Being Here, As You Are: A retreat for creators & entrepreneurs

With Leigh Tillman and Melissa Schneider

September 14 - 16, 2026

Date and Time Details: September 14-September 16, 2026

Location: Casa Portal

Address: 83 Sullivan Road, Jackson, ME, USA

Contact: Melissa
info@casaportalretreats.com
207-323-3016

All Inclusive Ratee Includes: : 3 Chef-prepared meals each day, with snacks and drinks available throughout. Guided retreat programming and time to settle into the rhythm of the land. Accommodations in the the farmhouse and cabins. Access to over 100 acres of private land, including walking trails, gardens, and a spring-fed swimming pond. Shared spaces for gathering and creating, including the workshop barn, screened porch, and outdoor areas. Wi-Fi, parking, and on-site Casa Portal staff to support your stay

Payment Policy : A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot and is applied toward your total retreat cost. The remaining balance is due 30 days prior to the retreat start date. Once the final payment is made, all payments are non-refundable. Pricing includes food and teacher stipends. Payment can be made by check, credit card, or ACH.

Cancellation Policy : All deposits are non-refundable. Cancellations made more than 30 days prior to the retreat may be eligible for a transfer to another guest or a credit toward a future Casa Portal retreat within one year, at Casa Portal’s sole discretion. n the case of unexpected or emergency circumstances within 7 days of the retreat, requests may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Any exception, including partial credit, is granted solely at Casa Portal’s discretion and must be confirmed in writing. Supporting documentation may be requested where appropriate. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect against unexpected changes.

  • Cabin D - Private – $1,250.00
  • Guesthouse #1 | Private | King – $1,150.00
  • Guesthouse #5 | Private | Twin XL – $1,150.00
  • Guesthouse #2 | Shared | 2 Fulls – $950.00
  • Guesthouse #3 | Shared | 2 Twin XL – $950.00
  • Guesthouse #4 | Shared | 2 Fulls – $950.00
  • Guesthouse #6 | Private | Queen – $1,150.00
  • Guesthouse #7 | Private | Twin XL – $1,150.00
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Being Here, As You Are

A Casa Portal retreat for reconnecting with your voice, your pace, and your creative well

A space for navigating the quiet, often unseen tension of modern identity—where who you are and what you do are no longer separate.

Hosted by Leigh Tillman of Leigh Tillman Facilitation & Melissa Schneider of Casa Portal 

Hosted at Casa Portal—a working farm retreat in mid-coast Maine—this experience is designed for creators and solo entrepreneurs whose work is closely tied to who they are.

When your work and your life are deeply connected, it takes space to hear what’s actually yours—versus what’s shaped by pace, expectation, or constant visibility.

Over a few days together, we step out of that cycle.

Shared meals. Time on the land. Tea on the porch, gardening, being with the sheep. Quiet moments alone, and guided conversation in community.

We will hold space for discussions exploring the questions we hold around our work, our ideas of success, and how we’re showing up in our work and our lives.

At Casa Portal, the environment is part of the experience.

Set on 100 acres of working farmland and forest in Maine, the land invites a slower rhythm. Being in natural beauty—and in relationship with the land—creates permission to pause, to stop producing, and simply be.

This is not about giving you answers or a plan.

It’s about creating the conditions to hear yourself clearly again.

From there, clarity doesn’t need to be forced.
It begins to surface—naturally, and in your own time.

During our time together, the days unfold gently and deliberately. Experiences may include:

  • Daily guided discussion and sessions with Leigh 
  • Solo forest time with simple invitations for noticing and reflection
  • Evening fireside storytelling and shared listening
  • Quiet mornings and unstructured time on the land
  • Walking trails through woods and open fields on the private property
  • Seasonal, chef-prepared meals shared communally
  • Time to sit, wander, journal, or simply be outdoors

All-Inclusive Rates Include: 

• Three meals per day (plus snacks & non-alcoholic beverages)
• All teacher-led programming and workshop materials
• Accommodations for the duration of the retreat
• Exclusive private access to Casa Portal and its amenities

About the Leaders

Leigh Tillman

Leigh Tillman is a facilitator who helps groups slow down, listen more deeply, and work with the perspectives already in the room. Her approach is grounded in years of cross-cultural experience, community-based work, and consensus-driven facilitation—supporting people to navigate complexity, make decisions together, and find clarity without forcing it. https://www.leightillman.com/

Learn more about Leigh Tillman

Melissa Schneider

Melissa Schneider is a creative and marketing executive who has spent over two decades working with artists, creators, and founder-led businesses. Her work sits at the intersection of expression and execution—helping people translate what they sense internally into something real in the world. As a certified forest therapy guide and steward of Casa Portal, she […]

Learn more about Melissa Schneider

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