EP 67 Charlotte Lilley
Just Do Stuff

01:06:48

Charlotte is the founder and CEO of The Retreat Co, where she curates adventure retreats designed to get women outdoors, whether that’s skiing, camping, or gathering for a corporate offsite.

She builds each experience personally and works with a network of women owned brands and businesses to bring them to life across destinations like Lake Tahoe, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, Breckenridge, and Vermont.

She’s also developing Serene Ravine, a 90 acre property near Nevada City, CA, into a venue for camping, glamping, weddings, and events. Before this, she spent 15 years in B2B tech marketing, building customer communities.

Show Notes:

Charlotte’s Links:

Episode Intro:

Welcome back to the Female Guides Requested Podcast! I’m your host, Ting Ting, from Las Vegas. Today I’m so excited to chat with Charlotte Lilley, the founder of The Retreat Company.

Charlotte has such a cool story—she traded a fast-paced career in San Francisco’s tech startup world to combine her knack for community-building with her lifelong love of the outdoors. Now, she creates these incredible, curated ski and camping retreats just for women, blending outdoor adventure with yoga, amazing food, and authentic connections.

In this episode, we get real about the hidden behind-the-scenes work of outdoor hospitality, why women-only spaces are so vital in male-dominated sports, and her big dreams for building a permanent retreat property in California.

Quotes:

  • “I wish I could say I had a business plan… honestly, the thing that I’ve taken away is just do stuff.”
  • “I remember the moment it sort of clicked… this should be for women so that they can feel confident in the sport and we can get more women into the sport.”
  • “If it goes super smooth and seems easy, that means you planned even harder.”
  • “I started taking it seriously once strangers kept showing up. I need to make sure I’m providing a really nice experience for people.”
  • “It’s in my nature… to just plan things with people. I’m definitely a natural community builder.”