I spent a September weekend at Shari Leid’s alcohol-free Flip the Box® retreat outside Austin. Here’s why her April 2027 edition belongs on your calendar.

Disclosure: Shari Leid is a friend and a Magnetic Media Labs client. The weekend earned this review on its own.

Five women. One ranch outside Austin. Zero hangovers.

That was my September, and I’d book it again tomorrow.

Five Women, One Ranch and Not a Wine Glass in Sight

I flew into Austin in September 2026, grabbed an Uber and watched the city fall away for about 45 minutes. Then the property showed up, and I understood why Shari picked it.

There were five of us. Five. That’s not a retreat; that’s a dinner party with a curriculum.

We each had our own bedroom, which I will defend as a nonnegotiable for any woman over 40. (Unless I’m traveling with my ride or die and fellow contributor Amy Liz Harrison, because we actually can’t be separated.) The main house had an open living room and kitchen where conversations started at the counter and drifted to the couch without anyone deciding they should.

Then there was the barn. Movies, a pool table, shuffleboard, a Pac-Man machine and a cozy sitting area. There was also a bar, and for the whole weekend it served exactly nothing I had to work around.

Outside: a pool, a volleyball court and walking paths through some of the prettiest Hill Country scenery I’ve seen.

I didn’t do every activity on the property. That was the point.

The Best Room in the House Was at the Top of the Stairs

At the very top of the house was a meditation room, and that’s where we met every morning.

Shari opened each day with meditation and mindful movement. No 5 a.m. boot camp energy. Just a quiet room, a little stretching and the kind of stillness I don’t get at home with a phone that never stops.

If you’ve ever started a vacation morning by triaging email in bed, you know what a gift that is.

A Retreat That Didn’t Treat My Calendar Like a Tetris Board

Every day had something different. We did a drum circle (louder and more joyful than I expected). A photographer came to the property and shot headshots for each of us, plus group photos. We made art. We took personality assessments and actually dug into what the results meant, instead of filing them under “fun fact.”

And of course, Shari walked us through her Flip the Box® Method, her framework for connecting more honestly with the people in our lives. I’ve watched a lot of experts teach a lot of frameworks. Hers is the one I keep using.

Here’s what sold me: it never felt jammed.

Most retreats confuse busy with transformative. This one didn’t.

I left refreshed, energized and with new friends I still text. That’s the whole review, honestly. The rest is detail.

Why a Dry Retreat Hits Different After Twenty Years Sober

I’ve been sober since May 1, 2006. Twenty years in, I’m not white-knuckling anything. But I’m also not naive about how women’s events are usually built.

The welcome reception has a signature cocktail. The “self-care” weekend has a wine pairing. The closing toast assumes everyone’s holding the same glass.

You learn to do the quiet math at the door.

At Flip the Box, there was no math to do. The weekend was dry, start to finish.

Shari isn’t sober. She’s never needed to be to understand that an alcohol-free room changes who feels welcome in it. She’s been in my corner on my sobriety, and she made the call to keep her April retreat alcohol-free too.

That’s what allyship looks like when it isn’t a hashtag.

What’s Next: In Full Bloom, April 30 to May 2, 2027

Same standard, new zip code. The spring edition moves to Retreat Ranch in Marble Falls, Texas: 46 acres in the Hill Country, about 50 minutes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The theme is “In Full Bloom: Making Room for Your Next Chapter,” built for women in the middle of a shift (career, divorce, retirement, empty nest) or simply asking what’s next.

The lineup is strong:

Shari Leid leads workshops on speaking, writing, identity and purpose, plus the Flip the Box® Method.
Kimberly Faith runs breathwork. Shari has told me more than once, working with Kimberly is life-changing. I believe her.
Laura Marcotte teaches yoga with sound bowls. She’s a recognized specialist in yoga for addiction and recovery, with years of work at Austin treatment centers. Sober readers, that’s your person.
Paige Ryan leads a Despacho blessing ceremony.
Lily Lorenz guides candle making in the art barn; you blend your own scent and leave with a 50-hour soy candle.
Chef Jennifer “Suki” Otsuki of Soul Nourished Kitchen cooks every meal, with a preference questionnaire before you arrive.

There’s a walking meditation in the labyrinth, a yoga pavilion and lodging with personality: yurts, vintage trailers, container villas and a bunkhouse. Professional photography is included again, which means you go home with headshots you’ll actually use.

The group is capped at 15 women, and most come solo. Pricing runs from $4,444 for a shared bunk in The Hive to $7,777 for a private suite, all-inclusive, with a 50% deposit and payment plans. Flights and airport transfers are on you.

Come for the Quiet. Stay for the Women.

My take: if you want a weekend that gives you more energy than it takes, and you want it without a single drink being part of the plan, this is the one.

Book the room. Bring a journal. Leave room for the conversations you didn’t schedule.

Reserve your spot at sharileid.com/2027-retreat, or book a free call with Shari if you want to talk it through first.

Watch my IG Reels from September 2026 HERE:

Travel + Arrival day – Flip Yeah!
Day One – It was a good day for a good day
Drum Circle – Yes, in fact, I do shake it like a white girl
Quiet Walks – sunsets in Texas are a vibe
Art Project – so fun, so easy, my masterpiece is now proudly displayed in the curator cottage (aka TSC + Magnetic Media Labs HQ)

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Is the Flip the Box retreat alcohol-free? Yes. The April 30 to May 2, 2027 retreat is alcohol-free, start to finish.

Do I have to be sober to attend? No. It’s open to all women. The weekend is simply dry, so sober and sober-curious guests never have to work around a drink.

Where is it, and how do I get there? Retreat Ranch in Marble Falls, Texas, about 50 minutes by car from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). Flights and transfers are on you, and Shari’s team can help coordinate shared rides.

How much does it cost? From $4,444 for a shared bunk to $7,777 for a private suite, per person. That covers lodging, chef-prepared meals, workshops, assessments, materials and professional photography. A 50% deposit holds your spot, and payment plans are available.

Do I need to bring a friend? No. Most women come solo, and the group is capped at 15.

Is this therapy? No. It’s a guided, experiential retreat focused on connection, clarity and your next chapter.