Let’s clear something up, retreat leader to retreat leader:

Marketing is not how you sell out retreats.
Let me say it louder for the folks in the back (and the ones trying to “manifest” full bookings from a single Instagram post)
Marketing gets attention. Sales get sign-ups.

If you’re only posting on social media and waiting for Stripe notifications to roll in…
No wonder you’re feeling stuck.

Marketing = Visibility

Marketing is what you do to get seen.
That includes:

• Posting reels, carousels, and stories
• Sending weekly emails
• Building landing pages
• Running ads
• Starting a podcast or being a guest on one
• Writing blogs with smart SEO strategy
• Showing up in Facebook groups

Marketing is how people find out about your retreat.

But marketing doesn’t close the sale.
It doesn’t get that dreamy guest to whip out their credit card and say, “I’m in.”

Selling = Conversion

Selling is what turns visibility into bookings.
And it’s the part most retreat leaders avoid.

Here’s what selling looks like in a profitable retreat business:

• Sending a DM to someone who liked or commented on your post
• Following up with people who clicked a link in your email
• Recording a personal Loom video for a past client and saying, “Hey, I thought of you for this retreat”
• Offering a discovery call or answering objections in the DMs
• Texting or emailing leads you’ve already connected with to say, “Spots are almost gone-are you still interested?”
  

That’s selling.

That’s connection.

That’s what fills retreats.

And most leaders don’t do it, and aren’t willing to. 

A Profitable Retreat Business Does Both

You need both:

• Marketing to draw in the right people
• Sales to seal the deal

If you’re doing one without the other, you’re either:
A) sitting pretty with lots of likes and no bookings
OR
B) awkwardly cold-DM’ing people without any warm-up

Neither works long-term.

But together?
That’s when the magic (and money) happens.

People Need Personal Touch

Here’s the truth:
If someone is spending $2,000-$8,000+ to travel and transform with you, they’re going to need more than a Canva graphic to make the leap.

They need:

✔️Connection
✔️Trust
✔️Follow-up
✔️Permission to ask questions
✔️Confidence that this retreat is for them

And that comes from YOU-not just your “link in bio.”

Final Word: Stop Hiding Behind Marketing

Marketing feels safer. It’s behind a screen.
Selling feels vulnerable. It’s you putting yourself out there.

But the most profitable retreat leaders know this:

• Marketing is strategy.
• Sales are service.

When you believe in your retreat, your job is to help the right people say yes.

That’s not pressure-that’s leadership.

Let’s go lead.

-Shannon Jamail
Retreat Leader | Ranch Boss | No-Fluff Mentor

PS: Want to learn how to do this LIVE?

I’m teaching this exact strategy (plus way more!) at my Vision to Venue workshop in London this October.

October 10th
The Waldorf Hilton, London
Learn more and grab your seat → https://mindbodycomplete.com/how-to-host-a-retreat/

Come learn how to actually build a profitable retreat business—with real strategy, real connection, and real support.

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