How to Build a Brand That Attracts Clients, Creates Experiences, and Scales Your Business | The Branded Impact Podcast

You know that quiet whisper that says there has to be more than just getting through your days. That feeling often shows up when your personal branding, brand clarity, and business growth strategy are no longer aligned with the level you are stepping into.

Today’s guest, Jennifer Blanes, founder of Planning Wellness, listened to that whisper and built an entire wellness brand around helping others do the same.

The truth is, that whisper does not just show up in life.

It shows up in business too.

It sounds like:

• This should feel easier by now
• I know I am meant for more
• Why is this not working the way it should

If you have been showing up consistently but still are not attracting aligned clients, your content is not the problem.

Your brand experience is.

In this episode of The Branded Impact Podcast, we unpack how she built a luxury wellness brand rooted in experience, not just aesthetics, and how personal branding for business growth actually drives results.

🎧 Listen on Spotify | Apple | or Watch on YouTube
⬇️ Or keep reading for key takeaways and the full transcript

---

Key Takeaways

• Brand experience, not just visuals, drives trust and conversions
• Luxury branding is created through details, not price points
• Networking and relationships outperform social media for growth
• Email lists are one of the most underutilized growth assets
• Retreats and experiences can become powerful revenue expansion offers
• You do not need to have everything figured out to start. Execution creates clarity

---

The Real Reason Your Brand Is Not Converting

Most business owners think:

“I need better content.”

What they actually need is a brand that creates trust, clarity, and emotional connection.

That same whisper often shows up when your brand no longer reflects the level you have grown into.

Branding is not:

• Your logo
• Your colors
• Your fonts

Branding is:

• How people feel when they interact with you
• How clearly they understand your value
• How easily they trust you

Jennifer explains this through her background in luxury hospitality, where experience mattered more than visuals.

“It’s about how it looks, feels, smells, and all the details that create the experience.”

---

Brand Experience Is Your Competitive Advantage

This is where most entrepreneurs stay stuck.

They continue pushing through, posting more, and trying to figure it out while ignoring the signs that something needs to shift.

What actually moves the needle is experience-driven branding.

Examples include:

• Ease of access to a location
• Personalization of the client journey
• Attention to sensory details
• Seamless execution

This is what makes a brand feel:

• Premium
• Trustworthy
• Memorable

And ultimately easier to buy from.

---

How to Build a Brand That Drives Revenue

If you are scaling to your next level, your brand must evolve with you.

Your ability to scale does not come from doing more. It comes from using personal branding for business growth in a way that builds trust, simplifies your message, and positions you as the clear choice.

Create Immediate Clarity

People should instantly understand:

• Who you help
• What you do
• Why it matters

Lack of clarity leads to lost revenue.

---

Build Trust Faster

Trust is built through:

• Consistency
• Visibility
• Experience

Not just content volume.

---

Support Sales Without Over-Explaining

Your brand should:

• Pre-frame your value
• Reduce objections
• Attract aligned clients

This allows growth to feel aligned instead of forced.

---

The Most Underrated Growth Strategy That Actually Works

The pressure to do more online is not always the answer.

The biggest growth driver is not content.

It is getting in the right rooms.

As discussed in the episode:

• Networking builds trust faster than content
• Conversations convert faster than visibility
• Relationships scale your business

“The biggest game changer is getting in the right rooms.”

This leads to:

• Referrals
• Partnerships
• Strategic connections

---

Retreats as a Brand Expansion Strategy

For many entrepreneurs, that whisper becomes a desire to create something more meaningful.

That is where retreats come in.

They are not just experiences. They are:

• A premium offer
• A community builder
• A brand authority accelerator

Successful retreats require:

Audience First

You need:

• A network
• An email list
• A foundation of trust

---

Clear Experience Vision

Not just wanting to host a retreat, but clearly defining:

• The transformation
• The audience
• The experience

---

Strategic Planning

Including:

• Location accessibility
• Time commitment
• Budget and profitability

---

The Biggest Branding Mistake Female Founders Make

Trying to be everything to everyone.

This leads to:

• Confusing messaging
• Inconsistent content
• Misaligned clients

“When your message is not clear, it is harder for people to understand what you do and why it matters.”

The solution is simple:

• Get clear
• Stay consistent
• Repeat your message

---

Final Thought: Build a Brand That Lets You Thrive

That whisper is not something to ignore.

It is direction.

“You don’t need to know it all or do it all. Just start and figure it out as you go.”

The brands that grow the fastest are not the most perfect.

They are the ones that:

• Take action
• Stay consistent
• Continue evolving

When your brand is aligned, personal branding for business growth becomes your strongest asset.

---

Featured Guest

Jennifer Blanes
Founder of Planning Wellness

Jennifer Blanes is the founder of Planning Wellness, where she combines her background in luxury hospitality with her certification as a wellness coach to design retreats and experiences that nurture mind, body, and spirit. She helps entrepreneurs and organizations create meaningful, high-touch experiences without having to figure everything out on their own.

Website: www.planningwellness.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/planning_wellness
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/planning-wellness/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/planning_wellness

Offer: Complimentary retreat planning call and upcoming wellness experiences

---

About The Branded Impact Podcast

The Branded Impact Podcast helps women entrepreneurs build bold, strategic brands that attract, connect, and convert.

Hosted by Jo Espejo, Brand Growth Strategist and Founder of Branding by Jo.

---

If your business is growing but your brand still feels inconsistent, there is usually a gap between where you are and how your brand is showing up.

Explore how to build a brand that supports your next level:
https://www.brandingbyjo.com

---

Episode Full Transcript:
Jo Espejo (00:00)

You know that quiet whisper that says there has to be more than just getting through your days? Today’s guest, Jennifer Blanes, founder of Planning Wellness, listened to that whisper and built an entire wellness brand around helping others do the same. In this episode, I’m excited to dive into wellness just enough to explore the heart of our work, but our main focus is branding and how personal brand clarity shapes the way you show up.

attract clients and create experiences that truly transform people. Jennifer, welcome to the Branded Impact podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today.

Jennifer (00:34)

Hi Jo, thank you so much for having me and giving me the opportunity to talk about planning wellness and what we’re all about.

Jo Espejo (00:41)

Love it. So let’s start with the moment that that whisper became too loud to ignore. How did that help the turning point to help you shape the brand that you’re building today?

Jennifer (00:51)

Yeah, so, you know, coming from a hospitality hotel background and then shifting over into meeting planning through my own personal journey of just trying to be healthier and kind of escaping just sort of that corporate world and finding other outlets, I discovered Pilates.

And through that led me on this whole wellness journey of being able to share my passion for Pilates. And that kind of like started this domino effect of diving into that. And I was probably around 2019 where I decided to, what are ways like I can expand this and kind of be able to bridge my corporate hotel experience.

and also take that to do something in wellness, which was my growing passion. And I really just like, okay, this is the time there’s not gonna be a better opportunity. Like I’m gonna find ways to bridge these two together. And I ended up actually becoming a health and wellness coach and decided to get certified. And that was right at the start, right before COVID actually.

So it was sort of like a fortunate slash unfortunate timing. But it was almost like, okay, like as you mentioned that whisper, it was just sort of like, maybe this is the time, there’s no better time. Let’s just go for it and take this opportunity of being home and meetings canceling and hotel contracts canceling. so through that became a health and wellness coach and didn’t really…

I wanted to have that piece so that I could then take that into forming Planning Wellness and starting this retreat business so that I had that background of the hotels and travel, but then had that health and wellness piece on top of the fitness piece that I could kind of mix together and create the brand.

Jo Espejo (02:38)

I think 2020 pivoted so many people, right? Like think it was the opportunity and for lack of better words for me, I think it’s that slowing down and kind of forced the hand as far as like, maybe now is the time. Maybe I do need to pivot and opening that eye, that eye opening experience for lack of better words, background luxury hospitality, I think is such a unique asset for what you’re building. guess talk to me a little bit about what parts of your identity and that past experience helped shape the feel.

of your brand and how you want people to experience your planning wellness.

Jennifer (03:08)

So I think being able to work in high-end hotels and work with high-end luxury customers and clients, you would expect like, it’s, you know.

everything is expensive and they just have endless budgets and endless amounts of money and to throw out their meetings or their group stays and conventions. But through that I kind of learned everyone has a budget and everyone has a limit even though it’s luxury designer brands and things like that and these big corporations. And so I was able to, I had to be savvy.

with helping deliver this high-end product and experience for their attendees, but still work within their budget and meet those expectations. And so it took a lot of just research and digging around and finding creative ways to help them deliver the experience they were synonymous with their brands and things like that. But…

sometimes do it on a budget. So of course it’s easy when they are, okay, yeah, we just need this experience and go find the best hotel in the best location or get the best, it doesn’t matter what the contract is.

But I think those are the easy ones, right? But the harder ones when it was like that challenge of trying to help them, like I said, deliver the experience. But then working with that budget really sort of was eye opening to me and really kind of helped me expand my knowledge in that world. So it was really actually helpful.

to then be able to take that so that I can then work with people now that most people are on a tight budget trying to develop or present their retreats to their attendees, but finding ways to help them do that, but give it a luxury feel on a smaller budget.

Jo Espejo (04:45)

Juan, how are you translating that experience knowing that you were very focused on helping people feel that their branding was getting through in the experience and their messaging? How have you translated that into building your own brand? Because now it’s, you’re competing in a world that there’s a lot of options out there, like many of us, right? There’s very few of us that have a very unique skillset, but did your hospitality in all of that experience help you with your own branding? Is there something that you focus on more than others after this experience that you’ve walked through?

Jennifer (05:15)

think for the way I present Planning Wellness and myself is as a luxury brand. I kind of want it to have that luxury feel, the luxury customer service that you would expect from those four five star hotels. taking that, I feel like that’s been able to translate into how I treat my clients and attendees to retreats. And yeah, and then just kind of

the way that I present the brand and present our treats, even if it isn’t, you know, we could be going to a, or people could be going to a three star, you know, type of wellness center, wellness retreat place, or it could be in an Airbnb or something like that. But being able to help them market or market it in a way that it just has this like high touch personalized luxury feel, I think is just what.

I like to bring to the table.

Jo Espejo (06:05)

So I have two questions on this. I’m going try to remember them. One of them is that how do you actually translate that into, so when we say luxury and we say high touch and we say like, want to make sure that that’s experienced in your marketing, what does that actually directly relate to? Like, so when you want it to feel luxury, what are some of the things that you’re ensuring are happening?

Jennifer (06:26)

So, you know, not making sure that all of the details are paid, like you pay attention to all the details, right? So it’s from the location and thinking about, you know, travel time for your attendees and how difficult is that gonna be to making it feel personal and thinking about, you know,

the actual experience, how it’s going to look and smell and feel when they walk into the retreat location. Just very, very customized, I guess, to the person. And so it doesn’t, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make someone feel special and make them feel like you’ve paid attention and try to create that experience. So it’s just kind of more about all of the, know, engaging all of the senses and, you know, taking it from just

all the little details that you may not think of that just really, I feel like, set us apart and can set the retreat later apart, could set our retreats apart, whichever end of the experience that you’re on.

Jo Espejo (07:20)

to point out here something that this is something that I’ve been trying to get out of people for so long and that branding is so much more than just the visuals and everything that Jennifer is talking about right now when it comes to branding has been the experience. Everything that ties into making it a luxury brand is all tied into how they’re feeling as they’re walking through and she’s nailed it

This is how people talk about you when you’re not in the room. It’s how you made them feel. And so you’ve taken your experience working for high-end luxury brands and you’ve pulled out the pieces and not once did you mention the logo. Like you didn’t say like, I had to have a logo that looked like this high-end five-star hotel. You’re talking about when my client walks through the experience, are they taken care of? Are we making them feel special? Are we identifying opportunities to hit all five senses? So

your luxury retreats, I’m like, I would have never thought about the fact, at least in planning mine, I’m like, does it smell a certain way? I know I look at the aesthetics and I do think about things like, is the parking easy? How hard is it to get to? Because I know from my personal experience when I’ve gone to something and it’s a pain in the butt to get to, I’m really unhappy. It makes it really difficult. So I think that’s awesome that you’re building this brand around the experience.

Jennifer (08:30)

It makes a difference.

Jo Espejo (08:38)

everything for you and building your luxury brand. Now, I bet if I fall and we dove in, you have a logo, you have colors, you have fonts that you’re using. There’s a certain aesthetic, but all of it to you is centered around the experience. How is your client feeling from start to finish? Are they taken care of? And that also translates into how you’re helping them take care of their clients through the experience.

Jennifer (09:00)

Exactly. That’s exactly it. And a lot of people that maybe have our first time retreat leaders, I think it’s helping them bring that to the actual event because they’re really good at, whether it’s a fitness instructor or wellness coach or whatever type of person is hosting, it could be a company.

I help them, you know, behind the scenes.

they’re there to execute this, right? So, but they’re not the retreat planner and they don’t know all the ins and outs. And so it’s sort of like walking them through step by step so that when they’re actually, you know, in front of their attendees and they’re, you know, giving them this experience that they just look like they’ve been doing this for years and it’s seamless and they don’t have to worry about, you know, thinking and creating those things. They just kind of have to like show up and do their thing and execute it. And it just makes them look so good.

Jo Espejo (09:58)

you came from a world where you were working for a luxury hospitality company. Now, what were some of the first things that you did to get the name out there that your brand existed? So you pivoted and I know you kind of toyed with some different things because you did Pilates and you did health and wellness coach certification. And then now I’ve got this wellness planning retreat. So for people that want to plan retreats, now what were some of the first things that you did and then what do you continue to do now to really get your name out there as a brand?

Jennifer (10:26)

Well, just number one, you I did brand a logo and tried to get, you know, colors and aesthetics done and have a professional website done with professional copy because I feel like that’s just so important in the first step, in my opinion. And I’ve tried to stay consistent with that. whatever, you know, next step was on social media.

It’s the necessary evil to all the things, right? So was trying to create a presence in social media and just keep that consistent with the brand. then I think most importantly, and this is something that I didn’t have right away in the beginning and is always constantly evolving and growing, but just finding ways to connect with people to grow my email list.

and network has been like the key aspect for planning wellness to grow. And so finding ways to get people to engage with myself, you know, on top of just the, you know, regular marketing and like SEO stuff, I do blogs and just try to get as much traffic to the website as possible for people to subscribe and participate and just find out about the business because it’s also kind of a unique.

service that we offer. So yeah, just trying to find ways and so most recently I am trying to do things within my own community and more events locally to then try to like have a presence locally to help the business grow here as well. So just as many people as possible that you can get to your site and subscribing and you know keeping newsletters going and ways to stay in front of a potential customer and build that trust and loyalty.

Jo Espejo (12:08)

It’s so important. I feel like that email list piece is something that we come to so late and I’m encouraging people to do that on the front end. so social media seems to take the winning forefront so much out after like the logo on the website. Those are always the common steps I hear like I’m going to get a logo and I have a website and then I know I have to get on socials. I’m like, yes, but socials guys is going to be a long game and it you do and I love that you described it as a necessary evil because I say the same thing. It’s to me, one of those things that

In order to be a professional company nowadays, you do have to a professional site, but it is a long game and you want it to have consistency. And I tell people use it almost like a credibility and validity check, where if they hear about you and they decide to go to your website, a lot of times what they’ll do is check socials first just to see if you even exist. And then you can eventually get a campaign going as far as increasing awareness and getting more people to be driven to your website and things like that. But organically, if you don’t have a budget,

It’s difficult to do that in the beginning to really get a big following. The email list piece though, goodness, if you got a client, get them on an email list. If you are networking, get them to get on an email list. And then I think you and I are in a similar place. I spent a lot of time going bigger and now I’m like, cool, there’s a lot of business right here in my home backyard. So I’m going to start focusing on what I can do there. But one of my biggest strategies is getting in the right rooms.

Yes, I have a social media presence. Yes, I have a website and I do the SEO and the blogging and all these pieces. But if I were to tell you what has been the biggest game changer in my business and move the needle the fastest, it’s the networking and being intentional about getting in the right rooms so that I can literally face to face meet people that can help with introductions. And then that’s the fastest trajectory for my growth and scaling.

Jennifer (13:56)

I couldn’t agree with you more. You’re so correct. And it’s sometimes I feel like it’s the part that, you know, we’re the scaredest to do. It’s scary to go, you know, into a room with people you don’t know and talk about your business and promote yourself. But I think that’s just in my experience so far and even for myself, that’s the key piece that some of the people are missing just, you know, starting, like you said, with that email list first.

and the networking piece and the word of mouth. And it’s amazing how once you do that, your business can grow organically and really start to take off and just opportunities open up because you put yourself in that room. Yeah, I wish that all business owners would start with that first, like you said. So it’s great that you’re putting that message out there and sharing it with everyone. yeah.

Jo Espejo (14:44)

Yes.

And especially I’m like, I’m in a branding place. And so I tell people, I’m like branding is a foundation. So while you’re out there working and things like that, you want to be able to send them back to something that they can learn very quickly who you are and what you’re about. So I’m not saying that that’s not important, but I do think I was having a conversation earlier with a client of mine. And I told her, said, if you had to choose between creating content on social media,

and or getting into the right rooms, I would tell you focus on getting in the right rooms, post on social media on some consistent basis that you can maintain. So this happens to be a client that doesn’t post at all consistently. And so then I said, start with twice a week. Okay. It doesn’t have to be seven days a week. You don’t have to go gangbusters. What can you do consistently that you want to have a presence so that when you’re out there networking and you’re like, Hey, follow me on Instagram or follow me on Facebook or, know, go to my website and then check out all these platforms when they look.

The last time you posted wasn’t six months ago or a year ago. They want to see some sort of like fresh, consistent rhythm of content just to believe that you’re a credible business. But they’re also not going to go through and count and be like, I believe that your business is up here because you posted five times a week and you’re down here because you only posted twice. No one’s counting unless you’re in social media, some type of management. And then they’re probably trying to pitch you a service, right? But otherwise…

Jennifer (15:59)

for

Jo Espejo (16:02)

Most normal people aren’t looking to see how often you posted. They just want to see that there was some sort of consistency and good vibes. like most of us, the secret weapon and the biggest differentiator between us and any other services ourselves and the fastest way for us to be able to share who we are and what we’re about is to get in the room. And for those of us that are introverts, I like to say I’m an introverted extrovert. I can turn it on when I’m in a room, but I have the rest of my day cleared because

Jennifer (16:25)

Thanks.

Jo Espejo (16:31)

If I happen to walk into a room where I know nobody, that takes a lot of energy and a lot of strength to actually show my recommendation for walking into a room where you’re like, I know nobody is to walk in with intention and literally just pick the first person that you can walk up to and go introduce yourself and then just take it one at a time. Instead of it being an entire C room of people, I’m like, okay, I’m just going to walk up to the first person that I see standing alone.

because that to me was always easier than interrupting a conversation. Right? Like look for that other introverted person that happens to be standing in the room and then you can maybe tag team together and be like, all right, maybe we can go find somebody else. So what are your recommendations? Cause you sound like you’re the similar, similar boat. It’s a, it’s a hardship. What are some of the things that you’ve done to make networking in a room that you don’t know people easier?

Jennifer (17:02)

Right, yes.

always psych myself up before because yes, it is not my favorite thing as I mentioned and so before I Get out the car or walk into the conference room or wherever it may be or the restaurant I just tell myself you love this. I love this. I love this You got this like I just you know kind of do that and I do that with a couple other things as well But you know I so I automatically set that mindset of like instead of oh, I really don’t want to do this Oh, this is so not you know. I just I’d psych myself up so

And then when I walk in yeah similar try to find maybe that person that’s not speaking with anybody I think it’s yeah awkward and kind of creepy sometimes if you just like have people in a group and you kind of like walk up and Awkwardly just stand there and sort of lurk. They’re like, okay, who’s that? But yeah find that person and then I think that you know introduce yourself and kind of have that quick elevator pitch but

The best thing that I’ve learned that you can do, and I know this is just a very valuable sales tool, and whether it’s in business or just personally, is to listen and ask questions, and really just listen and not feel like you have to sell yourself in that moment and win business right there in that moment or the relationship. So just ask questions and listen, and probably talk as little as possible, honestly, in that moment.

Jo Espejo (18:39)

The elevator pitch is so key. You want to be able to introduce yourself in a quick, like I like to say, have a tagline, something that you can just spit out that very quickly identifies who you are and what you do and who you serve, especially in a networking room. And then opening up that conversation. But you were so right. It’s a listening. If you can get someone to talk about themselves and what they do at the end of the conversation, they’re going to feel like they had the best conversation ever when you had them talking.

Jennifer (19:02)

Yeah.

Jo Espejo (19:02)

the

majority of the time. And then another piece that I want to add on to this, it has been a game changer for my networking, is that I try to finish up every conversation when I’m in a networking setting with, what is the number one thing I can do to help you right now? Is there a connection that I can make or what’s the one thing that you are looking for that I can help you? I’m not trying to sell you right now. I really do intentionally and genuinely want to help. So is there something that I can do? And that opens up this door of like,

Like that was amazing. It was a great conversation because I do listen a lot and ask a lot of questions and I get them talking. So at the end of it, they feel like they know a lot. I do try to energetically though, take the time to insert what I do and how I can serve because I don’t want to miss the opportunity to let people know why I do what I do. You don’t have to talk about yourself for forever, but don’t not take the opportunity to say like, oh, by the way, like this is what I do.

Jennifer (19:54)

Right, that’s true, yes.

Jo Espejo (19:57)

But then that last tip, like when I finish my conversations before I part ways with, is there a way that I can serve you right now or I can help you right now? It literally like makes me stick out in people’s minds and I am genuinely a connector. So that piece makes it easier for me because I do want to help. And if I can make that connection, it’s one more touch point. It’s an opportunity to genuinely help move their business forward. And then it also makes it easier because I love how you talked about how you

hype yourself up walking in like, love this, I love this, I love this. For me, I had to switch it and I’m not looking for sales. I’m not looking for that. I’m genuinely looking to make a connection and see what I can do to help somebody. Cause I do believe that it’s a giver’s gain mindset. The more that I can help, the more that I can help other people connect people. It does come full circle. So that’s been another piece that’s helped. I try to shift my mindset that I’m not walking in looking for a sale. I’m walking in looking for the right connections.

And then ultimately, how can I give? And then eventually it’ll come back. So hopefully that helps if you’re listening and you’re like, yeah, that’s a me too. Like I don’t love walking into those rooms, but you have to. And then take the approach that seems to be the easiest for you. Or if you’re someone that can’t walk into a room alone, find a buddy and then tag team and walk into rooms together. That also helps sometimes when you’re walking in with somebody instead of alone, cause that’s a challenge to get over.

Okay, so let’s talk about retreats for a moment because I think this is definitely your specialty. And this is a button that I feel like in the rooms that I’m in right now, retreats are on the list for a lot of people that I know that they want to do a retreat, plan a retreat, that kind of thing. So if there’s somebody that’s listening or dreamed about hosting on one day, talk to me a little bit about like, do they have to have some branding pieces in place first? What’s the first thing that you recommend as far as

Jennifer (21:24)

Okay.

Jo Espejo (21:51)

Should there be a level in their business already or not? What do you think about that?

Jennifer (21:56)

Okay, so from an organization or a business perspective, that’s kind of easy. The people that…

you already have your employees or people that you you want to bring and include in this. That’s just sort of like, do I have the budget and is this going to be worth it to take time away from my employees and from the business and the day to day? But that is such a huge thing that I’m seeing coming up in organizations of just taking that time out for wellness and in kind of like more, instead of just like, an incentive of the people that did well, no, like really take your teams and people and just like the gains that you will have from

just motivation and helping with burnout and things like that, that’s like a huge thing. And so hopefully more and more companies and organizations are putting that into their budget and mindset for just wellness long-term for employees. The other side of it for just a regular person or a smaller business or just someone that does a lot of people like, there’s either a yoga instructor or their health coach or on the side. So it’s a lot of side businesses that do that. And I encourage you and

The thing is, yes, I think it is gonna be more beneficial if you have a set base of people that you already think might be interested in attending your retreat. That does make it a lot easier, just like we talked about having that.

email list or that marketing list or that network of people that you can already start with having the interest because gaining the trust of just a lot of strangers. And I’ve learned this the hard way as well. Just like, I’m going to put my my retreat out there and I’m to put it on these sites. And, you know, people are just going to spend thousands of dollars then to just trust the stranger. I think that, you know, having that foundation does help. But it is possible even.

you know, if your group is small, you don’t have to have thousands of people on your email list or on your network to be successful at having retreat, as well as, you you don’t have to have a huge budget necessarily to do it. There are many creative ways that you can kind of come up with. But I think it’s just a really valuable tool in peace that you could add to expand your business or expand your, you know, your part-time job.

as this offering because there’s just so many valuable things that can come out of it. And just to not be intimidated that there’s help and that you could make it work even if you don’t have the knowledge.

Jo Espejo (24:17)

So is there a minimum like when people are thinking about retreats, number of days, what are some of the first few things that they should consider outside of, okay, you should have some sort of established business, some sort of established following. So do you recommend starting with almost like engaging in interest? Would they be interested or is it just you already have people that you know have been with you for a while and then you can start to throw out that there’s a retreat option available?

Jennifer (24:41)

I’ve experienced both, but I think the retreats that have been most successful gauge interest first a little bit and kind of get some feedback from some of the attendees and people. What type of experience are you looking for? What areas? What are you looking for? Fitness or just more relaxation? Any type of healing or?

you know, there’s so many different genres of retreats that you could create. But yeah, gaining interest, think those are the ones that are most successful. think the ones that you know, that struggle tend to be they don’t have a solid foundation, kind of don’t have a real voice or theme of the retreat and are just…

sort of kind of blindly getting into it, just thinking, know, retreats are great and people will sign up.

Jo Espejo (25:26)

So it sounds good. You definitely don’t want it to be like a, it’s like trend. Now it sounds great. And then now I don’t know if I want to, or I should try it. So I think that’s great. So then what are some of the things too, like if I’m thinking about a retreat, what would be your number, I guess, top three considerations? So I guess the first one is, do I have a following? Do I even think that someone would be interested? But then now am I looking at, cause these are the conversations I’m hearing and I don’t know if we’re having the right conversations first.

Like, do we start thinking about location or does that really determine based on the type of retreat they’re wanting to do? So we have to know first, are we doing a relaxation? Are we doing something first? But then I’ve often thought about the type of retreat I want to host location, like ease of access. Is that a good place to start as far as like thinking about where they should do one? And I guess what are the top three things that they should be considering?

Jennifer (26:19)

Yeah, you know, your network and how you’re gonna market it. That’s number one. Number two then, yes, location.

ease of access is so important that will help you determine the amount of days that you’re available to offer for the experience because if you’re traveling for a solid day and you’re connecting all the flights, mean that right there could take away two full days, there and back. So then if people are trying to have a short weekend away from their family or away from their job, that all of sudden turned into a five day retreat kind of thing. And that’s depending on…

who your client base is, that’s probably too long. And so yeah, thinking about things like that, or maybe it’s not. I mean, I’m not saying all retreats have to be three or four days, but definitely take that into consideration. And then once you kind of figure that out, I think just the budget, you know, and making sure you have to do the budget on the front end, come up with the pricing and kind of what you think.

you know, what you’re wanting to make and profit and start with that. If it is something, you know, so if it’s a corporate thing and you’re not making a profit, okay, like what is the experience? But if it’s your personal person, you know, your brand and you’re making, this for business purposes, as well as to share your gifts and talents and services, what do I want to make? And go from there of then.

finding the location and the type of experience that you can with the budget that you think your attendees could potentially pay.

Jo Espejo (27:46)

So if anyone has been listening and they are like, Jennifer, I would love to know more.

Jennifer (27:50)

a travel agent so I bring that experience I think my diverse background from being understanding the hotel side or you know just the

venue location. So I can source anywhere in the world, know, relationships. There are some that are stronger than others, but I have, you know, all of the resources available and just the knowledge of hotel budgets and operations or, you know, those types of things that I can help bring into your pricing and seasonality

What sets me different from then just a travel agent is the health and wellness coaching and all of the time and energy that I spend in the wellness world researching and constantly learning,

being able to bring that into creating a whole experience. it’s so much more than the logistics as we’ve talked about, right? So I’ve got the logistics side and revenue management and then that whole other aspect of health and wellness and the passion for that, I feel like really sets that apart. And so that can translate into my retreats, my events and experiences, but definitely can bring that component to

you or person you know execute their their retreat experience and just

Jo Espejo (28:58)

So when

is the best time to reach out? Like, should they already have some of this figured out or are you okay having a conversation if we’re even just thinking about doing retreat in the future?

Jennifer (29:07)

Absolutely,

anytime. there’s no wrong time I help people completely conceptualize or people come to me and they’ve already got a lot of the ideas planned. They know where they wanna go. They know their budget. I help them fine tune. I execute.

I mean, anytime from pre-planning all the way to just like, I already know what I want. I need you to just like, just do it. Let’s go. Bring it to life.

Jo Espejo (29:30)

bring it to life. That’s

amazing. So if they’ve been listening, Jennifer, where can they find you?

Jennifer (29:34)

So you can find me, my website, planningwellness.com. I’m on Instagram, on LinkedIn, Pinterest, you name it, Facebook.

on my website, I also have like free intro planning sessions. So if you wanna have just a quick call to kind of chat and see what it’s like and talk a little bit about your ideas and experience and talk about services and like what the process would be like. You can find those links on my website. You email me, DM, all of them.

Jo Espejo (30:02)

Love it. So she’s accessible on all the things guys. And we’re going to add links into the show notes

as well. All right, Jennifer, I want to leave them with one last thing about building a brand that helps them thrive. What would be the number one thing that you’d recommend so that they can thrive, not just survive? What is it that you would think it would be?

Jennifer (30:18)

that you don’t need to know it all or do it all. you just have to start supports there. You’ll figure it out. don’t be afraid to make mistakes. and I think, you know, for me, I’ve just, I felt like, I have to have this done and do this and that. And it’s just like, no, just go for it and figure it out as you go.

Jo Espejo (30:34)

So powerful. And I think you looped up somebody of mine in the first one. So just do it. And then figure it out as you go. And don’t be afraid to ask for help because there is so much out there. And I think this is one of those things, at least for me, I retreats is on my future planning. And so Jennifer sounds like an amazing resource to be able to help you with all the things that you have already thought about and also everything that you have not thought about yet because it sounds like there’s so much involved

Jennifer, I really appreciate all of your time in this conversation. And for anyone that has been listening and you’re feeling that whisper, whether it’s launching a retreat, elevating your wellness brand or stepping into your next level, make sure you reach out. And if you’re ready to elevate your brands out that it reflects the leader that you’ve become, make sure you follow me, explore branding by Jo Thank you so much for tuning in and as always continue to out there and make your branded impact.