You’ve built a business (or you’re building one)…
But lately, it feels like you're:
- Spinning your wheels with marketing that doesn’t work
- Tired of doing “all the things” with little return
- Wondering if this next chapter is even possible for you
- Wishing you had a roadmap… with fewer “shoulds” and more soul
You need a plan and let’s be real:
You didn’t come this far in life to settle for burnout, breadcrumbs, or broken systems.
Let's be honest. If nothing changes:
- You’ll keep pouring time into offers that aren’t aligned.
- You’ll continue second-guessing your content, your funnel, your voice.
- Your beautiful ideas will stay locked in your head, instead of out in the world making an impact.
- You’ll miss out on the abundance like income, impact, and joy that’s possible when your business is built for you.
Now is not a time to shrink.
It’s the perfect time to expand—with sisterhood, strategy, support, and soul.
I didn’t choose the name casually. The Swell means something.
Here in Halifax, the Atlantic Ocean doesn’t perform. It moves with depth, patience, and direction.
A swell doesn’t crash in for attention. It builds far out at sea and is quiet at first. It's easy to miss if you’re not paying attention but once it’s in motion, it doesn’t stop.
We are the women in midlife who are turning toward entrepreneurship more than any generation has before.
We've lived a lot of life and already built things for others - our partners, our children, our bosses. We've carried so much and now we're ready to build something that’s ours.
The Swell is about stepping into that. It's about:
Being in a place where the noise drops.
Where you can hear yourself again.
Where you’re surrounded by women who feel it too.
Once you feel it, you can’t go back.
The Swell is steady. It builds and once it’s in motion, it doesn’t turn back.
Join us in Halifax and feel it for yourself.
This is a multi-day, in-person experience for midlife women entrepreneurs who are ready to:
✨ Clarify their offer
✨ Build real systems that attract ideal clients
✨ Cultivate the confidence to show up and shine
This isn’t just a retreat.
It’s a life-altering container where we’ll build your next-level business plan—with rest, beauty, and feminine power at the center of it all.
You’ll leave with ONE of the following done or in motion:
✅ A new offer (service, product, or membership)
✅ A passive income idea mapped out
✅ A fresh lead magnet and sales funnel
✅ A monthly content + marketing plan that actually drives income
All wrapped in self-care rituals, high-level support, and sisterhood.
I’m Krista Smith, your retreat leader
As a StoryBrand Certified Marketing Guide and business coach, I’ve been running business retreats since 2015.
I know first hand how daunting the entrepreneurial journey can be, weighed down by expectations and drowning in uncertainty and procrastination. We've all been there! As a former educator and experienced mentor, I'll provide the validation, accountability, and tailored strategy to help you find the best way to align your goals with conviction and grace.
Through a unique blend of creative workshops, dedicated hot seat sessions, and the luxury of unscheduled time for deeper reflection, we'll dive into finding flow with your marketing, your client experience, and your profitability.
All while discovering how to sprinkle in your unique personality and vision, resulting in more ease, less resistance, and greater success.
What can you expect for retreat content?
Friday Evening Welcome Session: "Arrival & Intention"
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM — Gather, Ground & Begin
As the sun sets over Halifax, we’ll come together to officially begin your retreat journey. This is your time to land fully in the space, meet your fellow retreat sisters, and shift out of everyday life and into intentional, expansive presence.
You’ll be welcomed with thoughtfully curated appetizers and a seasonal cocktail or mocktail as you:
- Pick up your retreat swag and materials
- Set your personal intention for our time together
- Connect with others in a relaxed, heart-centered space
- Receive your retreat workbook — your guide for clarity, insight, and breakthroughs
This evening is all about soft landings and soul openings. You’ve said yes to yourself — now let’s begin, together.
Saturday - 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM Day Two: Aligned Systems for Sustainable Growth
Create clarity and confidence in how you attract and connect with your audience.
On our first full day, we’ll dive deep into the foundational systems that power your business. You’ll audit what’s currently working (and what’s not), so you can stop leaking precious time, energy, and resources and start showing up with purpose and ease.
By the end of the day, you will have:
- A clear understanding of how you’re attracting and building your audience
- Identified and addressed any system leaks draining your time or energy
- Developed a sustainable system for visibility and connection that works with your energy and lifestyle
- Clarified the exact next steps to expand your reach without overwhelm
EXPERT SESSION: VIP Pricing Workshop with Christi Balfour of the Virtual Pro Society and Systems Rabbit.
Pricing doesn't have to feel like a guess or a negotiation you dread. In this session, Christi Balfour will break down how to set rates that actually hold, what floor pricing means for your specific business, and how to talk about your prices without caving. Expect real conversation, not a lecture.
Saturday - 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM Day Two: Aligned Systems for Sustainable Growth
Create clarity and confidence in how you attract and connect with your audience.
On our first full day, we’ll dive deep into the foundational systems that power your business. You’ll audit what’s currently working (and what’s not), so you can stop leaking precious time, energy, and resources and start showing up with purpose and ease.
By the end of the day, you will have:
- A clear understanding of how you’re attracting and building your audience
- Identified and addressed any system leaks draining your time or energy
- Developed a sustainable system for visibility and connection that works with your energy and lifestyle
- Clarified the exact next steps to expand your reach without overwhelm
EXPERT SESSION: VIP Pricing Workshop with Christi Balfour of the Virtual Pro Society and Systems Rabbit.
Pricing doesn't have to feel like a guess or a negotiation you dread. In this session, Christi Balfour will break down how to set rates that actually hold, what floor pricing means for your specific business, and how to talk about your prices without caving. Expect real conversation, not a lecture.
Sunday - 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM Day Three: Your Mindset
Today we begin to face the patterns that keep you stuck and build the internal foundation your business actually needs.
On Day Three, we go inward. This is the day we talk about the stuff that doesn't show up on a business plan but runs the whole show. The ways we second-guess ourselves, stall out before we start, and quietly convince ourselves we're not ready when we've been ready for a while now.
This day is about getting honest with yourself so your business stops paying the price for the stories you're carrying.
By the end of the day, you will have:
- Named the specific patterns of self-sabotage that have been running in the background of your business
- Identified the triggers that pull you into procrastination, perfectionism, or playing small
- Built a personal framework for catching yourself in the cycle before it takes over
- Created a mindset plan that supports your business goals instead of quietly working against them
- Gained practical tools to move forward even when confidence hasn't fully caught up yet
EXPERT SESSION: Colleen O'Dea and Alix Robinson, The Imposter Sisters
Colleen and Alix are bringing their training on Imposter Syndrome, and it's going to change the way you understand what's been holding you back. This won't be a pep talk. It's a real conversation and masterclass in understanding why accomplished women still feel like they're faking it, and what can we do when that voice gets loud.
Sunday - 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM Day Three: Your Mindset
Today we begin to face the patterns that keep you stuck and build the internal foundation your business actually needs.
On Day Three, we go inward. This is the day we talk about the stuff that doesn't show up on a business plan but runs the whole show. The ways we second-guess ourselves, stall out before we start, and quietly convince ourselves we're not ready when we've been ready for a while now.
This day is about getting honest with yourself so your business stops paying the price for the stories you're carrying.
By the end of the day, you will have:
- Named the specific patterns of self-sabotage that have been running in the background of your business
- Identified the triggers that pull you into procrastination, perfectionism, or playing small
- Built a personal framework for catching yourself in the cycle before it takes over
- Created a mindset plan that supports your business goals instead of quietly working against them
- Gained practical tools to move forward even when confidence hasn't fully caught up yet
EXPERT SESSION: Colleen O'Dea and Alix Robinson, The Imposter Sisters
Colleen and Alix are bringing their training on Imposter Syndrome, and it's going to change the way you understand what's been holding you back. This won't be a pep talk. It's a real conversation and masterclass in understanding why accomplished women still feel like they're faking it, and what can we do when that voice gets loud.
Monday - 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM Day Four: Confidence and Calling
Show up as the woman your business needs you to be, and walk away with the content to prove it.
On Day Four, we leave the retreat location in the South End of Halifax and head to another location on the other side of Harbour for a full day of content creation and professional photos. This is the day where everything you've built over the last three days becomes visible. Your offer is clear, your mindset is solid, and now it's time to put yourself in front of the camera and stop hiding behind the business.
This isn't about performing confidence you don't feel yet. It's about documenting the woman who's already been doing the work and giving her the brand visuals to match.
BRANDING PHOTOS EXPERT: Meghan Weber, Mirror Form Photography
I've brought Meghan on to be our photographer for the entire day. She'll capture stills and make sure everyone goes home with at least one professional headshot ready to use across your website, social media, and anywhere else your business shows up.
I'll also have two interns documenting our adventures with b-roll throughout the day. And if last year is any indication, we'll naturally buddy up and act as clients for each other, pulling out our own phones to grab b-roll of each other too.
Monday - 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM Day Four: Confidence and Calling
Show up as the woman your business needs you to be, and walk away with the content to prove it.
On Day Four, we leave the retreat location in the South End of Halifax and head to another location on the other side of Harbour for a full day of content creation and professional photos. This is the day where everything you've built over the last three days becomes visible. Your offer is clear, your mindset is solid, and now it's time to put yourself in front of the camera and stop hiding behind the business.
This isn't about performing confidence you don't feel yet. It's about documenting the woman who's already been doing the work and giving her the brand visuals to match.
BRANDING PHOTOS EXPERT: Meghan Weber, Mirror Form Photography
I've brought Meghan on to be our photographer for the entire day. She'll capture stills and make sure everyone goes home with at least one professional headshot ready to use across your website, social media, and anywhere else your business shows up.
I'll also have two interns documenting our adventures with b-roll throughout the day. And if last year is any indication, we'll naturally buddy up and act as clients for each other, pulling out our own phones to grab b-roll of each other too.
Tuesday - 9:00 AM- 12 Noon Day Five: Integration & Celebration
Anchor your growth. Celebrate your transformation. Step forward with support.
Our final day together is all about honoring how far you’ve come — and making sure the momentum continues long after the retreat ends.
You’ll take time to reflect on your breakthroughs, share your biggest “aha” moments, and build meaningful accountability so you don’t leave your vision behind when you return home.
In this final session, you will:
- Celebrate your personal and business growth over the past five days
- Identify the core shifts that will guide your next chapter
- Craft a simple, supportive accountability plan to keep your goals in motion
- Leave feeling empowered, supported, and seen
This isn’t goodbye — it’s a new beginning with a circle of women who are walking the path with you.
We’ll make moves to ensure you’re stepping into the right mindset, funnelling only the dreamiest clients and customers into your business. You’ll say goodbye to the outdated mindset that is keeping you from stepping into your brilliance and hello to inspiration.
Who is The Swell Retreat For?
Maybe you want to:
- Develop + launch a new service or signature offer.
- Refine your current offerings so you can scale your business.
- Finally unlock the passive income puzzle and introduce a viable revenue stream in 2027 that is all ease.
- Step into your personal leadership and fully embody the CEO mindset. Because you can't step into your brilliance if you're playing small.
Or, maybe you want the simple luxury of stepping away from the daily routine of your business so you can think, breathe, and hear your own inner wisdom.
This experience is for you.
Imagine this:
What if you could have strategy and soul?
What if your business could support your lifestyle, your energy, your values and still grow?
That’s what The Swell is all about. It’s not hustle or burnout. It’s not someone else’s blueprint.
It’s your systems, your offer, your vision—brought to life your way.
You’ll be surrounded by women who get it, soul-led women who are building big things with big hearts.
We don’t compete. We collaborate. We co-create.
You’ll leave with more than a business plan. You’ll leave with a sisterhood.
This isn’t mass market.
It’s a deeply curated, high-touch experience designed to honor where you are in life and help you claim what’s next.
You’ll leave with a plan, strategy in your hands, support in your heart, and the sparkle that comes from finally being celebrated.
You'll unlock the support you’ll need to make moves with delicious pockets of time for masterminding and soul searching.
You'll get an ROI that goes beyond our time together with a 1:1 30 minute strategy and coaching call post retreat with Krista.
This retreat is about going beyond the metrics + money.
It’s about spending time with other women who understand the unique demands and dreams we all have. Discover how the power of a supportive sisterhood of like-minded women can transform your business and propel you towards the future you've always dreamed of.
This retreat is designed to get you into focused action– providing just the right blend of support, education, cheerleading and solo-time. Plus priceless opportunities to learn and laugh with other like-minded entrepreneurs!
You will leave with ready to implement tools, scripts, processes, and plans that support you and your business.
Your $1500 registration includes:
- Arrival appetizers during our first evening together (and a cocktail to celebrate!).
- Nutritious and healthy lunches on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
- Hearty snacks after we complete our time together on Tuesday around noon.
- Hot beverages and snacks during our morning and afternoon sessions.
- Facilitated workshops that will give you time to gain new insights, workflows, and tools you can implement right away.
- Dedicated sessions designed to engage your creative brain, too! It’ll be like summer camp with your business besties.
- Free time to read, relax, and replenish your vitamin D stores with fresh Nova Scotian air.
- Mastermind Circles: tap into the collective wisdom when women gather and champion, support, and inspire each other.
- Your fees for a full retreat of creative workshopping and soul led community building.
- You’ll even get 30 minutes of private strategy post retreat with Krista.
- All costs for guest presenters and access to all event photography and b-roll collected as well as your new headshot.
Real Results from Past Retreat Attendees
The retreat gave me the space to step out of my daily life and experience something completely different. It was creative, intense, and deeply rejuvenating.
But more than that, I was there to explore myself as a competent business woman. Spending time in that version of myself, and being seen by others that way, shifted something essential inside of me. I see myself differently now.
I was there as a woman over 60, figuring out what I want my business to look like and how it fits into my life. Not in any of my other roles. Just that one. I felt truly like myself, with nothing to prove. That was incredibly empowering, and that feeling has stayed with me.
Nita Collins, book coach and author, Whitehorse, Yukon
I didn’t realize how much I needed this until I was in it. The space, the conversations, the way everything just slowed down… it helped me actually think again. For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t doing this alone. Other women feel things the same way I do and that changed everything for me.
Michelle Robinson, Yoga Teacher, Halifax, NS
After a tough year, I came away from the retreat with some of my self-confidence restored. It’s not just about content or business planning. It’s a place where you can be vulnerable, be creative, dream bigger, and also be gently called out when you need it.
I didn’t leave with a perfect plan like I expected. What I got was a quiet shift in myself. I’ve started taking on things I wouldn’t have even considered a year ago, and I finally see the value in what I offer.
And the friendships… being connected to women around the world who truly get it, I carry that with me when I’m back at my laptop and the doubts creep in.
Antonia Cook, Health Coach and Former Osteopath, Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK
I walked away from this retreat with tangible ideas to implement in my business and inspiring new friendships. You will walk away with a 200% return on your investment if you go with an open heart + mind. Krista’s retreat will fill you in ways you didn’t even know you needed.
- Brianna Michelle, Online Beauty Educator, Las Vegas
Working through the activities was eye-opening, and the entire experience exceeded my expectations. Honestly, just being in the room with so many talented and insightful women made it unforgettable.
Cindy Blakely, Stylist, Chicago
Attending this retreat was a turning point for me, both personally and professionally.
Being surrounded by driven, like-minded women gave me the space to reset, refocus, and reconnect with what I actually want to build. It wasn’t just about business. It was growth on every level.
I left with clarity. Not just in my business, but in how I think, make decisions, and show up. I knew exactly what to focus on without the noise or second-guessing.
This experience met me exactly where I was. I left feeling more grounded, more confident, and more aligned with what I’m building.
Karen Klare-Hernandez, Esthetician, San Antonio, Texas
Krista's energy is contagious. She is great at motivating, exciting and instigating - which is obvious from the moment you meet her. What's not obvious, and as important, is her ability to dive deep with a whole group. She has a way of making you feel completely listened to, understood and cared for without anyone else feeling like they're left out or stealing the show. It's all about 'you' but all about everybody at the same time. The best of personal coaching plus group facilitation: I love that!
- Kate Bonnycastle, Copywriter, Halifax, NS
This was my first retreat and I didn’t know what to expect. I’m convinced I’ll be a frequent flier at all future events!. Krista is a thoughtful and patient host. She has the unique ability to create a safe space that promotes inclusion, empathy, and understanding, allowing participants to dive deeply, fast. I’m walking away with a clear plan for launching my first digital product. I can’t thank you enough, Krista!
- Samara Bell, Life + Leadership Coach, Maryland
If you want to bring out your personal best, Krista can do it. Her killer combo of teaching background, tech expertise, and trained coach can make maximum impact in your group session with her. I’ve worked with some fantastic coaches over the years, but if you want the “cherry on the top”, work with Krista. Her leadership and and coaching are my secret weapon.