Here’s what we’ve got in the works for our time together, keeping in mind that things will shift here and there. But this should give you a good idea of what we’re planning. We will provide a more detailed schedule to attendees as the retreat approaches.
Monday: Ten Years Later
The retreat will get started 4pm on Monday with attendee check-in and a fun ice-breaker exercise to get everyone acquainted. We know some people dread ice-breakers but we promise our attendees end up raving about ours!
After a dinner break, we will meet back up at the Pontchartrain to kick things off with a panel discussion examining how our industry has changed over the last 10 years and what we hope to see in our future. This panel discussion will feature some of our 2027 teachers and a few surprise OGs.
Tuesday: A Look at Longevity Through a Business Lens
We will kick off Tuesday morning with a book club discussion (book will be announced in early January).
We will then hear from Sara Garcia, known for work that centers honesty over trend. After 15 years in the industry, she's learned that longevity isn't about chasing more clients or keeping pace with what's popular. It's about staying a student of her craft, building real trust with the people she photographs and never losing sight of why she picked up a camera in the first place. Sara’s keynote will focus on what actually sustains a career in this industry: not survival, but staying true.
Following her talk, we will leave the hotel and venture out on to the streets of New Orleans for lunch, either in small groups or all in one place (tbd). After lunch, we will dive into an interactive workshop mapping out our own Longevity Blueprint: When you’re in business for the long haul, the challenge isn’t finding your next client, it’s protecting your energy, tuning out social media noise and keeping your creative spark alive. In this collaborative workshop, Sara will guide us through a deep-dive "Legacy Audit" to strip away the trends and operational friction that so often lead to burnout. Come ready to act as a "board of directors" for your peers and leave with a clear, actionable plan to transition your business from survival mode to true, soulful longevity.
Following a short break, we will end our first full day together with something we’re calling Let Lila Fix It! Drawing from attendee submissions and common themes from her recent coaching sessions, Lila will work through 3–5 real-world scenarios, unpacking what's actually getting in the way. Together with our attendees, Lila will identify practical, sustainable solutions and explore how small shifts in communication, systems, marketing or mindset can create meaningful change. The second half of the session will be dedicated to rapid-fire audience questions, giving attendees the opportunity to get personalized coaching on the spot.
You’re on your own in the evenings but, because New Orleans restaurants and nightlife are not to be missed, we will create a signup sheet and group chat to help attendees arrange group dinners and outings.
After dinner, we will be organizing a fun, voluntary group evening activity.
Wednesday: A Look at Longevity Through an Art Lens
We will start the day with a fun art activity (gonna keep you guessing on that one) to get our creative juices flowing.
The rest of our Wednesday will be focused on much of the day with Rashod Taylor, who will give a talk in the morning titled The Pictures No One Told You to Make: Personal work and the Long Career. What would you make if no one ever paid you for it? Rashod Taylor keeps answering that question with Little Black Boy, a nine-year project made purely out of passion, and with his wet plate collodion work, a lost-format practice he took up for the love of it with no outcome attached. That work now lives in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian and several other major museums. This keynote is about following that pull with no outcome in mind and why the work you make for yourself is what sustains a lifelong career.
After Rashod’s keynote, we will take a lunch break, again either in small groups or all in one place.
Following our lunch break, Rashod will transform from lecturer to guide, facilitating a breakout session and work together to develop your meaningful personal project.
After all that inspiration and brainstorming, we will break out our cameras for a creative photo assignment before our dinner break. Wednesday evening will be our celebratory 10-year anniversary bash! Location and details TBD but be prepared to dress to impress and dance the night away!
Thursday: Demos , BBQ & Goodbyes
For our final morning together, you will break into small groups and rotate through different demos including a live family session with Marilyn Díaz Norris who will demonstrate and discuss how she connects with her clients, natural posing and setting the tone for the session. Together you will see the images come to life while focusing on the clients experience, kiddos and adults alike. Our other demos are TBD but will, undoubtedly, be a combination of educational and fun!
We’ll wrap up our time together with a big group lunch at one of our favorite BBQ spots for a final Q&A and, of course, a round of I Just Have to Say (iykyk). We will hug it out and say our goodbyes around 2:00 on Thursday.
