There’s something ancient and necessary about gathering in person. Not for networking. Not for the optics. But to actually be together.

Last week in San Francisco, a room full of bold, brilliant, exhausted founders and advisors stepped out of their inboxes, Slack channels, and to-do lists—and into something slower, more honest, and undeniably more human.

We gathered to make real progress doing meaningful work. And we left with a reminder that in-person convening isn’t a luxury—it’s a lever.

Because when you step out of the day-to-day blur and into a circle of intentional peers, something shifts. There’s power in proximity. Vulnerability comes more easily. Reflection goes deeper. Insights land harder, and commitment sticks.

Zoom is great. But there’s no substitute for looking someone in the eye and saying, “Here’s what I’m wrestling with.” And having them say, “Same.” Or, “I’ve been there.” Or, “You’re asking the right question.”

That’s not fluff. That’s fuel.

Huge thanks to the team at Mista for being such generous hosts and creating a space where this kind of work is not only possible but inevitable.

Work On Yourself, Work On Your Business

Here’s the truth most founder playbooks won’t tell you: working on your business is inseparable from working on yourself.

We can map strategies and optimize systems all day—but if your energy is shot, your mindset is in a ditch, or you’ve forgotten why you started, none of it will take hold.

At the retreat, we explored this concept through tools such as the Five Types of Wealth and Brick-by-Brick Transformation Mapping. Because scaling your business while eroding your health, your time, or your joy isn’t success—it’s collapse in disguise.

And the inverse is just as true: when you reclaim your energy, reconnect with your purpose, and get clear on what matters most, your business starts working better, too. Strategy flows. Decisions get sharper. You stop doing things out of fear or ego and start acting from a place of alignment.

It’s not self-care or business growth. It’s both. Always.

In the Business vs. On the Business

Most founders I know are drowning in their business. Emails. Fire drills. Endless decisions. The treadmill never stops, and the default is more motion, not more meaning.

But scaling anything that lasts requires a shift from working in the business to working on it.

We used the 90-Day Commitment Sprint and Energy/ROI Grid to help founders name what’s truly essential—and what’s just noise. Because when you step back to look at the whole system, patterns emerge. Blind spots show up. And space opens for intentional design.

That’s where leverage lives.

Micro-Moves = Macro-Change

Transformation isn’t loud. It’s not a viral moment or some breakthrough epiphany. It’s micro-moves, made consistently.

The founder who shifts from reacting to reflecting. The advisor who blocks out one hour a week for strategy, regardless of the circumstances. The entrepreneur who finally starts saying “no” to opportunities that don’t align.

These don’t look like much on the outside. But over time, they change the game.

We asked: What’s one micro-move you could make this week? And it was amazing to watch what emerged—not giant goals or moonshots, but small, grounded steps. A clarified priority. A shifted mindset. A brave conversation.

That’s how we build momentum—brick by brick.

Empathy & Vulnerability Are the Edge

Here’s something else we’re reclaiming: vulnerability is not weakness—it’s leadership. And empathy isn’t a soft skill—it’s a superpower.

The most resonant moments of the retreat weren’t polished case studies or big reveals. They were the cracked-open, honest shares about what’s really going on. The moments when someone said, “I’m tired,” or “I don’t know,” or “I feel like I’m failing.”

Those are the conversations that create connection, trust, and transformation. And they don’t just make us better humans—they make us better leaders. Because if you can’t name it, you can’t shift it.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun

Last but never least—this work is serious, but it doesn’t have to be solemn.

We laughed hard. We shared meals. We told ridiculous stories. We celebrated weird wins and meaningful progress alike.

Because if we forget to have fun along the way, what exactly are we building?

There’s power in play. It recharges creativity, deepens bonds, and reminds us that we’re not just building businesses—we’re building lives.

So here’s to showing up fully and doing the inner work and the outer work. To micro-moves and momentum. And to remembering that the best transformations are the ones we don’t go through alone.

Let’s keep going.