What we learned hosting a retreat for 6-8 figure media founders, publishers, and creators
Audience Camp takeaways
DEEP DIVE
Small, like-minded groups are magical.
There’s nothing more insightful (and fun) than conversations with other founders who have the same ambitions and challenges as you.
It's an experience you can't have anywhere else.
It doesn't work virtually and most conferences have too many people and too little time for deep conversations.
Everyone at this event had similar types of business — media, newsletters, advertising, courses, coaching, events, etc.
Most attendees were at similar revenue ranges — 6-7 figures in annual sales (and a few at 8 figures)
Yet, everyone was different enough to keep things interesting.
We had founders in SO MANY surprisingly niches and industries at the event…
From calligraphy to financial planning, trade shows, fiction literature, home services franchising, nonprofits, venture capital, spine health, real estate, religion, fantasy football, local news, to architecture and more.
My recommendation: 30-60 people is the sweet spot for an event like this. We had 50 total (40 attendees + 10 speakers, facilitators, and staff).
Application only and vetted
This event was all about curating the right group of people. From 250+ applications, we accepted 40.
People love teams
We hand curated smaller groups of 8-10 people called “Squads”. The attendee list and squads were shared ahead of time and we encouraged introductions on LinkedIn.
When people got there in real life, they already knew everyone in their squad and many other attendees.
Radical candor
Speakers and attendees openly shared wins, failures, and working playbooks — no gatekeeping. We encouraged this at the start of the event, pre-event, and selected speakers and facilitators who fit the transparent vibe we were looking for.
Blend of intensity + recovery
We alternated between dense content sessions and workshops with light, low‑stakes activities or hangouts to keep the energy high.
Family‑friendly touch
Spouses and kids were welcome at the event. This deepened connection and lowered “conference stiffness.”
Sunday “Do‑this‑Monday” session
We did a a lightning round-style session where each speaker talked for 5 minutes about one simple tactic or next step attendees could do Monday.
Transformation via transparency
Putting 6/7/8‑figure builders in a space with a vulnerability norm created real breakthroughs without us “forcing” anything.
Right people, right IRL space, and right expectations. That’s why it worked.
If you get the right people in the right place, without distractions, great things happen.
Encourage immediate action
Multiple attendees booked 1:1 follow‑ups with each other to implement ideas shared on‑site. Many people talked about the things they were going to change in their business that.
Speakers focused on simple, powerful, and timeless strategies that don't require complicated setups, tech, or months to act on.
Quality time is key
We had the time and space for life-changing conversations and discussions because:
It was a 2 day event limited to 50 people
Most of our time was spent on conversations, guided discussions, and activities NOT siting in speaking sessions.
Remove bad Incentives
We had no sponsors or vendors at the event. Everyone there attended to get better and have fun — not to sell anything.
We created an environment with no-transactional conversations.
Weekends help
It's common for attendees and speakers to get distracted at an event with work emails, Slack messages, and things to do.
Doing this on a weekend + encouraging people to put their phones away removed those distractions. I know, weekends are tough because you miss time with family. But it was right for this.
The venue could have been better, but that’s okay
The venue was in a beautiful location. Lakeside, mountains, great weather. But there wasn't a ton to do there, and some of the activities we had planned didn't work out because the venue was short-staffed.
But that was okay. We got to spend time on what people really wanted: Insightful conversations, discussions, and making new friends.
Next time we’ll plan for more outdoor activities and things to do on site.
Campfires
There's something primal about fires that relaxes people and makes for a great hang. Simple, yet something I want at all future retreats.
Guided conversations in small groups
We got the best feedback on this part of the event.
It’s simple, yet powerful:
We gathered at a table or in a circle with your “squad”
Squads were groups of ~8 people and 1 facilitator leading the discussion
Facilitators shared pre-planned questions or prompts. Then we went around the group answering the question and having a discussion based on the answer
Some of the most insightful and entertaining things at the event resulted from these small group discussions.
Facilitators are needed
Having facilitators to lead these small group discussions is a must.
No hierarchies
We made clear at the start of the event that nobody is above anyone — we are all just at different points in the journey. All the speakers and I participated in every part of the event, just like attendees.
A better product that’s harder to sell
For us, it was more challenging to sell out a small retreat than a conference with 300+ people. We hit our attendee cap of 40 about a week before.
But the experience of the event was unmatched.
32% of attendees shared a testimonial, so far. We received positive feedback that was unlike anything I ever heard before.
That’s it
If you run events or are thinking about starting one, I hope this is helpful.
If you’re interested in attending our events, I hope this gives you a small taste of the experience. There’s so much you missed that I can’t explain after 3 days of 6AM to 12AM work on a live event.
The good news is our next event is happening in February. It will be announced soon!
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