What happens when you mix a vacation with your work week? It turns out you can get the best of both worlds.
I just returned from my first-ever workcation with a few other female founders, and I’m still buzzing. The idea was simple: rent a cozy house for a few days, gather colleagues-turned-friends, and blend focused work time with long walks, home-cooked meals, and plenty of time to soundboard creative ideas. The result? A reset that left us feeling accomplished, recharged, and inspired. Consider this your invitation to plan a “workcation” of your own. Here’s how:
Location, Location, Location
We chose a spacious three-bedroom rental home nestled between the ocean and the trees in Sea Ranch, California, a short drive from the San Francisco Bay Area. The mid-week rate was surprisingly reasonable, and we divided the fee evenly. The most important factors? Pick a location that feels different from where you normally live and work, and make sure there’s a comfortable common space for co-working.
Our rental had an open floor plan, which meant we could be together whether we were deep in work, prepping a meal, or relaxing with books. We spent most of our time on our laptops in the living room, but also rotated outside to work in nature. For calls and Zoom meetings, we each retreated to our own rooms.
VRBO and Airbnb are great resources for short-term rentals, but you could also tap your network or try a home exchange. Side note: Sea Ranch is absolutely stunning and I can’t believe I was sleeping on it as a weekend getaway.
Food First
Before mapping out our schedule, we made a meal plan — a mix of exploring local restaurants and cooking in. My colleague-turned-new friend Jihan whipped up a delicious veggie pasta followed by warm cookies for night one. My friend Paige wowed us with coconut chia pudding and warm berry compote for breakfast. I provided wine, cheese, and snacks (since my culinary skills are… limited).
Map Out Goals in Advance
Over burgers and blackberry crisp (!) at Timber Cove Resort, I led a quick goal-setting workshop to kick things off. Each of us shared:
The next level of growth we’re aiming for in our work
2–3 concrete outcomes to commit to for the workcation
Something we’d like creative input on
One small ask from the group to support our goals
Our goals included a website redesign, a client presentation, and a workshop outline and deck. The key is to make sure each goal is specific, measurable, and achievable within the time you’ve carved out. (And yes—this structure works beautifully across any industry, not just for entrepreneurs and founders.)
Create Structure
With only two nights away, we wanted to maximize every hour. Here’s the schedule we landed on (and loved):
Day One
12–2pm Lunch + Goal Setting
2:30pm Check in to rental
3–6pm Productivity Block One
7pm Group Dinner & Wine
8:30–10pm Peer Mentoring / Creative Strategy
Day Two
7:30am Morning Hike
9am Group Breakfast
9:30am–12:30pm Productivity Block Two
12:30pm Snacky Lunch (cheese, crackers, veggies, etc)
1:30–4:30pm Productivity Block Three
4:30–6:30pm Free time (reading, sun, more snacks)
7pm Dinner Out
9pm Peer Mentoring / Creative Strategy
Day Three
7:30am Morning Hike
8:30am Breakfast
9:30am Group Closing Recap
11am Checkout and Goodbyes
Other Tips
Gather people across industries with different perspectives
Keep your group small so everyone has ample time for sharing and feedback
Cap work blocks at three hours to avoid burnout
Balance structure with enough free time for rest and play
Build in daily check-ins and accountability — having others around makes it harder to procrastinate
Set aside time for a final recap before departing, so you can schedule anything important that didn’t get completed
Craving quiet? You can also treat yourself to a solo workcation - I take myself on independent work retreats away from home a few times a year.
READER PROMPT: Would you try a workcation of your own? Drop your thoughts (or questions!) in the chat — I’d love to hear. Interested in attending a creative retreat? Get on the retreat waitlist right here.
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Summer Salad: Paige showed me how to throw together the easiest high-protein salad - toss white beans with olive oil, salt, pepper, and pesto, and top with arugula and lemon zest - delish!
Fewer Better Faves: I love this conversation card deck, the sweetest gingham blouse and matching skirt, a fun bag charm / keychain duo
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Sea Ranch was the perfect location! We've gone with a group for New Year's for like, 17 years or something crazy. Being there always makes me feel like I could run a marathon and eat kale every day and read thick books. I hope when my kids get bigger sneaking out of town for a few days mid week feels more doable! I'm sure you guys spent like, 1/4 of the cost of a holiday weekend!!
Such a lovely idea 🩷 thank you for the inspiration.