Dental Entrepreneur - Winter 2023

Have you ever wondered if you could travel the world (for free), host small intimate gatherings where you can facilitate growth and transformation, and be recognized as the top expert in your field? If so, you should consider hosting your own private retreats, and this article will break down how you can add $100K to your annual income with these small events.

People are starving for connection. The last few years of video calls have people feeling burned out, and they are ready to shake hands, break bread, and travel the world (especially if they can make it a business expense).

This is where retreats come in: small 5-15 person events, where you create meaningful growth and transformation for a group of humans that have a specific problem and goal, that you just so happen to have the solution for.

Imagine your audience flying in from all over the world, to a beautiful luxury villa in the mountains, where your private chef serves an unforgettable welcome dinner for your group, as you thank your guests for attending your retreat.

Let’s say you like this idea; where do you start?

The first step is to find a niche that you are passionate about and cater your event to a specific audience. This could be anything

from yoga and meditation to a specific dental procedure that you are incredible at. Nothing is a “bad” idea - I’ve worked with dentists selling spiritual coaching and laughter yoga - in fact, the more niche the idea, the better.

I know what you’re thinking, “but Karan, why would I niche? I can help everyone!” - the problem lies in that statement with one keyword, “everyone.” Who is everyone? If you focus on everyone, you will speak to no one.

You want to be abundantly clear as to who your event is for, and, just as importantly, who the event is not for. When you bring a group of like-minded humans together, you do not need to niche into a job title, profession, or even industry - you can niche by psychographics.

Psychographics represent qualities and characteristics of your ideal clients - for example, “this retreat is for open-minded women, who love the outdoors, have a genuine interest in self-care, and want to turn their ideas into a profitable side-income.” This could represent women in multiple industries who are interested in starting their own business - this way, your niche can become the dreams and desires of your ideal clients.

Once you have a topic and niche in mind, next comes finding the perfect location for the transformation you’re looking to create. This could be a beach in Jamaica, a mountain villa in Mexico, a

remote cabin in Los Angeles, a bustling city like New York - the options are endless. Consider the type of experience you want to create and choose a location that aligns with that vision.

Does your ideal audience prefer private villas in the jungle? Do they prefer being on a beach where they can journal every morning? Do they want to go hiking with you in Peru because health & wellness is missing from their life?

Where most people go wrong is that they market an event, and fail to think about what their audience truly wants. Your ideal client must be able to see themselves in the future in a destination that speaks to them.

Now the fun part - “how the heck do I price these things”? After hosting over 200+ events myself, the answer is quite simple: it depends. How many people do you want there? What are your costs? How much revenue and profit are you looking to make?

All of these factors will play a role in pricing, and as a rule of thumb, I generally suggest taking your costs, adding a 200% markup, and using that as your starting price.

So if your cost is $1000 per person, price your retreat at $3,000, and with just 1-3 retreats a year, depending on your pricing, you can reach $100K in revenue within 12 months.

You might feel self-doubt and imposter syndrome creep in here, wondering why people would pay you so much money to attend your event. But I’d like to offer you a reframe opportunity - a reframe means taking a look at your situation with a different lens.

Think about how long you’ve worked, how much money you’ve spent, and how many long days you’ve put into getting extremely good at what you do. It’s taken you years, maybe decades, to become an expert at the thing people ask you for advice on. That expertise is worth something - your ability to solve a unique problem for someone is causing them pain every single day is causing them a great deal of pain, anxiety, and discomfort. Isn’t it fair that you get compensated appropriately for the expertise you have?

We often see that free advice is rarely acted upon, and again, your event is for a unique group of humans that don’t want to use Google to solve their problems anymore.

And next, comes the question that is on the tip of your tongue“how do I market my retreat?” - but let me take it a step further, and edit this question to read, “how do I market my retreat, for my exact ideal audience, without spending money on advertising, and without feeling slimy about the sales process”?

Doesn’t that sound more accurate as to what’s on your mind?

Reach out to your network, pick two people who you know are the exact fit for your upcoming retreat, and share your idea with them. Once you get them on a call, tell them your vision, ask about their situation, and if they are a fit, offer an early bird discount to make their decision even easier.

Once you have your first sale, the momentum kicks in, and you begin to effortlessly market your event! My personal favorite strategies are creating posts on social media talking about the event, doing a weekly video or Livestream, creating referral programs, and tapping into my existing network to see who might be a fit for the event.

And that, my friend, is the structure on how to make $100,000 in revenue each year with 5-15 person intimate retreats!

In addition to being fulfilling and profitable, hosting retreats can also be a great way to build your reputation and expertise in your field. As you host more retreats and receive positive feedback from attendees, you can use that experience to build your brand and establish yourself as a leader in your niche.

And if you’d like to learn the full A to Z blueprint on hosting profitable retreats, join our next live training at https://karannijhawan.com/profitableretreats and enter code “DEW” for a special discount!

About the author:

Karan Nijhawan is the Founder of The Expansion Project, a movement that focuses on helping dentists design their dream life while overcoming self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the feeling of not being “good enough”. He’s an Expansive Life Coach, podcaster, actor, and helps people create their dream life in months, instead of years. Since starting the company 5 years ago, he’s hosted over 200+ dinners, events, workshops, and retreats, helping people worldwide create a better life that they don’t need a vacation from. He’s also worked with major companies like Forbes, Staples, and Providence Healthcare, hosting workshops around happiness and fulfillment. He is on a mission to help dental professionals across the world overcome self-doubt, worry, and social isolation....all while maximizing their (not-so-promised) 4,000 weeks.

karan@jube.ca