A retreat to remember
The Recognition Group recently embarked on a jam-packed three-day company retreat to the breathtaking Spicers Hidden Vale in South East Queensland. As a fully remote business, this was an amazing opportunity to bring our team members together from all over Australia to have quality time to connect, build even stronger relationships, learn, and create lasting memories of a special shared experience.
Our first retreat keynote speaker was Kristina Karlsson, author of Your Dream Life Starts Here and founder of stationery brand, kikki.K. Kristina shared her story of business highlights and challenges, as well as her journey to create Your Dream Life Starts Here. In her workshop, she encouraged everyone to discuss what it would take to create our dream lives. Kristina’s keynote struck a chord with many of our team members as it exemplified our commitment as a company to set our own paths with the opportunities that come from remote working and choose our own career adventures.
Following Kristina’s encouraging opening keynote, we sat down together in the beautifully cosy The Barn Restaurant for a family-style dinner. This afforded our team an opportunity to relax and connect. The special night ended with a crackling fire pit under the stars and acoustic guitar entertainment courtesy of our digital and design team members.
The next morning, some team members opted for early morning group yoga and meditation or a quiet walk around the grounds, while others stayed warm and cosy in their beds. We all enjoyed a hearty breakfast ahead of the day’s official proceedings.
Our second keynote was the remarkable Jahan Kalantar, a lawyer, entrepreneur, and TEDx speaker. Jahan heads up a serious crime and mental health law practice in Sydney and had extremely important lessons to share with us. Sharing his own experiences with mental health and the impact this has had on his life, Jahan spoke about the power of resilience and the art of effective communication. At times, there was barely a dry eye in the house as Jahan’s deeply personal and inspirational keynote inspired many of us to reflect on our own experiences and challenges, as well as The Recognition Group values and lessons we carry in our work and personal lives.
Following the keynote we had the option of a scenic helicopter flight or a limo ride to The Overflow Estate 1895 for lunch and wine tasting. The Overflow Estate 1895 is a historic grazing property-turned-winery perched on the edge of the Lake Wyaralong Dam. The team sampled several white and red wines before lunch, which consisted of a three-course menu from The Two French Chefs, overlooking the beautiful vista of the vineyard and lake.
Returning to Spicers Hidden Vale with another amazing helicopter flight, we split into smaller for team events. Individuals has the choice of ATV tour, a cocktail making masterclass, or a cheese and wine tasting.
Then on to cocktail hour before settling in at the award-winning Homage restaurant for a three-course dining experience where we mixed tables between courses ensuring every team member had opportunities to connect during the retreat.
Our final morning included an optional activity of a guided bush walk run by Croc, a walking encyclopedia of the Australian bush.
Our final keynote speaker was Sarah Rowan, Australia’s top female speed painter. Sarah shared her incredibly moving story about how she overcame extreme challenges in her life, from her sexual orientation to mental health issues to rheumatoid arthritis, by embracing art and creativity. While talking she was simultaneously speed-painting a beautiful, colourful cockatoo.
All in all an incredible three day team experience giving us valuable lessons for life and work.