Recharge, Refocus & Recommit ~

Tools for Designing a Balanced, Fulfilling Life

Warm Springs, VA ~ September 6-10, 2023

If you’re a vibrant, successful woman who is craving a change or looking for balance and new direction, join us among the rolling hills and restorative waters of Warm Springs, Virginia for this transformative getaway. Here you will rediscover your interests, align with your natural balance and direction, and leave you brimming with excitement over the new possibilities for your life!

Are You:

  • Ready to channel all of the skills, wisdom and experiences you have accumulated toward a new direction and with renewed purpose?

  • Innately curious and craving something different?

  • Looking for support from like-minded women with a rich variety of backgrounds?

  • Proud of what you have accomplished and ready to shake things up a bit?

  • Primed to find new and fulfilling ways to be relevant, impactful, and satisfied in the next phase of your life?

You are not alone!

We invite you to join our intimate group of authentic, motivated and multi-generational women as we guide you toward your exciting future.

Meet Your Hosts

Hi! We are Jennifer Sullivan (left) and Lisa Waltuch (right), co-founders of Encore Retreats.

We are passionate about helping smart, savvy women approach the next stage of life with confidence and excitement, while creating their most fulfilling encores. Ultimately, we provide tools and insights that allow women to uncover their talents, desires and dreams and then harness the courage and energy it takes to go after them. 

Lisa is a Co-Active trained life coach specializing in Design Thinking methodology. She worked as a creative director for The Discovery Channel, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website and Walmart. She fuels her creative energy as a silk artist and storytelling curator and is the busy mom of Theo and twins Noa and Eli. Lisa holds a BA from Stanford University and MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Jen spent 20+ years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and is now the owner of a boutique travel consultancy. She is passionate about purposeful, immersive travel ~ creating experiences for others that they will remember and cherish gives her energy. She is the proud mom of Evan and Nate. Jen holds a BA from the University of Richmond.

Together, we believe in doing our part to create a world where women can show up authentically, with a deeper understanding of self and connection with others.

 
 

Welcome

September is the perfect time of year to visit the rolling hills and stunning colors of Warm Springs, VA. The warmth of summer lingers while the crowds recede and you get to unwind at the lovely boutique Inn at Gristmill Square, hike in the mountain forest, and indulge in the unique offerings from local chefs and cider makers. Most of all, it is a time to be together with other women and to reflect on who you are, what you want and where you want to go next.

 

The Venue

We’ll gather among the picturesque, rolling hills and crisp mountain streams of Warm Springs, Virginia, 160 miles west of Richmond. The Allegheny Mountains are the perfect backdrop for you to disconnect from your commitments and to focus on yourself, what you truly want and where you want to go.

Spend four nights at The Inn at Gristmill Square, a boutique inn composed of restored historic buildings and an elegant restaurant and pub housed in a converted mill. Onsite amenities include an outdoor pool, select rooms with wood-burning fireplaces, gift shop, and an award-winning restaurant complete with a wine cellar from which guests can select their wine. Located just across the street, guests can enjoy treatments at the neighboring Warm Spirit Spa.

 

 The Cuisine

Bath County’s most iconic gristmill is home to the award-winning Waterwheel Restaurant. Contemporary farm-to-table dining features the freshest local and sustainable ingredients often including vegetables and herbs from the onsite garden. The small group of highly trained individuals provide warm and personable service in a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere. Guests are invited to visit the wine cellar deep within the old mill foundation or enjoy a classic cocktail at one of the Commonwealth’s smallest bars – on one of the “best four seats in Virginia”.

 The Journey

From the minute you arrive in Warm Springs until you leave five days later, you will go on an adventure to help you define and take control of your future.

  • Immerse yourself in an incredible natural environment through morning movement and mountain hikes, free your mind, spark creativity, and allow yourself to go to new places.

  • Listen to the personal stories of the innkeepers, chefs, farmers and gallerists who have moved away from a conventional life to one with a deeper connection to the earth and self.

  • “Take the healing waters” at the historic Warm Springs Pools. Bubbling up from deep underground is the warm mineral-rich and crystal-clear water that fills the Warm Springs Pools, America's oldest spa. 

  • Embrace regional culture through the local food, and experiences

  • Practice radical collaboration with a group of like-minded, multi-generational, dynamic women.

  • Nourish your body with carefully curated, hyper-local cuisine.

  • With your mind and body prepared, dig deep into your own personal path using innovative approaches such as Stanford Life Design program and William Bridges' transitions work.

“I cannot say enough about the healing power of being open and vulnerable in the presence of extraordinary women who support and care for your growth.”

— S.V.

 Our Approach

Design Thinking uses curiosity and creativity to help us uncover, reframe, test out and apply techniques to address issues in a creative, innovative and action-oriented way. This approach was initially meant to solve problems in design and engineering but has been extremely effective in fixing the challenges in our lives. We use the Stanford Life Design program as our main structure and use strategies around transition and life balance to help you create a life that makes sense in terms of who you are and what you believe.

 We apply these ideas of design thinking, transition, and life balance into every single experience during our time together.   By the end of this retreat, after some deep, delightful introspection and simple mindset adjustments with like-minded women, you’ll have the tools you need to find your balance, discover your hidden direction, leave old barriers behind, and rekindle the energy you need to design the next exciting chapter of your most fulfilling life.

On this retreat, you’ll enjoy:

Collaboration

  • Four incredible days together in a quietly inspiring environment that’s sure to nurture your mind, body and soul

  • Workshops and group exercises to identify where you are now, where you want to go next and set intentional steps forward

Small Group Setting

  • This retreat is limited in size in order to foster trust, connections and meaningful conversations

  • Post-trip community support through a private Facebook group

Movement, Wellness and Relaxation

  • Morning movement options along streams flowing from the Alleghany Mountains

  • Local hikes in the George Washington National Forest

  • Access to the Inn's outdoor pool

  • Downtime each day to nap, journal and let the ah-has sink in

  • A soak in the historic Warm Springs Pools

Gourmet meals and tastings

  • Four in-room breakfasts, to enjoy at your leisure

  • 4 lunches on the go

  • 4 sunset cocktail hours

  • Private tour to the Troddenvale Cidery including eight course tasting dinner and cider pairings

  • Two multi-course dinners at the award-winning Waterwheel Restaurant

  • One dinner at the charming Warm Springs Inn

The retreat does not include:

  • Roundtrip airfare. We recommend flying into Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (75 miles) or Richmond International Airport (175 miles)

  • Ground transportation to and from The Inn at Gristmill Square in Warm Springs. We can connect participants who want to arrange carpools, if requested

  • Relaxing massage or facial available for an additional $120 per treatment

  • Personal, medical or trip cancellation insurance

  • Additional food or alcohol

    What you will take home:

  • Actionable steps towards your next chapter

  • Connections and an ongoing community of like-minded women

  • A physical rest and mental reset

  • Resources to support you on your new path

  • A group of new friends, connections and collaborators connected through our private Facebook group

 

“I walked away from the retreat with a different perspective on a weight that I have been carrying for a few years. I have a renewed sense of energy to take on an exciting challenge…a purposeful adventure.”

— S.B.

 

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

— Mary Oliver

 
 

Can’t make this trip, but want to join our community? Sign up here