Sharing a recap of my time in October in Park City, Utah, for the Fresh Air Retreat – a business retreat aimed to recharge and rejuvenate food content creators. Keep reading to hear more about the retreat, what we did and who was there!
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What is the Fresh Air Retreat
Early October I had the privilege to attend a Fresh Air Retreat – a business retreat put on by Liz of The Lemon Bowl and Lauren of The Curious Plate, where food content creators from all over the country get together for a close-knit conference, if you will.
This fall it was hosted in Park City, Utah – so beautiful this time of year!
We shared our wins, became inspired by each other, discussed business pain points, networked and most importantly, got to recharge our batteries.
Being a full-time content creator (food bloggers, originally) is still a new industry. Many of us started on our own without a full team, learning everything as we go. And many of us are still working with just a few small team members, either remotely, in person or a mix – it is not often we get the chance to see fellow creators in real life, so finding time to connect in person is invaluable.
The Attendees
Each season brings a roundup of new talent, with content creators from all over the country. It is a small group which allows us plenty of time to get to know one another and have meaningful discussions. This season’s attendees were:
Krista – Joyful Healthy Eats
Nicole – Cooking for Keeps
Isabel – Isabel Eats
Toni – Plant Based on a Budget
Liz – The Lemon Bowl
Lauren – The Curious Plate
The Location
This October season the Fresh Air Retreat was in Park City, Utah. Deer Valley Resort so graciously hosted our entire crew at a lovely home in Deer Valley – gorgeous views of the mountains all around.
I’ve never been to Park City or Deer Valley Resort, so this was such a treat.
When we were getting ready for some photos, some people even saw a moose walk across the road! (I, unfortunately, missed out on the live sighting.)
Brands and Retreat Sponsors
It takes a lot of work to host a retreat. Liz and Lauren were phenomenal hosts. This trip was made possible thanks to the hard work they put into getting some amazing brands to sponsor the Fresh Air Retreat.
This year right where we stayed in Deer Valley, we were able to meet with some of the brand sponsors – It’s always so nice to be able to meet brands in real life and put a face to the name you’re connecting with over email or phone.
We were able to enjoy breakfast with Starr Ranch Growers one morning, and Justin’s the next – a casual fun way to meet brands!
We also had a charcuterie workshop with Creminelli Fine Meats, where we learned how to effectively pair meats with different cheeses, how to add various color to your board and make different kinds of charcuterie roses – super fun.
Other retreat sponsors included:
Dining in Style
When we were dining in at our residence, our meals were catered by the amazing Chef Trimell Hawkins. He is based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan and flew out for the retreat to prepare everything for us. Truly, a treat.
From apple pop-tarts to delicious eggs (yes, even the eggs were amazing), special dips, hassle-back eggplant, lamb chili, whole fish dinner (both trout and snapper) and more. He is so talented and everything was absolutely delicious.
Having Chef Trimell there allowed us to enjoy and make the most of our time, while equally inspiring us with so many flavorful, beautiful dishes.
We also had the opportunity to dine out at High West Distillery for lunch and Tupelo downtown – highly recommend checking out both if you’re visiting!
Connecting
Over the meals, downtime and fireside chats, we were able to have casual conversations, get to know one another and share more about things we’re excited about in our businesses.
We also discussed what we need help with, bounced ideas off of each other and learned from one another.
All in all it was a judgement free zone to connect with inspiring women.
Fresh Air
It wouldn’t be called the Fresh Air Retreat without a little fresh air. We did a guided hike with Melissa, from Deer Valley Resort. We were there at the perfect time for all of the fall foliage – the colors were gorgeous.
Melissa, our guide was so kind and gracious with us. The elevation is very different for somebody like me from flat Michigan. My lungs were burning on the way up! It took a bit to adjust but we made it and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.
Exploring Downtown Park City
After our lunch at High West Distillery (which was delicious, of course) we had some free time to explore downtown Park City. It was absolutely adorable. I always enjoy exploring new places. The streets and shops were so cute.
And it was fun getting some free time and one-on-one with other attendees as well.
Takeaways
This was my first business trip since February 2020 – and we all know what happened after that! So I was actually a little nervous, if I am being honest. But I also knew I was ready for some candid business talk and real life human interaction.
And I am so glad I went. I expected nothing less of Liz (I’ve been on a few trips with her before!) and her, Lauren and their creative teams delivered a lovely event. I left feeling inspired, recharged and ready to set some new big goals for 2023.
It’s easy to just keep chugging along and keep your blinders on sometimes in this business. It can feel a little lonely, like you’re not sure what’s going on with all of the social media changes and Google updates, never knowing for sure if you’re making progress or just keeping afloat.
But getting to chat with others who have been in the business and are struggling with the same things can be so validating. We lifted each other up, cheered each other on, and were able to make new friends.
I’m so thankful I was invited to attend and had the opportunity to go.
Thank you again to Liz and Lauren for hosting, and the awesome brand sponsors for making this retreat possible:
All photography by Amanda Montgomery of Arrae Creative.
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