Unbecoming
The Shedding of Who She Was Told to Be
She gave everything
to her career.
This is hers.
She is a GS-11 through SES federal professional. A veteran who rebuilt her identity after service. A corporate executive who has given everything to her institution. A pastor or ministry leader who has poured herself into everyone else's calling — and is standing at the edge of her own next era.
She does not need to be taught discipline, work ethic, or resilience. She has those. What she needs is space, strategy, and a room full of women who understand exactly where she is standing.
The meetings. The late nights. The years she gave to systems, organizations, and congregations that will outlast her tenure. She gave it all. This retreat is the first investment she has ever made entirely in herself.
The End of Who
They Needed You to Be
She was reliable. Dependable. The one who held it all together. She played the role so well she forgot it was a role. This retreat is the graceful, intentional ending of that chapter.
You have a business idea you have been carrying quietly for longer than you would like to admit.
You have been the backbone of every room — and you are ready to be the architect of your own.
You have attended retreats and conferences and left inspired for 72 hours before real life swallowed the momentum.
You know something needs to shift. You just haven't had the space, the sisterhood, or the strategy to make it happen.
The Space Between
Who You Were and Who You Actually Are
Most women never give themselves permission to live in this space. They go straight from achievement to achievement — without ever stopping to ask who they are when no one is watching. This retreat is that space.
THIS RETREAT IS NOT FOR YOU IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A VACATION WITH LIGHT CONTENT, OR IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO GIVE YOU PERMISSION. THAT PART HAS ALWAYS BEEN YOURS.
Voices you know. Stories that will stop the room. We have confirmed guest speakers whose journeys from institution to impact mirror everything this retreat stands for. Their names stay under wraps until September — but they are worth the seat alone.
The Shedding of
Who She Was Told to Be
Four intentional days. Each one designed to move her from who she has been performing to who she actually is. She does not just attend this retreat. She lives inside it.
She comes in as everything she has built — the career, the rank, the sacrifice. Identity mapping, a formal welcome ceremony, and a dinner where 28 women finally exhale.
The day that changes things. We surface the stories keeping her in the waiting room of her own life. Deep workshop sessions, honest conversation, and words from our confirmed guest speakers that land in places she didn't know were open.
We build her blueprint — offer clarity, revenue architecture, brand positioning. Then we close with legacy statements, 90-day plans, and a ceremony that will stay with her long after she leaves the mountain.
She leaves the cabin. She does not leave the same. Not because she was told to change — but because she chose to. October 1st looks different from here.
The Shedding Season for
Women Who've Earned It
Leave the city. Leave the title. Come to the Smoky Mountains and build what comes next. Big Bear Cove Lodge — Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
"You never have to leave the magic to go sleep in a hotel. Everyone stays under one roof — and that is exactly what makes this different from every retreat you have ever attended."
She Has Lived
Everything She Teaches
Lencia is a GS-13 federal HR leader, Navy veteran, entrepreneur, and retreat architect who built her business while holding a full-time government career. She did not study the transition from institution to impact — she made it. Unbecoming was born from her own shedding, and she built it for the woman standing exactly where she once stood.
Your seat is more accessible
than you think.
Pay in full or split into three payments. First payment reserves your seat. All balances due August 15, 2026.
Your first payment locks your seat. Remaining payments are auto-billed at 30 and 60 days. Full balance is due by August 15, 2026. All payments are non-refundable. Only fully paid tickets may be transferred. A small payment processing fee applies and will be reflected at checkout.
She Arrived as Her Title.
She Left as Herself.
Every tier includes luxury lodging, select catered meals, full retreat programming, workbook, welcome gift, and 90-day alumni community. Prices exclude a small payment processing fee reflected at checkout.
Closes the moment all 5 seats are claimed.
- All programming & retreat sessions
- Select catered meals included:
Day 1 (Thurs) — Light dinner
Day 2 (Fri) — Brunch
Day 3 (Sat) — Continental breakfast & dinner
Day 4 (Sun) — Continental breakfast - Private king bedroom — yours alone
- Private ensuite bathroom
- Workbook & materials
- Welcome gift on arrival
- Full lodge access
- 90-day alumni community
- First pick of king rooms
- Opening ceremony recognition
- Permanent Founding Sister designation
For the woman who knows the magic happens in the room.
- All programming & retreat sessions
- Your own private bed — one of six in the suite
- 3 private bathrooms inside the room — no leaving, no waiting
- Select catered meals included:
Day 1 (Thurs) — Light dinner
Day 2 (Fri) — Brunch
Day 3 (Sat) — Continental breakfast & dinner
Day 4 (Sun) — Continental breakfast - Workbook & materials
- Welcome gift on arrival
- Full lodge access
- 90-day alumni community
- Most immersive experience — 6 women, one room, one retreat
For the woman who is ready — full stop.
- All programming & retreat sessions
- Select catered meals included:
Day 1 (Thurs) — Light dinner
Day 2 (Fri) — Brunch
Day 3 (Sat) — Continental breakfast & dinner
Day 4 (Sun) — Continental breakfast - Private king bedroom — yours alone
- Private ensuite bathroom
- Workbook & materials
- Welcome gift on arrival
- Full lodge access
- 90-day alumni community
White-glove from before you arrive to long after.
- All programming & retreat sessions
- Select catered meals included:
Day 1 (Thurs) — Light dinner
Day 2 (Fri) — Brunch
Day 3 (Sat) — Continental breakfast & dinner
Day 4 (Sun) — Continental breakfast - Private king bedroom — yours alone
- Private ensuite bathroom
- Workbook & materials
- Welcome gift on arrival
- 90-day alumni community
- Top-level king — guaranteed first selection
- Pre-retreat 1:1 with Lencia — 60 min
- Professional brand photo session
- VIP dinner with Lencia & speakers
- Post-retreat debrief call — 30 days out
Everything you need
to say yes.
Every seat includes: retreat programming and workshops, confirmed guest speakers, select catered meals (not all meals — see meal schedule below), light snacks, luxury accommodations (private king bedroom and private ensuite bathroom, or shared space depending on your tier), retreat workbook and materials, a welcome gift in your room on arrival, and 90-day alumni community membership. VIP tier includes five additional exclusive experiences.
Catered meal schedule:
Day 1 (Thursday) — Light dinner
Day 2 (Friday) — Brunch
Day 3 (Saturday) — Continental breakfast & dinner
Day 4 (Sunday) — Continental breakfast
Only if you choose the Sisterhood Suite tier. The Sisterhood Suite is a shared community wing — 6 women, 3 private bathrooms. Attendees in this tier share a space, but do not share beds. Every other tier — Founding Sister, Legacy Circle, and Legacy Circle VIP — comes with a private king bedroom and a private ensuite bathroom that is yours alone for all 4 days.
Yes. All tiers offer a 3-payment option. Your first payment locks your seat. The remaining two payments are auto-billed at 30 and 60 days from your registration date. Full balance must be paid in full by August 15, 2026. A small payment processing fee applies and will be reflected at checkout.
Transfer policy: Only fully paid tickets may be transferred to another attendee.
No. All payments are non-refundable. Please make sure you are fully committed before registering. If your circumstances change, fully paid tickets may be transferred to another attendee with advance notice.
This retreat is built for accomplished women who have given themselves to institutions, organizations, and communities — and are ready to build something of their own. That includes federal employees (GS-11 to SES), veterans, corporate executives, pastors, and ministry leaders. If you have been the backbone of every room and are ready to be the architect of your own, this retreat was built for you.
A comparable 4-day luxury residential retreat with professional facilitation, lodging, and programming runs $4,500–$6,000 in today's market. The lodge alone would cost $750–$1,200 per person if booked separately. At the prices offered here, this retreat is priced below its true market value. The real question is not whether it is worth it. The real question is: when was the last time you invested this kind of money in yourself?
The two closest airports are:
McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) — Knoxville, Tennessee
Approximately 45 minutes from Gatlinburg. This is the recommended option for most travelers.
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) — Asheville, North Carolina
Approximately 1 hour from Gatlinburg. A good option for attendees traveling from the Southeast.
Big Bear Cove Lodge is located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Here are approximate driving distances from key regions:
Atlanta, Georgia — approximately 2.5 to 3 hours
Nashville, Tennessee — approximately 3.5 to 4 hours
Charlotte, North Carolina — approximately 3.5 hours
Chicago, Illinois — approximately 8 to 8.5 hours
Washington, D.C. — approximately 7.5 hours
Houston, Texas — approximately 11 hours
Flying into Knoxville (TYS) and driving to the lodge is the recommended option for travelers coming from the Midwest, West, or Northeast.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee is accessible by car from most regions of the country. The lodge is nestled in the Smoky Mountains, which means the final approach involves mountain roads — scenic but manageable for standard vehicles. There is no public transit to the lodge; attendees must arrange their own transportation. Rideshare options (Uber/Lyft) are available from the Knoxville airport. Carpooling with other attendees is encouraged and can be coordinated through the alumni community once you register.
Accessible rooms are available at the lodge. The lodge has two king rooms (Bedrooms 11 and 12) equipped with roll-in showers and grab bars, available at standard tier pricing. These rooms are limited and offered on a first come, first served basis. If you require an accessible room, we encourage you to register early and note your accessibility needs at checkout so we can assign you the appropriate accommodation.
No. You need to come willing to be honest with yourself about what you actually want. The retreat will help you find the clarity, build the blueprint, and leave with a 90-day plan. Some women arrive with a fully formed idea. Others arrive with a feeling. Both are welcome.
She arrived as her title.She left as herself.
When you leave the Smoky Mountains on September 20th, you will not be the same woman who arrived. That is not a promise — it is what happens when decorated women finally give themselves permission to shed what was never theirs to carry.