WE Blog

George Lucas used it to build Star Wars. Hollywood borrowed it for every blockbuster since. The best brands, coaches and retreat creators are using it right now to sell without ever feeling pushy. It is a storytelling framework older than writing itself, and once you understand it, marketing and sales will never feel the same way again.

There is a very specific moment every first-time retreat host experiences. It usually happens around week three of planning, when the spreadsheet has 47 tabs, the venue is asking for a non-refundable deposit, three guests have already changed dietary requirements, and someone just emailed to ask if they can bring their emotional support dog. The moment is this: oh. This is not a party.

Chicago is not a city you simply visit. It is a city you feel. From the moment you arrive, there is an unmistakable sense of movement, ambition, and possibility. It is bold without trying too hard, historic without feeling stuck in the past, and energetic in a way that quietly pushes you to think bigger. Known as the birthplace of the modern skyscraper and one of the most culturally rich cities in the United States, Chicago offers a rare balance of architectural brilliance

Picture the last time you sat somewhere without reaching for your phone. A park bench, perhaps. A long train journey where the signal dropped. The ten minutes before dinner when you forgot to bring it to the table. Try to remember what that felt like.

Gallup estimates that employee disengagement costs the global economy $8.9 trillion every year. Robin Dunbar spent his career explaining why. Humans evolved in tribes of 150, with tighter circles of 50, 15 and 5 inside that. Each ring runs on one thing: how often you see people face to face. Remote work degrades those rings quietly, one at a time. This is what neuroscience actually says about what happens when people stop being in the same room.

Around 2016, Belinda Bradford stepped back from building businesses and went surfing. On a break in Australia, she met Serena Adams, one of the country's best female surf coaches. What she watched happen in those groups changed everything. Women arrived as strangers and left as different people. This was Surf Getaways and what then became Woman Explore. Then the whole world asked to come in. This is the story of how that one surf getaway became WEGroup Global.

Building a sustainable agency isn’t about reacting faster. It’s about creating the conditions that support confident decisions, long-term stability, and growth that lasts. Read this article to find out how to build a successful business as an ACA agency.

We’re living in a moment where visibility has never been more accessible, and yet more elusive. Never before have so many people had access to platforms, tools, and audiences. And yet, so many founders, leaders, and creatives still feel unseen, unheard, or stuck on the edge of their next chapter. During our recent conversation with the bestselling author and one of our retreat creators Cathy Derksen, one theme came up again and again: This isn’t a lack of talent problem...

If it feels like everyone’s talking about retreats right now — it’s because they are. But this isn’t just a trend. Women’s retreats are booming because they offer what so many of us have been missing — connection, clarity, space, support, and purpose. This is the new era of travel: one that’s intentional, nourishing, and transformative. And if you’ve ever thought about creating a retreat of your own, there’s never been a better time. The power of time and space For high-perf