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Aloha! My name is Staacy. I envision a world where high-achieving women confidently enter or reenter the workplace, embracing their divine feminine energy without fear, and thriving as their true, beautiful, creative, and expansive selves. You see, in my twenties, my life was centered around wellness and mindfulness. I immersed myself in teaching yoga and leading retreats, sharing the joy of these practices with others.
The serene, balanced life I led then took a sharp turn as I entered my thirties and was introduced to the exhilarating world of startups. I quickly became hooked on the thrill of the fast-paced, dynamic environment. But life had its challenges in store for me. A difficult divorce left me a single mom, and the pain of navigating a custody battle drove me to immerse myself even deeper into work. I founded a technology startup, inventing a cutting-edge system that used computer vision and AI to gauge consumer emotions in response to advertisements. Despite the eventual closure of the startup, I didn’t slow down. I plunged into executive leadership roles, including serving as president of an airline startup, always solving other people’s problems, avoiding my own heartache.
My relentless pace took a toll on me, and I became the stereotypical A-type personality, running on fumes, barely sleeping four hours a night. Deep down, I knew this wasn’t sustainable. My quality of life was abysmal, and I yearned for something better. In late 2019, I took a pivotal trip to Hawaii’s Big Island. For the first time in over 13 years, I allowed myself to rest. I worked with a local Hawaiian healer who helped me confront the immense damage my lifestyle had inflicted on my mind, body, and spirit. This healing journey reawakened my longing to lead retreats and share the peace and joy I once knew.
When I returned home, I made a bold decision. I left my secure job as head of growth at a tech startup just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I embraced consulting, with a promise to myself: I would only work with companies that aligned with my core values of freedom, truth, joy, and quality time. In 2020, I bought my first home as a single mom in Cardiff by the Sea. During the renovations, I spent time on the North Shore of Oahu, where I reconnected with myself and my Divine feminine energy. This period of self-discovery reinforced my calling to return to the retreat space.
Having spent years healing myself, I realized my purpose: to support high-achieving women in breaking free from destructive habits. Women who overwork to prove themselves, people-please to stay on top, and neglect self-care in their relentless pursuit of success. This led to the birth of Laia Retreats.
Laia is a space for high achieving women to embrace living authentically for themselves, guilt-free and unadulterated. We are here to give you a much-needed breath of fresh air and show you that you can exist and flourish outside of the contemporary rat race.
We knew there needed to be a space for women where the daily grind melted away, allowing you to reconnect with the things that get you grinning ear-to-ear. We’re here to take you back to a time before juggling of work, family, mortgages, and everything in between became all consuming.
We’re the accumulation of years worth of navigating the little tricks that allow you to reconnect with your childhood glee when you find yourself stuck in the middle of adulthood. We’ve brought together an expertly assembled tool belt of experiences to help you rediscover your passions so you can find purpose that exists within you, solely for you.
Surfing was and is one of the biggest tools I use to relax, to stay present, and to feel the aliveness and fun I felt as a child. While it may not be a tool for every retreat attendee, we have it on offer at all Laia Retreats because it’s brought so much joy and connection back into my life. Laia’s surf coach is Chris Lanza, one of the happiest humans you’ll ever meet.
With over twenty years of experience dipping in and out of the ocean, our in-house surf coach, Chris Lanza, has built a life revolving around the ebbs and flows of tides. As an American Red Cross Certified Waterfront Lifeguard with 8 years of experience guiding and coaching surf in various locations worldwide, from Hawaii to Fiji to Costa Rica, you know your safety is our priority.
Having grown up traveling the globe, board-bag in hand, Chris sees surfing as more than simply a sport or a hobby; it’s become a way of existing that’s allowed him to fully experience how vital community, culture and travel can be.
He’s found his joy in the peaceful process of riding the waves of life and looks forward to sharing the gift of that meditative mindset with all of you.
A bespoke experience that bridges three pillars, Laia retreats will have you entering a state of wanderlust for the world again while reconnecting you with a community of like-hearted, smiling souls.
