How a mastermind retreat on a cruise up leveled my business

A different version of this post first appeared on LorraineCLadish.com

I′ve been making a living in the digital space for fifteen years. For the first eight, I attended and spoke at numerous social media conferences. I always felt that as great as the panels and keynote speakers may be, there is nothing like a heartfelt exchange in the elevator or a quick catch-up conversation in the hallways. Those are the game-changers.

I have sealed deals in conferences, but usually, because the person who hired me already knew me online. I have rarely landed a gig after a brief first-time encounter with a PR or editor. Relationships take time to build.

In 2019 I was at a point in my digital career where most of the work I got from sponsors and editors came from the result of a social media or Google search. My social media footprint and my work spoke for themselves. I didn't feel the need to mix and mingle a lot to make sure I got gigs. I focused on creating content that matters and that’s where my leads came from. This is still true today.

Does this mean I wouldn't ever attend a conference again? Of course not, but I′m way more selective now. For me to spend money on attending a conference, I have to be pretty confident that it′s going to render some kind of return on my investment. Otherwise, it′s just another trip and, quite frankly, I′d rather spend the money on a real vacation.

Something happened in October of 2019 that validated my thoughts. I was invited to an all-expenses paid mastermind retreat on a cruise. Yep, you read right. I′m super thankful that I was invited and I give myself mad props for clearing my calendar for an entire week!

What went down during the retreat

Our mastermind retreat was hosted by Carnival Cruise Line and included two days of presentations by each one of the members of the group. The rest of the days were spent on day excursions in Roatán, Belize, and Cozumel. Nightly group dinners had us all getting to know one another better personally and professionally. It was hard to say goodbye at the end of the week.

We were a colorful, go-getting mastermind group of nine people that included content creators, photographers, public relations, influencer managers, and more. We each had the task of presenting to the rest of the group for one hour, on a subject in an area of our expertise. My presentation was based on the subject of what I then thought would be my next book: “Turning your flaws into assets to achieve success.”

From the others, I learned how to stay focused in life and business; I got excellent tips on how to establish and nurture long-term brand ambassadorships; received suggestions on improving my smartphone photography skills; and learned the ins and outs of working with ad networks such as Mediavine, to name a few. In fact, after a close look at my Google Analytics, I was encouraged to apply to partner with Mediavine, and did, with my website VivaFifty.com.

When you′ve reached a certain point in your career, no matter what that is, I feel that one benefits from retreats with peers where everyone brings important information and experience to the table. Large conferences are great for networking, but these intimate mastermind groups are the best way to level up.

Nothing can beat honest talk about income, cash flow, and ways to optimize time and energy. If on top of that, you learn how others in your field of work navigate self-doubt, parenting issues, and even mental health, you’ve hit the jackpot. In this mastermind retreat, we all did that.

I cannot end this mini-recap without pointing you to some of the wonderful members of our cruise mastermind group. They all rock their area of expertise and are great human beings on top of that.

Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack – Food blogger and book author

Shaunda Necole – Business coach, speaker and SEO expert

Jenna Sparks – Photographer

Stephen Chavez – Public relations and food blogger

MediaVine – Ad network (Kristie Kovarovic repped them well)

Johanna Voss – Influencer and talent manager

Lorraine C. Ladish – Yours truly. Johanna Voss above would tell me off if I didn’t include myself.?