Spring 2025

Gatlinburg

Tennessee

The journal

What actually happened.

Joel Roache

After the Gatlinburg retreat

Tiana and I only had two months of real planning for this retreat. Finding a location was difficult for whatever reason. This time we wanted to make it a lot more polished and focus on connection through Bible studies and workshops intended to bring people together.

Everyone was a very good sport. Everyone was phenomenal. It made me remember why I'm doing what I'm doing. Even when I was stressed out, everyone was pitching in to help.

There were a lot of challenges. Tennessee didn't have as much of a natural pull as South Dakota, and our Airbnb was a little smaller and more intimate, which made things a lot more interesting. But everyone was phenomenal. Even when I was stressed, everyone pitched in.

We had Bible studies. We played basketball. There were a lot of impromptu moments I couldn't have predicted, but I think the trip went exactly the way it was supposed to go.

Joel

The vlog

The week, on tape.

Who was there

21 in the room.

The creatives who showed up and made this retreat what it was. Different crafts, different cities, same table. Tap any tile to find their work.

Sponsors of this retreat

3 partners.
Each earned its spot.

We don't take logos for logos' sake. Each one ran a workshop or powered a challenge.

Soundtracked the retreat. A major royalty-free music platform for creators worldwide.
Empowers creators to build sustainable businesses and earn directly from their audiences.
All-in-one link-in-bio and storefront. Empowers creatives to build their own businesses online.