In this episode, I sit down with Kate Kurdziej, a double-award winning business consultant, retreat strategist, and retreat host based in Spain. Kate and I actually met at a women's retreat just a month before recording this - and given that retreats are literally her business, it felt like the most perfectly aligned introduction.

Kate didn't set out to become a retreat strategist. She came from the world of business consultancy, moved to Spain with her young family, slowed down, and one spontaneous Instagram story later - asking "who wants to come along?" to a five-course lunch - found herself building an entirely new chapter of her business. That story alone is a masterclass in Generator strategy: responding to life rather than forcing it.

We talk about what it actually takes to launch and sell out a retreat - and spoiler: it's not finding a beautiful venue on Pinterest. Kate breaks down why selling the spaces is the real challenge, why the magic happens in pre-launch, and why you should be 50% full before you even open the doors. She also gets very honest about the mistakes new retreat hosts make, including putting down a venue deposit before doing the foundational work.

We also go deep on energy management - before, during, and after a retreat - which felt especially relevant seen through the lens of Human Design. Kate is a 3/5 Sacral Generator, and everything she shared about her structured workflows, her trial-and-error approach, and her gift for bringing order to chaos maps beautifully onto her design.

We explore her Gate 3 (the gate of ordering and structure) and her Incarnation Cross of the Four Ways, and how these show up in the way she helps clients see the complete picture.

If you have been sitting on the idea of running a retreat, or you are already hosting retreats but struggling to fill spaces or avoid burnout, this conversation will give you both the strategic framework and the energetic reality check you need.

About Kate Kurdziej: Kate Kurdziej is a double-award winning business consultant and retreat host who lives in Spain with her young family. She is an experienced retreat strategist who works alongside new and established retreat leaders to create the strategy and structure to launch and sell out their retreat - without burning out or losing venue deposits.

Free training — 5 steps to your sell-out retreat: https://olivier-consultancy.co.uk/five-steps-to-your-sell-out-retreat/

Work with Kate: https://olivier-consultancy.co.uk/retreat-planning-consultancy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate_kurdziej/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-kurdziej/

Email: kate@olivier-consultancy.co.uk