Retreats & Offsites Unpacked

How do you create peer groups and retreats that actually feel safe—while still driving growth, accountability, and real change?

In this episode, Mo Fathelbab, founder and president of the International Facilitators Organization, joins host Dan Berger to unpack what makes peer groups, forums, and retreats truly work.

Drawing on decades of experience facilitating thousands of retreats across the globe, Mo shares why vulnerability is the foundation of trust, how facilitators create real belonging, and what leaders often misunderstand about moderation versus facilitation.

Whether you’re a facilitator, retreat leader, coach, or operator designing peer experiences—this episode offers a masterclass in connection, structure, and presence.

Episode Themes

• What peer groups and forums really are—and why they matter
• Creating psychological safety and confidentiality that actually holds
• Matching peers for trust, belonging, and relevance
• The role of vulnerability in facilitation and leadership
• Why facilitators matter (and when moderators fall short)
• Designing exercises that lead to transformation, not performance
• Building facilitator communities and scaling peer learning
• The future of forums in an AI-driven, disconnected world

Chapters
00:00 — Welcome + what this show is about
00:00 — Welcome to The Assemble Podcast
00:41 — Introducing Mo Fathelbab and his work in facilitation
01:39 — Why Mo founded the International Facilitators Organization
02:38 — What facilitators really do—and why the work matters
03:14 — Peer groups vs. forums: what’s the difference?
04:27 — Why chemistry, matching, and belonging make or break groups
06:48 — Setting the room: intentions, safety, and confidentiality
08:01 — Levels of confidentiality and how to make them explicit
08:41 — Mo’s most powerful facilitation exercises
09:35 — Exploring mortality as a catalyst for transformation
10:34 — Do groups really need facilitators—or just moderators?
11:46 — Why facilitating and participating is so demanding
11:54 — How Mo has led thousands of retreats over decades
12:49 — The value and vision of the International Facilitators Organization
14:37 — Membership tiers, pricing, and benefits
15:25 — Mo’s three-year vision for the facilitator ecosystem
16:39 — The size of the peer group and facilitation market
19:44 — How facilitators should think about pricing
20:53 — What Mo actually charges—and why it depends
21:19 — Breaking into facilitation and building demand
22:13 — Vulnerability as the currency of relationships
23:56 — Seeing others as human to deepen connection
24:47 — Setting intention so exercises land with meaning
25:12 — Where to find Mo and closing thoughts

About the Guest – Mo Fathelbab
Mo Fathelbab is the founder and president of the International Facilitators Organization and a global authority on peer learning, facilitation, and leadership development. He has worked with over 30,000 CEOs and entrepreneurs across 30+ countries and has led more than 2,500 retreats and programs worldwide.

Mo is the author of The Friendship Advantage and Forum: The Secret Advantage of Successful Leaders, a Harvard Business School Alumni Forums co-founder, and a longtime facilitator within YPO, EO, and executive peer networks.

Company website: internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com

Social Media: LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

What if leadership, trust, and communication could be revealed without a single slide deck? In this episode, Dan sits down with Kristine Palmer, founder of Horse + Bow, to explore how horses—and mindfulness-based archery—surface the gap between what we intend and the impact we actually create, especially under pressure.

Episode Themes

• Why intention doesn’t matter if your impact says otherwise
• How horses respond to incongruence you can hide from people
• A simple “handoff” exercise that exposes team friction fast
• Why pressure (time limits, no talking) reveals real operating habits
• How archery reinforces presence, focus, and grounded decision-making
• When a short session works—and when real change needs a full day or more

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to the Assemble Podcast
00:40 – Introducing Kristine Palmer and Horse + Bow
01:34 – Why teams are craving deeper connection right now
02:39 – How Kristine found equine-assisted learning
05:30 – Intention vs. impact: what horses reveal immediately
06:23 – How horses respond to incongruence and energy
08:04 – Skepticism, proof, and seeing patterns repeat
09:56 – The “handoff” exercise and leadership breakdowns
12:01 – Half-day activities vs. multi-day retreat work
14:25 – Why pressure exposes real habits
15:40 – Nonverbal leadership and losing connection
19:42 – Why horses choose safety over compliance
20:03 – Why archery became part of the experience
22:40 – Advice for building retreats around a specialty
26:11 – Connecting experiential work to business outcomes
27:08 – Final thoughts and where to find Kristine

About the Guest – Kristine Palmer
Kristine Palmer is a team-building and leadership development facilitator and the founder of Horse + Bow, based in Marble Falls, Texas. With a background in business, marketing, and entrepreneurship—and certification in equine-assisted learning—Kristine designs experiential sessions that help individuals, couples, and executive teams build self-awareness, strengthen communication, and create trust through hands-on work with horses and mindfulness-based archery.

Her work focuses on the gap between intention and impact, using real-time experiences under pressure to surface patterns teams often know exist but rarely see clearly. Kristine works with leaders, facilitators, and organizations seeking meaningful change beyond traditional team-building activities.

Website: Horse + Bow

Company Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn

Personal: LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Brent McCann went from Marine Corps infantry + 15 years in HR to building True North men’s retreats — and he did it without a big audience, big budget, or flashy ads.

In this episode, Brent breaks down what actually moved the needle: simple offers, outcome-based messaging, DM follow-up, and a post-retreat integration path that keeps the work going (and stabilizes revenue).

Episode Themes

• How Brent’s military + HR background shaped his retreat style (push + comfort)
• Marketing men without “bro marketing” or spiritual cosplay
• His simple ad formula: image + outcomes (not itinerary)
• Why he skips talking-head ads (and what he does instead)
• DM conversion lessons (and the follow-up mistake that cost him $10K)
• Post-retreat integration: 1:1 calls + a 10–12 week community + “mastery summit”

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome + who Brent is
01:18 – HR to men’s retreats: the real origin story
03:47 – Marine Corps “what not to do” and how that shaped his leadership
06:02 – Balancing comfort + challenge for first-time retreat guys
07:27 – The marketing challenge: reaching men who’ve never done this
10:13 – Men in crisis + Brent’s lens (neuroscience, nervous system, self-worth)
12:32 – Pricing: $3,500–$5,000 all-inclusive
13:06 – Growth: from ~100 followers to hundreds + “800 DMs in two months”
14:42 – The campaign format: Canva + outcomes (keep it simple)
15:48 – Integration + community model (and why the real work starts at home)
19:02 – Advice for new facilitators: clarity, reverse engineering, and practice
21:42 – Win + loss: the zipline breakthrough vs. losing $10K on retreat #2
24:30 – Mechanics: what he literally does to launch a first campaign
27:19 – Why he avoids talking-head ads
28:29 – Closing + Don commits to attending

About the Guest – Brent McCann
Brent McCann is a mindset coach and men’s retreat facilitator who helps high-achieving men build clarity, confidence, and meaningful direction. A former Marine Corps infantryman and longtime HR leader, Brent blends neuroscience, meditation, breathwork, and emotional mastery to create experiences that move men from “successful but stuck” into grounded self-leadership. He leads True North Men’s Retreats and a post-retreat integration community designed to help men break old patterns and live with intention.
Website: www.fulfillmentfinders.com/unstress

Social Media: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Dr. Simon Rakoff has spent 25+ years helping executives, teams, athletes, and performers get better under pressure — and he and Dan go way back.

In this episode, they unpack Simon’s core framework (focus, relaxation, connection), why “bring the calm” is a real skill, and how tiny habits (like how you brush your teeth) can re-train a mind that’s always sprinting ahead.

They also get into the messy reality of team coaching: confidentiality, board dynamics, why a facilitator shouldn’t “perform,” and why sometimes the best move is letting tension breathe long enough for the team to build the habit of working through it.

If you lead retreats or facilitate leadership teams, this one is a practical playbook — and a reality check.

Episode Themes

• Bring the calm: why calm is contagious (and how leaders transmit it)
• Relaxation as a skill: not “just relax,” but training the mind through the body
• Micro-habits: practicing presence in normal life (teeth, walking, writing, driving)
• Individuals + teams: why coaching only the CEO caps results
• Trust + confidentiality: how to surface issues without blowing up relationships
• Facilitation philosophy: it’s not a performance — it’s the group’s time
• Conflict + habits: teams can change their defaults faster than they think
• The long game: building a career by stacking life experiences into a point of view

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome + Simon’s background
02:10 — First responder mindset: “bring the calm”
03:45 — Why Simon starts with relaxation (and why “just relax” is useless)
07:10 — Micro-practices: teeth, walking, writing, driving
10:30 — Why coach the whole team (not just the principal)
13:20 — Confidentiality + transparency inside team dynamics
16:05 — Facilitation under tension: truth over comfort
19:10 — Why Simon doesn’t always jump in (and why that helps teams)
22:00 — Education path: conflict resolution → industrial psychology → Aikido
25:10 — Advice for facilitators: stack your story + design for what the group really wants
29:40 — Wrap: the group’s time, not the facilitator’s

About the Guest – Dr. Simon Rakoff

Dr. Simon Rakoff is a performance psychologist with more than 25 years experience helping executives, teams, athletes and performers grow, develop and excel. Simon’s proprietary and proven approach cultivates three specific abilities that are fundamental to success: 1)Focus 2)Relaxation and 3)Connection. Simon is an experienced facilitator, having worked with leadership teams across a wide range of industries. He is a former career firefighter, paramedic and technical rescue specialist. His time working in public safety taught him how to work closely with a team effectively, even in high stress situations, and became the basis for Simon’s approach to helping teams and individuals achieve peak performance.

Social Media: LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Meg Sylvester leads retreats that don’t rely on hype, hierarchy, or spiritual performance. Instead, she creates what she calls the “retreat bubble”—a contained, intentional space where people feel safe enough to slow down, create, and reconnect with themselves without judgment.

In this episode, Meg breaks down the two very different types of retreats she runs, how she balances structure with intuition, and why true facilitation isn’t about having answers—it’s about creating the conditions for others to find their own. She also shares how health challenges, creativity, and lived experience shaped her work, and why environment, pacing, and psychological safety matter more than buzzwords.

Episode Themes

• The “retreat bubble” and why containment creates safety
• Two retreat models: inner work vs. curated group travel
• Structure vs. intuition — why both matter
• Circular leadership and facilitation without hierarchy
• Creativity as a tool for healing, clarity, and confidence
• Judgment-free spaces and avoiding “spiritual gaslighting”
• Why slow mornings, free time, and pacing matter
• Hosting retreats that feel grounded, not performative

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome + what this show is about
00:40 — Meg’s background and retreat philosophy
01:55 — Two types of retreats: inner work vs. group travel
04:25 — Defining the “retreat bubble”
06:10 — Structure, intuition, and earning participant trust
07:55 — Tools Meg uses: writing, yoga, breathwork, creativity
09:35 — Why slow mornings and free time matter
11:40 — Judgment-free facilitation and psychological safety
14:45 — Masculine / feminine energy and inclusivity
16:10 — Men in retreat spaces and authenticity in marketing
18:45 — Health, creativity, and lived experience as teachers
23:00 — Group travel retreats and third-party planners
25:00 — Where to find Meg and closing thoughts

About the Guest – Meg Sylvester

Meg Sylvester is a published author, speaker, and retreat facilitator known for her playful, soulful storytelling and grounded facilitation style. She leads two retreat experiences: an “inner work” retreat bubble focused on creativity, mental health, and self-trust — and a curated group travel format designed for mindful travelers who want connection and adventure without the heavy, all-day processing.
Meg’s work blends gateless creative writing, breathwork, Kundalini-inspired practices, sound healing, music-led embodiment, and creative play — with a clear agenda and structure, plus intuitive flow inside the container. She’s built a large audience through honest sharing around health and personal growth, including the food–mood connection, Lyme disease, grief, and hormonal health in midlife.
Website: www.megsylvester.com

Book: The Body Positivity Journal: Inspirational Prompts and Practices to Boost Self-Love and Acceptance

Social Media: Instagram | YouTube

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Jacob Green built a facilitation firm of 30 leaders after a career in local government — but his earliest facilitation training started at 14, helping run retreats aimed at reducing hate and conflict on a public high school campus. In this episode, Jacob shares what makes facilitators effective (curiosity, language, listening), how public-sector retreats really work, and why “cognitive diversity” is one of the biggest levers for high-performing teams. He also makes the case that environment isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s the container that determines what’s possible.

Episode Themes

• Jacob’s origin story: brain injury, rehab, and the leadership lessons that became his book
• Building a facilitation firm of 30: structure, quality control, and learning from each other
• Facilitation fundamentals: ask better questions, listen more, stop “performing”
• How to break into public sector retreats: conferences, niches, relationships, and language
• Public vs. private sector: different constraints, same human problems
• Cognitive diversity: what it is, why it matters, and how to work with gaps on a team
• Why environment matters more than people think — and why facilitators should own the venue decision

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome + what this show is about
00:40 — Jacob’s background and why Dan starts with the book
01:15 — “See Change Clearly”: brain injury, rehab, and leadership lessons
03:20 — Building a company: why Jacob didn’t want to be a solopreneur
05:40 — Facilitation at 14: retreats, conflict, and learning the craft early
08:10 — What good facilitators actually do: curiosity, questions, listening
10:00 — Training experienced execs to stop telling war stories
12:00 — Landing public-sector clients: where to speak and who to target
16:10 — Language that works (and fails) in government environments
18:05 — What public-sector retreats look like in reality
20:00 — The AEM Cube + cognitive diversity (and how to handle gaps)
23:40 — What happens when facilitation scales (and why it improves quality)
26:40 — The environment argument: space, memory, trauma, and why venue matters
29:10 — Closing thoughts

About the Guest – Jacob Green
Jacob Green is a nationally recognized leadership and organizational development expert, bestselling author, and master facilitator with nearly two decades of executive experience across local government and the private sector. As President and CEO of Jacob Green & Associates, he leads a nationwide team of 30 facilitators who work with public agencies and Fortune 500 organizations to help teams improve alignment, communication, and performance. Jacob’s work is deeply informed by his personal recovery from a traumatic brain injury, which shaped his approach to facilitation, curiosity-driven leadership, and cognitive diversity in teams.

Jacob Green and Associates: jacobgreenandassociates.com

Book: See Change Clearly

Social Media: LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

How do you help people speak the truth—with courage and compassion—without shutting others down?

In this episode, Coach In Motion founder Kim Mensh Weinberg joins host Dan Berger to explore how leaders can elevate self-awareness, strengthen team trust, and navigate difficult conversations with honesty and care.

From her CLEAR communication model to her experiences teaching at UVA and Georgetown, Kim shares how she blends candor with compassion, structure with humanity, and professionalism with presence.

Whether you lead a team, facilitate groups, or just want to get better at hard conversations—this episode’s for you.

Episode Themes

• Courage + compassion—the dual mindset of effective leadership
• Bringing candor into coaching and facilitation
• Managing “terminal politeness” and getting real in teams
• Kim’s CLEAR Model for courageous communication
• Handling “jerks” with awareness and empathy
• Holding space without losing authority
• When connection matters more than correction

About the Guest – Kim Mensh Weinberg 

Kim Mensh Weinberg is an executive coach, facilitator, and organizational consultant with over 30 years of experience helping leaders grow through conscious awareness and action. She’s a UVA and Georgetown faculty member, YPO-certified facilitator, and founder of Coach In Motion, where she helps teams transform how they lead, communicate, and connect.

Learn more: coachinmotion.com

Social Media: LinkedIn

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Most men don’t get spaces to slow down, feel, and connect. Sascha Lewis decided to build one.

As co-founder of EVRYMAN, Sascha turned men’s emotional wellness into a movement—creating retreats where real conversation replaces performance.

Host Dan Berger talks with Sascha about the reality behind these experiences: how they work, why they matter, and what it takes to make them sustainable. From 10,000-person yoga events in Central Park to deeply human men’s circles in the Berkshires, this episode explores what happens when culture, business, and consciousness meet.

Episode Themes

• The state of modern masculinity and belonging
• How men’s retreats create community and release pressure
• Real talk vs. performative vulnerability
• Marketing and scaling authentic experiences
• Sustaining connection after the high of a retreat

Chapters

00:00 – Intro
Dan Berger introduces Sascha Lewis—founder, builder, and cultural entrepreneur.

01:20 – The 10,000-person yoga class
Central Park, JetBlue yoga mats, thunder, lightning, and lessons learned.

05:00 – Starting EVRYMAN
How a simple men’s group became a global movement.

07:00 – Why men need spaces to feel
Breaking through the armor—fear, purpose, and emotional honesty.

10:00 – Designing emotional retreats
What makes men open up—and what doesn’t.

15:00 – Fun as healing
Why tug-of-war and talent shows matter more than you’d think.

19:00 – Marketing meaning
The hardest part of the retreat business—and how EVRYMAN found its audience.

25:00 – Scaling heart-driven work
Why EVRYMAN paused retreats to focus on sustainable community.

28:00 – Closing
Sascha’s advice: build the community first, the business second.

About the Guest – Sascha Lewis

Sascha Lewis is a co-founder of EVRYMAN , a global men’s emotional wellness platform helping men connect more deeply with themselves and others.

He’s also Director of Culture & Commerce at Dutchfield LLC and previously co-founder of Flavorpill Media, pioneering digital culture and live experiences.

His career spans creative entrepreneurship, large-scale events, and leading wellness-driven communities worldwide.

Learn more: evryman.com
Social Media: LinkedIn 

About the Assemble Podcast
Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

Emmy Award–winning coach Tim Peek once led through fear—until a career meltdown forced him to rebuild from the inside out.

In this episode, Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality, sits down with Tim to explore what real leadership looks like under pressure: emotional intelligence, radical responsibility, and the courage to be vulnerable.

They talk failures, retreats gone wrong, and how creating safety and humor can unlock growth—at work and in life.

Episode Themes

• Emotional intelligence in high-stakes leadership
• Building safety and belonging in teams
• Vulnerability as a performance advantage
• Leadership lessons from failure and humility
• How retreats reveal what daily life hides

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
Dan introduces Tim Peek, Emmy-winning coach and former NBC executive.

01:20 – From newsroom to boardroom
How leading through fear backfired—and what forced Tim to change.

03:00 – The turning point
A book, a coach, and a moment of truth that shifted everything.

05:00 – Fired mid-retreat (twice)
Why even facilitators fail—and what “readiness” really means.

09:00 – Emotional intelligence under pressure
What great leaders do when chaos hits.

13:00 – Creating psychological safety
The role of presence, hospitality, and space in building trust.

15:00 – Vulnerability-based trust
Why people connect fastest through honesty, not polish.

17:00 – Exercises for connection
“If you really knew me…” and other prompts that open teams up.

22:00 – Retreats that work
A story of transformation through storytelling and shared history.

24:00 – Closing reflections
Why “Peek” means looking deeper, not higher.

About the Guest – Tim Peek

Tim Peek is an Emmy Award–winning executive coach and facilitator who helps leaders and teams surpass themselves.

A former NBC News producer, he combines storytelling and emotional intelligence to build cultures of trust and self-awareness.

Learn more: timpeek.com

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.

In this episode of The Assemble Podcast, host Dan Berger sits down with Jonathan Hermida, Managing Director of the Center for Transformational Coaching, to unpack what true coaching looks like — and what it isn’t.

Jonathan explains how authentic coaches use lived experience, not just credentials, to help people navigate identity shifts and purpose. He and Don explore the stages of personal power, the role of community and retreats, and why presence matters more than process.

They also discuss how technology and AI are reshaping the coaching landscape — and why, despite all the tools, real transformation still happens face-to-face.

If you care about leadership, facilitation, or creating spaces where people feel seen and connected, this one’s worth your time.

Episode Themes

• What makes transformational coaching real
• How to tell authentic coaches from marketers
• The business side of coaching and personal growth
• The “Stages of Power”: moving from achievement to purpose
• Designing environments that build trust and clarity
• The growing need for community and belonging
• Retreats as catalysts for presence and transformation
• AI as a coaching tool — opportunity and caution

Chapters

0:00 — Welcome and introduction
1:10 — What is transformational coaching
2:36 — How Jonathan found his path and mentor
4:13 — Everyone’s a coach? Sorting authenticity from noise
6:00 — Learning the business of coaching
8:10 — Understanding the Six Stages of Power
10:09 — Who joins the Center and why
12:20 — Success stories from the program
13:08 — The power of in-person retreats
14:40 — Presence as the foundation for transformation
16:17 — Trends: AI, connection, and the future of work
18:02 — Can AI coach humans?
20:08 — Designing retreats that truly move people
21:46 — Balancing structure with flow
23:49 — Blending Eastern and Western mindsets
24:28 — Vulnerability in facilitation
25:46 — How to connect with Jonathan

About the Guest – Jonathan Hermida

Jonathan Hermida is a leadership and transformational coach and Managing Director of the Center for Transformational Coaching. A three-time founder and global mentor, he helps leaders and teams move from reflection to purpose through deep, conscious work and immersive retreats

Learn more: centerfortransformationalcoaching.com

Social Media: LinkedIn | Instagram

About the Assemble Podcast

Welcome to the Assemble Podcast. I’m Dan Berger, founder of Assemble Hospitality Group.

We build purpose-designed spaces for small team offsites and retreats, because the biggest things happen in the smallest rooms.

This show explores retreats in all forms—corporate, lifestyle, wellness, and endurance training—and the culture shifts that happen when people step away from the everyday. You’ll hear lessons from operators, facilitators, and leaders who design experiences that move the needle.

Our goal: give you the playbook for building clarity, trust, and belonging on your team—or in your community.

Learn more: assemblehospitality.com

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Credits: Hosted by Dan Berger, Founder & CEO of Assemble Hospitality. Recorded at Assemble’s Boise Retreat House. Produced by KazCM, part of the QuietLoud Studios podcast network. Distributed on SportsEpreneur.