PODCAST: Season 6, Episode 25
Grab your coffee and get ready for a vulnerable conversation about one of the hardest decisions in business – knowing when to stop something that isn’t working, even when it disappoints people you care about. I’m sharing the real story behind cancelling my Rewild retreat this year, the emotional and strategic process behind that decision, and why sometimes the most powerful move a CEO can make is changing direction. If you’ve ever felt that niggle about an offer that just doesn’t feel right anymore, this episode is for you.
Personal Story: The Rewild Retreat Decision
The Background:
- Started hosting retreats pre-COVID with successful day events
- Post-COVID pivot to overnight retreats that sold out for two consecutive years
- Year three brought subtle niggles despite changing venue and dates around my daughter’s GCSEs
- Six people booked by summer, but I wasn’t feeling aligned or putting energy into promotion
The Tipping Point:
- By Christmas, I’d barely been talking about it because the energy wasn’t there
- Cost increases meant needing 18+ people minimum for viability
- Venue would accommodate 22 people total (18 guests + 4 staff) – felt too large for me to hold space properly
- My mastermind became the safe space to work through this decision
The Decision Process:
- Followed my Human Design (Generator energy not lit up = major red flag)
- Combined intuition with astrology and black-and-white business analysis
- Made the call in March to cancel and refund everyone
- Had proper financial systems in place to handle refunds responsibly
Key Topics Covered
Recognising When Something Isn’t Aligned
- Body awareness: checking for expansion vs contraction with each offer
- That persistent little voice on repeat that you keep ignoring
- When you’re not “lit up” as a Generator – massive warning sign
- The difference between strategic challenges and misalignment
The Strategic Side of Pivoting
- Having financial systems in place (separate bank account for retreat deposits)
- Proper terms and conditions (Lucy Legal templates recommended)
- Not leaving gaps – knowing what you want to pivot TO, not just away from
- Building flexibility into your business model to allow for pivots
Signs From the Universe
- My in-person business event sold out quickly and made similar profit to the whole retreat
- When you make aligned decisions, opportunities flow more easily
- The difference between pushing through versus moving with the flow
Featured Business Insights
The CEO Mindset Shift: I’ve helped clients through similar pivots – one client moved from a membership she wasn’t feeling to a hybrid of courses and one-to-ones. The key is building something new before burning down the old.
Human Design in Business: As a Generator, when I’m not lit up about something, it’s my inner guidance system telling me this isn’t the right path. Your Human Design authority is crucial for decision-making.
The Emotional vs Strategic Balance: The hardest part was disappointing friends who’d booked multiple retreats with me. But business decisions require both heart and head – emotional attachment can’t override strategic clarity.
Quick Implementation Audit
Check In With Your Current Offers:
- Go through each event/offer and notice: expansion or contraction in your body?
- Circle anything that makes your energy drop when you think about it
- When did you last push through despite your intuition saying no?
Assess Your Business Flexibility:
- Do you have enough diverse offerings to allow for pivots?
- What upcoming events feel heavy rather than exciting?
- Have you built financial cushions for potential changes?
Trust Your Internal Guidance:
- What would it look like if you trusted your inner compass as much as your strategic planning?
- Are you familiar with your Human Design and how it guides decisions?
- What’s that persistent little voice been trying to tell you?
Resources Mentioned
- Human Design Business Audit – £22 (need birth time, date, and location)
- Lucy Legal Templates – For proper terms and conditions
- Mastermind Support – Having a safe space to discuss difficult business decisions
The Networking Example
Just like people who dread networking but feel they “should” do it – if something consistently drains your energy, what else could you do that feels easier and more aligned?
Take Action
- Do the body scan exercise with your current offers
- Consider what you’ve been avoiding or putting less energy into
- Ask yourself: What would a pivot look like in your business?
- Remember: Flexibility is a superpower, not a weakness
Final Thought
The most visionary CEOs aren’t the ones who never change direction – they’re the ones who know when a pivot is the most powerful move they can make. Your future self already knows what the right move is.
Sometimes cancelling something disappointing people in the short term creates space for something that lights you up and serves everyone better in the long run. Trust that inner guidance – it’s usually trying to steer you towards something better.
Come share your biggest aha moment with me on Instagram @mils_gray – I’d love to know if a pivot is on the table for you!