Written by
May 31, 2023
Mallika Malhotra
On May 19-20th, I had the privilege of hosting the Brand Breakthrough Mastermind Retreat, the finale to my 4-month Brand Breakthrough Mastermind program. I was thrilled to host so many of my beloved clients in person along with new locals in the Maine biz community!
It has been a dream of mine to bring women entrepreneurs together in my home state of Maine for a time of brand building and forging meaningful connections in a safe, intimate space. In this blog post, I’m excited to share a recap of our incredible, two-day event.
It’s so important to take time away to invest in ourselves and our businesses. With the rise of Zoom calls and endless screen time, coming together in real life builds stronger, faster connections. Plus, it just feels good to be around others who are on similar paths! We are able to feel their energy which helps keep us motivated and inspires us to dream big.
This event was for my Brand Breakthrough Mastermind clients who came from all over the country as well as local Maine women in business. I deliberately kept the numbers of attendees low because I wanted to create an intimate event where women could connect with each other easily and feel seen, heard, and supported. Every woman in attendance was passionate about their business, generous in their support and driven to make an impact. It was a powerful vibe!
The number one question I get asked about branding is “How do I find what makes me different and stand out from competitors?”
Because of this, we kicked off the retreat by uncovering our Brand Brilliance. We took a deep dive into our personal histories, experiences, values, and personalities to identify themes that could set us apart from competitors in our industries and learned how to use these differentiators to build an authentic narrative that stands out.
Sharing these stories and experiences also created a special connection among the group. It was incredible to realize that we all face similar challenges and share similar narratives regardless of our backgrounds or if we are new to business or a seasoned entrepreneur!
We also engaged in interactive activities to enhance connection and creativity including:
Speed-networking, a fun exercise that allowed participants to forge new relationships using guided prompts.
Design Your Dream Brand, a vision boarding session that helped us visualize our brand aspirations while creating a physical board to serve as a tangible reminder. This was a time to dream big and work towards the future forecast of our brand!
Meet the Brand, a collaborative session using my new brand story template which provided a framework for crafting compelling brand narratives.
Hot Seats, a time where attendees volunteered to share challenges they were facing in their business and received personalized coaching and collective feedback. While putting yourself in the hot seat can feel intimidating, it’s a powerful way to get unstuck and motivated to take next step.
In true Maine fashion, our original plan for Day Two encountered a weather-related hurdle. I decided to pivot and host a brunch, complete with delicious food, mimosas, and coffee. This informal setting provided time for attendees to chat and network, exchange stories and encouragement, and engage in a lighthearted yet competitive “women in business” trivia game.
*Shout out to my amazing event planner Julie from Maine Premier Event Planners and her assistant, who were able to pull together the brunch on short notice. It was a special time connection and fun! (Julie took care of many details and prep work, so I could focus on the attendees and the content of the retreat. I highly recommend her for your event planning needs!)
The evening of Day Two was the highlight of the event for me, as I opened the doors to my home and welcomed guests to a cozy happy hour. The casual setting created an opportunity for deeper conversations and strengthened the bonds that had been formed over the course of the retreat. I witnessed new friendships forming, introductions being made, sharing of resources, exchanges of social media…a true network being formed amongst these women!
As a gift to my attendees, I also invited a photographer to come and take professional headshots in my studio that evening so they could leave with a visual brand asset and the confidence to boost their visibility online.
Reflecting on the retreat, I’m simply overwhelmed with gratitude. I hoped to give my guests a comprehensive experience where they could lock arms with other women, be inspired to form new connections, and leave with visual assets to keep the momentum going, and this event exceeded my expectations.
Yes, it was a LOT of work to put this together, but it was so worth it!
The generosity and leadership of the women who attended validated my mission to empower and uplift others. It was such a beautiful experience! I hope all of my guests felt supported, understood, and motivated, and I’m deeply grateful for everyone who joined me on this incredible journey.
From the support and cheerleading, to going for our big dreams, to the generosity in sharing resources, THIS is the type of energy that I try to capture in all of my programs, including my Brand Breakthrough Mastermind.
If you’re ready to experience this kind of energy yourself and become the most well-known brand in your industry, The Brand Breakthrough Mastermind may be the perfect fit!
This high-touch, 4-month mastermind was created for motivated women entrepreneurs who are ready to build a stand out brand that achieves expert status.
Meet Your Brand Mentor
Hi, I’m Mallika Malhotra, The Brand CEO—an award-winning brand builder and niche expert. I’m passionate about supporting female entrepreneurs—women just like you! I’ll help you find your oh-so-you niche and share your brilliance with the world. Together, we’ll break through the noise and make your brand the go-to choice in your industry.
When not building brands, I’m either sipping coffee or enjoying a glass of red wine, diving into a stack of books, or dreaming of global adventures. I live in beautiful coastal Maine with my husband, three sons, and our mini Bernedoodle, Jax.
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