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Meet Liz Arkeilpane of Bloom Retreats

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Arkeilpane.

Liz, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My parents were big entertainers when I was a kid, partly due to my dad’s job, and partly because my Mom and Dad loved taking on the role of party planners whenever our huge family wanted to get together (which was often). I loved growing up around what seemed like a constant party, but didn’t really think about gearing my career toward this idea until college.

When the time came to choose a major, I kept delaying because I just didn’t see anything that felt right. Event Planning wasn’t a major at my university, so I decided to take a chance and tailor-fit a degree program through my school’s Bachelor of Specialized Studies program. Thanks for the inspiration, Mom and Dad – you helped show me that you really CAN major in partying!

After college, I moved to Chicago and took a few different positions planning and operating events, really just dipping my toes in the water for what was ahead. Eventually my cousin tipped me off to a gig that seemed too good to be true: traveling around the world up to 300 days a year, running 5-star events for major FORTUNE clients. I HAD to have this job. I was really determined to do well in the interview and luckily my specialized major and early event work must’ve set me up pretty well, because I got the job! I spent the next four years operating corporate events in places like Ireland, Italy and Argentina.

Getting to see the world was incredible, but what I truly fell in love with was creating these curated, one-of-a-kind experiences that stayed with people forever. The constant travel was life-changing but hard to maintain over time, and eventually I was ready to retire from life on the road. I took a sabbatical and moved to Maui to figure out my next move. While there, I was offered a position with a boutique travel company planning their client events. This opportunity brought me to Denver almost seven years ago, and allowed me to continue to plan and operate events, travel (but not nearly as often), and build a community in Colorado that was impossible to do while I was on the road full time.

As much as I loved the opportunities that corporate events provided, I was searching for something more personal, something that would offer ways to connect with and give back to my community. I volunteered with a few different organizations to help fulfill that desire, but I still felt called to something more.

I had dozens of ideas swirling around in my head for years and discussed them all the time with friends and mentors but I was afraid to take the leap and break out on my own. After much brainstorming and soul searching, I knew there was a need that I could fulfill. Bloom Retreats was born out of a desire to cultivate a community of support and empowerment for women and girls. Each retreat is designed with a specific theme and journey in mind. The goal of all our retreats is to support and empower women in their shared quest for growth in a specific area, be it healing, peace, confidence, navigating relationships, motherhood, adventure or career. Bloom Retreats are about building a community of like-minded individuals who help each other thrive long after the trip is over.

I couldn’t be happier that I have this opportunity to use my skills and experience to help other women and learn from them as well. Although we are currently on hiatus due to COVID, we have a lot of exciting things planned for 2021. Stay tuned!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of the biggest challenges was facing my own fears: would people actually be interested in what I had to offer? I think most business owners have a fear of failure; it’s a constant battle to keep reminding yourself that getting started takes time. Having an amazing support group has gotten me through those moments of doubt and I am so appreciative of the people who have cheered me on since the beginning and pushed me to keep going. That of course, is what Bloom is all about – sharing that same support and encouragement with other women that my own tribe has shown me!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Bloom Retreats is a bespoke luxury retreat company, inspired by the destination, that brings women together through experience, culture, cuisine and adventure. We have over 15 years experience in the event industry and have operated events in over 35 countries. We’re different because we have the knowledge, in-country connections, and firsthand experience to create out-of-the-box experiences for our guests that they won’t find anywhere else. I am most proud of our unwavering mission to provide a safe environment for women to be their most vulnerable and authentic selves and having some fun in the process!

What were you like growing up?
I have always been extremely outgoing and social, perhaps out of necessity: we moved quite a bit when I was growing up, so it forced me to get comfortable with change and make new friends often. I think that has really served me throughout my life. Being uprooted quite a bit made it easy for me to live on the road and make amazing friends and connections all over the world. I was also curious and adventurous growing up – I tried every sport and activity, but had a hard time nailing down one particular thing to focus on because I was always trying the next new thing. I was very busy and high energy!

Most notably, I am a food freak! I have always had a love affair with food and am willing to drive many miles and/or hours for something I am craving. This has led to some amazing experiences during my travels!

Lastly, I have a deep empathy and compassion for animals and people who are in a rough spot. I think this has really led to my desire to want to help people.

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