The Retreat Effect

Earlier this week, I was in Guerneville, California for the annual Impact Table retreat.

The Impact Table is a community dedicated to connecting and supporting women mission-driven leaders — created by the incredible Marssie Versola. If you ever want to meet a visionary, meet Marssie.

I joined the Impact Table in January 2024, and I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s the community I didn’t know I needed — the space to do the inner work I know I should be doing, but probably wouldn’t without accountability and encouragement.

And if you’re human, you know…it’s been a year.

Until you stop — really stop — and step out of daily life for a moment, you might not realize the toll it’s taken. That’s why retreats like this one matter.

As I write this, I feel full of joy. I left Guerneville with my cup overflowing, surrounded by the most brilliant women in social impact. Women who care deeply about their work, about each other, and about putting more good into this world. We gathered in a beautiful house in a redwood forest. We laughed, we cried. We thought and talked and wrote and walked.

This work can be lonely. Sometimes (oftentimes?), it feels like pushing Sisyphus’ boulder up the hill. You plan to do your best work and get stymied by decision-makers. You know exactly what needs to be done, but others overrule you. You spot harm but feel powerless to prevent it. You push a conversation forward only to hit an invisible wall. And sometimes, the work you’re asked to do just feels…off.

Social impact is a curious space. I firmly believe that we all do this work from a place of hope, expertise, and deep commitment. But we’re also navigating systems — internal and external — that hold us back. To move toward balance, we’ve got to shed what no longer serves us.

Fresh off my retreat, here’s what I hope for all of us working in social impact:

1. Speak up. If you see something, say something. If a conversation is going in the wrong direction or a decision feels wrong, raise your voice. We don’t have time to waste.

2. Find your people. Build your circle of trusted advisors, friends, and colleagues who will lift you up and help you keep your momentum. Create your own hype team; the work is hard, and we all need a boost.

3. Take a beat. If you can, go on a retreat (yes, I realize that’s a privilege). If that’s not possible, find smaller ways to give yourself distance. Take some space to pause, reflect, and to think critically and creatively.

We’ve got to stick together. We’ve got to stay energized for what’s ahead.

And we’ve got to clean up the messes in social impact so we can all feel the joy — and feel really, really good about our work.

With love and appreciation,

Sarah

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🎤 KNOCK, KNOCK. WHO’S THERE? A REALLY THOUGHTFUL PODCAST.

Christina Blacken is a public speaker, performer, writer, and founder of The New Quo, a leadership development and behavior change company. She’s also a podcaster…and I very much recommend her Tell It Proud podcast.

I just listened to her most recent episode, “Tell Strangers Knock Knock Jokes,” and it’ll stick with me. It’s an 11-minute story about the NYC subway, a boy, and a man who appears to be living on the street. The news can wait. 😉 Take this podcast for a spin instead.

🌍 CONSIDER GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

How about a free, virtual conference that’s open to anyone, anywhere? I’d say sign me up.

If you’d say the same thing, then check out Global Perspectives 2025: Towards a Thriving Civil Society in Times of Uncertainty, organized by the International Civil Society Centre based in Berlin.

This conference will run from November 18-20 and will serve as a response to the intense turbulence facing civil society in this moment. The event seeks for our sector to move beyond survival mode — and figure out how to thrive.

Register here.

👑 LE HEIST

Anyone else as obsessed with the recent Louvre heist as I am?! I know it’s tragic…and I still can’t get enough of the story and breaking details. Priceless jewels, a most famous museum, a meticulously planned crime, and international intrigue. Just, wow…

Yes, I will be reading the book when it comes out. For now, though, I’ll read this article from The Guardian with a few more juicy updates.

💘 NONPROFIT LOVE

I absolutely love Alysia Montaño. She’s a 2012 Olympian, seven-time USA Champion, American 4×800 record holder, author, advocate, activist, and mother.

In 2019, Montaño bravely broke her nondisclosure agreement with sponsors Asics and Nike to share a powerful op-ed in The New York Times exposing the companies’ lack of maternity protections for sponsored, professional athletes.

That op-ed sparked the #DreamMaternity movement, which then led to Montaño launching the nonprofit For All Mothers+ (formerly called &Mother) on Mother’s Day in 2020. FAM+’s mission is to eliminate the motherhood penalty (can I get a “lesss gooo!”).

FAM+ integrates research-backed, family-first, industry-wide standards in sports that can serve as a template for other industries to adopt. What does this look like in practice? It looks like lactation support at sporting events and awarding grants to professional mother-athletes to help close the motherhood penalty gap (among other things).

Want to help FAM+ shift the narrative around motherhood? You can learn how to get involved here, here, and here.