Retreats & Offsites Unpacked

What does it really take to design a retreat that transforms a team—not just entertains them?

In this episode, Dan Berger talks with Vince Corsaro, veteran facilitator and author of Waking Up: Eight Questions That Will Shift Your Life (or Help You Do Nothing). Vince has spent decades leading retreats and forums across the world, helping groups of leaders move from surface-level interaction to authentic connection.

They explore the power of physical space, why fear is the real blocker, and how facilitators can create judgment-free environments where people actually show up as themselves.

Episode Themes

• What it means to “facilitate from a step behind”
• How fear and power dynamics block real belonging
• Why space and hospitality aren’t just aesthetics—they’re strategy
• The difference between hosting and facilitating
• Creating emotional safety through physical risk
• What CEOs need to understand before their team retreats
• Why vulnerability isn’t a feeling—it’s a decision
• Book & framework recs Vince uses to spark transformation

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

01:20 – Vince’s book: Waking Up and the eight essential questions

03:00 – What “facilitating from a step behind” looks like

05:40 – Forums vs. executive teams and managing power in the room

08:00 – Physical risk → emotional openness

10:00 – Designing for people afraid to show up

12:30 – Why space, seating, and the kitchen all matter

15:00 – Hospitality → safety → engagement

17:00 – How facilitators can step out of the spotlight

19:30 – Book recs: 15 Commitments, Lencioni, Priya Parker

22:00 – Ongoing relationships vs. one-off events

24:00 – What makes a great facilitator (and what doesn’t)

25:30 – Pricing with integrity

27:00 – Final thoughts on purpose, place, and people

About the Guest – Vince Corsaro

A veteran facilitator and leadership coach, Vince Corsaro works with forums, executive teams, and high-trust groups to design experiences that go deep. He’s the author of Waking Up: Eight Questions That Will Shift Your Life (or Help You Do Nothing) and brings decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, group dynamics, and personal transformation.

Learn more: vincecorsaro.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.

What happens when people step away from their routines and into an environment built for connection? In this conversation, Dan Berger talks with Scott Jones, M.S., founder of Becoming Ultra, about how retreats create the kind of belonging and transformation that one-on-one coaching can’t touch.

With over 20 years of experience training Olympians, pro athletes, and everyday runners, Scott shares what he’s learned about designing retreats, balancing training and recovery, and building inclusive communities where people push toward big goals together.

Episode Themes

• Origins of Becoming Ultra and how retreats took shape
• Designing retreat days: balancing training, recovery, and connection
• The belonging effect — what happens in groups that can’t happen 1:1
• Making retreats inclusive for beginners and seasoned athletes alike
• Why bonds formed in small groups change performance and perspective
• Ensuring the lessons and relationships last when people return home
• Practical advice for leaders or coaches who want to launch their own retreats

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to the Assemble Podcast
02:10 – Scott’s path from coaching to retreats
07:30 – Designing the structure of a retreat
14:05 – Why belonging and group dynamics matter
18:45 – Inclusivity: balancing beginners with experienced athletes
24:20 – How bonds form and transform performance
29:00 – Lasting impact beyond the retreat
32:00 – Scott’s advice to leaders considering retreats
34:00 – Upcoming Becoming Ultra retreats

About the Guest – Scott Jones, M.S.

Scott Jones started Becoming Ultra to bridge the gap between athletes doing amazing things and the rest of us. With a master’s in exercise science and over 20 years of coaching experience, Scott has trained Olympians, professional athletes, and countless runners chasing big goals.

He is the host of the Becoming Ultra podcast, the voice behind Athlete on Fire, and the organizer of training camps and retreats worldwide. His mission is to make the life-changing experience of training and belonging in a community accessible to all.

Based in Fruita, Colorado, Scott shares life with his wife Lauren and their two sons, Wyatt and West — who, as Scott likes to admit, can probably beat you up the mountain.

Learn more: becomingultra.com

Social Media: Facebook | X | 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.