SUN VALLEY RETREAT
Smart Firm Owners. One Room.
Real Connection.
Three days in Sun Valley with thoughtful peers who understand your business.
Where you get to bring your whole self
We create a unique space where you can talk honestly about your business.
For a few days in Sun Valley, you’ll spend time with firm owners who understand your world. The conversations move quickly past the surface and into the things that actually matter.
You can talk shop with your friends — and talk about life with people who understand your business.
And with her uncanny ability to quickly spot thinking patterns that keep firm owners stuck – Natalie will be with us the entire retreat.
Running a firm leaves little room to think
Running a firm requires constant decisions — about pricing, clients, capacity, growth, and boundaries.
Most of those decisions get made in the middle of everything else, between client work, emails, and the next deadline. It’s hard to step back and think clearly when you’re inside the machine.
For a few days in Sun Valley, we slow things down and create space to think about your business instead of just working inside it.
And you won’t be doing it alone — you’ll be surrounded by thoughtful peers who understand your world, with Natalie there to help untangle the mindset knots that often sit underneath the business decisions.
The real value is the people in the room
No speakers. No packed agenda.
You’ll spend time with other firm owners who understand the pressures and decisions that come with running a firm like yours.
There’s no need to explain the basics.
With the right people around the table — and Natalie helping cut through the internal noise — the path forward often becomes much clearer.
What we’ll do together
There will be plenty of open conversation and coaching throughout the retreat.
You can also choose to do a hot seat.
Hot seats are optional.
They run 60+ minutes.
The group focuses deeply on one challenge or opportunity in your firm.
But many of the best conversations happen naturally.
Around the table.
During a walk.
Over dinner.
We’ll also spend time in smaller groups.
We (or you!) can gather with a few people to:
• roast a website
• solve a specific problem
• share what’s working inside your firm
• talk about AI and the future of the profession
The retreat is designed to allow both group conversation and smaller, more intimate moments.
Often that’s where the strongest connections form.
A small group by design
This retreat will include 8–12 firm owners.
Large enough for diverse perspectives.
Small enough for real connection.
And you’ll naturally spend time in smaller groups as well when you need to focus in on specific challenges, discuss a desired topic, or just go get coffee.
A little preparation goes a long way
Before the retreat, we’ll ask you to share a few things.
First:
Three things you’d love help thinking through.
Second:
Three things you do well.
Things you’d happily help someone else with.
This helps us connect people who may have answers for each other.
It doesn’t need to take long.
You’ll receive details after registering.
You’ll leave with clarity you can trust
Most firm owners make their biggest decisions alone.
At this retreat, you’ll talk through your ideas, questions, and decisions with other firm owners who understand the business.
Those conversations produce deep clarity around what’s working, what to change, and your next moves.
You’ll also deepen connections with a small group of high-caliber peers — people you can lean on over the coming year when you need to talk something through.
This kind of clarity — and these kinds of connections — can change how the next year of your business unfolds.
Join us in Sun Valley
If the idea of stepping away for a few days to think through your business with a small group of thoughtful peers sounds valuable, I’d love for you to join us.
Dates
3 days
Tuesday, May 5th – Thursday, May 7th
Price
$3995
Includes lodging, all meals, and dinner out,
and nearly unlimited access to your peers, me, and Natalie.
If this sounds like the gathering for you, I hope you’ll join us.
Who this retreat is for
It’s for those who enjoy thoughtful conversations with peers who take their firms seriously.
Attendees will come from the VIP Lounge & Accelerator, along with a small number of hand-picked firm owners chosen for the quality of the room.
In other words, you’ll be surrounded by high-caliber peers who are actively thinking about how to make their firms simpler, stronger, and easier to run.
Questions people often ask
And if you don’t see your question answered here, feel free to DM me in Circle or email me at gc@geraldinecarter.com
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The group will be intentionally small — roughly 8–12 firm owners. Small groups lead to better conversations and give everyone the chance to participate.
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No. This is a working retreat centered around thoughtful conversation, hot seats, and shared perspective. The value comes from the peer connections and conversations in the room.
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Yes. Each participant will have at least 60 minutes of focused hot seat time on their business, with input from me and the group.
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The retreat will take place in Sun Valley, Idaho. Travel is typically through Hailey (SUN), about 25 minutes away. Exact lodging details will be shared with participants after registration.
LOGISTICS, PLEASE
RETREAT DATES: Tuesday, May 5th - Thursday, May 7th
SUGGESTED TRAVEL DATES: Monday, May 4th and Friday, May 8th
AIRPORT: “SUN”for Sun Valley. The airport is in the town of Hailey, 10 miles down the road. United and Delta fly here.
…
NB: BOI for Boise is 2.5 hours away. Southwest, United, and Delta serve Boise. It’s a pretty easy, traffic-free, somewhat scenic drive.
AIRPORT PICK UP: Chances are decent, I can pick some of you up and drop some of you off. There are also shuttles and Ubers.
TICKETS: At the time of research, tickets for most people cost $400 - $750. Our airport is small, so flights *literally* sell out. Don’t wait.
SLEEP: Four nights (Mon pm - Fri am) are included in the price. I will book a modern, well-appointed AirBnB, and you will have your own room. You are also welcome to stay in a hotel if you prefer, especially if you are staying extra nights.
GATHER: We’ll gather Monday night for drinks and dinner to get acquainted and look ahead at the coming days.
AIRBNB: I will post the AirBnb’s addresses here once CONFIRMED.
Check in is 4pm. Check out is 10am.
EAT: I’ll stock the Airbnbs with breakfast and lunch food, as well as snacks. Two nights of three are included in the price. Wednesday is a “free” night.
I will be 100% available from 9am - 5pm every day, and I’ll likely join you for dinner once or twice, so you’ll have plenty of time to ask me anything.
READY TO BE WITH US?
We’re ready to have you!
IT WILL BE AWESOME & FUN,
BUT DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT…
I practically begged to have an in person event. I wanted to SEE the people who had helped me transform my firm. (Zoom can only take relationships so far). Sun valley is the perfect place. I get out of my real life and then spend a weekend working with trusted colleagues. Each participant gets approx 3 hours of time to deep dive on a topic that is important to them. Can you imagine what you can accomplish? The brain power in this room alone is worth a fortune! We pull it all on the table. Then once we are spent. We have dinners together and laugh so hard and do it all again the next day.
You leave the retreat both exhausted and energized to take the leap and crush the next step. I hope you all can join me. I want to help you make your business the best possible version and I need you to help me do the same.
Melissa Downs, EA
Going to the mastermind retreat was exactly what I needed. I wanted to step away from the daily chaos and actually work on my business instead of just being stuck in it. It ended up being even more valuable than I expected.
The biggest game-changer? Having a group of smart, thoughtful people take a hard look at how I was running things. We all get tunnel vision, and their feedback helped me catch things I never would have seen on my own.
The pre-work also forced me to sit down and really think through what I wanted to focus on. That made the whole experience way more productive.
But honestly, the best part was the people. Since we’re all spread out across the country, it was amazing to finally meet some of them in person. There was so much love in that room—genuine support, encouragement, and a real sense of community.
If you’re on the fence about going, just do it. You already know this is a great community. Now imagine what happens when you get everyone in the same room, fully focused on helping each other level up. It’s 100% worth it.
When I first considered joining the retreat, I had a few major concerns. Childcare was a big one—figuring out how to manage things at home with my husband working during the day. I was also worried about the cost and whether I’d actually see a return on investment. At that point, I had only been working with Geraldine for about five months, so I wasn’t sure if it was the right time to make such a big commitment.
But I’m so glad I did. The retreat ended up being incredibly valuable, both personally and professionally. I had tons of face time with Geraldine, which gave me the chance to dive deep into all sorts of challenges and ideas. Most importantly, I saw a return on my investment several times over. The setting in Sun Valley added this amazing element of rest and relaxation that made the whole experience feel even more worthwhile.
One of the biggest surprises was how powerful the connections were. I built real relationships with other CPAs and masterminders—people I now turn to for advice and support. It was such a gift to be surrounded by like-minded professionals who just got it.
It’s hard to pinpoint a single favorite part of the experience because it was the combination that made it so special. The in-depth discussions, the focused time with Geraldine, the networking, and the peaceful, inspiring atmosphere all came together in a way that made everything click.
There were also a few unexpected benefits that had a lasting impact:
Accountability & Follow-Through – Being in a room with other driven CPAs pushed me to take action on the ideas I’d been sitting on. The structure of the retreat helped me articulate my plans, and I walked away with a clear roadmap I was actually excited to implement.
New Ways of Thinking – It completely shifted how I view my business. I stopped getting caught in the weeds and started thinking bigger—about the kind of work I love, how I want my business to feel, and what truly matters to me beyond just the numbers.
Confidence in My Decisions – Before the retreat, I often second-guessed myself. But working through my challenges with Geraldine and the group gave me a whole new level of clarity. I left feeling grounded, confident, and sure that I was on the right track.
Without a doubt, I’d recommend this retreat. It pushed me through some of the mindset blocks I had around being "new" to my niche. Before, I wasn’t always sure if I had enough to offer. But after the retreat, I could clearly see the value I bring—and that changed everything. It helped me step fully into my expertise.
Looking back, I’m so glad I didn’t let the initial hesitation stop me. The investment of time and money more than paid off. The insights, the strategy, the support, the relationships—I gained so much more than I expected. It was truly worth it.
I almost didn’t make time for it — my to-do list felt never-ending, and it seemed impossible to step away from ‘getting things done.’
But the retreat gave me something I didn’t know I needed: space to breathe, real connection with others, and a chance to dig into some deeper fears I’d been avoiding — like being seen and asking for help.
Geraldine has a way of seeing what you need before you do. She pulled me aside and coached me through something bigger than I came in expecting, and she did it in a way that felt safe and supportive.
The focused time, the stunning location, the camaraderie — it all helped me see new versions of success and reminded me I’m not alone in wanting something different. I left with clarity, momentum, and a sense of connection that went beyond just business.
MY 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
I stand behind my coaching, courses, community, and retreats.
If you join anything and feel you didn’t get value, just say so—I’ll refund your payment in full. No questions asked, no weirdness, no hard feelings.
You’re never locked into anything.
No long-term commitments.
Just support when you need it.
STILL NOT SURE? I’VE GOT YOU.
DM me in Circle, and we can chat.
But don’t wait another day to change the trajectory of your future.
Life’s too short to live it at your desk.