gathering and hosting. And through living in this beautiful home, hosting all of our friends, our family, it kind of dawned on me that I should bring my mastermind here instead of going to a hotel or going to another location.
Candice (02:23.478)
And so our WPI Barbados in-person retreat was born. And let me tell you, I am so glad that the universe brought me to this home, helps Jason and I to purchase it, and also gave me the idea to host this retreat for the women in my mastermind group because it was absolutely life-changing for them.
And for me, it was really such a special three days of gathering, reflection, momentum, conversation. And I want to share with you everything that we did. So let me set the stage for the retreat. Maybe you've been to a business retreat before, maybe you haven't. And so I think what we created in Barbados, well, it is one of a kind.
I think retreats are all very similar and then they bring an intimate group of like-minded people together with a common purpose or goal. And a retreat experience really leaves space not just for doing or taking action or learning, but also for conversation, for connection, and a whole lot of rest, which is something that I prioritized for our time together.
So let me paint the picture for you. We had four days in Barbados, three days together. There were 12 powerhouse women out of 40 who came for this inaugural retreat. And the venue was my home, where I live, which was so special to be able to share this with the women inside my mastermind. I think there's something really different about being invited into someone's home.
where the setting is even more intimate. We were able to sit out on the veranda together, have conversations. The view is gorgeous. We have a pool. And, you know, of course I had to bring in my favorite caterer to feed us. I hired a bartender, shout out to Kevin, who was making us up cocktails all day. And it really created such a special intimate atmosphere for us to come together and to connect.
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We spent two days at my home and then we had a special day in between those two days where I treated the ladies to a catamaran cruise and we sailed the West Coast. The ladies got to see a good portion of Barbados from the sea. We had a lunch, it was a day cruise, they swam with the turtles. It was just really lovely and such a nice break from all the brainstorming and the conversations that we were having at my
Now, the retreat was structured a little bit differently than our first retreat that we did out in San Diego, which was so amazing. This retreat, I wanted to incorporate some peer presentations. So four of the ladies came to the retreat and presented on topics like how Reddit is working for them. They presented on topics about AI, marketing, and then also EFT tapping.
which we all really enjoyed. We enjoyed all the presentations and we really loved, shout out to Ashley, Ashley's tapping presentations. So we had some peer led presentations. I gave a keynote that set the tone for our time. We had private hot seats with me for every single woman. And then we got into small intimate groups of four where each woman was able to talk to her hot seat group and get lots of feedback.
There was tons of laughter, lots of conversation, lots of decision-making and also action-taking at the retreat. It wasn't just learning or listening to somebody speak on a stage like you would see at a conference. Although there was plenty of learning from one another, learning from me, there was also equally so much time to connect with one another and have the deep conversations that we just can't have necessarily all the time on Zoom.
And that can only really happen when you're face to face with someone. Some of the ladies left some beautiful testimonials and they said things like there are late night chats with their mastermind roomie back at the hotel where some of their favorite parts of their time together just being able to have that private time. They said that this wasn't just a mastermind retreat, it was a soul reset, which I thought was so wonderful to say. I think in between
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all these conversations and all these connections, women really found their next move. And I'm gonna talk about that really shortly. I people had a lot of aha moments. They felt very supported and very connected to their business. Every woman came to the retreat with a question. And this question, it was important. We worked on their question ahead of them coming to the retreat.
It needed to be big and
Risky it needed to be a question that pulled them out of their comfort zone. It needed to be big enough It needed to be strong enough. It need it didn't need to be small. I remember one of the ladies Said well, I think I'll talk about like setting up my systems and I'm like girl You are not flying all the way to Barbados to talk about systems girl Let's dig a little bit deeper into your question and see what comes up for us and we came up with a really beautiful question
that incorporated systems with so much more. All that to say, every woman came with a big question. And I think this worked so well, and we're gonna do it for all of our retreats going forward until I feel like it doesn't work, because it allowed everybody to come with a deep focus. And everybody asked their one big question of the group, and over the three days, whether we were on the catamaran, or we were having some of Anna Wendt's amazing lunch, or Kevin was...
mixing us up margaritas or apparel spritzes, that question was weighing on everyone's mind. We were all looking to support each other's questions. And for each individual person, they were able to ask bold questions that helped them uncover deeper answers. A lot of times when you come to an experience like this, you might be in one of two camps. You might be on the one side, eager to lap up everything, a sponge.
Candice (09:03.306)
And it can be like drinking from a fire hose. You're just overwhelmed with information. And that leaves you leaving a retreat like this, feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, not sure where to start. And then on the opposite side, you might come into an experience like this with no direction, no idea what you want to get out of it. And that kind of leaves you rudderless. You're flapping in the breeze. You're not really sure what you should be talking about or what you should be doing. And that's not good either. know, drinking from
firehose is one thing, but having no sense of direction is equally not good. And the one big question forced everybody to come here seeking clarity and greater awareness and also action and next steps on their one big question. Now during this amazing time in the pool, on the catamaran, with Kevin, eating delicious food and spending time with each other in my home,
I watched women do some pretty incredible things. One interesting thing was during this retreat, I saw some women really find their voice. And in different ways. So some women presented to a group of people for the very first time. And I watched them blossom and overcome any kind of public speaking fears and deliver really powerful 10, 15 minute presentations to the group.
And they found their voice and their expertise in what they were presenting. But I also saw women find their voice in what they really wanted for their life and their business, maybe for the first time, having been in business for 10 years. And in this experience, they were allowed to tap into something that maybe had been there the whole time, maybe not. But they were really able to speak out what they wanted for their business. I also watched them.
take action on things that they had been overthinking for years. A new pricing model, a job listing that they'd been sitting on for a while, really unsure if they should make the move. Even just a bold shift that they'd whisper to themselves or maybe shared with me on Boxer or in a coaching call. But I watched them take bold action on things that they had been overthinking.
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or procrastinating on for so long. Because in an environment like our retreat, I think it's kind of hard to not want to do something about your problems or do something about your great idea, especially when you're surrounded by energy that's gassing you up and making you feel motivated and you're seeing that other women are like, yeah, I'm going to do it. I'm going to post the job listing. I'm going to share this on Instagram or I'm going to do the thing that I've been scared to do.
That is contagious and we just feed off of it. I also saw how one round table conversation on my veranda actually turned into a completely new business model for one of the ladies, which was so gratifying to kind of come to. So I was popping around hot seats, listening in, and in one hot seat, the women were pouring into one of their peers and she got a whole new business model, a whole new business idea that didn't exist prior to her coming.
And it's good. Like you're gonna see it. You're gonna see me promoting it as soon as she's ready. And I hope she's listening to this episode and she's probably like, We're already working on it. We're already working through the fears of it. But I mean, those are the kind of things that happen when you're surrounded by a group of women who were thinking bigger and they're not just doing that. They're reflecting your brilliance back on you.
I liked to think that our retreat was kind of like holding up a mirror. Everybody had a mirror held up to themselves. I owning a business is like having a mirror held up to you. You get to see the things that you're great at and also your flaws. But in this instance, we as a community, we're holding up mirrors to one another and reflecting back the brilliance that we see in one another, which sometimes we don't get to actually see in ourselves.
And the women were reminded of just who they were and what they were capable of. And that created a ton of energy and a lot of momentum in ways that I am going to be honest. And this is absolutely 100 % honest that I have not seen in a long time. And their energy was contagious. Now, my best friend, one of my best friends, Carla Ten Eyck,
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She was my brand photographer. You love my brand shoot. Carla did my brand shoot, but she's also a co-author. wrote two books together alongside Beth Chapman, our business bestie. Carla and I have been friends for 15 plus years. And I mean like sisters. She's like the sister I never had. And she came for the retreat and added such an amazing flavor to the retreat.
got so much out of it as well. And having her here really added such an incredible flavor to the whole experience. when the ladies would leave each day, we would sit down and just debrief the day and be like, you know, just for our own sake and for me, so I can keep iterating on this experience. So I'd ask her, what do you think went well? What do you think we can improve upon? And every day we sat down and we were like, my God.
this retreat is so amazing. These women are so kind. They're so smart. They're so brilliant. There are all the types of women that parents would be proud to be like, that's my daughter. I mean it. And that's one of the things that we said. We were like, these women are the daughters that parents dream of. They're driven. They're smart. They're compassionate. And we really did each day just thinking, how can it get better than this? And it did. So
The women did incredible things and the momentum that they had, wasn't just emotional momentum. I think that is so important to be able to have the emotional momentum to take action is actually what's required. It's like the first step in creating action is emotional momentum, but it was also visible. Like we could see women opening up their computers and doing things. The shift was extremely visible.
as it was unfolding. And that's what my mastermind, Wedding Pro Insiders, that's what our mastermind really creates. When I started this group back in 2019, I could have never imagined that it would continue to evolve into one of the most supportive, safe, nurturing, stretching experiences for women in this industry. And...
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I got to tell you that's what being in the right room will do for you. I've been in a lot of rooms in my career, some that have stretched me, some that have lifted me up, that have pushed me, that have made me really become the business owner that I am. I've also been in rooms that made me question myself, gave me imposter syndrome, that made me feel like I didn't belong.
I know that as a business coach, as a mentor and as a community builder, I never wanted anyone to ever feel those ways in the rooms that I was a part of or that I was the leader of. And I'm so proud to say that Wedding Pro Insiders is the opposite of imposter syndrome, making you feel bad or making you feel like you don't belong. It's everything the opposite of that.
Candice (17:20.12)
Now with all this momentum, let me share with you some of the takeaways, my takeaways, and I think the ladies takeaways from the WPI retreat. So this is where you may want to take some notes. This is where you may want to, if you're driving, slow down a little bit so you can hear me.
This is where you may even want to come back to this episode and relisten because I think there's some really powerful lessons and takeaways from our time together. I know you might not have been able to be there, although there's going to be an invitation for you a little later to find out how you could be at our next one. But these takeaways are yours to take away with you as you might need them. So the first is that clarity comes when you stop trying to make the wrong thing work.
So many women came in with a question, a big question that they really wanted to believe in. And not all, but a few realized that that big question wasn't aligned anymore. One of the women on day one asked her big question and then realized, wait a minute, this doesn't, this isn't me or I'm playing too small. I need to think bigger. And she completely
Rerote for herself what success looked like in her business and what she wanted out of her business And to quote her she said I didn't like the answer I had so I threw it out and I started fresh I often think that When we can recognize what we don't want what we're no longer willing to tolerate or do
or what no longer serves us or works for us, that can be way more powerful than setting goals or chasing after what we think we want. So the big lesson here was clarity comes when you stop trying to make the wrong thing work. I want you to think for a second about your business. And maybe there's something that you're trying to make work that just isn't suited for you.
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It's not suited for where you want to go or the season of life you're in. And what would happen if you stopped trying so hard to make the wrong thing work and instead you let go of that and you invited something that fit you better? What's that one thing happening in your business right now where this lesson might apply? The second lesson was you don't need a bigger following. You need a bigger vision. We talked a lot about being
bold and in fact that was my keynote that set the tone and it really resonated. The good news for you is I'm going to share a portion of my keynote here on the podcast next week. So you will also get some big bold vibes. But this conversation came up around marketing, pricing, visibility. We talked about it a lot actually, especially as it relates to being bold.
And so many members realized that they were playing small in how they spoke about their work or what they allowed themselves to pursue, what they allowed themselves to dream after. And we, all of us came to the conclusion that it wasn't about growing followers or being popular. It was about a bigger vision that we have for our business and stepping into that bigger vision. I wonder how this might apply to you.
where you might be playing small in your business, dimming your voice, not fully stepping in or embracing your style, your opinion, your approach, your expertise in what you do, and how playing small is limiting you from seeing a bigger vision or what could be possible for you in your business.
The next lesson is you're allowed to evolve. You're allowed to grow. You're allowed to change. You're allowed to change your mind. Evolution was a huge theme at our retreat. Women developed new service models. There was brand shifts. They hired people at the retreat or just after. They made the decision to just raise their rates to stop second guessing that as a part of their business.
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They made the decision to say no to work that doesn't align to double down on their vision. And I think we all understood deeper of ourselves, but also in mirroring it through each other that we're allowed to evolve and change our mind and to grow and to let go of the things that just are not serving our purpose any longer.
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Frances who was a who was a member of my mastermind Frances Ledgwood and a dedicated podcast listener So I know she's got this going on in her morning walk she shared a post ad during the retreat of her time so far and She wanted her clients to see that she is constantly improving and She said this business is built on consistently refining the experience we give our clients
And she was doing just that at the retreat and so much more. Growth in our business is never linear. It's never just a straight shot up or toward the thing that you're working for. And this retreat, it gave everybody permission to release that version of their business that just no longer fits. Some women.
burned it in a fire pit, literally the version of their business that they're not carrying with them as they left Barbados. I wonder what version of your business you could write on a piece of paper and burn in a fire pit on the beach in Barbados when you come and visit us for our next retreat. What version of your business is no longer serving
You, your clients, the industry, and how have you evolved since you started your business? Where are you moving toward? Where are you feeling called toward? The next lesson was your energy is your most important asset.
I could see the energy swirling around this retreat and it was so positive and so uplifting. The energy was right. And gosh, you can't fake that. Like you can't, you can have the best, you know, swag bag. You can have the best food. You can have the right speakers, the right topics, but if the energy's off, it's hard to repair. And not only that, but we all came.
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to the conclusion that the energy we're bringing into our business for the rest of the year has fundamentally changed based on the energy we exchange at this retreat. This came up in conversations about pricing, team building, and even capacity, what we have the capacity for as business owners, as CEOs. Many members realized that they were exhausted
and that they needed to protect their time and energy. Like the premium resource that it is. And I think our catamaran break in the three days, right smack dab in the middle on day two, we broke away from masterminding and we got on a cruise. Some ladies took that time and they slept a little bit, they napped on the boat. And I got a voxer message from one of the women.
in the evening and she said, thank you for such a special day. That was the first time I felt truly unplugged from my business in a long time. And it just goes to show you that rest is so important and your energy is so important because you can't scale when your nervous system is in fight or flight. This is something that we talked a lot about in my mastermind retreat that I went to immediately following WPI in Connecticut. talked about nervous system a lot.
But you can't scale your business. can't think clearly. You can't solve problems. You can't bring creative energy and synergy if your nervous system is all over the place. And if you are in survival mode or in fight or flight mode, if you feel like you're being chased by a bear all day long, how could you think about anything else except surviving?
protecting your energy, cultivating the energy you want to exude the day you want to have, the type of business you want to own, all a big lesson that we learned.
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So I wonder how this could apply to you. And if you could ask yourself, am I safeguarding my energy? Am I controlling my energy? Am I in control of my feelings? Am I in control of how I react to situations? To what I allow to come into my space and unpack and stay? Am I really prioritizing my energy?
in my business and in how that energy affects other people. One lesson I learned as a boss who had an office and who had team members who came to work every day was the energy, the tone that I set, the frequency that I entered into that studio space set the tone and the energy for every single person in it. If I came to the office and I was in a bitchy mood, if I was frustrated, if I was down,
If I was cranky, if I was bitching and complaining and negative, guess what happened? Everybody else fed off that energy, whether they liked it or not. You could instantly see people's moods shift. They were complaining about emails, about clients, about vendors. But if I came into the office and there was a pep in my step and I was positive, nothing was really getting to me, everybody's energy in the office would shift.
If they were having a bad day, you could see that bad day transform into a better day. When I learned that lesson, I had to be very intentional about the energy that I set. And I'm intentional to this day when I show up to coaching calls, when I show up here on the podcast, when I show up for my clients, and even how I show up for myself, I think, what's the energy that I want to have? What's the energy that I want to exude?
An important lesson, especially for the work that we do in the hospitality industry. We can't let sometimes our negative energy affect the work that we do. Next lesson, the right room reminds you of who you really are.
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One of the members of our retreat said that it felt like a breath of fresh air because nobody was posturing, nobody was pretending. It wasn't like some of those spaces that unfortunately notorious to the wedding industry can feel very phony, very fake. Who are you? What are your accomplishments? What's your resume? Where have you been featured? What famous person's wedding did you plan? Who can vouch for you? Who can vouch that you are?
or that you are somebody that I should be connected to. What are you wearing? Where do you live? What does your house look like? What kind of car do you drive? All that kind of stuff. There was none of that at this retreat. I don't cultivate people around me like that, by the way. In fact, I think I repel a lot of those people. They don't necessarily like me, and that's fine. People who are in it for the wrong reasons, please do not come around me. I don't want to support you.
I think I just naturally don't attract those people to me, but there was once a time in my life where those things were really meaningful and mattered to me because I was mixed up in the swirl of posturing and pretend being pretentious. That is not what this space was. One of the women said that somebody said to her, it's like we watched you come alive right before our eyes in this experience.
And I think for a lot of women, they let their guards down and they let go of any fears they might have had coming into this experience that they would be judged or they would be judged against somebody else's success. And they quickly realized that this isn't the space for it. It's not tolerated. Not only is it not tolerated, it's just, it's not a thing in Wedding Pro Insiders. Any member past or present will tell you that this is a safe, inclusive, supportive community.
where there isn't a lot of fluff. We don't really have a lot of fluff. Instead, we talk about things that matter, and we get to the point, and we uplift and support each other. This experience, this retreat, it was built for real, bold, wholehearted women in this industry who are ready to lead and do things bigger. And that just goes to show you that the right room reminds you of who you are.
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Some of the women would very easily tell you they weren't sure if they were going, if they were going to come, they were nervous, they were scared. Just like anybody, it's so natural to be nervous going to these things. Every single in-person event I've gone to, there's been a moment of panic. Usually the day of as you're getting dressed where you're thinking, why did I agree to do this? Why did I agree to do this? Why did I think that I could just do this? And I know that some of the women experienced that, but as soon as they got into the room,
They saw the type of women they were surrounded by, or they were reminded, because we're all in a mastermind together, they were reminded of the women who surrounded them, and they let their guard down. Not only that, the room reminded them of who they are. It inspired them to think bigger and bolder. It inspired them that they also have a lot of the answers that they're seeking in their intuition and in their own experience. And they felt very validated by that.
They weren't behind. They weren't an imposter. They weren't faking it. They were the real deal. And they left here feeling it, which is so, so special and important. I wonder what type of rooms you might be in in your business right now that are uplifting you and then maybe on the opposite side aren't uplifting you. Maybe they're making you feel bad. It could be a group chat.
of local pros where you just feel bad every time you see how well other people are doing. It could be a local networking group that you just don't feel like uplifts you. It could be a conference you went to where you didn't feel included or like you were welcome. But what would happen if you positioned yourself in rooms where people want to see you do well? Where people, where actually your success is the group's success.
Because if we're all making money and if we're all following our purpose and if we're all leading with hospitality and wanting to do the very best for our clients in a genuine way, we all win. And through that experience, we all lift each other up and hold each other to a higher standard. What if you and your business could be in a room like WPI that lifts you up and reminds you of who you are?
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Another lesson was that creative expansion requires structure. In order for us to be creative, we have to have the structure and the ability to create creative space for ourselves. Now, one member during her time realized that she couldn't create at a high level because she was drowning in the backend. And I'm willing to bet.
you might be in a similar position in your business. You the administrative worth takes over. There's so much to do. The bigger your business gets, the bigger your problems are, the longer your to-do list is. And if you don't have help, if you don't have team members, then you're just drowning in work that sucks the joy or the creativity out of why you started your business in the first place. So we had
conversations around building systems that support our artistry, our creativity, so that we have more room to breathe that creativity into life. And for the woman who came to the retreat wanting to talk about systems, I'm sure that this supported her and was actually the bigger question of like, can I find more time for creativity and play and experimentation in my work?
And the answer is to have better systems that support your art. I wonder what could be possible for you and what kind of expansion you could have with just a few tweaks to your business structure. I'm not talking major overhauls because that's typically not required. We often think I have to redo my entire business structure. I have to redo my entire business model. I've got to start from scratch or I've to...
Wipe the slate clean. And I think there's an emotional merit to that. Like it helps us to like wipe it all away and start fresh. We all love a fresh start, right? But sometimes that's so unnecessary and it does a disservice to what we're trying to do because a simple tweak can make all the difference.
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And we don't have to start from scratch. We don't have to wipe the slate clean. And we don't have to spend all this time rebuilding something when really we can just tweak. So I wonder what in your business could be tweaked just ever so slightly. And that tweak could unlock a new level of creativity, designs for your clients, photography, experimentation and play, invitation design, experimentation and play. What could be possible? Now, find a lesson from the WPI retreat.
You are the leader and it's time that you start acting like it. Leadership was a huge, huge thread throughout the retreat. It was a huge topic. We talked about leadership in lots of different ways, small ways, big ways.
And for some of the women, they recognize that they could no longer be the operator of their business. And they needed to start being the CEO.
And this required them to make decisions, bold decisions, better, faster, to get off the fence, to stop leaning on that fence and being in indecision or analysis paralysis, but also to stop being stuck in the comforts of operations, of just doing the stuff to operate. And instead, thinking bigger and bolder like the CEOs, they are.
What could be possible for you if you were not the bottleneck anymore? What could be possible for you if you started thinking like a CEO and stopped thinking like an operator, stopped thinking like the freelancer of your business? What could be possible for you? What decisions would you make? What risks would you take? What opportunities would you create?
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I'm willing to bet that on the other side of this lesson that you are the leader and you need to start acting like it are all the things that you want for your business that you want to do. The tastemaker you want to become, the recognition that you crave or desire, the clients that you want to attract, the money that you want to make, the purpose that you're trying to fulfill.
Candice (38:08.728)
Those are the lessons. I want to talk about why getting in the room matters. Why being in a room in an in-person event, whether it's my retreat or another experience, and there's really great ones out there.
But why being in the room matters. First is you can't build a bold legacy level business from behind a screen.
Trust me, a lot can be handled in a Zoom room, so much. But imagine six months worth of coaching in three days. That's what in-person does. It's only going to take you so far. Growth at the level that we're talking about requires being present. And it requires presence, energy exchange, reflection, conversation, brave conversations in real time.
So for you, I believe that you can't build a bold legacy level business in a silo by yourself, and you can't build it from behind a screen without any in-person interaction. The next is proximity is power. We've long known this, but only if you're in the right room. Not all rooms are created equal. WPI is definitely special. It's a room full of women who are ready to lead and who are leading the industry.
who are rising to the occasion of leading their businesses and their teams and who don't pretend. They don't perform, they're flawed, they don't have it all figured out, they don't have their shit together everywhere, but they know what they want and they know what they're capable of. Proximity to people like that is only going to hold up a mirror to you and show you what you're capable of.
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So if you've been feeling stuck, unclear, maybe you just feel like you're flatlined, like things are not moving in your business. This is the shift that I think you need. It's momentum. And there's nothing like the momentum that comes from being in a room where the vibe, the energy is, you could go bigger. Of course you can do that. Let's figure out how to do that. Let's figure out how to make that happen for you.
Let's show you what we see in you. was one retreat attendee who is so, her life story is so fascinating to me. She's had really cool experiences in her life. And I want to see more of her in her business. I think she has such an incredible design eye. She has a taste level that is incredible. And she has all this life experience that is interesting and adventurous. And I want to see that in her brand.
I would have never necessarily been able to experience that by just being on a screen all the time. I've been coaching her for at least six months, but being in the room with her, I'm like, she's telling me all these things. And I'm like, why are we not talking about this? This is so cool. Everybody walked away from this experience changed. And I believe that the shift that you're craving is in a room like WPI.
Because you'll see yourself differently when you're reflected by the right people. You'll begin to see what you're capable of differently. Sometimes we forget how powerful we are, how much we already know, the obstacles we've overcome in our lives. We shrink. We say, oh, I don't know if I'm worthy of that, if I'm ready for that, if I'll be accepted. I just need to do blank, then I will be ready.
And a room like this holds up that mirror and it says, hey, you're playing too small. You got to stretch yourself. Or that idea that you just threw away or that you shrunk away from, that's your big idea. That's the thing that you should be chasing. I truly believe that you deserve to be surrounded by women who remind you of what's possible. But not only that, they call it forward out of you.
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They pull it out of you and they share what worked for them. They're not gatekeeping. It's not perfect either because it never is. And they're also gonna celebrate your wins and your accomplishments without any ego. It can be hard in a local market to share your wins with local competition, community over competition for sure, but it can feel hard to get that validation back when everybody's competing against one another.
But in a room like WPI, there is no competition. from all over the world and we're not competing with each other. We're trying to rise, lift each other up. I it truly is community over competition in this space. Imagine what could be possible for you if you had a space like this to grow into and be yourself. The retreat was magical and I can't wait to do it again. So we have a November retreat coming up, second week of November.
I'm so excited for it. We're calling it our business lab. And it's going to be a place for experimentation, play, and taking a boatload of action. The feedback I got from the ladies of our recent retreat was outstanding. And they said, if I could give any feedback, I would love for more of day three. I'd love to spend more time taking action. And so that's what we're going to do in November. And we're going to treat our businesses like a laboratory and experiment and get some things done.
that have long been on the to-do list or that we've been whispering to ourselves but haven't necessarily taken action. Now I want to share with you more about Wedding Pro Insiders because you've listened to this entire episode, you've heard the things that we did at the retreat, the fun we had, we had such a blast, the friendships that were made. mean, these ladies are in their own group chat, they're texting each other every Monday. I love the friendships that were formed and the connections they made. It really was kind of like summer camp.
And I'd love for you to be a part of this experience. Wedding Pro Insiders is my high level mastermind for women in the wedding industry who want to build a bold business, who are ready to step outside their comfort zone, and who want to build a business that gives back to their meaningful life. That tells me that they have heart and purpose behind the work that they do, that they want to make money unapologetically, they want to feed their families, they want to treat their families, they might even want to be the breadwinner.
Candice (44:42.734)
of their families, but they don't want to sacrifice their family time, their energy or their life in order to build a business. They want their business to give back to their life. If that sounds like something you want to be a part of, I'm going to invite you to get on the wait list for Wedding Pro Insiders. Doors will be opening soon. We have a couple of spots opening up, very limited room inside this mastermind. What I have created works so well because every person
that comes into this space is vetted by me. There are commonalities, but there are also differences that help add to the group. And it's limited. Not everybody can join. We don't always have space. Often the women renew their time inside the mastermind for many years because they love it and they love the support they get in the community that it provides. There's not always space to join us, but there will be.
a few long time members who are graduating who were so sad to see leave our mastermind, but they have all the tools and they're ready to go out there and to do the thing on their own and also experience new experiences, which I think is so fantastic. So this is for experienced wedding professionals in the wedding industry who are scaling, shifting or reinventing their business. You have to be
in business for a period of time. This is not for newcomers, but if you are a newcomer, put it on your business bucket list. It's definitely something that you want to aspire to do when the time is right. Now inside Wedding Pro Insiders, there's more than just this retreat. So you get me for 12 months. That's strategic coaching, accountability, community, and also these amazing retreats where one of these retreat experiences is included in your time in Wedding Pro Insiders.
So the catamaran cruise, the lunches, being at my house, those three days, it's included. You don't pay for that. It's included in your experience. One of these retreats a year.
Candice (46:50.316)
And so you get a mixture of everything, consistent support, somebody in your corner, a group of women in your corner every month, and then also the greater experience of coming to Barbados and hanging out with me in my house, floating in my pool, sipping on rosé, eating yummy, delicious, nutritious food, and working on your business. It's beyond just surface level advice. It's beyond just courses or
an accelerator or kind of training. I think this is like soul deep work that we do inside WPI. And it's clarity paired with strategy. It really helps you to understand what your next moves are. So let me be real with you. If you've been circling this mastermind, which I know many of you have, I see when you sign up for the wait list and you've signed up a few times, you're watching from the sidelines, you're lurking.
On the retreat recaps, you're like, I would love to do that. You've read the testimonials. You've seen the sales page. You've talked to me about it. You're wondering if you're ready. I want you to hear me loud and clear. You are ready. You are ready to receive an experience like this, and you deserve it. You work so hard in your business. You deserve to have a place that is safe, that is inclusive, and that is going to build you up, that's going to challenge you to stretch yourself, to think bigger.
but also remind you of what you're capable of. So if you've been waiting for some magical moment to come and join us inside WPI, girl, this is your magical moment. Here's what I know. You are not meant to build your business alone, behind a laptop. We are not meant to do business alone.
You are meant and you deserve to be in rooms where women are making bold moves, stretching themselves, having honest conversations about life, marriage, family, hormones, all the things. And also saying things out loud that most people are just too scared to admit. You're meant to be in this room with these women having these conversations.
Candice (49:08.546)
Wedding Pro Insiders, it's more than a course. Courses have places. I have a course. I have another course coming out. Courses are so valuable. They're meant to help you sharpen or master a certain aspect of your business. But they can't give you what Wedding Pro Insiders gives you. The accountability, the holistic.
approach and the one-on-one coaching with me, my eyes on your business. And I also like to say you get unfiltered me, not that I filter myself on the podcast, but you get like me with a glass of Rose, you know, telling you what you need, what you maybe don't want to hear, but what you need to hear and giving you straight advice. So many private conversations happen at this retreat. And then also daily on Boxer that I would never talk about here.
but they're very important conversations that you can't really have with a lot of people in your life, but you can have them with me and with these women. So you deserve a place where you have strategy, where you can be yourself and really figure out who you are and what type of business you're truly building. Hopefully one that is profitable, that is powerful and personal, deeply personal to you and the clients that it serves. Where we scale with intention.
where we create offers and services and businesses that feel aligned, raise our prices without second guessing everything that we're doing, and we stop shrinking in spaces that were actually never built for us in the first place. Now in November, we're gathering again. Our retreats, think, are going to be November and April every single year. And if you join us,
Inside WPI, or if you're one of my ladies listening and you renew and your renewal's up, you get to come to the business lab as a part of your experience. And I want you there. I want to see your booty swimming with the turtles on a catamaran cruise, on my sofa, living your best life, eating delicious food and talking business with women who get it. So in November, we're talking about experimentation, revenue strategies, marketing strategies that actually convert.
Candice (51:26.01)
new service suites that you can offer really brave and bold shifts. And most of all, you're going to have all the community, the coaching, and the time to do the thing you've been putting off. So if you're tired of doing this alone, and if you are ready to stop tinkering with your business and start leading and making decisive, bold, big decisions, then I want to see you.
Inside Wedding Pro Insiders. You can go to weddingproinsiders.com to learn a little bit more. We're gonna do a retreat recap over on the blog. So you can head over to the blog and also see some beautiful photos from Carla of the retreat. And I'll be photobombing you all over Instagram the next couple of weeks as well. But you can see exactly what we did over on the blog, a retreat recap. And I'd love to see you.
You are meant for more and you are meant for this experience. And I can't wait to welcome you and to show you what it's like to be in a room full of women who want to radically see you succeed and to have a coach to guide you through success and the next era of your business. So go to weddingproinsiders.com. You can go there, sign up for the wait list. You can email me.
and ask for more information, personally email me. You can DM me on Instagram and just say, girl, I think it's time. I think it's time that I get inside your mastermind and we can talk. If you want to set up a call, we can discuss it. I want this to feel good for you. And like I mentioned, it's a very, as inclusive and as safe as we are, it's a very exclusive group. And that's how we maintain our inclusivity and our safe space. And there really is only so many spots because I can't serve.
you know, a hundred people, would be, I wouldn't be able to do that. So we cap it at around 40. So when spots are full, there's no way to get in, but there are a few spots opening up and I would love for one of those spots to be yours. All right, friend. Thanks for listening to my retreat recap. I hope that you have got some great lessons out of the lessons that we learned in Barbados. And I just want to encourage you to get in the room.
Candice (53:51.224)
Whether it's with me or with somebody else who you trust and admire, please put yourself out there and make this the year where you lead boldly. I will see you next week for a very special episode where I'm giving you the keynote that I gave at the retreat. You're definitely gonna wanna tune in to this episode. All right, friends, I'll see you next time. I wanna remind you there's so much power in your purpose.
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It’s time for a come to Jesus moment…
If you want a wedding business in two years, you’ve got to stop letting Threads hijack your brand.
You’re drowning in hot takes from people who’ve never managed a 200-guest wedding, handled sensitive family issues with care, or built a real business ROOTED in hospitality.
And worse? You might be reposting their stuff.
Every time you drag a client, mock a fellow vendor, or echo some out-of-touch “truth” that doesn’t reflect how you actually work… you chip away at your credibility.
Your future clients are watching. So are your peers. And the people you want to refer you.
You don’t have to sanitize your voice.
But you do need to be intentional about what you’re amplifying.
I’m all for an occasional gos session or needing to vent about real frustrations. But GIRRRRLLL, that’s what your best friend and momma are for!!
Swipe through if you’ve been feeling off lately. This might be why.
And a good test to run any “hot take” through is something my friend @c10ike says a lot:
✨ Is it necessary?
✨ Is it kind?
✨ Is it true?
Reputation isn’t built in the spotlight. It’s built in the quiet moments when you choose not to take the bait.
In this clip from the latest episode, I’m breaking down one of the most overlooked but powerful ways to build a brand that commands respect: staying out of the bullshit.
👉 That means stepping away from the gossip-filled group chats.
👉 That means not chiming in when someone starts bashing another vendor.
👉 That means not running to threads when you see another vendor f*cking up.
Reputation isn’t just what you say about yourself. It’s what others feel safe saying around you. And if people feel like you’re a safe space to gossip, chances are they’ll feel just as safe gossiping about you.
This episode is your reminder to keep it clean. Stay client-focused. Surround yourself with good people. Let your reputation speak louder than any tea ever could.
Comment 187 and I will send you the link to listen to this week’s episode.
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#candicecoppola #weddingindustry #weddingpros #weddingpro #weddingindustryexperts #weddingpodcast #weddingbusiness #weddingbusiness #thepowerinpurposepodcast #weddingindustryeducation #weddingplanner
Success leaves clues 👏
I used to think successful people had something I didn’t.
More confidence.
More clarity.
More certainty.
But then I looked closer.
And here’s what I saw:
They weren’t waiting to feel ready.
They weren’t waiting to be chosen.
They weren’t waiting AT ALL.
They moved with the fear.
They spoke up despite the self-doubt.
They gave themselves permission before anyone else ever did.
Because success? It’s not about perfection. It’s about boldness.
✨ This week’s podcast episode is all about that shift — the one that luxury clients can feel when they’re deciding whether to trust you. And the one that might be keeping you stuck.
Comment 186 and I will send you the link.
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#candicecoppola #weddingindustry #weddingpros #weddingpro #weddingindustryexperts #weddingpodcast #weddingbusiness #thepowerinpurposepodcast #weddingindustryeducation #weddingplanner
You didn’t start your business because it was safe.
You started it because something deep inside you said yes—even if no one else could see the vision.
That was audacity.
That was courage.
That was you, betting on yourself.
This week on the podcast, I’m inviting you back to that version of yourself.
The one who launched the site.
Named the business.
Started marketing without a roadmap.
Took bold action before you felt ready.
Because she didn’t disappear. She’s just buried under the pressure, the fear, the expectations. And it’s time to call her back.
Comment 186 and I will send you the link to listen 🫶
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#candicecoppola #weddingindustry #weddingpros #weddingpro #weddingindustryexperts #weddingpodcast #weddingbusiness #thepowerinpurposepodcast #weddingindustryeducation #weddingprofessionals #becomeaweddingplanner #startaweddingbusiness #weddingmba
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