Deep Work Retreats

Work, Deeply.

Five days of protected time, a regulated nervous system, and the space to finally do the work that matters.

I'm Interested

The Problem

Deep work requires more than willpower. It requires conditions.

Email. Slack. Texts. Calls. Meeting after meeting that could have been an email. Multi-tasking. Context switching. Side hustling. This is what it looks like to drown in the shallows.

You've tried the apps, the hacks, the time-blocking. The structure keeps winning. Even when you carve out time for deep work, you can't access the state required—so you retreat to shallow tasks because at least they're familiar.

The environment is the only intervention you haven't tried.

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."
— Annie Dillard

The Container

Five days designed around how brains actually work

A distraction-free, fully hosted, nervous-system-regulating environment in a beautiful place. No meetings. No pings. No kid drop-offs. Just the space and support to finally get to the work that matters.

01

Protected Time

Long, uninterrupted blocks for deep work. Phones surrendered (willingly). No WiFi in sleeping spaces. The gift of not being reachable—so your nervous system can finally settle.

02

Regulated Environment

Pacing that respects your nervous system. Sensory considerations. Food that supports cognition. Boundaries that protect focus. An environment designed for depth.

03

Quiet Company

A small cohort of ~12 people doing meaningful work alongside you. No networking pressure. No performances. Just the companionship of parallel focus and people who get it.

"The concept of always being reachable makes us present nowhere."
— Peter Arvai

This is for you if

You're ready to go deep

  • You have a backlog of creative or strategic projects you can never get to
  • Your time has been colonized by shallow work and you're burned out or heading there
  • You cycle through tasks because at least it feels productive—but the meaningful work keeps getting deferred
  • You're a founder, remote worker, solopreneur, or senior professional responsible for thinking that requires depth
  • You can clear your calendar of meetings and obligations for five straight days

This is not for you if

You're looking for something else

  • You want a networking event or business conference
  • You're seeking a spa retreat or wellness vacation
  • You need constant stimulation to feel productive
  • You're looking for a course, a method, or a productivity guru
  • You're not ready to put your phone away for hours at a time
Vancouver Island, BC

The Setting

Where the forest meets the water

Our retreat space sits on Vancouver Island's coast—forested, quiet, and far enough from the city to feel like another world. Close enough to reach easily.

Private accommodations. A shared gathering space designed for focus. Trails into old growth. The sound of water. All meals prepared so you can stay in the work.

About

Why I'm Building This

I burned out first and worst. My entire career has been defined by cycles of burnout—and through that, I discovered something important: state determines the outcomes you're capable of.

My brain needs environments that allow for depth. Constant task-switching, notifications, fragmented attention—these aren't just annoying to me, they're genuinely harmful. And it turns out that what I most need is what modern work is most lacking.

I'm also an experience designer. My career has been gathering people—50+ original events and community initiatives, thousands of participants. As my capacity has shifted, I've come to need smaller, more intimate containers. Spaces that nourish mind, body, and soul. Connections that let you go deep.

The Deep End is what I need. I'm betting others need it too.

My Background

I spent over a decade in higher education designing transformational programs—the kind that created real change in how people work and think together. I've hosted retreats, facilitated intensive workshops, and built communities around meaningful work.

I write about work, culture, and what it means to live well in a world that's actively hostile to depth. You can find my writing at f*ck i love you on Substack.

I live on Vancouver Island with my dog, Thomas. I believe that how we work should serve how we want to live—not the other way around.

— Jenn

FAQ

Questions You Might Have

What does a typical day look like?

Mornings are for deep work—long, uninterrupted blocks where you focus on whatever you came to do. Afternoons are more flexible: optional movement, rest, time in nature, or continued work. Evenings are for winding down together. The rhythm is designed to support sustained focus without burnout.

Do I have to know what I'm working on before I arrive?

It helps to have a project or intention in mind—something you've been wanting to get to but haven't had the space for. That said, some people come to think, plan, or make decisions that require uninterrupted time. The container works for all of these.

Is this a silent retreat?

No. There's plenty of conversation—at meals, in the evenings, during optional activities. But the culture respects focus. You won't be interrupted during work blocks, and there's no pressure to be social when you need to be heads-down.

What if I have calls or obligations I can't reschedule?

This retreat asks you to fully step away for five days. If you can't clear your calendar, this probably isn't the right time. The whole point is to experience what becomes possible when you're not constantly being pulled out of depth.

What about dietary needs or accessibility?

We'll gather information about dietary needs and do our best to accommodate them. If you have specific accessibility needs, reach out and we'll discuss what's possible at our venue.

When are retreats happening?

We're planning our first retreats for Spring 2026. Join the interest list to be the first to know when dates are announced and registration opens.

"I want this not only for artists and writers, but for any person who perceives life to be more than an instrument and therefore something that cannot be optimized."
— Jenny Odell

Your work deserves the conditions to thrive

Join our interest list for Spring 2026 retreat dates and early access to registration.

I'm Interested