Wellness Retreats That Work

Episode 19

62 seconds

When Caroline Ferreira, Chief of Staff at Edge & Node, plans company retreats, she doesn’t default to boardrooms and breakout sessions.

With Caroline Ferreia

April 21, 2025

Retreat location: Miami, Florida

When Caroline Ferreira, Chief of Staff at Edge & Node, plans company retreats, she doesn’t default to boardrooms and breakout sessions. Instead, she leans into environment—and it’s made all the difference. In this episode, she reflects on one of their most memorable offsites at the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, where leadership meetings took place in spa circuits and beachside lounges rather than windowless meeting rooms. The result? Less pressure, more presence. Conversations flowed more freely, relationships deepened organically, and team dinners stretched long into the evening with laughter and genuine connection. Caroline shares why designing retreats that prioritize well-being and environment can transform how teams collaborate, especially in fast-paced, remote-first cultures. It's a reminder that where you gather can shape how you grow.

Autonomy-Driven Team Building

With Joshua Olson KerriganGiant SwarmApr 29th, 2025Retreat location: Obonjan Island, Croatia

For a company that's been fully remote for over a decade, in-person time is rare and valuable. At Giant Swarm, Head of Recruitment Joshua Olson-Kerrigan explains how their biannual retreats rely on one powerful framework to drive connection: the open space format. In this episode, Joshua shares how employee-led, self-directed sessions align with Giant Swarm’s core values of autonomy and trust. With the “rule of two feet,” team members are encouraged to walk away from sessions that aren’t serving them and join ones where they can contribute or learn more. The result is a retreat culture where ownership, energy, and engagement thrive naturally. If you're building offsite programs for distributed teams, this is a standout example of how to turn a retreat into a space for real-time collaboration, not just consumption.

Episode 21

Why Free-Flowing Retreats Boost Team Engagement

With Georgios HatzimanolisKplerApr 25th, 2025Retreat location: Barcelona, Spain

What does it take to create real connection at a company retreat with 600 people? According to Georgios Hatzimanolis, Head of Brand Communications and Events at Kepler, it starts with doing less, not more. In this episode, Georgios shares how their offsite at the W Hotel in Barcelona was designed around free-flowing time instead of packed agendas. By eliminating heavy programming and avoiding over-curated activities, his team created space for authentic interactions to flourish. Think randomized dinners across the city and opt-in activities based on shared interests—strategies that encouraged organic bonding without the pressure. For culture and events leaders managing large-scale gatherings, this conversation offers a refreshing take on how less structure can lead to more meaningful engagement.

Episode 20

Leading With Purpose

With Teodora VeghKinstaApr 23rd, 2025Retreat location: Prague, Czech Republic

For Teodora Vegh, Cultural Team Lead at Kinsta, leading retreats isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about setting a tone that lasts. With seven retreats a year for their fully remote team, she’s learned that what happens in the first five minutes can define the entire experience. In this episode, Teodora shares how she opens each offsite at Mama Shelter in Prague by skipping the logistics and instead kicking things off with short, energizing talks from leadership. These curated moments aren’t long, but they’re powerful—anchoring the team around shared purpose and setting a foundation for collaboration. Whether you’re hosting annual meetups or a high-frequency retreat cadence, Teodora’s insight is a reminder that connection often starts with intention, not just interaction.