We love all things wellness, female-owned and carefully curated. So what happens when you put all of those things together? You have the perfect WKND (and no, that’s not a spelling error).

 

Most wellness retreats we’ve come across sound pretty amazing but they’re expensive, sometimes far away and therefore require you to take a significant amount of time off of work. WKND solves all of these problems. Plus, there’s more dimension to these retreats — it’s not all vegan food and spa services. It’s an immersive experience where you learn from likeminded women (many of whom are entrepreneurs) while both connecting (to others) and disconnecting (from technology, responsibilities, etc).

 

WKND was started by wellness brand builder Anne Owen (who currently working on a line of plant botanicals we are VERY excited about) as well as co-owner of Mott Street (AKA one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago) Vicki Kim. The two connected over their passion for wellness and wanted to make curated retreats for those with similar interests. We don’t want to give too much away up front. You’ll just have to keep reading for more!

 

 

What is WKND?

WKND was created as a platform to celebrate female entrepreneurs in the wellness space. It’s a quarterly, ever-changing series of curative retreats for women.

 

Why did you start WKND? / What sparked your interest in wellness retreats?

The idea was born over a conversation last year in which we were talking about how as entrepreneurs we often felt that we were working in our own silos, without time to connect with other female business owners. We thought it would be incredible to create a platform where we could bring together a diverse group of women in a collaborative environment where everyone could contribute, share ideas, and support each other.

 

 

What are some of the activities one can expect at a WKND retreat? 

Our retreats are designed to be holistic, so we like to include a variety of workshops. For example, our first retreat had acupressure, yoga, meditation, a body-weight workout, workshops on custom healing tinctures, DIY face-masks, a talk on design and creating a space to tell your story, as well as a bonfire and chef-inspired meals.

 

 

What makes WKND different from other wellness retreats? 

Our retreats are created, lead, and attended by women. They are unique in the fact that they are completely collaborative, as a large majority of the attendees contribute to the programming.

 

 

What does wellness mean to you and how do you incorporate that into WKND? 

Wellness means living life thoughtfully and surrounding yourself with good people along with eating delicious and nutritious food to fuel high velocity days and healthy rituals.

 

 

What can one expect to get out of a wellness retreat? 

Space. Space to pause and unwind. Space to reflect and learn. Space to be inspired and engage with like-minded women, connect with nature, move your mind and body, all within a healing environment. Space for wonderment and play.

 

What’s your favorite part about attending a wellness retreat (whether it be WKND or a different one)? 

The invigoration that comes through having space to discover, play, rest, connect with others, learn new things, be inspired and feel refreshed.

 

 

Do you have info on your next retreat / how someone could sign up?

We are currently in planning mode for our next retreat that will take place in the Fall. Stay tuned to our instagram (@WeTheWKND) for info on when we plan to open enrollment.

 

 

Looking forward to seeing what’s on the itinerary for the next WKND retreat!