244: Seen, Supported, and Spoiled: The Missing Piece in Most Mastermind Retreats

Andrea Liebross: Welcome to the She Thinks Big podcast. I'm your host, Andrea Liebross, coach, speaker, life balance architect, and strategic thought partner for high-achieving women who want to think differently, lead confidently, and create success on their own terms.

As an entrepreneur myself and the bestselling author of She Thinks Big, here's what I know: You've been at this for a while, but somehow you can still feel stuck in the day-to-day. And running your business like a to-do list does not fulfill the vision.

So around here, we're not about more hustle, we're about smarter strategy, bolder thinking, and leading a business that fits your life. Each week, you'll hear the mindset shifts, real-world tools, and CEO-level conversations that help you reclaim your time, grow with intention, and elevate your leadership. Now, let's dive in.

Hey, friends. Welcome back to the She Thinks Big Podcast. I am thrilled to have you here. Today, what I want to chat about is something that you probably never really thought about tracking.

I know that you track revenue. I know that you measure leads. I know that you obsess over conversion rates; how many new clients or customers or prospective clients and customers turn into new ones. But there's one metric that you've probably never thought to measure, and it might matter more, I would argue, than all of the others combined.

It is not a number on a spreadsheet. It is whether you feel deeply and unmistakably seen. I want you to think about this as literally and figuratively. Because earlier today, I actually recorded a segment for a business equity and opportunity TV show in Indianapolis. I will be seen, I'll call it literally, through that TV spot. I will be heard through that TV spot.

But that's the literal. I don't know if it's the figurative or really the kind of seen, heard, supported, and spoiled that I truly need as a female founder, entrepreneur, and business owner. We're going to get into this, what I mean by all of this, because I've watched what happens when a female founder, a female entrepreneur, starts showing up in her business from a place of being seen, heard, supported, and spoiled. It really is transformational.

But this kind of seen, heard, supported, and spoiled is different than the kind of seen and heard that you might experience by being on a TV spot. This is the kind of seen and heard that happens when you have the support you need inside a coaching community, with a coach, with someone who is supporting your business and listening to what you have to say. That might be a marketing expert or a bookkeeper, or other female entrepreneurs. It's really transformational.

I know this. I'm not just talking about this about my clients. I'm talking about me really right here. I get this kind of seen, heard, supported, and spoiled from me being inside my own mastermind with my own coach. I need it just as much as the women that I coach do. I intentionally invest in myself in feeling seen, heard, spoiled, and supported.

I've experienced firsthand how it changes my energy and my clarity and my confidence and my results, which is why I have created a container, a coaching container where my clients can get this same seen, heard, supported, and spoiled. That happens inside what I'm now calling the Ascension Collective.

I called it up until a few weeks ago Runway to Freedom Mastermind, but now I'm calling it Ascension Collective, and I've got so many reasons for that. Just think about that word ascend and you'll probably get it. But that's the kind of experience of being seen, heard, supported, and spoiled that I know that my clients need, that I know that female founders need, that I know that female entrepreneurs need, because I am one of you.

A couple of weeks ago, I released an episode about being lonely as an entrepreneur, and I got tons of feedback from that, positive feedback, people saying, "Yes, Andrea, that resonated with me." So this episode today that I'm recording is almost the anecdote to that one. If you haven't listened to that, what it's like to feel lonely inside your own business, go listen to that one.

As you listen to this one, then next, think about how being inside a container like the Ascension Collective can help combat that. I'm releasing this episode at a very strategic time in my business because we right now are actively enrolling women inside Ascension Collective. We're getting ready to have our in-person retreat. In order to advance, we need to retreat. In order to ascend, we need to retreat.

So twice a year, the women inside this particular coaching container that I have created called Ascension Collective, you can go read about it on my website, we meet in person for a three-night, two-day retreat twice a year. We're about to have one of those retreats at the beginning of November. So I'm releasing this episode while we're actively enrolling new women into this container.

I'm releasing it because I know that one of the elements of this Ascension Collective, these in-person retreats, are so important because they are the vehicle where you get the most traction, the fastest in being seen, heard, supported, and spoiled. I know that is what you need.

So we're going to talk today about what that really means, being seen, heard, supported, and spoiled. You're going to hear directly from the mouths and voices of some of the women who are in there. I collected these audio clips that I'm going to share with you at our last retreat, which was in April. I recorded them not exactly knowing what I was going to do with them, but I wanted to get straight from their mouths and their brains what being inside that Ascension Collective community, coaching container, working with me and having other women around them who are working on their businesses and in the trenches, just like they are, what it means to have that.

So this is a different seen and heard than you'd get from being interviewed on a TV spot. This is actually even a different seen and heard than you get from attending a networking meeting or an event, which I've had some episodes recently about. This is more than that. This is richer than that. This is more dreamy than that. This feels better than that.

I want it to feel like a velvety blanket when you are being seen, heard, supported, and spoiled. So here's what I want you to listen in for today. I want you to hear me clearly in this episode. You deserve a space in your business and in your life where you're being seen, heard, supported, and spoiled.

As you listen today, I want you to ask yourself, "What would be different if I had this missing metric?" If you knew without a doubt that you had this type of velvety blanket wrapped around you, this blanket that sees you, that hears you, that supports you, that actually spoils you, listen in.

If this sounds like something that you're like, "Oh my gosh, I would love that," then I'm telling you right now, press pause, go to the show notes, and book a call with me. Let's have a conversation because I want you to be there with us in November. I want you to be there. I want you to feel this. It's hard for me to convey this, I think. So that's why I'm bringing in these other voices of the women who are experiencing this.

You can even go watch this on YouTube if you want to even see what their faces look like. Now, I'm going to, a little caveat here, their faces might not look too pretty because we're working. They come to this thing, and they don't need to look glamorous. I say, come in your slippers, be comfortable. We're doing work together. But go watch on YouTube even.

So sit back, buckle up, listen in to what these women have to say, listen in to what I'm trying to convey when it means to be seen, heard, spoiled, and supported. Then go to those show notes, book a call with me. This is your time to get this going, to be part of our Ascension Collective, formerly called Runway to Freedom Mastermind. Come be part of it. It's a coaching community. It is a mastermind, but it's way more all wrapped up into one.

All right, my friends, here we go. Don't stop now. Keep listening. Buckle up, listen in to these conversations. Let's start with being seen and heard. It's easy to underestimate this. I think most of us think, I talk to people all day. Of course, I'm seen and heard. But there's a big difference between people hearing your words and people understanding your world.

So at my last retreat that I held for my own clients, I asked them if they are feeling seen and heard, supported and spoiled. I want to share with you some of their responses that they gave me when asked these questions. So I'm going to share with you some clips because I think you're going to see and hear by listening to these women, how being seen, heard, supported, and spoiled makes such an impact.

All right, here we go. This is my first client. I think you can tell from what she says that she felt or feels seen and heard when she is part of the mastermind group.

Shelly Petrowski: Just in a matter of a couple of minutes, I was like, "She definitely has what I need. She can understand my brain works in a quick conversation." Just in a roundabout way, I felt like it was just an instant no.

Andrea Liebross: When she shared this with me, she was in a space where she was definitely feeling seen and heard. That's what happens when you're in a space where you don't have to over-explain yourself. Your brain relaxes. When it relaxes, you get to the real work faster.

So this is not just about me seeing my clients. This is about them feeling seen by an entire group of people. When you're part of a community, like a mastermind, like Ascension, you are seen not just by me, Andrea, your coach, but by a whole group of people. So I want you to listen to how this next person describes it.

Andrea Liddane: During this retreat, I've been asked questions by other women in a way that no one else has ever asked me those questions before. It's really comforting.

Andrea Liebross: That's the beauty of being surrounded by people who get it. They're not just throwing out polite feedback. They're leaning in. They're asking the hard, thoughtful questions you didn't even know you needed.

Different than a TV interview person asking you questions, right? You're being surrounded by people who get it. When that happens, you realize you're not alone on your path. Here's how another client put it.

Brittany Bigelow: I think gaining community is really special, especially community of women at different stages of their entrepreneur career. That's incredibly invaluable.

Andrea Liebross: Being seen and heard in that kind of community changes how you see yourself. It's no longer just me against the world. It's me with a room full of allies who actually understand what I'm building. So I will tell you that today, that TV interview, I felt a little bit alone out there in answering those questions. I didn't have a room full of allies as I was sharing my thoughts.

But when you're inside a coaching community, when you're at a retreat, you're no longer just you against the world. When you carry that feeling back into your business, your decision-making changes. So that brings me to my next point. When you feel seen, the next layer is being supported.

It's not just rah rah support. It's real in the moment, "Let's fix this together" kind of support. One client summed it up perfectly when she realized just how available I was to her.

Emma Frutkin: I think that's pretty incredible. I didn't realize how much access I would have to her and how quickly she gets back to me.

Andrea Liebross: So this quick access matters because business doesn't wait for your next scheduled coaching call. Opportunities and challenges show up in real time, and you need answers in real time. This isn't about also, oh, dive into that book to find the answer or listen to a podcast to find the answer.

This is where Voxer, having Voxer access to me, changes the game. So Voxer, if you don't know, it's like a walkie-talkie app that if you are part of Ascension, the Ascension Collective, formerly called Runway to Freedom Mastermind, you have Voxer access to me. Here's how another client described it.

Jennifer Holladay: Really, my favorite is Voxer. I enjoy all the weekly meetings and groups, but I think the best learning is, and what you remember most, is when there's an actual issue. In real time, you can solve that problem. You can deal with that in real time. That is when it sticks in your brain.

Andrea Liebross: Think about the difference that makes. Instead of spinning for days, replaying a conversation in your head or second-guessing your decision, you get clarity now in the moment, and you can move forward. You've heard me talk about decision fatigue. When you've got things spinning around in your head, it's tiring.

So this Voxer access really allows you to be seen and heard, and supported. Now, this is not just about me giving you answers. It's about teaching my clients how to cut through their own noise. If I'm giving you the support you need, I'm teaching you how to cut through your own noise. So listen in on how this next client explains it.

Emma Frutkin: She can really quickly help you sort through all the noise and get to the heart of the issue and make a decision, and then move forward.

Andrea Liebross: All right. So that's what real support is. Guiding someone so they can make confident decisions again and again. I can tell you from my own mastermind experience, from me being a participant, having that kind of sounding board at your fingertips really changes everything.

All right, now let's talk about the next piece of this, the spoiled part, because this is where people sometimes raise an eyebrow and they wonder, "Do I really need to be spoiled? Isn't that indulgent? Maybe I don't deserve this." But here's the reality.

When you're cared for, your nervous system calms down. When your nervous system calms down, your brain has the space to think creatively and strategically and expansively. I'm going to tell you that again. When your nervous system calms down, when you feel spoiled and taken care of, your brain has the space to think creatively, strategically, and expansively.

That's the kind of support, this spoiled piece of it. I want you to feel spoiled when you're inside this Ascension Collective community, when you're at a retreat. Here's what one client said it best.

Cynde Mcinnis: I mean, Andrea does everything so well, and the food is great and the service is great. It's just also being taken care of for a couple of days and getting to relax.

Andrea Liebross: So yes, when you're at a retreat, the strategy work is important, but so is feeling nourished and rested and cared for. Because you can't think big picture when you're running on empty. It's not just about the tangible comforts, like great food. It's about experiences that center you and help you show up fully present.

So I also like to spoil you with experiences. So, last retreat, I brought in an expert who led us each morning through some breathing sessions. I brought in someone who did a sound bath for us. I've been known to bring in massage therapists and reflexology people. So it's really not just about tangible comforts. It's about experiences that center you. That's all part of this. That's what's helping you show up fully present. Here's how one client described it.

Shelly Petrowski: I loved the breathing sessions with Lena. It gave me a deeper appreciation of focus for the day. I really thought she did a great job. We did two different workshops with her, and they were completely different, but the energy from each was different.

I really think that she really honed in on what we needed yesterday with a little bit of energy and what we needed today with intention. She was really good about just bringing each of us to our center. It was a really amazing experience for me.

Andrea Liebross: Here's another moment that stuck with me.

Kate Thacker: This morning at the retreat, it was such an amazing experience to go through the guided meditation and breath work with Lena. It just was transformative.

Andrea Liebross: So these aren't nice extras. They are the secret sauce. They help you slow down enough to let the answers surface. Often those answers have been hiding in plain sight, but you just couldn't see them until you had the space to breathe, until you felt seen and heard and supported and spoiled.

Now here's this last final thread that I want to share with you that really ties all of this together. This is one of those missing metrics, and it is community. So yes, my clients have me, but they also have each other. That peer connection dissolves the loneliness, I would say. The peer connection dissolves the loneliness that so many entrepreneurs feel.

Again, go back to that episode about loneliness if you haven't listened to it yet. One client really put it perfectly. She's describing this community, this Ascension Collective community.

Whitney Vredenburgh: What makes the group coaching special and these retreats special is that you get to know other business owners. I think business ownership can be lonely. So it's nice to have a group of women from all over the country that are owning a business and have similar, we're all in different industries, but similar challenges.

Andrea Liebross: This is what creates the magic, at least how I see it. Different industries, different experiences, but the same commitment to growth, the same commitment to being a business owner. When you see other women navigating their challenges, you realize you're not alone in yours.

It's not all serious strategy talk. I want to remind you, it's not all about serious strategy. It's also laughter and shared stories, and real friendship. Here's how another participant described that part.

Jennnifer Holladay: Coming to this event, you're not just learning from other business owners, but you've got this downtime where everybody can really connect and have a good time. It just makes you feel like you're not so alone.

Andrea Liebross: So that is the power of this mastermind. That is the power of the Ascension Collective. You leave with strategies, yes, but you also leave with a circle of women who will keep cheering for you long after the retreat ends.

So my friends, inside Ascension, you are seen, you're heard, you are supported in real time. Yes, you are spoiled too. When you have all of that, you lead differently. You think bigger. You move with clarity and confidence. One client said it best.

Emma Frutkin: We have the power to make change in our life. I've already made just a ton of change with her support and guidance. So it's like, if I can do it, anybody can.

Andrea Liebross: So here's my invitation. If you're ready to feel seen and heard and spoiled and supported, come join us inside Ascension. We're waiting for you. We are waiting for you. We want you to be inside our community.

And if you are listening to this episode in real time, now is the time to schedule your call with me because we are getting together in person at the beginning of November of 2025. I want you to be there. I want you to be there to experience this, to be seen, heard, spoiled, supported, to become part of our community.

So in the show notes, there's a link to schedule a call with me. How do you get there? What do you need to do to be part of this? You need to have a call with me. We need to make sure it's a good fit, that we both believe it's a good fit.

If we agree to that, then I am going to invite you to take the next step, which would be to come, enroll, register, become part of the Ascension community. Okay, friends, go hit that link. Go schedule your call with me. I want you to be there with us in November. I will see you next week. Hopefully, I'll hear from you sooner, but I'll be back next week with the next episode of She Thinks Big.

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