This one question (from my Paris retreat) can transform your next big idea
How to adapt my retreat questions for your own creative activity
Welcome to the 12.4.2024 Edition of the “Beyond Words” Newsletter, where I share scripts to become a better advocate for yourself at work.
Today at a glance
6 networking mistakes to avoid this holiday season (and 6 scripts to fix it)
How to adapt my retreat questions for your own creative activity
This week, I am in Paris hosting a "Deep Writing and Reflection Retreat" for my senior women leaders.
Activities include a
-a jewelry making class at Van Cleef and Arpels (the school)
-a private tour of Galerie Dior and the Christian Dior story
-a visit to the Chanel spa, where Coco Chanel lived for years
But the 3 days and 2 nights are not designed to move from adrenaline hit to adrenaline hit. Peppered in is studio time at a beautiful apartment in the 6th arrondissement to write and reflect deeply on each experience.
Why does this work?
At a retreat in Morocco three years ago, I asked a question that let a client in leadership at an accounting firm experience a major breakthrough.
Since she was a kid, her father dismissed all of her ideas. As an adult, she now self-rejects before anyone else has an opportunity to.
She doesn't raise her hand for prime job openings.
The other day, I noticed on her LInkedIn profile—-she got a promotion.
The self-awareness and subsequent breakthrough totally changed her self worth.
The clients who signed up for this week's retreat are embracing this unique combination of immersive experiences and intentional reflection to discover similar insights from their own lives.
Here’s how you can repurpose the questions I'm asking my clients in Paris to get your own unique insights:
Step 1: Choose a Creative Activity
Pick an immersive experience—something that engages your senses and allows you to step out of routine. It could be a museum visit, a nature walk, or even a DIY project. The key is to pick something that feels meaningful to you.
Step 2: Pair the Experience with Reflection
Get a journal. Any journal. Before, during, or after your chosen activity, write down your answers to these questions:
For example:
Before starting a painting class: “What emotions or memories do I hope to capture through color and form?”
After walking in nature: “What parallels can I draw between the patterns in nature and my personal growth?”
Step 3: Adapt My Reflection Questions to Your Context
Here are a few of the questions from my retreat, adapted for broader use:
When was the last time you felt fully present? How can you create more moments like that?
What personal narrative are you ready to rewrite?
What does beauty or excellence mean to you, and how do you embody it in your life?
Step 4: Capture Your Insights
Set aside time to journal your responses. Writing down or sharing your reflections with a trusted friend can make them more concrete and actionable.
Step 5: A Call to Action
This week, I invite you to try an activity that inspires you, ask yourself a reflective question, and see where it takes you. Share your insights with me on LinkedIn—I’d love to hear how this resonates with you.
P.S. Want to dive deeper into self-discovery and creativity? Keep an eye out for my next immersive retreat—A vineyard resort 2 hours outside Lisbon April 2025.
The Insider’s Edit
Links I love
I use WorldTimeBuddy.com to keep my time zones straight when I’m travelling and still working New York hours
We went searching for the Rodin Museum and got distracted by shoes, clothes and chocolate. Please run, don’t walk to Debauve et Gallais in Paris for all your gifting needs (they even sell a delicious chocolate spread). Elegantly wrapped. So are the sales people. Yes I bought gifts for folks at home.
Second chocolate shop discovery Yves Thuries on the other side of town.
Handmade shoes in Paris. Yes I bought a pair.
Handmade hats in Paris. Yes I bought this
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
1.Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in giving a TEDx style talk on a NYC stage in front of 200 people at the end.
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a digital community where all my scripts are organized (15,000 downloaded)
I’ll add to it each week.
3. Enroll in my workshop: “3 tips to supercharge your TEDx Application”
1600 already took it.
That hat looks fabulous on you!