Renee:
We’re a little over three months away from our next Soulful Leadership Retreat, and the behind-the-scenes energy is in full swing.
If you’ve ever planned a big event, especially with your spouse, you know it’s equal parts exciting and exhausting. There’s magic in it, yes, but there’s also a lot of moving parts, countless details, and a constant dance between our different strengths.
For me, that means spreadsheets, timelines, menus, speaker logistics, run of show, room assignments, signage, and about a hundred little things that no one ever sees but make the experience seamless. It’s the back-end rhythm that keeps everything running.
Mark, on the other hand, is out front connecting with people, inviting them to attend, having those conversations that fill the room with the right souls. He’s building relationships and creating the buzz that brings the whole thing to life.
We’re in completely different lanes during this part of the process, but the destination is the same: creating an unforgettable experience for everyone who walks through those doors.
Mark:
It’s funny that people see us together on stage and think, “You two make it look so easy.” What they don’t see are the late-night conversations, the planning meetings, or the tiny moments of friction that come with running a retreat (and a household) side by side.
She’s the structure. I’m the spark. And it only works when we trust and honor that both matter equally.
Renee’s gift is that she sees the whole picture, every name tag, meal plan, and travel detail. Mine is that I see the people, the connections, the energy, the opportunities to bring the right mix of leaders into the room.
We’ve learned over time that neither of us can do this alone. It only works when we trust and honor each other’s strengths.
Renee:
There are definitely moments when it all feels like a lot, especially when I’m juggling home life and event prep at the same time. There’s always that thought in the back of my mind: “Do we have everything covered?”
Some nights, I even wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the retreat, running through details in my head, or double-checking timelines. And the dreams have already started, those vivid ones where I’m right in the thick of it, making sure everything flows.
But then there’s this deep satisfaction when the retreat begins, when everything clicks and we see the transformation unfolding in real time. That’s when I remember why we do it.
Hosting a retreat isn’t just about logistics; it’s about creating a space where people can be fully seen, supported, and inspired.
And that starts with us modeling that same connection and trust with each other.
Mark:
That’s one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned as couplepreneurs: when you’re co-leading, co-parenting, and co-creating, communication is everything.
We’ve had to learn to give each other grace, stay in our lanes, and appreciate the energy the other brings to the table. The moments of tension are real, but so are the moments of deep gratitude, the ones where we look around a room full of amazing people and realize, “We built this together.”
Mark & Renee:
Planning and hosting a retreat is a labor of love. It takes vision, structure, patience, and teamwork. It takes late nights, long conversations, and sometimes, compromise.
But at the end of it all, when we’re standing in a room full of heart-centered leaders who are connecting, collaborating, and transforming, it’s worth every spreadsheet, every phone call, every early morning, and every late-night debrief.
That’s what it really takes to host a retreat and still love each other in the process.
Renee:
Every retreat starts long before anyone arrives, in the planning, the dreaming, and those middle-of-the-night moments when I’m already walking through it in my mind.
But every retreat also ends the same way with full hearts, deep gratitude, and a reminder that this work is sacred.
We’re weaving in new elements this year to make it feel even more like a true retreat, more space for reflection, more opportunities for connection, and more moments to breathe it all in.
Mark:
So here’s to every couple, team, and visionary duo out there doing the work, both seen and unseen. The world needs your partnership and your purpose.
Mark & Renee:
The countdown is on for Soulful Leadership Retreat 2026, happening February 5–7 at Reunion Resort in Orlando, FL.
We are so excited to share the magic with you.
Because when vision meets collaboration and love meets leadership, incredible things happen.