Professional and Personal Growth Aren’t Luxuries-They’re Strategies

This month, I’m doing something that sounds radical—but honestly, I’ve been doing it for years to level up my game.

No, I’m not going on a silent meditation retreat.  I’m not hiking the Appalachian Trail solo.  And I’m definitely not getting a one-way ticket to an unplanned destination.

What I am doing is something far less trendy and far more transformational (and maybe a little less radical than you were anticipating): I’m carving out a total of 10 days this month (that’s 33% of my month!) to both lead and attend a small CEO business retreat as well as attend a groundbreaking business conference with leaders across industries.  I’m intentionally stepping away from the never-ending to-do list, the email pings, and the very real demands of life and business to focus on something most of us are guilty of ignoring: GROWTH. 

Personal growth. Professional growth. The kind that doesn’t come from hustling harder but instead from hitting pause.

It’s not about running away from my responsibilities. It’s about stepping away from the noise long enough to think clearly, lead boldly, and grow intentionally.

Growth doesn’t just happen when life slows down (spoiler: it won’t). It happens when you choose to slow down—and make space for the next level.

These events take me away from the office and my home for two weeks this month.  I’m even sacrificing missing my son’s last middle school orchestra performance (with a solo!)…oh, the guilt!  But, we have to make tough decisions sometimes and learn to move from guilt to alternative options.  In this age of technology, I can be “present” for my son through livestreaming while still being able to take time away to grow my various businesses and work on personal development.

Yep, it’s scheduled. It’s strategic. It’s part of how I plan my quarters to purposely engage in growth.

The truth is, you don’t grow by accident. You grow by stepping away, leaning in, and making space to think, problem solve, network, and learn from other experts.

And while these kinds of vacation retreats aren’t new for me, the insights I gain every time are what keeps evolving—and why I keep making space for these types of growth activities

Why You Need Both: Personal and Professional Development

We should all want to be better: better leaders, better partners, better parents, better role models, better at saying “no” without explaining ourselves like we’re on trial, and simply just better as a person. That’s what life is about.

But what we forget is that growth in one area spills over into every other part of our life.

When I sharpen my leadership skills, I communicate better at home. When I prioritize wellness and clarity in my personal life, I lead my team with more energy and empathy. When I take a break, I show up stronger and refreshed with new perspectives.  When I learn new strategies and technologies, I can improve the performance and confidence of my team.

And yet, most of us treat personal development like it’s a luxury, not a necessity. On the flipside, we treat professional development as a necessity, not a luxury. I’m here to tell you that they’re BOTH a luxury and a necessity.  We don’t need permission for any of it.

But I’m going to give you permission anyway: Investing in yourself is not optional—it’s strategic and it’s one of the most brilliant moves you can make in the long game of life.

You can’t pour from an empty cup. And you sure can’t build a thriving business- or multiple businesses- or manage a thriving family if you’re running on fumes, forgotten dreams, and expired energy bars all while trying to break free from the heavy burden of guilt, shame, and all the other feelings that pile on over years of doing the same thing but expecting different results.

The Four Paths to Growth: Deep Dives, Micro Moves, Collaborative Retreats, and Cross-Industry Learning

There’s more than one way to fuel your personal and professional development. Depending on what stage of business and life you’re in and what you need, you can choose (or combine) different approaches.

Strategy One: The Deep Dive—Solo Retreats

Growth requires space. Space to think, get creative, free-flow your thoughts, and view the big picture from a bird’s eyes.  

Growth also requires silence. No email pings, social media alerts, text message interruptions, or the noise in your head from lists, anxieties, and pressures.

Ditch the distractions and find an Airbnb, a local hotel, a friend’s spare bedroom, or your favorite park bench to think deeply and engage in honest reflection.  Solo retreats can last as little as a few hours to as long as several days, weeks, or even months.

Strategy Two: The Micro Move—Small Habits for Growth

I’ve spent a lot of time this year talking about micro-habits and the benefits of daily habits compounded over time.  Check out my previous blogs, and if you aren’t on my weekly email list to get additional tips and strategies, then you definitely want to click HERE for tricks & tips you won’t see anywhere else. 
Here are some micro moves I’m a stickler for:

• Daily Power Hours—I block out at least 60 minutes every morning to knock out one of my daily goals. I do my best work in the morning, so this is my non-negotiable time. Block it out and guard it like your life depends on it (which it kind of does, in one sense). No excuses- even if your “power hour” amounts to a “power 15 minutes,” you need to block it out and stick to it.
• Podcast Walks—Press PLAY on a good educational podcast and hit the pavement at least twice a week.
• The “Me” Workday—Once a week I have a “deep work” day where I’m only available for a 60-minute block to check emails, return phone calls, or check-in with my team. The rest of the time my schedule is cleared for deep work. No meetings, no interruptions, no emails.

Strategy Three: The Collaborative Retreat — Growing with CEO Colleagues

Here’s where things really level up.  This requires a distraction-free environment mixed with colleagues who have the same growth mindset, understanding, and pressures as a leader.  

When you gather with other CEOs and business leaders in your industry—not just to vent, but to strategize, share resources, and sharpen each other—you tap into collective wisdom that you can’t find alone.

A collaborative retreat is not only about personal reflection, but it’s about exchanging ideas, solving challenges together, and leaving with real tools you can implement immediately.

Pro tip: Choose colleagues who are ambitious, honest, from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and open to giving and receiving constructive feedback. Don’t choose people who suck your energy.

What a collaborative retreat should look like:

• 3 days (minimum) at an Airbnb or resort, with 2 travel days on the front end and back end, especially if colleagues are traveling great distances.
• A planned agenda in advance: send out a survey to the group to gather topics for discussion, pain points, current and future challenges, and possible guest speakers.
• Create the agenda with a clear start/end time, lunch break, movement breaks, and free time.  Pro tip: Start the day with a guided yoga/pilates/physical activity session.
• Have a shared drive for your colleagues to upload resources and other documents
• Set group guidelines so there are shared expectations.  For example, in my CEO retreat group we appoint a “weedwhacker” whose role it is to make sure we stay on topic and adhere to our predetermined agenda and avoid getting “in the weeds” or falling down a rabbit hole.
• Figure out your meal plan in advance so there isn’t an Instacart delivery at your Airbnb every 30 minutes on the first day in which you end up with 3 dozen eggs and 10 gallons of water. (Ask me how I know this could happen.)

Plan time for fun, physical activity, and a night or two out!  

This month my group is meeting in Nashville for 3 solid days of work (8-9 hours each day), one night out in downtown Nashville, and daily breaks for physical activity.  The travel day before the retreat is always one full of excitement, anticipation, and planning as I determine 1-2 goals for each day.  Then the travel day afterward is where I get to strategize and come up with an action plan to implement what I’ve learned. 

Pro tip: Take off the day after your trip so you have additional time to unpack, unwind, casually check email, and have a buffer day before getting back to work.

Strategy Four: The Cross-Industry Conference Retreat — Learning Beyond Your Bubble

If you want fresh ideas, attend a conference where nobody knows your industry jargon and you aren’t familiar with theirs. 

Attending conferences outside your usual field forces you to think differently. You’ll discover marketing tricks, leadership models, technology trends, and creative strategies that your competitors aren’t even aware of yet.  Every time I attend a conference with people who are leaders in their respective fields, I leave with so many connections I never would have thought I needed, along with innovative strategies that people in my industry aren’t trying.

But What If You Don’t Have Time?

Ah yes, the infamous excuse we all use: “I just don’t have time for any of this.”

Allow me to translate that: “I’ve said YES to everything and everyone else, but I’ve said NO to myself.”

We all make time for what matters.

Only you can determine what matters for your life.

Does scrolling on social media every night for 30 minutes matter more to you for your personal and professional development, or does adding up those nightly 30 minutes for a month to create 900 minutes (that’s 15 hours) so you can spend a day planning a personal retreat sound better?

It’s your choice.

Stop glorifying being “crazy busy” and start honoring and prioritizing your growth. This isn’t fluff. It’s strategy.
Your personal development is professional development. And vice versa.

Growth isn’t selfish. It’s responsible, because when you grow, everyone around you benefits.

Start now- step away to level up.

Ready to Retreat?

Want help planning your own personal or professional growth day? Need a retreat checklist that doesn’t include “chant under a tree”?

Drop me a message. I’ll send you my personal retreat framework—simple, powerful, and free of the fluff.

You deserve to grow without guilt.