This past week, the Collective Results team traded office chairs for grassy fields and swapped out spreadsheets for sunshine! Our retreat at Heartwood Farm and Cidery was the perfect blend of connection, creativity, and collaboration. Over two days, we planted the seeds for our 2024/2025 proactive business strategy, brewed up a solid DEI framework with help from the Diversity Institute, and toasted to our Q4 wins. As we rooted ourselves in nature and our values, we laid the groundwork for an exciting and fruitful year to come. Read on for reflections from our team.
Amy: Our retreat at Heartwood Farm and Cidery was an incredible opportunity to focus on what truly matters—growing a business rooted in our core values. My favourite part of the retreat was the chance to step away from the busy-ness of our client work and to connect deeply with our team and nature. There are so many lessons to be learned from nature that apply to our work on complex systems. Taking an opportunity to observe, reflect, and apply these lessons together was really special. I’d like to give a huge thank you to our gracious hosts at Heartwood for stewarding such an impactful experience for us and for giving us the opportunity to reflect, recharge, and plan for an aligned and purpose-driven future. Here’s to the exciting journey ahead!
Ashley: Being one of the newest members of the Collective Results team, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the retreat. Working virtually has many benefits however nothing beats getting face-to-face and so I approached the two days wanting to really connect. As we moved through the two days together, I was continually reminded of the incredible humans that I get to work with. Yes, they each come with a wealth of knowledge and experience but the genuine kindness, humility, and fun that they bring to this work is what sets this team apart. I’m feeling incredibly grateful for the two days spent grounded in the land we stayed on, campfire laughs, conversations that opened up new ways of thinking, and the incredible farm to table experience (and so much more). Excited for the road that lies ahead!
Audra: Spending time at Heartwood Farm and Cidery with the Collective Results team was so energising! Our hosts were lovely; the food was delicious. I appreciated the purposeful time we spent outside, on the grass, shaded by the trees. It was a refreshing change from spending time on screens, time that allowed the team space to think differently and have many meaningful conversations. I always leave our in-person retreats feeling grateful to work with such smart, experienced and FUN teammates and I’m looking forward to seeing how the work we accomplished together impacts our future work in the coming year.
Brianne: Our fall retreat is always a wonderful experience – extended, quality time together in nature and concentrated time to further the business and strategy side of Collective Results. It also reminds me how adaptable we are regardless of where we have the pleasure of landing for our two days together (for example, doing a virtual pitch presentation to a potential client in a beautiful yurt or working as a team in a stunning garden). My favourite aspects of these getaways are always the time to connect and genuine fun we have as a team, whether it be gathering by a campfire at night, doing yoga in a serene location, or filling our tummies with the most delicious farm to table meals. As always, I leave our fall retreat with an amplified appreciation for my amazing colleagues and the work we have the opportunity to do, and gratitude for all the happiness Collective Results has brought into my life.
Ishan: The fall has always been my favourite season! I really enjoy the transition to the cooler weather, the leaves changing colours and for the past 4 years, getting together in person with some of my favourite humans. We spent 2 days planning the next year for the company, learning best practice from a renowned EDI expert and best of all, team building in a breathtaking space. I left our retreat, energised, excited and still full from all the yummy food! Thanks team for all the positive energy as we move into another year together!
Kelsey: The multi-day in person retreat was a relaxing time to connect at a slower pace: walking through forests and farm fields, picking fruit and then learning to juice it together, and chatting over an evening campfire. We discussed business strategies while sitting on camp chairs under the shade of an apple orchard and explored how to better operationalize EDI principles throughout the pillars of our work while sitting in a yurt. The days were a balance of fun and productivity that will fuel the team for collaborating together in the year ahead.
Liz: Our in-person multi-day Fall retreat is truly one of my favourite CR times of the year. We always prepare an agenda to guide our days together, but it truly is the informal connection moments that stand out the most to me every year. As a team that works primarily remotely (unless we are on location with a client), it is so nice to find the time to connect, laugh and get to know each other. This year I especially loved all of our amazing farm to table meals prepared by Heartwood Farm and Cidery. The weather was so beautiful that we were able to eat every meal outdoors – including a campfire and smores! I’m already counting down the days till our next retreat – where should we go next?!
Michi: Our in-person retreats are always valuable time that we spend together connecting, advancing our strategic plans, improving our business, and having fun! This year’s Fall retreat was no exception. Adding to the experience was an amazing space where you feel truly connected to nature and all of its bounties. What better way to work than sitting under fruit trees listening to the bees buzz, crickets sing, and pigs snort. I can’t wait to see what we do next!