People sometimes assume Yanssima started with a five-year plan. It didn’t. It started with thirty years of one-on-one work with clients, and a growing sense that the most useful thing I could offer wasn’t another hour-long session — it was time. Real, uninterrupted, several-days-long time, away from whatever was making rest impossible at home.
Why Montana and Mexico
I didn’t pick Whitefish, Montana and Cabo San Lucas because they photograph well, though they do. I picked them because they’re different enough from each other that people can choose based on what they actually need — mountain quiet or ocean warmth — rather than settling for whatever’s on offer.
Why the Groups Stay Small
I’ve run larger group programs before. What I noticed is that past a certain size, people stop being honest in the room. They perform instead of participate. Keeping our retreats and workshops small isn’t a marketing choice — it’s the only way I’ve found to keep the actual conversations real.
What Hasn’t Changed
The workshops, the digital shop, Yanssima Circle — all of that came later, built around the same original idea: give people a real next step instead of another inspirational quote. Thirty years in, that’s still the only measure I use for whether something belongs at Yanssima.
If you’re curious where to start, this page lays out all of it in one place.