Welcome back to Heat Up Your Retreats! In today’s episode, I’m diving into one of the most important parts of planning a retreat — choosing the right venue. This single decision can make or break the entire experience for you AND your attendees.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by options, frustrated by confusing travel logistics, or stuck because everything “looks cute” online but doesn’t actually fit your retreat’s purpose… this episode is going to save you so much time, money, and stress.

Inside this episode, I break down the 3 non-negotiable factors every retreat leader must consider before booking a venue, PLUS my personal pro tips from years of planning transformational, spirit-led retreats all over the world.

Whether you're hosting your first retreat or your fifteenth, this episode will help you choose locations that are purposeful, peaceful, and prepared for the transformation you want to create.

What You’ll Learn

• The exact 3 factors that should guide every venue decision
• The biggest mistakes leaders make when picking a retreat location
• Why “pretty” does NOT equal “purposeful”
• How accessibility issues can completely derail attendance
• How to match your retreat theme with the right environment
• Budget traps to avoid — including minimums, deposits, and cancellation terms
• Insider travel industry tips you won’t find on Google
• How to discern a venue spiritually and make decisions with peace

Pro Tips I Cover in This Episode

• Why shoulder season can save your retreat budget
• The importance of “vibe vetting” (yes, I call the hotel myself!)
• What photos and floor plans you MUST request before signing anything
• How to negotiate perks like room comps, spa credits, and upgrades
• Why praying over each potential venue changes everything

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to Heat Up Your Retreats

00:38 – Why the venue decision is so important

01:22 – Factor #1: Transformation-first venue selection

03:05 – Factor #2: Accessibility & travel ease

04:28 – Factor #3: Budget, capacity & group minimums

05:40 – Pro tips: Shoulder season, vibe check, floor plans & negotiations

06:55 – Spiritual insight: How God leads your venue choice

08:05 – Final takeaways + next steps for retreat leaders

If You Want Help Choosing the Perfect Venue…

Retreat planning shouldn’t feel overwhelming — especially when God has given you a vision to steward. If you want expert support choosing destinations, negotiating contracts, managing logistics, or designing a transformational experience…

Email me: Amanda@AcrossTheHorizonTravel.com

Subject line: Strategy Session

I’d love to walk with you and make sure your retreat is beautiful, strategic, and Spirit-led.

Thank You for Listening

If this episode helped you, share it with a friend, post it on your Instagram Stories, and tag me @acrossthehorizontravel.

Until next time…

Keep dreaming big, keep planning bold, and keep heating up your retreats!

In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I’m sharing what happened after God healed and rescued me. If you heard my testimony in the last episode, you know how Jesus redeemed me from a past filled with trauma, abuse, addiction, and heartbreak.

But today’s conversation answers a powerful question:

“What happens after the breakthrough? After the healing? Then what?”

In this episode, I talk about how God took my healing and turned it into a calling—a calling to help Christian coaches, counselors, pastors, and retreat leaders create sacred spaces where transformation happens. I share why retreats are not just trendy events, but holy ground where Heaven meets Earth, people encounter God in a fresh way, and lives are forever changed.

If you’ve been sensing that God is asking you to do more with your story, your gifts, and your experiences… this one is for you.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• How God invited me to move from healed to called
• The moment I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper: “Use your story. Use your freedom. Use your gifts.”
• Why I believe retreats are powerful, healing spaces—not just “nice getaways”
• The unique weight retreat leaders carry (and why so many feel exhausted and alone)
• How Across the Horizon Travel became more than a business—it became ministry
• The practical ways I partner with retreat leaders to handle logistics so they can focus on teaching, leading, and loving people well
• The ripple effects of retreats: restored marriages, renewed entrepreneurs, fresh fire, and lasting legacy

You weren’t meant to carry all of that and manage rooming lists, payments, flights, contracts, excursions, and logistics at the same time. That’s where I come in. My calling is to come alongside you so you can stay focused on the ministry while I handle the planning.

If You’ve Been Dreaming of Hosting a Retreat…

This episode is your confirmation.

• You are called.
• Your vision does matter.
• And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

You were made for this—and I’m here to walk with you every step of the way.

Episode Highlights (Timestamps)

00:00 – Welcome back to Heat Up Your Retreats

01:05 – After the breakthrough… now what?

02:30 – The Holy Spirit’s whisper: “Use your story, use your freedom, use your gifts.”

04:10 – Why retreats are holy ground, not just events

06:45 – The weight retreat leaders carry and why so many are overwhelmed

Ready to Start Planning Your Retreat?

Learn more about what I offer:

Website: Across the Horizon Travel – acrossthehorizontravel.com

If this episode blessed you:

• Share it with a fellow leader or friend
• Hit subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes
• Leave a review so more Christian leaders can find this podcast and keep heating up their retreats

Until next time…

Stay faithful, stay fired up, and keep heating up your retreat.

In today’s episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I open up more vulnerably than I ever have publicly. This is my raw, unfiltered testimony — a journey through childhood trauma, toxic relationships, addiction, abuse, loss, and hitting rock bottom… and how Jesus met me in the middle of my mess and rewrote my story with redemption, grace, and purpose.

If you’ve ever wondered whether God could still use you after everything you’ve been through, I want you to hear this clearly: He never gave up on me, and He hasn’t given up on you either.

This episode is for anyone walking through shame, feeling unworthy, or believing their story is too broken to be redeemed. My prayer is that my testimony becomes a reminder of God’s relentless love and the beautiful restoration He brings when we surrender our lives back to Him.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

• My early years of faith and the childhood trauma that changed everything
• How abuse, loneliness, and shame shaped my teenage and adult decisions
• Toxic relationships, domestic violence, and the moment I fled to Europe
• Falling into addiction, dealing drugs, and losing myself
• The night everything fell apart — and how God used it to rescue me
• How moving back in with my parents became the turning point
• Sobriety, healing, rededicating my life to Christ, and rebuilding my family
• The scripture God used to anchor me through my redemption: Romans 8:28
• A powerful reminder that God can redeem any story, including yours

Why This Episode Matters

So many leaders, retreat hosts, and entrepreneurs carry silent wounds. We’re called to lead others, yet we forget that God wants to heal us too. Sharing my testimony isn’t about looking back with shame — it’s about showing the goodness of God and reminding you that your story is far from over.

Key Scripture

Romans 8:28 — “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

This isn’t just a verse for me… it’s my life.

Episode Highlights (Timestamps)

00:00 – Welcome to Heat Up Your Retreats

01:15 – Why I’m sharing my story publicly for the first time

03:02 – Childhood faith and the moment everything changed

05:14 – Trauma, shame, and rebellion as a teen

09:27 – Teenage pregnancy & discovering unconditional love

If This Episode Spoke to You…

Please share it with someone who needs hope, healing, or a reminder that God still writes beautiful stories from broken places.

And if you’re ready to step into the God-given vision for your retreat, ministry, or business, email me: amanda@acrossthehorizontravel.com

Subject line: Strategy Session

Thank You for Being Here

Thank you for allowing me to share such a sacred part of my story. Your support, your presence, and your willingness to grow with me mean more than you know.

Until next time…

Keep dreaming big, keep planning bold, and keep heating up your retreats.