When Building Trust Is the Only Right Decision

Two days before a Camp Joy retreat in Mexico, violence broke out in a city about 500 kilometres away.

We were already on the ground in Zihuatanejo.

We verified the facts carefully. Our location remained calm and safe. Local military presence increased appropriately, and the town itself felt exactly as it always does: warm, welcoming, and deeply kind. Anyone who knows Zihua understands that spirit. It is a place where people greet you on the street, where fishermen pull their boats onto the beach each morning, and where the pace of life naturally slows.

But many of our campers were watching the news from home.

And fear rarely measures distance in kilometres.

Choosing Trust First

At Camp Joy, our retreats are built around something simple but powerful: trust. Women arrive expecting a safe space to rest, reflect, laugh, and reconnect with themselves and with each other.

So when uncertainty appears, the most important question becomes: how do we honour that trust?

We made a decision.

Every woman registered for Camp Joy would have the option not to come, with a full credit toward a future retreat. No penalties, no pressure, and no complicated policies.

The intention was clear: if someone felt uneasy, we wanted her to know she could step back without consequence.

From a purpose perspective, the decision felt right.

From a business perspective, it was not simple. The villa was booked, vendors were contracted, and the retreat had been planned for months. Offering that flexibility meant accepting financial risk.

But when a business is built around people and purpose, some choices are not really choices at all.

When Women Said Yes

After sharing the message with our campers, something unexpected happened.

Several women reached out and said, quite simply ..."We still want to come."

They trusted the fact that we were already there, that we had done our homework, and that Zihuatanejo remained peaceful.

In the end, a much smaller group of women arrived at the villa. And something quietly beautiful happened.

The days unfolded slowly. Mornings began with yoga and meditation overlooking the Pacific. Conversations drifted from laughter to honesty and back again. Meals appeared from our chef’s kitchen, and evenings were filled with music, stories, and that unmistakable feeling that emerges when women gather with intention.

Learning Along the Way

The experience also taught us something important. In moments of uncertainty, speed matters. But so does pause.

We moved quickly to protect trust, announcing that the retreat would not proceed as originally planned. Only afterward did we realize that some campers would have preferred the option to attend.

Leadership, especially in moments like these, is rarely perfect. It is thoughtful, human, and always evolving.

In the end, some women deferred to a future retreat, one chose a full refund because a future credit did not work for her circumstances, and a small group gathered in Zihuatanejo and created a week none of us will forget.

Purpose at the Heart of Camp Joy

Experiences like this remind us why Camp Joy exists in the first place. Our retreats are not just about beautiful locations, exceptional meals, or memorable experiences, although those things certainly matter.

They are about creating space for women to reconnect with themselves and with one another.

They are about community.

And increasingly, they are also about making sure more women have access to that space, especially those who spend much of their lives caring for others.

Why It Matters

The events leading up to this retreat reminded us that purpose is not something you write in a mission statement. It is something you practice in difficult moments.

It shows up in how you treat people when circumstances become uncertain.

It shows up in the choices you make when the easiest business decision is not the most compassionate one.

And sometimes it shows up when a small group of women decide, together, to say yes to gathering anyway.

At Camp Joy, we believe something extraordinary happens when women come together with intention.

Even when the world outside feels uncertain.

Especially then.

Saludos,

Monique