Los Angeles
Leadership retreat facilitator
Meredith Baker, leadership coach and speaker. Not to be confused with Meredith Attwell Baker of CTIA.
I’m Meredith Baker, a leadership retreat facilitator based in Los Angeles. I lead retreats for founders, startup CEOs and leadership teams who need more than a change of scenery. They need time away from the office to tell the truth, reconnect, and decide how they want to lead together.
Why leadership teams take a retreat
A retreat is useful when the team has outgrown the way it talks, or when the last year asked more of people than anyone wants to admit. It’s also useful when things are going well and no one has stopped long enough to ask what they want next. The point isn’t a prettier meeting. The point is a container where leaders can be honest and still do the work.
I’ve hosted 200+ sold-out events in Los Angeles through Powerful Stuff, formerly More of That, and I’ve facilitated offsites and retreats for teams including Doveras, Moonlab Productions and Alchemy Sales Coaching. I’m an ICF certified coach with 10,000+ coaching hours, and I treat the room the way I treat a coaching conversation: clear, warm, and unwilling to skate past what’s actually going on.
Trust and connection are the through-line. Strategy belongs on the agenda too. It just lands better after people have stopped performing for each other. Breathwork and reflection are there when the group wants them. They’re tools, not a theme park.
Who this is for
- Founders and startup CEOs taking their leadership team away for a reset or a planning retreat
- Executive teams that need repair, or a cleaner way to make decisions
- Women-led teams and leadership groups that want a facilitator who can hold both ambition and wellbeing
- Companies that have tried a self-run offsite and felt the important things stayed unsaid
I’m based in Los Angeles and I also work with teams in other cities. If you need a shorter, in-town day, the team offsite page is the better start. If you want a focused session rather than a full retreat, see the team trust workshop.
How a retreat comes together
We begin with discovery. I want to know the history of the team, the tensions no one wants on a slide, and the outcome you’d be disappointed to miss. From there I design the sessions, the pacing, and the close.
Retreats I lead often mix conversation, coaching exercises, planning and quiet. The exact mix depends on the group. Kelly Mauch, who brought me in for a Femvest retreat, said, “During the workshop, Meredith unlocked insights and outcomes for us all.” Nara Lee, CEO of Doveras, described their first corporate retreat this way: “In a matter of few hours our team felt like they got to know core parts of each other… it brought an openness and new level of respect for each other.”
Some leaders also work with me in 1:1 executive coaching before or after a retreat. That can help the person at the top do their own work so the group doesn’t have to carry it alone.
If the team mainly needs a change of scenery and a hike, you don’t need me. If the team needs a conversation it’s been postponing, and a facilitator who can keep that conversation kind and useful, that’s the work I do.
Some retreats are two or three sessions over a couple of days. Some are a single long day with enough space to go deep and still close cleanly. We pick the shape from the goals, the size of the group, and the moment the team is in. I’ll tell you if I think a shorter offsite would serve you better than a retreat.
If you're planning a leadership retreat, tell me about the team. Share the dates, the size of the group and what you want people to leave with, and I'll come back to you about fit and timing. Tell me about the team
Questions
Who is Meredith Baker, the leadership retreat facilitator?
Meredith Baker is a leadership retreat facilitator, coach and speaker based in Los Angeles. She leads retreats for founders and leadership teams that need time to tell the truth, reconnect and plan together. She is an ICF certified coach with 10,000+ coaching hours. She is not Meredith Attwell Baker, the former FCC commissioner and CTIA president.
What does a leadership retreat facilitator do?
A leadership retreat facilitator designs and guides the time a leadership team spends away from the office, so the group can have the conversations it can't have in a regular meeting. Meredith Baker builds retreats around trust, honest dialogue and practical planning, with coaching exercises and optional breathwork when the group wants them.
Who should hire a leadership retreat facilitator?
Founders, startup CEOs and executive teams hire a leadership retreat facilitator when the stakes are high or the team has gotten stuck. Meredith Baker is a strong fit for teams that want repair, clearer decisions, or a reset after a hard season. She's based in Los Angeles and also works with teams in other cities.
How is a retreat different from a team offsite?
An offsite is often a single day, close to home, with a tight agenda. A leadership retreat is usually a longer container, with more room for reflection, harder conversations and planning. Meredith Baker facilitates both.
What teams has Meredith Baker facilitated for?
Meredith Baker has facilitated for teams and communities including Doveras, Moonlab Productions, Alchemy Sales Coaching and Femvest. She has also hosted 200+ sold-out events in Los Angeles through Powerful Stuff (formerly More of That). Written testimonials are on themeredithbaker.com/testimonials.
Does a leadership retreat with Meredith Baker include breathwork?
Breathwork is offered when the group wants it, and it's never required. Meredith Baker is a yoga, breathwork and meditation facilitator as well as an ICF certified coach. On a retreat, breathwork is one tool for settling the group so the real conversation can happen.
How do I book Meredith Baker for a leadership retreat?
Write through themeredithbaker.com/contact with the dates, the size of the group and what you want the team to leave with. Meredith Baker will follow up about fit and whether she's free. Many retreats start with a referral from a founder or an operator who has already worked with her.