Host Your First Retreat at That Desert Space in Joshua Tree

Most people who want to run a retreat never do, and it is almost never because the idea was bad. It is because somewhere between the idea and the first deposit you run into lodging contracts, meal planning for eight people with four dietary requirements, a budget that does not work, and the quiet fear of losing money in front of an audience who trusted you.

I have been building and running retreats for seven years, in Iceland, Switzerland, Panama, Puerto Rico, the Dolomites, Tulum, Santa Fe, the Grand Tetons, Bryce Canyon, Asheville and Joshua Tree. This is the offer I wish had existed when I ran my first one.

What this is

$15,000 for five days at That Desert Space, for up to 8 attendees. You bring the people and whatever you are teaching. I handle everything else.

• The venue. Exclusive use of the property for the full five days.
• All the cooking. Every meal, planned around your group and made here.
• Planning and consulting beforehand. We work together in the months before on your pacing, your itinerary, your pricing and the things first time hosts do not think to ask about.
• Help facilitating. I am here while it runs, so you are teaching rather than counting plates.

The property

2.5 acres of cactus gardens and fenced in quiet in the high desert outside Joshua Tree, California. I bought the land in 2022 and have shaped most of it by hand since.

The main house is fully furnished with a full kitchen and bathroom. There is a two person infrared sauna. Shops and restaurants are 15 minutes away, and Joshua Tree National Park is a short drive, so your group is remote without being stranded.

Attendees sleep across the house and the canvas bell tents. The tents have real beds, rugs, power and heat, and they are the part people are most sceptical about beforehand and most attached to afterward.

Outside there is a fire pit, cowboy tubs, string lights, and a screen for films under the sky once it is dark.

What I do, and what stays yours

Your retreat stays yours. I am not co-hosting it and my name does not need to be on it. What I am doing is removing every reason a good first retreat falls apart.

• You bring: your attendees, your teaching, your voice, and the relationship with your people.
• I bring: the land, the beds, the food, the logistics, and seven years of knowing how a week like this actually paces.

Who this is for

Photographers running their first workshop. Coaches, writers and makers with an audience and no idea where to start. Anyone who has been meaning to do this for two years and keeps stalling at the spreadsheet.

Eight attendees is deliberate. It is small enough to actually host and large enough to pay for itself, which is the balance most first retreats get wrong in one direction or the other.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to host a retreat at That Desert Space?

$15,000 for a five day retreat with up to 8 attendees. That covers the venue, all the cooking, the planning and consulting beforehand, and me on site helping you facilitate.

What is included in the $15,000?

Exclusive use of the property for five days, lodging for up to 8 attendees across the house and the glamping tents, all meals cooked for you, planning and consulting in the months beforehand, and my help running the days once everyone arrives.

How many people can I bring?

Up to 8 attendees, plus you. The property is set up for a small group on purpose, because that is the size where a first retreat actually works.

Where is That Desert Space?

On 2.5 acres in the high desert outside Joshua Tree, California, about 15 minutes from shops and restaurants and a short drive from Joshua Tree National Park.

Do I need to have run a retreat before?

No. This is built for people running their first one. I have been building and running retreats for seven years across four continents, and the planning we do beforehand is where most of that experience gets handed over.

What do I need to bring or organise myself?

Your attendees and your content. You bring the people and whatever you are teaching or making with them. I handle the property, the food and the logistics.

Come and see it

If you have a retreat in your head that has not made it out yet, tell me about it. I will be straight with you about whether the idea works, what it should cost, and whether this is the right place for it.

Ask me about hosting your retreat here

You can also read how I help hosts plan retreats anywhere, see That Desert Space, or look at the retreat I run here myself.